Arlo sat alone in the changing room, elbows resting on his knees, his gaze fixed on the floor.
The muffled noises from the other duels taking place in the arena barely registered. His thoughts were elsewhere, trapped in the last month.
A month since that disastrous expedition into the monolith.
A month since Noah had been taken.
It had taken him a week to recover fully from the backlash of his skill, seven long days of splitting headaches, coughing up blood, and lingering weakness in his muscles.
By the time he had regained his strength enough to walk the academy grounds without feeling like he might collapse, he heard the news about Noah.
He was gone. Arrested. By the Investigation Authority, no less.
Arlo's first reaction had been simple. Go to them, demand to speak, and give Noah his alibi. After all, he'd been with Noah for nearly the entire day.
