Bright's danger sense had been screaming for hours, but the moment it shifted from warning to immediate threat, he was already moving.
His eyes snapped open in the darkness of his Academy candidate quarters. Around him, the building was quiet—too quiet, the kind of silence that preceded violence.
"Everyone up!" Bright's voice cut through the stillness with command authority he'd earned through survival. "Now! We're under attack!"
Duncan emerged from his room instantly, Bone Guard already forming across his arms. Mara followed seconds later, dual blades in hand, her expression sharp with combat readiness.
The other candidates stumbled out more slowly—some confused, some disbelieving, all trying to process the sudden shift from celebration to crisis.
"What are you talking about?" Jackson demanded. "The alarms haven't even—"
Then they rang.
Emergency klaxons erupted across Vester, their harsh tones shattering any remaining doubt.
