The welcome ceremony had ended, and the academy grounds slowly emptied of chatter and formality. Kael walked in silence, the golden hue of the setting sun casting long shadows behind him. Most first-years were in the dorms or exploring, but he slipped out past the walls of the inner courtyard, boots thudding lightly on the stone path until it gave way to grass and earth.
He jogged without direction, without purpose—just movement. The rhythm of his body was comfort. A breath in. A breath out. Steps steady. Muscles warming. The day's noise faded the longer he ran. His black hair stuck to his forehead, his eyes sharp and unreadable as ever. Not once did he glance back.
By the time he returned to the dorm, the moon had risen. He opened the door to his shared room and stepped inside. Lucien was there, seated on his bed with a book in hand, half-dressed in fine silks that shimmered faintly in the lamp's glow.
Kael said nothing. He went straight to the washroom. The water was cool, but it didn't bother him. He stood under it, silent, letting the fatigue run down the drain with the sweat. When he emerged, towel drying his hair, he looked clean and calm. Still not impressive, but not pitiful either.
He was drying his shirt when Lucien finally spoke.
"Don't hold back tomorrow."
Kael looked up, expression unreadable. Lucien met his gaze, blue eyes sharp like honed blades.
"I won't," the crown prince added. "No matter who you are."
Kael's voice was low, flat. "Good. I'd be disappointed otherwise."
That was the end of it. No handshakes. No banter. Just two strangers sharing a room, both ready to fight. The silence returned like a blanket. Kael laid down. Eyes closed. Mind quiet. Sleep came swiftly.