The night over Arcadia Academy was peaceful.
After the chaos of the day, the calmness almost felt unreal.
Moonlight bathed the academy grounds in a gentle silver glow while countless lights shone from dormitory windows scattered throughout the sprawling campus. The distant sounds of students talking, laughing, and moving between buildings drifted through the cool night air before gradually fading into silence as the hour grew later.
The academy looked exactly as it always had.
Orderly.
Safe.
Familiar.
And perhaps because of everything that had happened beneath the mountain, that familiarity felt far more precious than before.
Inside one of the dormitory buildings, a certain dark violet-haired young man lay spread across his bed without the slightest intention of moving.
Luca stared blankly at the ceiling.
His boots were tossed carelessly near the door.
His academy coat rested over a nearby chair.
