Tovan's natural mana flow survived the night. Three blocked recall attempts produced light inside the sealed plate but none in the inactive branches beneath his wound. His bond label still read maximum, his consent remained verified, and Forest Hidden kept his medical sanctuary in place while the dispute continued.
Tovan sat near the treatment-room window with his injured leg extended. Katherine had rebuilt Open Ward for the morning scan and dismissed it after he stepped out. The sealed evidence case rested across the room under two academy locks.
Cassandra waited outside Forest Hidden. Under the limited evidence release Tovan had approved for the dispute, Rias shared only the preserved post-extraction scan, command imprint, and previously released redacted route seals through a restricted evidence window. Cassandra received no access to Tovan's current treatment records or any other academy system.
