The morning light had not yet reached far into the upper chambers of the cathedral when Noctis opened his eyes. Heavy curtains covered the tall windows facing the eastern side of the fortress, allowing only a thin band of pale gold to slip through the narrow space where the fabric did not quite meet. It stretched across the dark stone floor beside the bed and caught faintly against the crimson lines built into the chamber's privacy formations, while the rest of the room remained quiet beneath the dim glow of the lamps set along the walls.
Nocthyrael was still asleep beside him, curled close enough that one arm rested across his waist beneath the covers. Her hair had fallen loosely over the pillow and partly across his shoulder, and the guarded tension she usually carried whenever she was responsible for the fortress had softened completely from her expression. She had spent too long awake while he was gone, and Noctis could see that the exhaustion had finally caught up to her now that she no longer needed to keep herself prepared for another bad report or another problem at the walls.
He remained still for a few moments, listening to the muted sounds reaching the chamber from beyond the layered formations. A patrol passed through the outer corridor with slow, regular steps, and somewhere farther down the tower, a door opened and closed without anyone raising their voice. The fortress was already beginning its day below them, but the private rooms remained insulated from the noise well enough that Nocthyrael did not stir.
Noctis lifted one hand and gently moved a loose strand of hair away from her cheek. She shifted faintly at the touch, pressing a little closer to him as though she had sensed him waking, but her eyes remained closed. He leaned down and kissed her forehead, allowing the touch to linger only briefly before he spoke in a voice quiet enough that it did not disturb the room.
"Sleep a little longer."
Nocthyrael's lips moved as if she wanted to answer, but no words came out. Her fingers tightened once against his side, then relaxed again as she settled deeper beneath the covers. Noctis watched her for another second, then slowly eased himself out from beneath her arm and rose from the bed without making enough noise to pull her from sleep.
The air around him stirred when he activated Crimson Arsenal.
Thin streams of blood-colored light spread across his body, shaping themselves into fitted black armor that covered him from his neck to his boots without making a sound. The crimson trench coat formed over it a moment later, the fabric settling across his shoulders and down his back with a muted ripple as the bloodlight condensed into something solid. Nocturne appeared in the holster at his right side, followed by Ruin at his left, each pistol forming with a quiet metallic click that barely disturbed the stillness of the chamber.
Noctis adjusted the front of his trench coat and looked back toward the bed. Nocthyrael had not moved again. The room remained warm from the night they had spent together, and the sight of her sleeping peacefully after everything that had happened made him hesitate for a moment before leaving.
Then he reminded himself that Avalon would not wait for him to feel ready.
He opened the chamber door only far enough to see the quiet corridor beyond it. The two fallen angel guards stationed farther down the hall were turned toward the outer passage, their wings hidden and their attention directed away from the private rooms. Noctis did not call to them or give them a reason to approach. He focused on the open intersection at the far end of the corridor and used Genesis Step.
His body vanished without a sound.
The first jump placed him beyond the guards' line of sight near the inner stairwell. From there, he chained several more movements through the cathedral, using open archways, long corridors, and visible intersections to cross the command wing quickly without drawing attention. By the time the last distortion faded, he stood outside Adrian's office as the fortress below continued moving into the quieter rhythm of daylight.
The former sanctum had become one of the busiest administrative rooms in the cathedral. Its original stone walls remained intact, carved with faded holy symbols that had not been removed so much as covered by newer crimson and abyssal inscriptions. Tall shelves lined the sides of the room, holding copied charter pages, housing ledgers, merchant permits, registration reports, patrol schedules, construction maps, and sealed documents connected to the royal demon investigation.
Adrian was already working behind the broad stone desk near the center of the office.
His Crozier of the Fallen Dawn rested against the wall beside him, its blackened silver shaft and crimson crown gem catching the low light from the lamps. Several books lay open across the table in front of him, along with stacks of written reports and small bundles of sealed records tied with dark cord. Two fallen clergy attendants were working at a side desk with pens moving steadily across copied charter pages, while a fallen angel clerk organized new registration documents near the shelves.
The slight disturbance caused by Genesis Step made Adrian look up immediately.
He stood at once and lowered his head with disciplined respect. "Master."
The clergy attendants followed his movement without hesitation, rising from their chairs and bowing their heads as well. The fallen angel clerk did the same, holding the stack of registration documents close against her chest while she waited for instruction.
"No need," Noctis said, lifting one hand. "Keep working."
