As my thoughts spun between Aurelia and Selene, something unexpected tugged me out of it.
A smell.
Faint, warm, and familiar.
I turned toward the corner of the corridor the old wing, the one most students didn't even walk through anymore.
"…Someone's cooking breakfast?"
The scent of eggs drifted through the air. I blinked.
Come to think of it, ever since I arrived here, I hadn't had to worry about food much. Meals were always prepared, waiting quietly taken for granted.
But now?
I needed to inform the kitchen students. The situation had changed. They deserved to know what was happening.
I moved quickly, following the smell through the winding hall until it led me to the hidden kitchen tucked away at the back of the base. I expected to hear clatter—shouting, coordination, at least a few Valery chef students barking orders and preparing for twenty mouths.
But instead…
One girl.
Just one.
Sitting in silence, sleeves rolled up, focused on the pan in front of her.
"…Liora?"
