We walked together across the plaza, the three of us, while around us the Academy continued its normal rhythm. Students laughed and argued and rushed to their next classes.
Near the far archway, Kyle stopped abruptly, snapping his fingers. "Shit, I almost forgot. I promised Tobias I'd meet him at the training halls."
He squeezed my shoulder once more before pulling away. "You good?"
"Yeah."
"Alright. Don't do anything stupid without me." He grinned and jogged off, weaving between clusters of students, nearly bowling over a first-year carrying a stack of books.
Emma and I continued walking. The afternoon had grown cooler, the shadows lengthening across the stone paths. She adjusted her bag strap, and I noticed she kept glancing at me sideways, like she wanted to say something but wasn't sure how.
"Actually," she said after a moment, her voice careful, "I was heading to the library. Would you... want to come? There's something I wanted to show you."
