While the Main Dojo continued emotionally dismantling the adult generation—
far away inside the guest bungalows—
the younger generation remained completely unconscious.
Or rather—
collapsed.
Mei Tanaka woke slowly beneath warm morning light filtering through the paper-screen windows of the guest room.
For several seconds she stayed completely still beneath the blankets listening to the quiet around her.
Peaceful.
Suspiciously peaceful.
Then she remembered:
Torres.
Little Bean.
Octavian.
The late-night chaos.
And the fact nobody actually went to their assigned rooms properly.
Mei closed her eyes briefly.
"…oh no."
She pushed herself upright slowly while sunlight spilled softly across the traditional room Mika prepared for them the night before.
The bungalow itself remained quiet.
Too quiet.
Which honestly meant everyone finally crashed from exhaustion.
Mei tied her hair back loosely before stepping out into the main lounge.
Then immediately stopped.
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Because the entire bungalow looked like civilization collapsed overnight.
Blankets everywhere.
Pillows scattered across the floor.
Half-finished snacks abandoned across tables.
Someone—
probably Torres—
had somehow dragged multiple cushions into a formation vaguely resembling tactical fortifications.
Mei stared at the destruction for one long second.
Then very slowly smiled.
Because honestly—
it looked ridiculous.
And weirdly comforting.
Morning sunlight spilled softly through the wide paper-screen walls overlooking the mountain valley outside while waterfalls echoed faintly through drifting mist somewhere beyond the gardens.
The lounge looked warm.
Lived in.
Safe.
Like exhaustion itself finally won against every single cadet inside the room.
Near the large central couch—
Torres and Little Bean had completely lost the battle against sleep sometime during the night.
Torres was sprawled sideways across the cushions still wearing half of yesterday's clothing while Little Bean slept beside him with one foot aggressively planted on Torres' head like conquered territory.
Torres somehow remained asleep through it.
Mei immediately took a picture.
Evidence.
Important evidence.
Then she zoomed in slightly.
Because Little Bean was somehow still clutching a datapad against his chest while asleep.
The screen remained active.
Half-finished charts still glowed faintly across it.
Mei physically covered her mouth trying not to laugh.
"…of course."
Farther inside the lounge—
Rafe and Lucian had each claimed separate couches during the night and now lay sprawled dramatically across them like exhausted nobles abandoned after surviving a disaster at sea.
Lucian still held a datapad against his chest.
Rafe had somehow fallen asleep halfway upside down beneath a blanket clearly too small for him.
One sock was missing.
Nobody wanted to know where it went.
Another picture.
Then another.
Because honestly—
Lucian Valerius somehow managed to look aristocratic even while unconscious.
Mei quietly moved farther into the room.
Careful not to wake anyone.
The mountain outside remained peaceful while soft sunlight reflected faintly across the polished wooden floors beneath scattered blankets and sleeping cadets.
Then she looked toward the floor.
And physically stopped.
Because apparently:
Ethan,
Jun,
Viktor,
and Ren
had collectively abandoned beds entirely.
The four younger boys were buried beneath blankets dragged across the floor like survivors hiding inside a battlefield-made pillow fort.
Jun slept perfectly still.
Viktor somehow occupied three times more space than physically possible.
Ren had one arm hanging completely outside the blankets.
And Ethan—
still somehow responsible even while unconscious—
had arranged extra blankets over everyone else before finally collapsing himself.
Even asleep, Ethan still looked protective.
Like some part of him remained alert enough to make sure the others stayed warm.
Mei's expression softened immediately.
Another picture.
Then she crouched slightly closer.
Because Ren was half wrapped in Ethan's hoodie somehow while Viktor appeared to be unconsciously crushing at least two pillows beneath his shoulder.
Jun meanwhile looked untouched by earthly concerns entirely.
Peaceful.
Calm.
Perfectly still.
Mei smiled quietly to herself.
Then she noticed the table.
Or rather—
the person on top of the table.
Octavian Vale.
Somehow asleep directly on the dining table itself.
