The cafeteria at Astralis Academy had always felt too loud for its size.
Not in a bad way. Just… full. Full of voices, trays clattering against tables, nobles pretending not to look at commoners and commoners pretending not to care, the constant hum of magic tucked beneath everything like a second heartbeat. The ceiling arched high above us, threaded with pale crystal veins that glowed softly, and the long windows along the western wall spilled afternoon light across rows of tables.
Kent and I had already secured a corner table, mostly because Kent had sprinted the moment the bell rang and nearly tackled a second-year out of the way.
"I regret nothing," he said now, grinning at me as he shoveled something that might have once been a potato into his mouth. "Strategic positioning wins wars."
"It's lunch," I said.
"Exactly."
