The shift didn't show up right away.
For most of the morning, things held steady. People moved quicker through routines, not rushed, just a little sharper than before. Corrections came earlier. Fewer full stops, fewer moments where someone froze and waited for certainty that never came.
Lucas noticed it during warm-ups.
A small thing.
Two students crossed paths at the edge of a practice lane. A week ago, they would've both hesitated, tried to avoid each other at the same time, and ended up colliding anyway.
This time, one adjusted half a step early.
The other followed.
No contact.
No interruption.
They didn't even look at each other after.
It just… worked.
Lucas exhaled quietly.
"Okay," he muttered.
Progress.
But progress had a way of hiding problems.
Lucas felt that later, when the first real strain of the day surfaced.