One arm hanging off the side.
Still fully dressed.
Completely unconscious.
Underneath the table—
his crew had collapsed together beneath scattered blankets like exhausted battlefield survivors accepting fate.
One of them still held cards loosely in their hand.
Another had apparently used a decorative cushion as emergency life support sometime during the night.
Mei physically covered her mouth trying not to laugh loudly enough to wake everyone.
Then immediately took another picture.
Because absolutely nobody would believe this later otherwise.
The bungalow looked less like sleeping arrangements—
and more like a humanitarian disaster managed by emotionally exhausted cadets.
Morning sunlight spilled softly across the sleeping chaos while waterfalls echoed faintly somewhere beyond the valley outside.
And despite the destruction—
the entire room felt warm.
Messy.
Crowded.
Safe.
Family.
Mei lowered the datapad slowly for a second while looking around the bungalow again.
Not Great Houses.
Not rankings.
Not elite cadets.
Just tired kids who survived too much recently finally sleeping somewhere safe enough to completely fall apart.
The thought settled softly inside her chest.
Because that was the real difference now.
A month ago—
none of them would have slept like this.
Too guarded.
Too formal.
Too used to distance.
Now half the younger generation had collapsed together inside one bungalow without caring who came from which House or academy ranking anymore.
Wrong Sky changed them.
Not gently.
Not safely.
But somehow—
it changed them toward each other instead of away.
Mei's eyes drifted back toward Ethan again.
Even asleep, he still had one arm stretched loosely across the blanket pile near Ren and Viktor like some exhausted older brother making sure nobody drifted away.
Then naturally—
Mei weaponized the evidence immediately.
She opened the private Elite Twelve group chat.
And sent every single picture directly to Kael and Ryven.
No warning.
Maximum damage.
Three dots appeared instantly.
KAEL: OH MY GOD.
Another immediately.
KAEL: WHY IS OCTAVIAN ON THE TABLE.
MEI: Unknown.
Another message appeared almost instantly afterward.
KAEL: IS LITTLE BEAN CONQUERING TORRES.
MEI: Successful occupation.
Then another.
KAEL: WHY DOES LUCIAN LOOK LIKE A DEAD NOBLEMAN.
MEI: Accurate description.
Several seconds passed.
Then finally—
RYVEN: Why is Ethan sleeping on the floor.
Mei looked toward Ethan again.
Even asleep, Ethan still had one blanket wrapped carefully around Ren's shoulders while Jun and Viktor remained bundled nearby beneath the others.
Mei smiled softly.
MEI: Because Ethan is Ethan.
Silence followed briefly.
Then Kael answered again.
Quieter this time.
KAEL: …they look happy.
Mei looked around the bungalow once more.
At the tangled blankets.
The exhausted collapse.
The complete lack of distance between any of them anymore.
Then she answered honestly.
MEI: They are.
Another pause followed.
Then another message appeared from Kael.
KAEL: Don't wake them yet.
A second message followed immediately afterward.
KAEL: Especially Torres. This is historically important.
Mei physically snorted quietly enough not to wake the room.
Then another message appeared.
RYVEN: Feed them when they wake up.
MEI: Understood.
Then Kael again:
KAEL: Take more pictures if Octavian falls off the table.
MEI: I hate all of you.
KAEL: False. You love us deeply.
MEI: Unfortunately accurate.
The room stayed quiet afterward except for distant waterfalls and the occasional sleepy movement from the collapsed cadets around the lounge.
Little Bean shifted slightly against the couch.
Then very sleepily muttered:
"…market confidence…"
Torres answered without waking up.
"…presentation matters…"
Mei physically bent forward laughing silently while taking another picture immediately.
Important evidence.
Then she carefully moved toward the kitchen area while sunlight continued spilling softly through the bungalow.
The hidden mountain valley outside looked peaceful beneath drifting mist and cherry blossoms.
Safe.
For now.
And inside the destroyed guest lounge—
the next generation of the Federation slept through history completely unaware that the adults above them were already rebuilding the future around children exactly like them.