The room became quiet. It wasn't a thoughtful silence, but a dangerous stillness—the kind that followed a statement nobody wanted to hear.
*Waiting for you.*
The words lingered, heavy and unavoidable. Orion looked at Vale. "How certain are you?"
The instructor's answer came immediately. "Very."
It wasn't encouraging.
Selene folded her arms. "This is insane."
Nobody disagreed. A man presumed dead for fifteen years had appeared inside one of the most heavily protected academies in the Empire. He had breached the perimeter, triggered ancient Sovereign formations, sent a blood-beacon, and now occupied the Hall of Founders—all while waiting for Orion.
Insane seemed accurate.
The communication crystal at Vale's waist flashed again. She listened to the report, and her expression grew even darker, a talent Orion was beginning to notice she possessed.
"What now?" Selene asked.
"The instructors sent three Gold-rank combat specialists," Vale said. "They never reached the Hall."
