Leaving the headmaster's office felt like stepping out of a vacuum. The weight of that conversation, of futures and secrets discussed, pressed on Nero's shoulders.
The normal buzz of the academy corridors felt too loud, too bright. Cadets called out to him because of his popularity. He nodded, offered a tight smile, but his eyes scanned past them, looking for one person, one point of calm.
He found her at the edge of the central plaza, a still figure in the flow of students. Khione. She was waiting. As he approached, he felt it—a new density to her aura, a deeper, more settled cold radiating from her core. She'd broken through. Middle Adept Mage. A fierce, quiet pride swelled in his chest, pushing the headmaster's grim talk aside.
