The air beneath the academy was thick with heat and the tang of mana. The underground training grounds — vast, humid, and echoing with footsteps — buzzed with the usual energy of Class S. Sparks crackled, sweat dripped, and the stone floor radiated warmth from a long day of combat drills and elemental refinement.
Today, however, someone unexpected had returned.
"Noel!"
A voice rang out. Then another.
Several students turned, eyes widening with surprise and relief. Although many had visited him during his recovery, seeing him back in uniform, weapon at his side and aura steady, brought a new kind of reassurance.
"Took you long enough," Marcus said with a crooked grin, walking up with a towel slung over his shoulder. "You good?"
Noel nodded. "Good enough, at least."
He didn't say much else — most of them already knew he wasn't one for small talk. Still, the atmosphere lifted noticeably as he passed through, shoulders brushing those of the strongest students in the academy.