Adrian straightened, though he did not sit again until Noctis had crossed the room and stopped near the desk. "As you command, Master."
The clergy attendants returned to their documents, and the fallen angel clerk resumed sorting the records, but each of them remained more alert than before. Noctis looked down at the maps spread across Adrian's desk, noting the marked merchant districts, unfinished roads, warehouse zones, patrol rotations, and several red symbols showing locations connected to the royal demon agents Adrian had been tracking.
"The charter almost done?" Noctis asked.
"Yes, Master," Adrian replied. "The final public copies are being prepared. By the evening cycle, the rules will be posted at the gatehouse, merchant district, registration hall, public training grounds, warehouse quarter, and residential blocks. The investigation has also made progress. Several agents are connected to the same payment source, although the royal family behind them is still using intermediaries."
"Keep following it," Noctis said. "Do not move early just because you found a few names. I want enough proof that they cannot turn around later and pretend their people were just misunderstood."
Adrian nodded once. "Understood, Master."
Noctis rested one hand against the edge of the desk and looked through the nearest stack of records. He did not need to read every page to understand how much work had accumulated while the fortress grew into a city. Merchant disputes, housing claims, gate records, patrol assignments, construction contracts, contribution-point disputes, and the quiet attempts of royal agents to find weaknesses had all become part of the same system.
"I am heading to Avalon," he said.
Adrian's pen stopped above the ledger.
The two clergy attendants did not look up directly, but their hands paused for a fraction of a second over the documents they were copying. The human capital was not a place anyone from the fortress would discuss casually, particularly not after the events that had already shown how dangerous human holy authority could become around Noctis.
"For relics and spellbooks, Master?" Adrian asked.
"For whatever is useful," Noctis said. "Holy relics, treasures, skill books, spellbooks, combat manuals, support techniques. Anything that can make you, the clergy, and the angels stronger."
Adrian's expression became more focused. He understood immediately that Noctis was not going to Avalon for a few decorative artifacts or a single high-ranking weapon. He was looking for resources that could change the strength of the entire fortress, particularly the people responsible for defending it when the royal demon houses eventually decided they were done testing from the shadows.
"The royal demons are looking at this place like it is something they can take later," Noctis continued. "I want us ready before they decide to stop sending annoying little agents."
"Yes, Master," Adrian replied. "The relics of Avalon may be especially useful to the fallen clergy. Our former scriptures, rituals, and holy techniques can be adapted through the authority we now possess. The same can be done for the fallen angels."
"That is the idea."
Adrian glanced briefly toward the treasury records stacked near the side of his desk. "Would you like the enchanted gold brought here, Master?"
"No need," Noctis replied. "I will get it myself."
"Understood."
Noctis looked toward the darkened windows overlooking the central district. Even beneath the slower daylight cycle, the fortress was active outside. Workers moved carts through the roads below. Fallen angels crossed elevated walkways near the cathedral. A small merchant group was opening the shutters of a storefront near the central avenue, while several demons carried crates toward a warehouse under the watch of two armed patrol members.
"Keep the charter work moving," Noctis said. "Keep tracking the royal agents. Let Rengar handle the outer routes. Bahamut stays with logistics and the fortress defenses. Also, do not wake Nocthyrael. Let her sleep."
Adrian lowered his head again. "As you command, Master. No disturbance will reach the private wing."
"The fortress can handle itself for a few days," Noctis said. "You all have been doing fine."
The words were casual, but the room still reacted to them. Adrian's expression remained calm, yet there was a quiet recognition in his eyes. The clergy attendants worked with more focus once they heard it, and the fallen angel clerk stood a little straighter near the shelves before continuing her task.
"The fortress will remain stable until your return, Master," Adrian said.
"That is what I expect."
Noctis stepped away from the desk and turned toward the door. Adrian did not attempt to delay him with more questions, nor did he ask to accompany him. The former archbishop understood his role inside the fortress, and he understood that Avalon was not a place where a fallen clergyman could move freely even if he hid his wings, aura, and altered holy power.
Noctis opened the office door, looked down the corridor toward the lower cathedral passages, and used Genesis Step again.
The treasury occupied a deep chamber beneath the cathedral's central foundation. The route to it passed through a series of older stone corridors where the former human fortress architecture had been preserved beneath the newer demonic modifications. Crimson patterns had been carved into the walls to reinforce the area, while abyssal formations ran like dark veins through the stone around the lower vaults.
