Three days passed far more quickly than any of them wanted to admit.
The announcement on the academy notice board had changed the atmosphere of the entire school.
Classes continued.
Training continued.
Meals continued.
The instructors still shouted at students for poor footwork and lazy swordsmanship.
But beneath everything was a quiet awareness that this was different.
The graduating students had begun packing.
Some had already received letters from their families.
Others spent every free moment together, as though they could somehow stretch the remaining hours by refusing to sleep.
Kaelen had done neither.
He had trained.
He had eaten.
He had slept.
And he had tried very hard not to think about what came next.
It wasn't working.
"You've been staring at that sword for five minutes."
Kaelen looked up.
Maeve stood in the doorway of the equipment room, arms folded.
"I wasn't staring."
"You were."
"I was thinking."
"About?"
Kaelen glanced down at the sword in his hands.
"The assignment ceremony."
Maeve stepped inside.
"You're nervous."
"No."
She raised an eyebrow.
"Kaelen."
"I'm not nervous."
"You've sharpened that sword twice this morning."
"It needed it."
"You sharpened it yesterday."
"It needed it yesterday too."
Maeve laughed quietly.
"You know, for someone who spent half his life trying to become strong enough to face anything, you're remarkably bad at admitting when something bothers you."
Kaelen placed the whetstone down.
"I don't know what happens after tomorrow."
"None of us do."
"That's different."
"How?"
He hesitated.
"Because I know what I'm supposed to do in a fight."
Maeve leaned against the table.
"And outside one?"
Kaelen looked at her.
"I don't know."
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then Maeve smiled.
"Good."
Kaelen frowned.
"Why is that good?"
"Because you're finally admitting you don't have all the answers."
"I don't see how that's comforting."
"It isn't."
She pushed herself away from the table.
"But it's honest."
Before Kaelen could respond, a voice came from the doorway.
"There you are."
Rhess.
He stepped inside carrying his massive training hammer.
Kaelen immediately noticed the expression on his face.
"No."
Rhess grinned.
"You don't even know what I'm going to say."
"I know exactly what you're going to say."
"Then you know I'm right."
Maeve sighed.
"You two are impossible."
Rhess looked at her.
"One final spar."
Kaelen shook his head.
"We already sparred."
"That was three days ago."
"Two."
"Exactly."
"That's not a long time."
"For me it is."
Kaelen smiled despite himself.
"Why?"
Rhess rested the hammer against his shoulder.
"Because the next time we meet, one of us might be wearing an officer's cloak."
"And?"
"And I want to know whether you can still beat me."
Maeve looked between them.
"You two really can't go three days without hitting each other."
Rhess corrected her.
"He's the one who hits me."
"You challenge him."
"Details."
Kaelen picked up his sword.
"Where?"
Rhess smiled.
"The eastern yard."
Maeve groaned.
"I knew it."
The eastern training yard was almost empty.
Most students were attending their final lessons.
The morning sun had climbed high enough to cast long shadows across the stone walls.
A few instructors watched from a distance.
Halvek stood near the edge of the yard, arms folded.
He hadn't been invited.
He had simply appeared.
Which meant, Kaelen suspected, that he had known about the duel before they did.
Rhess stepped into the center.
He wore light training armor and carried his wooden hammer.
Kaelen stood opposite him with a wooden sword.
Maeve, Seralyn, and Deren sat along the edge of the training platform.
Deren leaned toward Seralyn.
"How much do you want to bet Rhess gets thrown into the fountain?"
Seralyn glanced toward the fountain.
"Twenty silver."
Deren stared at her.
"You actually think Kaelen will win?"
"No."
She pointed toward Rhess.
"I think he'll miss."
Deren grinned.
"That's even better."
Maeve shook her head.
"You two are betting on your friends getting injured."
"Lightly injured," Deren said.
Rhess called across the yard.
"Are you finished discussing my potential humiliation?"
Deren cupped his hands around his mouth.
"Not even close!"
Rhess laughed.
Kaelen lowered his sword.
"You ready?"
Rhess adjusted his grip.
"Always."
They bowed.
Then the yard went silent.
The first exchange was cautious.
Rhess moved forward with a heavy diagonal strike.
Kaelen stepped aside.
The hammer struck stone.
Rhess immediately pivoted.
Kaelen barely blocked the second attack.
The force traveled through his arms.
He stepped backward.
Rhess smiled.
"Still trying to defend?"
"Just watching."
"Watch faster."
The hammer came again.
Kaelen ducked beneath it.
His wooden sword struck Rhess's side.
Rhess grunted.
"Point."
Kaelen stepped away.
"One."
Rhess nodded.
"One."
He rolled his shoulders.
Then charged.
This time there was no hesitation.
Kaelen's eyes narrowed.
Rhess had changed.
The tournament had taught them both the same lesson.
Don't fight the opponent you expect.
Fight the opponent standing in front of you.
The hammer swept toward Kaelen's ribs.
He blocked.
The impact drove him backward.
Rhess followed.
Kaelen retreated again.
Another strike.
Another.
Another.
Rhess wasn't trying to land one devastating blow.
He was forcing Kaelen backward, slowly removing his options.
