Blaze didn't sleep that night.
He managed maybe ten minutes here and there, but the moment he drifted off, his mind dragged him back with noises he didn't even hear. Whispers. Echoes. His teammates' voices. Mercer's smile. Jason's silence. The datapad sitting on Jason's desk like it was waiting to choose for him.
When the morning finally cracked through the blinds of his dorm, Blaze felt like he hadn't rested in a week.
He pulled on a training top, winced when the fabric brushed his healing rib, and headed out. He kept his head down walking through the academy paths. Students whispered around him. Some glanced too long. Some didn't look at him at all.
He wasn't paranoid.
The news was out.
Aurion had leaked the transfer request.
Of course they did.
He made it to the training hall doors, but paused before pushing them open. He wasn't scared exactly. Just numb. Like he knew whatever was waiting for him inside wasn't going to be easy.
He pushed the door anyway.
