The carriage rolled to a stop at the academy gates. Vencian stepped down, his coat falling neatly into place as he crossed into the grounds.
The campus was livelier than the day before. Students moved in clusters along the paths, voices overlapping in quick bursts of chatter. The air carried a restless weight, as though everyone had woken with more energy than they knew what to do with.
Students watched him as he walked. Some looked away when he noticed, others stared openly. He ignored them all. His expression fixed in its usual calm.
The path toward the classroom stretched ahead, but he had not gone far before a voice rang out above the noise.
"Vencian!"
The single call cut through the bustle, sharp enough to turn more heads than he wanted.
His eyes scanned the line of students until he found the source—Elías Zarionel.
Vencian's lips twitched. He knew the boy well. Elías was a friend, or at least he had been. Whether that still held true, Vencian could not say.
