The morning began without sunlight.
The academy sky was covered by an unbroken layer of pale gray cloud, diffusing the light into a colorless calm that felt neither morning nor noon.
Arios Pureheart opened his eyes to that dull half-light. His alarm crystal was already buzzing faintly — not in its usual rhythm, but with an intermittent, irregular pulse.
That was new.
He sat up slowly, rubbing his temples. Across the room, Lucy was curled under a blanket on the couch, hair a mess, murmuring something in her sleep.
Liza was at the kitchenette, stirring water into an instant breakfast cup, humming tunelessly.
And Pokner — Pokner was awake before all of them.
She sat at the far end of the room, her posture straight, her hair tied in a quick braid. The terminal projection shimmered before her, and she was scrolling through a page of student logs.
Without looking up, she said, "You're up."
He grunted in acknowledgment. "Did something happen?"
