The last class had ended, but Noel wasn't heading back to his room.
Instead, he walked alone through one of the side exits of the academy, the heat of the day finally fading into a golden breeze. The towers of Valon stretched behind him, glowing orange in the dusk light.
The road ahead was quiet.
"I haven't been there in months," he murmured, mostly to himself.
He looked down at the small shadow moving beside him.
"Noir."
The shadow pulsed once — then out of it leapt a small, sleek creature: Noir, in her default compact form. She walked calmly beside Noel, her ears twitching and nose sniffing the wind.
"It was the first place I hunted monsters," Noel continued, his voice quieter now. "Honestly… it helped. A lot. I just want to see how far we've come."
Noir didn't speak, of course. But her tail flicked once, as if in agreement.
