Raven sat on the Academy courtyard bench, hands folded neatly in her lap, watching students train with a soft smile that felt like it belonged on someone else's face.
*This is nice*, she thought. *Everyone working hard. Being their best selves.*
Then: *What the fuck?*
The second thought arrived like lightning through fog—sharp, alien, *wrong*. It pierced through the gentle contentment and left her gasping.
Raven's hands tightened on her knees. The smile froze on her face.
*When do I ever think "this is nice"?*
She tried to remember the last time she'd felt this... this *pleasant approval* of people just existing around her. This warm, golden sensation of community and shared purpose and—
*I don't care about community*, part of her brain screamed. *I care about Riyan. Everyone else is background noise unless they're useful or threatening.*
