The evening shadows had begun to stretch across the grounds of the Spirit Martial Academy, painting the stone corridors in long, jagged strokes of charcoal and violet. The adrenaline that had surged through the student body following the "Sky Pool" phenomenon was slowly simmering down into a low, buzzing hum of collective gossip. As Leo Shaw stepped out of the Headmaster’s office, he felt the weight of his newly refined Spirit-Forged Body with every rhythmic step. The "Nirvana Nectar" provided by Elder Crane was still circulating in his veins, providing a steady, pressurized warmth that made the cooling twilight air feel like a gentle caress.
He moved through the hallways with the lazy, predatory grace of a lion navigating its territory. Groups of students, still clutching their bags and