Two fallen angel guards stood outside the treasury doors in black armor marked with crimson runes. Their wings remained hidden, but their posture changed immediately when Noctis appeared at the far end of the corridor. Both lowered their heads at once.
"Master," they said together.
"No need," Noctis replied as he approached. "Open it."
"As you command, Master."
The guards stepped aside. Formation seals glowed across the heavy metal doors, recognized Noctis's authority, and released with a low vibration that rolled through the corridor. The doors opened inward, revealing the wide treasury chamber beyond them.
The room was larger than most of the fortress offices, built with thick stone walls and multiple layered security formations covering the floor, ceiling, and storage areas. Demonic crafting ore had been stacked in reinforced crates along one side, while sealed relic containers occupied another section beneath protective wards. Several tables held ledgers recording merchant rent, contribution point exchanges, warehouse allocations, construction materials, and the resources entering through the Academy gate.
The enchanted gold had been stored separately at the far end of the vault.
Each chest was reinforced with locking formations and marked with the crimson seal identifying it as part of the fortress treasury. The coins inside were not the ordinary currency used for minor demon transactions or local market purchases. Enchanted gold carried a refined magical value recognized across realms, making it useful for high-level relic exchanges, artifact houses, noble auctions, and private sellers who did not care where a buyer came from as long as the payment was genuine.
Noctis walked toward the first row of chests and opened one with a simple movement of his hand.
Gold light reflected across the black armor beneath his coat, catching along the crimson patterns at his sleeves and the polished metal of Nocturne's holster. He did not need to count the coins manually. The blood storage space opened before him in a thin crimson distortion, and a silent pull spread across the treasure room.
The enchanted gold began lifting from the chests in steady streams.
Coins rose into the air like narrow metallic rivers, flowing through the crimson space and disappearing into the sealed storage dimension connected to Noctis's bloodline. The first chest emptied, then the second, followed by the third and every other container holding enchanted gold in the vault. The piles of coin vanished without clattering or spilling, organized automatically inside the storage space where Noctis could retrieve them later without carrying visible wealth through Avalon's streets.
When the final chest stood empty, the treasury became quiet again.
Noctis closed the lid and let the blood storage space disappear. The crimson distortion faded from the air, leaving only the warded lamps and the faint scent of metal lingering above the empty containers. He had taken every piece of enchanted gold stored within the fortress treasury, enough to enter artifact houses, private auctions, temples, and noble trading circles without needing to bargain over every purchase.
He turned away from the vault and left the room.
The eastern gate district sat beyond the central merchant streets and outer construction zones, close enough to the fortress walls that the open terrain beyond could be seen through the main gatehouse. Noctis moved there through several chained Genesis Steps, appearing briefly at visible intersections before disappearing toward the next line of sight. By the time he reached the eastern gate plaza, the city had changed from the cathedral's quiet administrative atmosphere into the more practical rhythm of work and travel.
The streets were less crowded than they would be after dusk, but the fortress had not gone still.
Many ordinary demons were resting behind shutters after working through the night, yet carts continued moving along the central roads. Workers carried building materials toward unfinished residential blocks near the outer wall. Merchants opened enough of their storefronts to serve travelers and active crews. Fallen clergy moved between public offices with ledgers and sealed records held beneath their arms, while fallen angels continued patrol rotations across the gatehouse, elevated walls, merchant lanes, and warehouse entrances without any concern for the daylight.
Noctis stopped near the eastern gate and looked back toward the fortress.
The cathedral tower rose over the city center, its old holy shape now threaded with crimson markings and abyssal reinforcement lines. Merchant signs hung above streets that had once been rubble-filled paths inside a captured human fortress. Workers repaired roofs and walls while demons carried supplies into rented homes, and fallen angel patrols moved through the avenues with steady purpose.
It was not just a fortress anymore.
It was becoming a city that people had chosen to place their lives inside.
Noctis closed his eyes briefly and reached outward through the command connections tied to his authority. He felt Adrian in the cathedral office, the fallen clergy moving through their work, patrol captains at the gatehouse and outer walls, Rengar somewhere beyond the fortress perimeter, and Bahamut's immense presence near the construction districts.
He deliberately did not reach toward Nocthyrael.
Her presence remained quiet within their chambers, still wrapped in sleep after the time they had spent together. Noctis wanted her to have that rest without feeling him leave through the telepathic network.
