The last hour had passed, and all of the first years had already been brought back to the Academy hall.
The hall was the same as that morning, but it no longer felt the same. Earlier, it had been full of nerves and ambition. Now it felt heavier after the practical exam, with tired students, dirtied uniforms, and the marks of what they had just gone through. The raised balcony at the far end still overlooked the hall, though it remained empty for now.
The directors had not come out yet.
That alone kept the room from loosening fully.
Trafalgar stood with the same group as always, Zafira, Bartholomew, Xavier, and Cynthia. Being together again after the exam should have made the atmosphere lighter, and in some ways it did, but fatigue hung over all of them too clearly to ignore.
