The peace of the day off vanished as quickly as the sunset that ended it.
The morning air at Zenith Academy was crisp and carried the faint scent of ozone. It was a byproduct of the massive mana scrubbers hidden within the marble foundations. Vane walked down the main thoroughfare of the Academic District. He was flanked by Valerica and Isole. The three of them moved in a loose, practiced formation that had become their default.
Students pulled back as they passed. The sight of the "Rat" walking shoulder to shoulder with the Gravity Titan and the Blasphemy was a visual reminder that the hierarchy of the first year had been permanently shattered.
"My neck still hurts from that arcade game," Isole said. She reached up to adjust her collar, her mismatched eyes scanning the rooftops with her usual detached curiosity. "You play like a man possessed, Vane. It is quite unbecoming."
