Chapter 114 - The Artisan’s Leverage

The silence that followed Archmage Kaelen's departure didn't feel like peace. It felt like the breath a man takes right before he's submerged in ice water. For the first few hours of the morning, the South Forge remained the only place on campus that stayed warm. Outside, the "Artisan" teams were already at work. They weren't just clearing snow anymore; they were mapping the new reality of Valmere. Every student who had survived the week of the "Surgeon" now walked with a different posture. They didn't look like scholars waiting for a lecture; they looked like survivors who had realized they owned the ground they stood on.