Kai woke on a Saturday morning to an empty room.
William had left for his family estate the day before, and the absence was immediately noticeable in a way Kai hadn't expected. The room felt quieter somehow, despite William not being particularly loud normally.
Kai got dressed and headed to breakfast alone. The dining hall was moderately crowded with students enjoying their weekend morning. He grabbed food and found an empty table in a corner, content to eat in peace.
That lasted approximately five minutes before Marcus appeared.
"Kai! Mind if I sit?" Marcus was already sitting before Kai could respond. "Where's William? I haven't seen him since yesterday."
"He went for a family visit. He'll be back in a few days."
"Oh, right. He mentioned something about that." Marcus started eating enthusiastically. "So what are you doing today? Want to join our study group? We're meeting in the library this afternoon to work on that Magical Theory essay."
"I'm fine."
