The walk back to his room was quiet, the academy grounds still and silent under the fading stars. Nero moved through the corridors with a calm he did not feel. His body was tired from the training, his muscles aching, his core humming with the residual heat of the fire form. But his mind was restless. There was something he had to do. Something that could not wait.
He took a long, refreshing bath, letting the hot water soak into his skin, washing away the grime and sweat of the day. The steam filled the small bathroom, fogging the mirror, softening the edges of the room. He closed his eyes and let his thoughts drift. The fourth law. The blue star. It had been freed for days now, waiting for him to acknowledge it. He had felt its presence, cool and patient, like a distant tide calling to the shore.
