The Academy had grown quiet beneath the evening sky.
A brilliant full moon hung high above the grounds, casting silver-white light across the buildings, training fields, and winding pathways below. The last traces of sunset had disappeared beyond the horizon, leaving the sky a deep shade of blue scattered with distant stars.
On the rooftop of Dormitory Building One, five members of Gamma Squad sat together in the places they had occupied so many times before.
Lucian rested against the low wall near the stairwell entrance, one leg stretched out in front of him. Mira sat a short distance away, her knees drawn slightly toward her chest, while June occupied his usual spot on the opposite side, occasionally shifting his injured shoulder to find a more comfortable position.
Castiel sat beside David near the rooftop railing.
And between David and the place where Mira sat, there was an empty space.
Nyra's space.
It was where she had always preferred to sit, close enough to David that their shoulders sometimes touched, but with an unobstructed view of the Academy grounds. On clear evenings, she would lean back and watch the stars while listening to the others argue about whatever ridiculous subject June had decided was worth debating.
Tonight, the moonlight fell across the empty stone.
No one had suggested sitting there.
For several minutes, the five of them remained quiet, listening to the distant sounds of the Academy settling into the night.
June finally broke the silence.
"You know, this just doesn't feel the same without Nyra."
His voice was quieter than usual.
David looked toward the empty place beside him.
"No," he answered. "It doesn't."
June leaned back against the wall, carefully adjusting his shoulder.
"I keep expecting her to say something. Like she's going to walk through that door, sit down, and ask why we're all looking so miserable."
"She'd probably tell you to stop complaining first," Lucian said.
June considered that.
"Yeah. She probably would."
A small smile crossed Mira's face.
"She'd ask if your shoulder was bothering you."
"And then she'd tell me I should have listened to the medical staff instead of pretending I was fine," June replied.
"Because you never listen to the medical staff," Mira pointed out.
"That's not true. I listen. I just don't always agree with their professional opinions."
Castiel gave a quiet laugh.
"June, you argued with a physician for twenty minutes because he told you to stop moving your arm."
"He wanted me to wear that ridiculous brace for another week."
"Because your shoulder was injured."
"Details, Cass. You're focusing on details."
"Don't call me Cass," Castiel replied, shaking his head.
David smiled faintly. That particular nickname belonged to him, and June knew perfectly well how much it irritated Castiel when someone else used it.
For a moment, the rooftop felt familiar again.
Then June glanced toward the empty place, and his smile softened.
"She would have laughed at that."
"She would have," David agreed.
Castiel rested his forearms against his knees, looking out over the Academy.
"You know, she was there almost from day one."
The others turned toward him.
"I still remember when she first approached me and D. We barely knew anyone at the Academy, and suddenly there she was, introducing herself like she'd already decided we were going to be friends."
David remembered that day.
He remembered Nyra's silver-white hair, the faint pink highlights catching the light, and the confidence with which she'd approached them. There had been something disarming about her smile, something that made it difficult to remain distant even when he hadn't known what to say.
"She wasn't exactly shy," David said.
Castiel smiled.
"Not even a little. I remember wondering why she was talking to us when there were so many other cadets around."
"Maybe she thought you looked lonely," Mira suggested.
"More likely she thought D looked lonely," Castiel replied. "I was perfectly approachable."
June snorted.
"You? Approachable?"
"I can be charming when I want to be."
"Then you've been doing an incredible job hiding it."
Lucian laughed, and even Castiel couldn't keep a straight face.
When the laughter settled, Castiel looked toward Nyra's empty place.
"After that day, it was always the three of us. Me, D, and Nyra. We'd eat together, train together, and somehow end up in the same places even when we hadn't planned anything."
He glanced around at the others.
"That was before the rest of you showed up. Back then, it was just the three of us."
"Sounds like things were pretty boring before we arrived," June said.
"Quieter," Castiel corrected. "Definitely quieter."
"You're welcome."
Castiel's smile lingered, but his gaze returned to the empty stone.
"I'm really going to miss her."
No one tried to answer immediately.
David looked at his friend.
Castiel had known Nyra almost as long as he had. The three of them had shared those uncertain first days at the Academy, when everything was unfamiliar and the future had seemed impossibly distant.
It was strange to think that something as simple as a girl walking up to two boys and introducing herself could have changed so much.
David had never imagined that day would become one of the memories he treasured most.
"She liked you, you know," David said quietly.
Castiel looked at him.
"She used to tell me you were a better person than you let people see."
