The academy gates opened before sunrise.
Lucas had never seen them open this early.
Usually the outer walls of the Triangle stayed sealed except for supply convoys and official transports. Students trained inside the complex for months without ever setting foot beyond the perimeter. The walls weren't just security. They were structure. Everything inside them followed a controlled pattern.
Today that pattern had cracked open.
Lucas stood in a loose line of students near the courtyard path, adjusting the straps on his field pack while the morning air bit at his hands. The sky was still pale, caught somewhere between night and dawn, and the courtyard lights hadn't turned off yet.
"You'd think they'd wait until after breakfast for something like this," he muttered.
Raisel stood beside him with his tablet tucked under one arm.
"They announced the start time."
"That doesn't mean I have to like it."
