The next morning, breakfast in the cafeteria was eerily normal. I sat between Yuria and two wide-eyed classmates, all of us sporting new bruises and triumphant grins. Someone muttered "plot twist" under the table earlier, and we all laughed.
Lilith swept in. Her eyes were bruised from last night, but her smile was fierce. "Good news," she announced. "I spoke to the Archdemon Council. We will form a joint defence task force. For now, classes will resume. Consider today a victory lap."
Cheers echoed through the room.
Yuria elbowed me. "We did good, huh?" she said quietly, a proud grin on her face.
I nodded, sipping a weirdly comforting demon brew. "We literally stopped a demon king. Lilith actually said victory lap."
She laughed. "Algebra can wait. I'm more worried about that hot soup in front of me." The school statue's missing horn in the corner seemed to give us a thumbs-up.
Lilith raised a ladle. "Alright, students! Let's not overload the incinerators. Remember, this is an academy, not a barbecue pit." Snickers rippled through the cafeteria. Even the demon cooks chuckled behind their cauldrons.
After breakfast, Lilith summoned us to the Arcane Courtyard. A small crowd gathered — curious, relieved faces all around. Lilith held the Sigil fragment to my chest. "This morning's heroes!" she proclaimed, and a cheer went up.
Seraphina stepped forward, clapping slowly. "Congratulations," she said, eyes unreadable. "The Council will take note of today's...accomplishment." She gave me a brief nod. "Well done, Ren."
I swallowed hard. "Thanks, Seraphina," I said, trying to smile.
Lilith smiled fiercely. "You saved this school," she told me quietly as the crowd dispersed. "The powers you showed will make some demons uneasy. Keep your head down and your Codex ready."
"I will," I promised.
Lilith gave me a rare thumbs-up. "Now go. You've earned a break."
Yuria and I finally made it back outside. The sun was climbing, painting the sky orange. We grabbed ramen from a vendor as a reward and found a spot by the colonnade. I sipped my spicy soup and let the warmth sink in.
"Think we're on the menu tomorrow?" Yuria teased, popping a meatball on a skewer into her mouth.
"I doubt it," I replied, rubbing my arm at a faint bruise. "Lilith said we could rest up. Maybe I'll finally catch up on sleep."
Yuria nudged me. "And never forget, you have a killer story for the rumors."
We laughed. In that sunlit courtyard, everything felt almost peaceful. The academy statue in the center seemed to beam.
I gazed up at the clear blue sky. The Architect's mark had brought chaos, sure — but it had also built something new: allies, purpose, even a strange sense of home.
Just like dawn always follows darkness, I knew I'd face whatever came next — one code at a time.
And after everything, today felt like the start of something brighter.