Castiel raised an eyebrow.
"She clearly had excellent judgment."
"She also said you were impossible when you wanted to be."
"That sounds more accurate," Lucian remarked.
Castiel laughed softly, but there was emotion behind his expression.
"Yeah," he murmured. "That sounds like Nyra."
A gentle breeze passed over the rooftop, stirring their hair and carrying the faint scent of the gardens below.
Mira had been listening quietly.
Her gaze remained on Nyra's place for several moments before she spoke.
"I'm going to miss having her as my roommate."
Her words drew everyone's attention.
Mira rarely spoke at length about herself, and when she did, the others had learned to listen.
"People probably thought we didn't talk much because I'm usually quiet," she continued. "But Nyra talked enough for both of us."
June smiled.
"That I can believe."
"Sometimes we'd stay awake long after lights-out. She'd lie on her bed and tell me about her father, or something that happened during training, or what she wanted to do when we finally had some time away from the Academy."
Mira lowered her gaze.
"She talked about the lake house a lot. She loved that place. She said it was peaceful, especially in the mornings when the water was still."
David remembered Nyra telling him about the lake.
She had wanted to take him there during the summer.
He could almost hear the excitement in her voice when she'd described it.
Mira continued.
"Other nights, she'd ask about my day. Even when she was exhausted, she'd notice if something was bothering me."
She smiled faintly.
"I remember one night after a particularly difficult training session. I was frustrated because I kept making the same mistake. I didn't say anything about it, but Nyra noticed."
"What did she do?" Lucian asked.
"She sat on the edge of my bed and asked if I wanted to talk. I told her there wasn't anything to talk about."
"That sounds like you," June said gently.
Mira nodded.
"She didn't argue. She just stayed there and started telling me about all the mistakes she'd made that week. By the time she finished, I was laughing so hard I couldn't remember why I'd been upset."
David smiled at the image.
"She was good at that."
"She really was."
Mira looked toward the moon.
"Sometimes we didn't talk at all. We'd just lie there, listening to the sounds outside our window. It was nice knowing someone was there."
Her voice grew softer.
"I keep thinking about going back to our room tonight. Her bed will still be there. Her things will still be where she left them."
She paused, gathering herself.
"But she won't be there to tell me goodnight."
June shifted closer and rested his uninjured hand gently over hers.
Mira looked at him, then gave his hand a small squeeze.
Lucian watched them for a moment before turning his attention toward the training grounds below.
"She was stubborn, too," he said.
June lifted his head.
"Stubborn? Nyra? Surely not."
"More stubborn than any of us," Lucian replied.
"That's a dangerous accusation coming from you," Castiel said.
Lucian ignored him.
"I remember one evening during training when she kept practicing the same sword movement. Everyone else had finished, but she was still there, repeating it over and over."
David remembered seeing Nyra practice with her twin Wind Crest Swords long after scheduled training had ended. She could be relentless when something mattered to her.
"I told her she'd done enough for the day," Lucian continued. "She looked at me like I'd suggested she throw her swords away."
June chuckled.
"What did she say?"
"She told me she'd be done when she got it right."
"That definitely sounds like her," David said.
"The worst part was that she actually did get it right," Lucian added. "And then she made me stay another twenty minutes so she could show me."
The others laughed.
"She didn't like leaving something unfinished," Mira said.
"No," Lucian agreed. "She didn't."
He looked around at his friends.
"But it wasn't just about getting stronger. She pushed herself because she wanted to be someone the rest of us could depend on."
David's smile faded slightly.
He thought of all the times Nyra had stood beside them when retreat would have been easier.
Lucian seemed to recognize where his thoughts were heading.
"And she was," he added. "Every single time."
David nodded.
"Yeah. She was."
For a while, the conversation drifted into smaller memories.
June recalled an argument Nyra had won simply by refusing to let him change the subject. Castiel remembered her expression whenever David tried to pretend he wasn't worried about something. Mira mentioned how Nyra would occasionally borrow something from her side of their room and then spend ten minutes apologizing after being told she could keep it.
They laughed more than any of them had expected.
And with every memory, the empty place beside David seemed a little less silent.
Eventually, June straightened.
"Actually, there's something I've been meaning to say."
Castiel sighed.
"That sentence has never led anywhere good."
"Would you let me finish?"
"Against my better judgment."
June pointed toward David.
"I knew it."
David blinked.
"Knew what?"
"You and Nyra."
David stared at him.
June spread his hands.
