The invitation did not come through student channels.
It appeared folded into Dreyden's schedule as a minor adjustment—Office Hours: Instructor Halvors, 18:40, Administrative Wing Annex. No urgency flag. No annotation. Just a quiet relocation of his evening study block.
Lucas noticed when Dreyden's interface flickered and dimmed.
"You're being pulled," he said without looking up from the projection he was recalibrating.
"Yes."
Lucas didn't ask if it was disciplinary. He didn't need to. Dreyden didn't look concerned enough for that.
"Want me nearby?" Lucas asked after a beat.
"No."
That answer came clean, without hesitation.
Lucas nodded once and returned to the projection. The hazards parted under his blade with restrained precision. The heat inside him responded smoothly, neither demanding release nor urging escalation.
Dreyden watched him for half a breath longer before turning and leaving the hall.
