"I guess you could say I'm one of the lucky ones. I get to travel, meet new talents, and... maybe even steal a few stars away before the bigger guilds grab them."
He grinned, but behind that grin, Sylvie sensed something—an edge too smooth to be careless.
Her instincts twitched faintly.
But Leonard's gaze was warm. Familiar. A brother's gaze.
It made doubting him feel wrong.
"You always liked wandering around," Sylvie said, forcing a small smile. "I guess it suits you."
"It does," Leonard agreed. "And besides…" He turned his head slightly, looking toward the Academy's sprawling training grounds, where the distant clash of practice bouts echoed faintly against the stone. "Arcadia's not a bad place to find stars waiting to rise."
Sylvie followed his gaze, but the unease lingering in the pit of her stomach didn't fade.