"I knew you two were going to end up together. I kept telling everyone there was something going on, and every single one of you acted like I was imagining things."
Lucian smiled.
"You did bring it up rather frequently."
"Because I was right!"
Castiel leaned back against the wall, looking entirely too pleased with himself.
"We knew, June."
June stopped.
"What?"
"We knew," Castiel repeated. "We just liked messing with you."
For several seconds, June stared at him.
Then he looked at Lucian.
"You knew?"
Lucian nodded.
"Mira?"
She gave a small smile.
June slowly turned toward David.
"Don't tell me you knew we were messing with me too."
David couldn't help laughing.
"I didn't even know what you were talking about half the time."
June threw his good hand into the air.
"Unbelievable. I was surrounded by traitors. Every single one of you."
Castiel grinned.
"You made it remarkably easy."
"I was conducting a perfectly reasonable investigation!"
"You were spying on two people having lunch," Lucian said.
"Observing," June corrected. "There's a difference."
"Not much of one," Mira murmured.
That made David laugh harder.
June looked at him with exaggerated offense.
"Oh, sure. Now you're laughing. Where was this support when I was trying to expose the greatest romantic mystery in Academy history?"
"Probably sitting beside Nyra," Castiel replied.
The rooftop erupted in laughter.
Even Mira covered her mouth as she smiled.
June shook his head.
"I can't believe I risked my reputation trying to help you people."
"What reputation?" Castiel asked.
"Exactly the kind of disrespect I've come to expect from this squad."
Their laughter carried into the night, drifting over the quiet Academy grounds.
For a few precious moments, David could almost imagine Nyra sitting beside him, laughing along with everyone else.
He knew she would have enjoyed watching June realize he'd been the subject of a joke for weeks.
And he knew she would have leaned against him afterward, smiling as though she had known all along.
David looked toward her empty place.
His smile remained, although his eyes had grown damp.
"She would've loved this," he said.
The others gradually fell quiet.
"Yeah," June replied, his expression softening. "She really would've."
Above them, the full moon shone brightly, bathing the rooftop in silver light.
And for the first time since Nyra's death, the five friends found themselves remembering not only what they had lost, but how much happiness she had brought into their lives.
The laughter gradually faded, leaving behind the comfortable silence of five friends who had spent enough time together that they no longer felt the need to fill every quiet moment.
David leaned back against the wall, listening to the distant sounds of the Academy.
He hadn't expected tonight to feel this way.
After the funeral, he'd imagined they would sit together in silence, each of them struggling to find something to say. Instead, they had spent much of the evening laughing about memories he'd almost forgotten.
For a little while, he had remembered what it felt like to be happy.
And strangely, that happiness had come from talking about Nyra.
June stretched his legs in front of him, then glanced toward David.
"All right, we've heard from everyone else. What about you?"
David turned his head.
"What about me?"
"You've been sitting there listening to us talk about Nyra all night. You've got to have something."
David smiled faintly.
"I have plenty of memories."
"Then share one," June replied. "Preferably something embarrassing. I feel like I've been carrying the entertainment tonight."
"That's because you never stop talking," Castiel said.
"See? This is exactly what I'm talking about. No appreciation."
Lucian shook his head, smiling.
"Let him think, June."
David looked toward Nyra's empty place.
There were so many memories.
The first time she'd approached him and Castiel. The way she'd smiled whenever she spotted him across the training grounds. Their conversations after exhausting days at the Academy, when she'd somehow managed to make even the smallest things seem interesting.
He remembered her laughter during their night out after the written examinations, and the way she'd occasionally tilt her head when she suspected he was keeping something to himself.
But one memory kept returning.
"She used to tell me I thought too much," David said.
Castiel laughed quietly.
"She wasn't wrong."
David gave him a look.
"You're not helping."
"Just supporting her argument."
David smiled before continuing.
"Sometimes we'd be sitting somewhere, and she'd notice I was staring off into the distance. She'd ask what I was thinking about, and I'd tell her it was nothing."
"Which was usually a lie," Mira said.
"Usually," David admitted.
June nodded solemnly.
"An important first step is recognizing the problem."
David ignored him.
"She never believed me. She'd just look at me and wait until I finally told her."
He lowered his gaze, remembering the patient expression Nyra would wear whenever she knew he was trying to avoid a conversation.
"One time, I asked her why she always did that. Why she couldn't just let me sit there and think."
"What did she say?" Lucian asked.
David smiled.
"She told me that if I was going to spend so much time worrying about tomorrow, I was going to miss everything happening today."
