The next morning dawned gray and oppressive, clouds pressing low against the spires of the Academy as though mirroring the weight in my chest. I hadn’t slept. Not really. Kael had stayed outside the bathroom door all night, a silent sentinel whose presence made it impossible to relax, but somehow made me feel safer all the same. I had heard his steady breathing through the door, had felt his silent promise in every moment he remained nearby.
When I finally emerged, his head snapped up from where he’d been sitting cross-legged, eyes sharp and unreadable. He didn't say anything, just stood and walked past me to the sink, splashing water on his face. His silence said more than words could.
We didn’t speak that morning. Not as we dressed. Not as we walked to class together in silence, every
