The courtyard emptied little by little.
Cain remained where he was for a while, watching as the others walked away in small groups. The faint murmur of their voices mixed with the sound of the morning wind, carrying away through the pines.
When he finally turned to leave, the instructor was already gone. Only the lingering scent of incense remained.
He walked along the stone path that curved around the training fields. The mist was thinner now, letting faint sunlight fall on the tiled roofs and wooden beams of the dormitory houses. Everything looked old — but alive. Every wall hummed faintly with energy, as though it was breathing with the mountain.
At the bridge, Eren and Keil were already waiting. Eren waved lazily, his grin easy and warm.
"Hey, new guy," he called. "Guess we'll be stuck together for a while."
Cain only nodded, his gaze dropping briefly to the water below. The river reflected the sky in broken ripples.
Keil chuckled. "He doesn't talk much, huh? Quiet type, I see."
Eren shrugged. "Handsome guys has to be quiet, he said seriously."Kiel look at him but used to his nonsense already just dragged Cain with him. Eren still musing seeing them leave followed behind.
They walked together, not saying much after that. It wasn't awkward — just quiet.
The dormitory stood at the end of the path, a long wooden building with sliding doors and carved talismans hanging from the beams. When they entered, the air smelled faintly of sandalwood and paper ink.
Inside, the rest of the group was already unpacking. Varric's heavy bag thudded onto the floorboards, Lior sat cross-legged by the window polishing his blade, Ryn leaned lazily against the wall with closed eyes, and Sera was adjusting her folded robes in perfect order.
No one spoke much. Just the sound of settling in — drawers opening, cloth rustling, footsteps crossing the floor.
Cain found his bed near the corner. It was plain — just a thin mattress, a folded blanket, and a wooden chest beneath it. He sat down quietly, his fingers brushing the grain of the wood.
For a brief moment, everything was still. The morning sounds faded — replaced by a soft hum in his head, faint and low.
> "So this is your new cage," the voice murmured, distant but clear.
Cain froze. His hand tightened around the edge of the bed. He looked up, but everyone else was still busy — no one had noticed anything.
He exhaled slowly, steadying himself.
The hum faded again, disappearing into silence.
Eren's voice broke it. "We start training tomorrow, right?"
Keil groaned. "Yeah, dawn. Which means no sleep for me."
Sera gave him a look, unimpressed. "Then you'll be the first to fall behind."
A few soft laughs followed.
Cain stayed quiet, his gaze unfocused, listening — not to them, but to the faint echo still lingering somewhere deep inside his mind.