The others listened quietly.
"Then she took my hand and made me go for a walk with her. We didn't do anything special. We just walked around the Academy, talked about random things, and watched the sunset."
David looked toward the moon.
"I remember thinking afterward that she'd been right. I'd spent the entire afternoon worrying about things I couldn't change, and all it took was a walk with her to make me forget about them."
Mira smiled gently.
"She liked doing things like that."
"Yeah," David replied. "She did."
He paused.
"She made ordinary days feel important. I don't think I realized how much until now."
For several moments, no one spoke.
Castiel eventually leaned forward, resting his elbows against his knees.
"She was good for you, D."
David looked at him.
"I know."
Castiel's expression softened.
"And you were good for her."
David didn't answer immediately.
He wanted to believe that.
He wanted to believe that the time they'd shared had meant as much to Nyra as it had to him.
Then he remembered her smile, the warmth in her voice when she'd told him she loved him, and the certainty with which she'd spoken about their future.
"Thanks, Cass," he said quietly.
Castiel nodded.
June cleared his throat.
"Well, now I feel like I should apologize for spending half the evening making jokes."
"Don't," David replied.
June looked surprised.
David glanced around at his friends.
"I think she'd want us to laugh. She always liked it when we were together like this."
Lucian smiled.
"You're right."
"And besides," David added, looking toward June, "someone has to keep you from getting too serious."
June pressed a hand against his chest.
"Finally. Recognition for my contributions to squad morale."
"Don't let it go to your head," Mira said.
"Too late."
Their laughter returned, softer this time, but no less genuine.
A breeze swept across the rooftop, carrying the faint rustling of leaves from the Academy gardens below.
Lucian looked toward the distant city lights.
"It's strange thinking about tomorrow."
June followed his gaze.
"Going home?"
"Yeah. After everything we've been through, it feels strange knowing we won't be seeing each other every morning."
For months, their lives had revolved around Kharos Vale. Before that, the Academy had filled nearly every waking hour with classes, training, and squad assignments.
Now they were finally going home.
The thought should have been exciting.
In some ways, it was.
But it also meant separating from the people who had become such an important part of their lives.
"I haven't spent this much time away from home before," Mira admitted. "I'm looking forward to seeing everyone, but I think it's going to take a while to get used to being somewhere quiet again."
June gave her a sideways glance.
"Quiet? You mean you're not going to miss hearing my voice every day?"
"I think I'll manage."
Castiel laughed.
"That was unusually cruel coming from you, Mira."
She smiled.
"I've been learning from the rest of you."
June shook his head.
"Wonderful. I've corrupted the quiet one. My work here is complete."
Lucian leaned forward.
"There's no reason we have to wait until the Academy resumes to see each other."
The others looked toward him.
"We've got the whole summer ahead of us. We could arrange something. Spend a few days together somewhere that doesn't involve military training or trying to survive on another planet."
June straightened immediately.
"Now that's the best idea I've heard all night."
"Better than your investigation into David and Nyra?" Castiel asked.
"That was important research. This is recreation. Completely different categories."
Lucian smiled.
"I'm serious. You're all welcome to visit me. We can find something to do, get away from the Academy for a while."
"I'd like that," Mira said.
"Same here," David agreed.
June raised his hand.
"And you're all invited to visit me, too. I'll find us something entertaining. Somewhere with good food, preferably. After months of military rations, I think I've earned a summer of eating whatever I want."
"You've been talking about food since we got back," Lucian said.
"Because food is important, Lucian. Some of us have priorities."
"Your priorities usually involve eating," Castiel replied.
"And yet I remain the most interesting person here."
"That's debatable."
"Only because you refuse to acknowledge greatness."
Mira shook her head, smiling.
"You can all come visit me as well. It would be nice to spend time together without having to worry about training schedules."
June turned toward her.
"Does your invitation include food?"
"June."
"What? I'm establishing important details."
"Yes," Mira answered, laughing. "There will be food."
"Excellent. Mira's place goes to the top of the list."
Lucian glanced at Castiel.
"What about you?"
Castiel considered the question.
"I'm not sure how much time I'll be spending at home this summer. But I can meet you somewhere. If we pick a place and a date, I'll make it work."
"Good," June said. "Because you're not getting out of this."
"I wasn't aware attendance was mandatory."
"It is now."
Castiel smiled.
"Then I suppose I have no choice."
David listened to them making plans, feeling something warm settle in his chest.