"Keep things moving while I'm out," he said through the command link. "I will be gone for a few days. Adrian is handling the charter and the administration. Keep the patrols going, keep tracking the royal demon agents, and do not wake Nocthyrael. Let her sleep."
Adrian's response arrived first, calm and immediate. "Understood, Master. The administration will remain under control."
Several fallen angel captains answered after him.
"The eastern gate will remain secured, Master."
"The patrol rotations will continue without interruption, Master."
"The merchant district and public roads will remain watched, Master."
"The private wing will not be disturbed, Master."
The senior clergy responded next, their voices carrying the same respectful restraint Adrian had shown in the office.
"The charter will be completed and distributed as ordered, Master."
"The royal investigation will continue, Master."
"The registration system will remain active, Master."
Rengar's presence touched the link from beyond the fortress walls, controlled but alert. "The outer routes remain under observation, Master. My scouts will continue watching the groups near the eastern roads."
Bahamut's voice followed, low and weighty even through the telepathic link. "The fortress will remain protected, Master."
A number of smaller acknowledgments followed from patrol leaders, clerks, prelates, and command personnel. Some simply answered with obedience. Others wished him a safe trip in respectful tones before returning to their duties. Noctis listened until the responses settled and the command network returned to its ordinary background presence.
Then two stronger connections pressed against the pet-space bond.
Rengar spoke first.
"Master," he said, his voice controlled but carrying an edge of concern he did not attempt to hide. "Allow me to accompany you. I can remain inside the pet space until you need me."
Bahamut's immense presence followed immediately after. "Master, I will do the same. I will remain concealed and emerge only if you call for me."
Noctis looked east toward the open ground beyond the fortress gate. Low hills and broken ridges stretched toward the distant horizon, with Avalon far beyond them inside human territory. He understood why both companions wanted to come. Rengar had already watched him disappear into dangerous situations before, and Bahamut's instincts were not built to accept his master entering a human capital alone.
"Stay here," Noctis said.
Neither of them answered immediately.
"Where I'm going is too dangerous, even for me," Noctis continued. "Avalon is the human capital. Their holy institutions, temples, relic houses, knight orders, noble families, and gods are all there. One wrong move could bring a holy god down on me."
Rengar's presence tightened. "Then I should be beside you, Master."
"No," Noctis replied. "That's exactly why you're staying. I might be able to get out if I'm alone. I can move, hide, or fight long enough to make an opening. But if you or Bahamut are there, I have to worry about getting both of you out too. I'm not taking that risk."
Bahamut remained silent for a few seconds, and the stillness inside the pet-space connection carried more weight than any immediate argument would have. When he finally answered, his voice was low and respectful.
"Understood, Master."
Rengar did not sound pleased, but he bowed to the order through the connection. "As you command, Master."
"Stay at the fortress," Noctis said. "Keep Nocthyrael safe. And do not let the royal demons think they can do whatever they want while I'm away."
"With my life, Master," Rengar replied.
"They will not," Bahamut said. "The fortress will remain secure until your return, Master."
Noctis let the pet-space link settle. He looked back at the fortress one final time, then turned toward the eastern road. The open terrain beyond the gate stretched toward the human borderlands, and the first part of the journey would require him to move carefully enough that no patrol, royal scout, or wandering faction noticed the crimson trench coat passing across the horizon.
He stepped beyond the eastern gate and used Genesis Step.
The air shifted around him, folding space through a controlled distortion as he moved to the top of a distant ridge. From there, he chained another movement toward a ruined watchtower farther east, then another toward a dark rock formation visible beyond a stretch of broken road. Each step carried him farther from the fortress, his figure appearing briefly before disappearing across the terrain again.
Within minutes, the fortress walls had vanished behind him.
Back inside the eastern gatehouse, the Academy-linked portal began to glow.
The transit hall had been built into a restored section of the old fortress gate structure, where rune-carved stone arches surrounded a circular platform marked by Noctis's authority seal. Gate attendants stood nearby with registration tablets in hand, while fallen angel guards watched the hall entrances and maintained the security formations connecting the fortress to the Demon Academy.
The portal brightened in a controlled pulse.
Cassian Drayke stepped through first.
The vampire student adjusted his cracked spectacles almost immediately, his pale eyes moving over the transit hall with the same careful attention he had used in the Academy's damaged combat district. His uniform remained neat despite the journey, and the way he positioned himself slightly to the side of the portal showed that he was already studying the exits, the guards, the gate attendants, and the crimson formation lines running through the floor.
