The notices came at dawn.
Each name written in clean, merciless ink.
Temporary reassignment.
Separate paths.
Individual advancement.
Qiao Feng read his three times.
"…They're kicking me out?"
"Outer combat hall," Lu Xinyi said calmly. "Temporary."
Han Rui clutched his notice.
"Medical division. Solo study."
Shen Yu's was, once again, vague.
> *Observe. Do not interfere.*
Lu Xinyi folded hers carefully.
"Movement hall," she said. "Alone."
Silence fell between them.
They had trained together.
Fought together.
Bled together.
And now — this.
Qiao Feng broke it first.
"Hey," he said loudly, forcing a grin. "It's not goodbye. It's… character development."
No one laughed.
---
### **By the Old Tree**
They met one last time before dispersing.
The same tree. Same shade.
Different weight in the air.
Han Rui spoke first, voice small.
"I'm scared I'll mess up without you."
Lu Xinyi looked at him.
"You won't."
"How do you know?"
"Because you already saved us," she said simply.
Han Rui swallowed hard.
Qiao Feng rubbed the back of his neck.
"I act stupid," he said, not smiling. "But when you all fight beside me… I don't feel useless."
Shen Yu met his eyes.
"You never were."
Qiao Feng's grin cracked — just a little.
---
### **Lu Xinyi and Shen Yu**
The others drifted away, giving them space without saying it aloud.
Lu Xinyi stood with arms crossed.
"You always know when to step back," she said.
Shen Yu shrugged.
"Someone has to make room."
"That's not what I meant."
She turned to face him fully.
"You trust us," she said. "Even when you could do more."
Shen Yu was quiet.
For once, he didn't joke.
"I grew up invisible," he said softly. "If I pushed too hard, things broke. People left."
Lu Xinyi's expression softened.
"So you learned restraint."
"I learned listening."
She nodded slowly.
"That's why I trust you," she said.
The words settled between them — warm, steady.
Then she added, quieter:
"Come back."
He smiled.
"I was planning on it."
---
### **Qiao Feng and Han Rui**
At the path fork, Han Rui hesitated.
Qiao Feng slung an arm around him.
"Hey. If anyone bullies you, I'll punch them."
Han Rui laughed weakly.
"That won't help."
"Emotionally, it will."
Han Rui took a breath.
"…Thank you. For stepping in front of the wolf."
Qiao Feng looked away.
"Couldn't let the nice one die."
They stood there longer than necessary.
---
### **That Night**
Alone in their separate halls, each of them looked at the same sky.
Lu Xinyi practiced until her muscles screamed.
Han Rui studied until his eyes burned.
Qiao Feng fought until he collapsed laughing.
Shen Yu lay on his back, staring at the stars.
The space around him felt… heavier.
Not hostile.
Expectant.
Far above, the Sky Archive shifted.
A Keeper murmured:
> "They are forming bonds faster than predicted."
Another replied:
> "Then test those bonds."