For the first time since the funeral, the coming summer didn't seem entirely empty.
He would still have to return to a house where his parents no longer lived. He would still wake up knowing Nyra was gone.
But he wouldn't have to face every day alone.
"You can all come visit me, too," David said.
The others turned toward him.
"I've got plenty of room at my house. It might be a little quiet, but you're welcome anytime. We could spend a few days there, or just meet up for dinner somewhere."
June grinned.
"You're inviting all of us into your house? Voluntarily?"
David raised an eyebrow.
"Should I reconsider?"
"Absolutely not. Invitation accepted."
"You don't even know when," Lucian pointed out.
"Details. We'll work those out later."
Mira smiled at David.
"I'd like to visit."
"Me too," Lucian added.
Castiel looked at him.
"Careful, D. Once June knows where you live, getting rid of him might become a problem."
"I heard that."
"You were supposed to."
David laughed.
"Then I'll make sure there's enough food to keep him occupied."
June pointed at him.
"See? That's why you're a good friend. You understand me."
Their conversation continued as they discussed possible dates, places they could visit, and things they wanted to do during the summer.
June suggested an amusement park, insisting they deserved something exciting that didn't involve actual danger.
Lucian proposed spending a few days exploring a nearby city.
Mira suggested somewhere peaceful where they could relax without a schedule.
Castiel claimed he'd be happy anywhere, provided June wasn't responsible for organizing the entire trip.
David found himself agreeing with all of them.
They didn't settle on a destination.
There was no need to.
They had time.
Eventually, June pulled out his communicator.
"All right. Before everyone goes home and conveniently forgets about this conversation, we're making a group channel."
Lucian looked at him.
"We already have a squad channel."
"That's for official squad business. I'm talking about a summer channel. No mission reports, no training schedules, and absolutely no messages from instructors telling us to report somewhere at six in the morning."
Castiel considered that.
"That's actually not a terrible idea."
June stared at him.
"Did you just compliment me?"
"Don't get used to it."
June began working through the communicator's interface.
"Everyone's getting added. And I expect actual conversations. None of this sending one message every three weeks saying you're still alive."
"What if we don't answer?" Castiel asked.
"Then I'll call."
"And if we ignore your calls?"
"I'll call again."
"That sounds less like friendship and more like harassment."
June smiled proudly.
"I prefer dedication."
Mira laughed.
Within a few moments, their communicators chimed as June created the new group.
He looked around at them.
"There. Now nobody has an excuse to disappear."
David glanced at the notification on his screen.
For a moment, he thought about how Nyra would have reacted to June's insistence that everyone stay connected.
She probably would have agreed with him.
Then she would have teased him for making such a dramatic announcement.
David looked toward her empty place.
"June?"
"Yeah?"
"Make sure we keep her in the original squad channel."
June's expression changed.
He looked down at his communicator, then back at David.
"Of course."
Mira nodded.
"We should."
Lucian agreed.
"Gamma Squad will always have six members."
Castiel looked toward the empty space beside David.
"Always."
June lowered his communicator.
"Then that's settled. Six members. No exceptions."
David smiled faintly.
"Thanks."
June gave a small shrug.
"Don't thank me. That's how it should be."
For a while longer, they remained beneath the moon, talking about summer and the places they hoped to visit.
The conversation drifted from plans to memories, then back again. Sometimes they laughed. Sometimes a mention of Nyra brought a moment of silence.
But no one felt the need to apologize for either.
Eventually, Lucian glanced at the time displayed on his communicator.
"It's getting late," he said. "We've all got an early morning tomorrow."
June groaned.
"Don't remind me. I was enjoying the part where nobody was telling us what to do."
"We have transport departures to make," Lucian replied.
"And I'm sure they'll still be there if I'm five minutes late."
"Don't test that theory," Mira said.
June sighed dramatically.
"Fine. I suppose responsible adulthood has finally caught up with me."
Castiel stood, stretching his arms above his head.
"That's an ambitious claim."
June pointed at him.
"One day, you're going to say something nice to me, and I won't know how to react."
"I'll try not to put you through that."
Lucian rose carefully, mindful of the injury he'd sustained on Kharos Vale. He looked around the rooftop one last time, then toward his friends.
"I'm glad we did this tonight."
"Me too," Mira said.
David nodded.
"Yeah. Me too."
June stood and offered Mira his hand. She accepted it, rising beside him.
"All right," June said. "Tomorrow we go home. Then we start planning the greatest summer Gamma Squad has ever had."
