Now… If anyone had asked earlier that day what ‘group bonding’ would look like, I would have guessed something responsible. Perhaps a structured discussion. Maybe a walk around the academy grounds. Possibly a mildly awkward dinner.
Instead, two hours later, I was standing outside a very loud bar at the edge of the academy village with seven other first-year fighters and absolutely no idea how we had gotten here.
“This,” Nix announced proudly, pushing open the heavy wooden door,
“is the fastest way to build trust among each other.”
Krystal raised an eyebrow.
“Alcohol?”
“Shared bad decisions.”
“That too.”
The moment we stepped inside the bar, a wave of warmth and noise crashed over us. The bar was already packed. Students filled nearly every table, their dark academy coats draped ove
