Even the strongest need a moment to breathe.
I found myself on the academy's eastern boundary, where forest met cleared ground, where civilization ended and wilderness began, where the sound of students and tactical planning faded into quieter contemplation.
The meeting with Katheris had been a victory—political fracture in continental unity, a traditional conservative withdrawing active support, a massive tactical advantage gained through diplomatic conversation rather than combat.
But it also brought pressure. An ultimatum. Everything now riding on proving that alternatives worked, that merit-based recognition created stability, that change didn't mean chaos.