"We've only had one summer together," Castiel pointed out.
"Then the competition shouldn't be difficult."
Lucian laughed.
"Goodnight, everyone."
"Night, Lucian," David replied.
Lucian headed toward the stairwell, pausing briefly to exchange a few words with June before disappearing through the rooftop door.
Mira lingered beside David.
"I'm glad you came up here tonight," she said.
David looked at her.
"So am I."
She glanced toward Nyra's empty place.
"I think she would've been happy to see us together."
David followed her gaze.
"Yeah," he said softly. "I think she would."
Mira gave his arm a gentle squeeze.
"Don't forget to call us this summer."
"I won't."
She smiled and joined June near the doorway.
June turned back.
"And David?"
"Yeah?"
"If you don't answer my calls, I'm assuming Castiel stole your communicator."
Castiel raised an eyebrow.
"Why would I steal his communicator?"
"Because you're exactly the kind of person who'd do it just to annoy me."
"That's a surprisingly convincing argument."
June grinned.
"See you tomorrow, David."
David laughed.
"Goodnight, June."
"Night, everyone."
June and Mira disappeared into the stairwell, their voices fading as they continued arguing about whether June could organize a summer trip without turning it into a disaster.
The rooftop door closed behind them.
Only David and Castiel remained.
Castiel stood beside him for a moment, looking out across the Academy.
"That went better than I expected," he said.
David nodded.
"I wasn't sure I wanted to come up here."
"I figured."
"But I'm glad I did."
Castiel looked toward Nyra's place.
"She would've wanted us to remember the good things."
David smiled sadly.
"She would've."
A quiet moment passed between them.
Then Castiel tilted his head toward the stairwell.
"Coming, D?"
David looked out over the Academy, where the silver moonlight stretched across the courtyards and gardens.
"Not yet, Cass. I think I'll stay a little longer."
Castiel studied him for a moment.
"You sure?"
"Yeah. I just want a little time to myself."
Castiel nodded.
"All right. Don't stay up here all night. We've got a long day tomorrow."
"I won't."
Castiel rested a hand briefly on David's shoulder.
"See you downstairs."
"See you, Cass."
Castiel walked toward the stairwell and disappeared through the door.
The latch clicked softly behind him.
David was alone.
For several moments, he remained seated, looking at the places where his friends had been.
Lucian's spot near the wall.
June's place opposite him.
Mira's quiet corner.
Castiel's seat beside his own.
And Nyra's empty place.
He remembered how she'd sometimes sit with her legs stretched out, looking toward the stars while the others talked. Sometimes she'd lean against him when she grew tired, resting her head on his shoulder as though there were nowhere else she'd rather be.
David reached toward the stone beside him, letting his fingers rest where her hand might once have been.
"I wish you could've been here tonight," he whispered.
The wind moved gently across the rooftop.
There was no answer.
After a while, David rose and walked toward the railing.
He rested his hands against the cool stone and looked out over the Academy grounds.
Below him, lights glowed from the windows of the dormitories. The training fields lay empty, and the pathways that had once seemed so crowded were nearly deserted.
Beyond the Academy walls, the distant city stretched toward the horizon, its illuminated towers rising beneath the night sky.
David breathed slowly, allowing the cool evening air to fill his lungs.
Tonight had reminded him of something he hadn't expected.
Even after everything they'd lost, there were still people who cared about him.
People who wanted him in their lives.
People he wanted in his.
He thought about their plans for the summer, about the promises they'd made to visit one another, and about the group channel June had insisted on creating.
A small smile touched his face.
Nyra would have loved tonight.
He wished he could tell her about it.
Above him, the full moon shone with brilliant silver-white light, its glow spilling over the rooftops and casting long shadows across the Academy grounds.
David remained leaning against the railing, his gaze fixed on the distant horizon.
Then, almost imperceptibly, the moon began to change.
Along its outer edge, a faint crimson hue appeared.
At first, it was little more than a thin line of red against the brilliant white surface.
Slowly, the color deepened, creeping inward until a delicate crimson crescent traced the moon's curved edge.
The silver light continued to shine across the Academy, but a faint reddish tint had begun to mingle with its glow.
David didn't notice.
His thoughts remained with Nyra, with the friends who had just left, and with the uncertain summer waiting beyond tomorrow morning.
Above him, the crimson crescent continued its slow passage across the face of the moon.
And beneath that changing light, David Wyn stood alone at the rooftop railing, looking out over the sleeping Academy.