Vexia Runeflare emerged beside him, her golden fox ears tilted forward and her tail moving restlessly behind her as she looked through the open doors toward the fortress streets. She had dressed for travel rather than class, with twin daggers secured beneath her coat and a bright, curious expression that made it obvious she had expected something interesting but had not prepared for the scale of what she was seeing.
Velrisa Thorn stepped through next, humming softly beneath her breath while dark crimson hair fell over one shoulder. Her expression carried the relaxed confidence she used whenever she entered an unfamiliar environment, though her eyes were taking in every fallen angel guard, every ward line, and every route leading deeper into the fortress with far more seriousness than the gentle curve of her smile suggested.
Seraphina Glacielle followed close behind her, pale fingers tucked near her sleeves as faint frost gathered and melted along the fabric. Rovan Drakar emerged with the heavier stride of an oni who looked as though he wanted to test the strength of the stone beneath his boots, while Draven Mordrys came through beside him with bronze scales catching the crimson portal light along his forearms.
Vaelor Nighthand appeared quietly enough that the gate attendant beside the platform only noticed him after the shadow demon had already moved away from the portal's edge. Elyssara Mourningstar followed with her usual noble composure, dark magic held carefully beneath the surface while she watched the fortress architecture with a formation specialist's interest. Garruk Stonehide ducked slightly beneath the old archway, his broad ogre-demon frame forcing him to lower his head as he looked around the crowded transit hall.
Sylvi Crescent appeared close behind Garruk, her bat-like ears twitching at the overlapping sounds of carts, footsteps, guards, and distant voices coming from outside. Orion Graves stepped through with his restrained abyssal pressure held close to his body, while Neria Hollowveil emerged with a faint translucent haze following her shoulders before she pulled it back beneath her skin.
Zareth Bloodclaw came next, clawed fingers resting loosely near his sides as his eyes moved toward the guards, the exits, and the public road beyond the gatehouse. Isolde Veilfang remained quiet near the edge of the group, balanced on the balls of her feet even though they had only come to find a teacher. Theron Blackwake arrived last, rune-marked hands hidden beneath his sleeves while his gaze traced the formation lines around the platform with professional interest.
The gate attendants checked their Academy identification marks and recorded every name.
"Visitors are permitted in public areas only," one attendant explained while handing each student a temporary crimson visitor seal. "You may enter the merchant district, public roads, residential market areas, public training grounds, and the cathedral entrance plaza. Do not enter restricted clergy offices, private cathedral wings, military formation rooms, treasury corridors, barrier controls, or command areas."
Cassian accepted his visitor seal with a polite nod. "Understood."
Vexia turned hers over between her fingers, studying the crimson symbol stamped into the metal. "This is a lot more organized than I expected."
"You expected chaos?" Seraphina asked softly.
"I expected Teacher Noctis's fortress," Vexia replied. "That could mean anything."
The group walked through the gatehouse doors and stopped just beyond the transit hall.
The fortress streets stretched before them.
Workers pushed carts loaded with timber, stone, and formation materials along the central road. Merchant signs hung over repaired storefronts, some already open despite the daylight, while others remained shuttered until the evening cycle. Fallen angels patrolled through the public avenues with their wings hidden, crimson markings visible along their armor and coats, and fallen clergy moved between offices carrying ledgers, seals, and bundles of copied documents.
The students had heard that Noctis had claimed a human fortress.
They had not expected a city.
Velrisa rested one hand against her hip and hummed thoughtfully as she looked toward the cathedral tower rising above the streets. "I wonder if Teacher Noctis is really back."
Cassian adjusted his cracked spectacles. "The rumor was spreading through the Academy. Also, that huge suppressive pressure from several days ago was definitely Teacher Noctis."
Vexia's ears flicked as she looked at him. "I heard that the moment he came back, he kicked Vice Principal Valdred so hard he flew through several walls. Then he kept screaming about why nobody told him the way home or something like that."
Rovan stared at her. "No way."
Draven folded his arms across his chest. "Teacher Noctis cannot be stronger than Vice Principal Valdred."
"I heard the Vice Principal is a demigod," Sylvi added quickly, her voice lowering as though Valdred might somehow hear the conversation through the gate.
Garruk gave a slow grunt. "A demigod does not go through several walls because someone is angry."
"Maybe the walls were weak," Zareth offered.
