The dining hall felt different that evening.
The tension that had hovered over the academy for days had finally dissolved, replaced by something looser, almost weightless. Conversations flowed more freely. Laughter rose without restraint. Plates clinked against wooden tables, and the air carried the mixed scent of warm food and quiet relief.
Exams were over.
Noel sat with the others at one of the long tables near the side of the hall. He leaned back slightly in his chair, watching more than speaking at first.
Clara sat a few seats down, and the change in her was now impossible to ignore. The curve of her belly was visible even beneath her uniform, subtle but unmistakable. The way she rested one hand over it absentmindedly when she laughed made it even clearer.
Charlotte was the first to lean toward her.
"Are you feeling alright?" she asked, eyes bright but genuinely concerned. "You didn't push yourself too hard today, did you?"
