The morning sunlight filled the academy courtyard in a way that made everything look calmer than it really was. Students were spread out in loose groups, some chatting about recent events, others focused on their own routines. It was one of those weekends that didn't feel like a weekend because everyone knew something big was on the horizon, but no one wanted to be the first to bring it up.
Arios walked across the courtyard with Lucy and Liza on both sides of him. None of them were in a rush. It wasn't that they had something important to do, but rather the opposite. They finally had time to breathe, and after the entire dungeon exam arc, they needed a day that didn't involve monsters, traps, or someone trying to sabotage them from the shadows.
