Ethan leaned his elbows on the old wall, letting the breeze lift heat from his neck. Everly leaned beside him, tipping her head just enough to knock his shoulder.
Evelyn stood on the other side, her hand flat on the stone like she was feeling a pulse. No one said anything foolish.
No one promised what the day hadn't earned. The exam watched their pause with the same sharp interest it had shown during the fight. He let it.
He looked at them both. "We're good," he said.
Everly laughed softly between breaths, the kind of laugh that carried pride without showing off. "We are," she said.
Evelyn's mouth curved into the faintest smile. "Not perfect," she said. "Natural."
"Natural's enough today," Ethan said.
They pushed off the wall together. The terrace sloped into a new path, the ground changing from clean stone to dirt cracked by roots.
