As Percy stepped fully into view, Liam recognized him almost immediately. A memory surfaced—sharp, cold, and framed by moonlight.
During Liam's first month at the academy, back when he and Asher were still struggling through Galen's maddeningly advanced training, the two of them had stayed out all night in one of the outer training fields, trying to replicate a technique Galen had only demonstrated once. They were exhausted, borderline delirious, and completely unaware of the time. That was when two upperclassmen had appeared, drunk on their own authority and eager to intimidate a pair of first-years who clearly didn't belong there at that hour.
