Sunday morning brought unexpected clarity to the academy grounds the first truly beautiful day in over a week.
Sunlight streamed through windows, birds sang in the courtyards, and for a few hours at least, students could almost forget about conspiracies and institutional crises.
Patricia woke to Emma already dressed and reviewing notes at her desk.
"You're up early for a Sunday," Patricia observed, sitting up and rubbing her eyes.
"The Inter-Academy competition is in five days. I want to make sure I understand all the event formats before it starts." Emma gestured at her materials—competition rules, team rosters, venue maps. "Did you know there are twelve different event categories? I thought it was just combat and maybe academic challenges."