Cassian looked at him over the top of his glasses. "They were Academy walls."
Zareth's mouth opened, then closed again.
The conversation began spreading through the group in overlapping reactions. Seraphina remained quiet, though a faint ring of frost appeared beneath her boot before she noticed and pulled it back. Vaelor's attention had shifted toward the patrol routes rather than the gossip, while Elyssara looked toward the cathedral's upper levels as though she was already trying to determine which sections were public and which had been sealed off.
Velrisa lifted one hand.
The charm in her voice did not press against anyone's mind, but it carried enough natural authority that the others quieted anyway. "We did not come here to talk about Vice Principal Valdred."
Cassian's expression became more focused. Vexia's tail stopped moving. Even Rovan lowered his shoulders slightly and looked toward the central district again.
"We came to find Teacher Noctis," Velrisa continued. "He agreed to teach us after the bet with Vice Principal Valdred. He told us to come to his mansion, but every time we went there, Rengar and Bahamut told us he was not around."
"That happened three times," Vexia said, crossing her arms. "The first time, Rengar said Teacher Noctis was away. The second time, Bahamut said he was busy. The third time, both of them were gone too."
"The servants at the mansion did not know when he would return," Seraphina added.
"We know now," Velrisa said, glancing over the city around them. "He moved here. He owns this fortress. He has fallen angels, fallen clergy, merchants, guards, workers, and somehow an entire city growing around him."
Theron's rune-marked fingers shifted beneath his sleeves. "That is a lot to do before starting a training program."
"It is," Velrisa replied. "But he still promised."
Vexia nodded quickly. "He said he was going to make us elite."
"Super elite demons," Rovan corrected with a grin.
Cassian's mouth tightened slightly, though the interest in his eyes made it obvious he had not forgotten the promise either. "Then we should search properly. We cannot walk into the cathedral and demand to see him."
"No," Isolde said quietly. "The guards would stop us."
"And they should," Vaelor added. "We are visitors."
Cassian nodded once and looked toward the public map displayed near the gatehouse wall. It showed merchant streets, public training grounds, residential lanes, public notice boards, warehouse roads, and the main cathedral entrance. The fortress charter had already been posted beside it, and several rules made it clear that visitors entering restricted areas would be removed before they had time to explain themselves.
"We split up," Cassian said. "Ask around in public areas. Do not lie, do not push people, and do not cause trouble. We meet at the cathedral entrance in two hours."
Vexia looked toward the merchant district. "I can ask the traders. They always know what is happening."
"Take Seraphina," Cassian said. "People are more likely to talk if they think you are shopping instead of investigating."
Seraphina looked at him quietly, then nodded. "That makes sense."
Velrisa turned toward Rovan and Draven. "You two can check the public training grounds. Teacher Noctis may have set something up there without telling anyone."
Rovan's grin returned. "Fine by me."
Draven nodded, his eyes briefly moving toward a fallen angel patrol on the road. "We will ask respectfully."
Cassian looked toward Vaelor, Sylvi, and Isolde next. "You three check the gatehouse area and public streets. Ask attendants and merchants whether they saw Teacher Noctis leave or return recently. Do not try to access records you are not allowed to see."
Vaelor's expression barely changed. "I know how to ask questions."
"Then do that," Cassian replied.
Elyssara moved toward Theron and Orion. "We can check the public notices near the cathedral. If the fortress owner is leaving, there may be an announcement for merchants, workers, or patrols."
Orion gave a quiet nod. "We will see what information was made public."
Neria looked toward the warehouse district. "Garruk, Zareth, come with me. Workers see more than most people think. We can ask without interrupting their work."
Garruk nodded slowly. "We do not scare them."
Zareth glanced down at his claws and tucked both hands into his sleeves. "I was not planning to."
The fifteen students separated into their groups and moved into the public streets of the fortress. They were not a trained unit yet, and none of them had begun the lessons Noctis promised them, but the way they divided the search showed that they were already starting to think about where each person fit.
Cassian stayed near the gatehouse long enough to make sure everyone understood the meeting point and the time limit. Then he started toward the central avenue, his cracked spectacles catching the daylight as the others dispersed through merchant lanes, public training grounds, worker districts, and the roads leading toward the cathedral.
Far to the east, beyond the fortress walls and the dark hills that marked the first stretch of wilderness, Noctis was already moving toward Avalon.
Inside the fortress, fifteen academy students had arrived only minutes too late.