The return to the academy did not feel natural to any of them. The change from the island to the normal world happened too quickly, almost like stepping out of one place into something completely separate. The air felt lighter, the ground steady, and the sounds around them were familiar again. But instead of feeling relieved, it only made everything feel strange.
Aurelion walked at the front of the group, steady as always, but his attention was divided. One part of him noticed the academy, the people moving around, the voices in the distance, and the normal rhythm of daily life. The other part of him stayed connected to what they had left behind.
That connection had not broken.
It had only become weaker.
