The walk from the Director's office to the training grounds did not take long.
Minutes later, they stepped out into the open field.
The academy's main training grounds stretched wide beneath a pale afternoon sky, the terrain marked by faint scars of past duels and controlled detonations. Today, it stood empty. No students practicing formations. No circles of sparring pairs. No instructors correcting stances from the sidelines.
Classes had been cancelled.
Grief had cleared the field.
A light wind moved across the open terrain, stirring dust and grass in slow currents. The silence felt different from the one in the corridors earlier. This one was cleaner. Expectant.
Noel stepped forward first, boots settling against packed earth. Revenant Fang rested at his side, dark metal catching a muted glint of light. He rolled his shoulders once, loosening tension that had nothing to do with the funeral anymore.
