Alden stepped out of the teleportation hub.
He was back at the academy.
No one welcomed him, which was perfect.
After neutralising Seles's goons, there hadn't been much left to do.
He hadn't uncovered much about her organisation—but that didn't mean he was done with it.
He had plans about it.
He pulled out his ManaSync. It vibrated violently as dozens—maybe hundreds—of notifications flooded the screen.
Messages from people he hadn't spoken to in weeks.
Well, "people" was generous.
It was just Aziel, Amyra… and Nyx.
Nyx had sent him six restaurant recommendations, complete with ratings, location pins, and something labelled "ambience vibes".
He ignored them all.
Alden preferred to eat at home.
Not because he was a loner. He just didn't want another food war with Kyun.
He had already learned his lesson when he had a meal with Nyx last time.
The little spirit beast in question was silent, unusually so.
Not asleep. Just... still.
