The carriages slowed hours after leaving the academy. Vencian leaned back as the city thinned behind them. The air carried less smoke and more dust, and it reached him colder, as if the land had fewer reasons to hold warmth. He marked the distance by habit, counting turns and changes in grade, then let it go.
They disembarked near the ruins, students spilling out in uneven clusters. Professors raised voices, names called and checked, lists consulted twice. The academy crest looked smaller here, stitched on uniform that moved too freely in the open space. Stone remnants lay scattered across a shallow rise, walls reduced to ribs, their edges worn smooth.
Elias joined him as the groups were sorted, hands folded behind his back in a way that suggested restraint rather than ease.
"Long ride," Elias said.
"Farther than it appears on a map," Vencian replied. He glanced around. "The ground feels exposed. The city hides how quickly things thin out."
