The Triangle did not react immediately.
That alone told Dreyden more than any alert ever could.
Institutions never moved in the moment of uncertainty. They didn't rush. They waited—long enough for uncertainty to harden into assumption, for silence to convince people that nothing was coming. Then they acted as if the outcome had always been inevitable.
So for two days after the restructuring notice, nothing changed.
No alerts.
No disciplinary summons.
No sudden "opportunities."
The academy moved with the same mechanical precision as always—students flowing between wings, instructors rotating schedules, ranking boards updating on time.
And that told Dreyden everything.
They weren't deciding what to do with him.
They were watching who chose him anyway.
Lucas made the choice on the third night.
Not publicly.
Not dramatically.
He didn't announce it. Didn't post anything. Didn't even hesitate long enough for it to feel symbolic.
He simply showed up.
