The morning air in Tharvaldur was crisp, the muted hum of activity already echoing through the stone corridors leading toward the arena. Noel walked at an even pace, Noir padding beside him in her smaller form, her tail swaying lazily from side to side.
"Seems like a lot is going to happen soon, Noir," Noel said, hands in his pockets. "With the disqualifications and withdrawals, we're down to forty students across the four academies. Honestly, I didn't expect our academy to hold up this well. Guess they're stronger than they were in the novel… probably because more of them survived and we avoided chaos this time."
Noir tilted her head up at him and gave a short, soft howl, her tail curling slightly.
"You think so? You weren't even there for that part," Noel said, glancing down at her with a faint smirk.
She let out another small howl, as if insisting.
