The next morning, the sun bled over the horizon, washing the dunes in gold. The wind carried that familiar hiss of sand shifting. For the most part, it seemed like any other morning.
Except, today, the party had new blood.
Well, not new exactly. More like… unexpected.
Two members stood among them now—Mia and Verena.
Both wore the Rose Academy uniforms, though what looked like simple fabric was in truth anything but.
Augmented artifacts, layered with protective enchantments, capable of turning aside blades and dampening impact like proper armor.
They looked almost fragile in them, Mia's thin frames swallowed by the uniformity of the cloth. But anyone with half a brain and a decent pair of eyes would know: those weren't just clothes.
The garments hummed faintly with quiet power.
Not that anyone cared to notice.
What drew the attention wasn't the uniforms, nor the way the two girls stood side by side. It was the silence between them.