Kaelen realized what was happening a moment too late.
His heel touched the edge of the training platform.
Rhess grinned.
"Got you."
He swung.
Kaelen dropped.
The hammer passed over his head.
He rolled beneath Rhess's arm and came up behind him.
His wooden blade stopped against Rhess's back.
Rhess froze.
Deren jumped to his feet.
"YES!"
Maeve laughed.
Rhess slowly turned.
"You planned that."
Kaelen smiled.
"Eventually."
Rhess shook his head.
"You're getting annoying."
"I've been told."
"By me."
"Frequently."
They reset.
The second exchange lasted longer.
Much longer.
Neither gained an advantage.
The spectators slowly gathered.
Students abandoned their lessons to watch.
Even Halvek's attention sharpened.
Kaelen and Rhess moved faster.
Wood cracked against wood.
Footsteps scraped across stone.
Sweat ran down Kaelen's temple.
Rhess's breathing grew heavier.
Neither surrendered ground.
Then Rhess changed tactics.
He released one hand from the hammer.
Kaelen's eyes widened.
Rhess swung with one arm.
Kaelen blocked.
The impact nearly knocked the sword from his hands.
Rhess immediately followed with his shoulder.
Kaelen stumbled.
Rhess brought the hammer down.
Kaelen twisted aside.
The weapon smashed into the ground.
A crack ran through the wooden head.
Kaelen saw the opening.
He stepped forward.
Their weapons crossed.
Rhess pushed.
Kaelen pushed back.
For several seconds, neither moved.
Then Rhess spoke quietly.
"You've changed."
Kaelen frowned.
"So have you."
"No."
Rhess smiled.
"I've gotten stronger."
He shoved forward.
Kaelen stumbled.
"But you're different."
Kaelen steadied himself.
"How?"
Rhess lifted his weapon.
"You don't fight like someone who thinks losing means everything is over anymore."
Kaelen stared at him.
Rhess charged.
Kaelen met him.
The final exchange lasted only seconds.
A strike.
A block.
A feint.
A step.
Rhess swung.
Kaelen slipped inside the attack.
His wooden sword struck Rhess's chest.
At the same moment, Rhess's hammer stopped against Kaelen's shoulder.
They froze.
The yard erupted.
Both had landed.
Neither moved.
Halvek finally spoke.
"Draw."
Rhess lowered his hammer.
Kaelen lowered his sword.
Deren shouted from the edge of the yard.
"THAT WAS NOT A DRAW!"
Maeve laughed.
"It was."
"He clearly won!"
Seralyn looked at her.
"Who?"
Deren opened his mouth.
Then closed it.
"...I have no idea."
Rhess walked toward Kaelen.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then Rhess extended his hand.
Kaelen looked at it.
And took it.
"Next time," Rhess said, "I'm winning."
Kaelen smiled.
"Next time."
Neither of them knew how long it would be before that next time came.
But for now...
It was enough.
The students slowly began to disperse, though several lingered around the edge of the training yard, still arguing over the final exchange.
Deren was among the loudest.
"It was obviously Kaelen."
Maeve folded her arms.
"It was a draw."
"You're biased."
"Toward whom?"
"Kaelen."
"He's my friend."
"Exactly."
Deren pointed at Rhess.
"And I'm apparently the only person here willing to acknowledge that Rhess nearly flattened him."
Rhess walked past them.
"Nearly doesn't count."
Deren looked offended.
"You were the one who hit him."
"With a wooden hammer."
"You still hit him."
Rhess shrugged.
"He survived."
Kaelen rubbed his shoulder.
"Thank you for your concern."
"I wasn't concerned."
"I noticed."
Seralyn picked up her bow from where she'd left it against the fence.
"You both improved."
Rhess glanced at her.
"That's your conclusion?"
"Yes."
She looked toward Kaelen.
"You stopped relying entirely on reaction."
Then toward Rhess.
"And you stopped relying entirely on strength."
Rhess considered that.
"I don't know whether that's a compliment."
"It is."
"I'll take it."
Deren stretched.
"Well, that's settled."
Maeve looked at him.
"What is?"
"Kaelen is stronger."
Rhess immediately turned.
"We drew."
"Exactly."
"So how did you reach that conclusion?"
Deren grinned.
"Because I said so."
Rhess stared at him.
"You know, I understand why Kaelen likes you."
Kaelen raised an eyebrow.
"I didn't say I liked him."
Deren put a hand over his heart.
"That hurts."
"You'll recover."
"I don't know if I will."
Maeve shook her head.
"You're both impossible."
A familiar voice came from behind them.
"All of you."
They turned.
Halvek approached slowly.
The students who remained immediately straightened.
He stopped in front of Kaelen and Rhess.
"That was better."
Rhess nodded.
"Thank you, sir."
Halvek looked at Kaelen.
"You've improved considerably since the tournament."
Kaelen waited.
The instructor's expression remained stern.
"But don't mistake improvement for mastery."
"I won't."
"Good."
Halvek looked at Rhess.
"And you."
"Sir?"
"Stop relying on the fact that you're stronger than most people."
Rhess frowned.
"I don't."
"You do."
Rhess opened his mouth.
Halvek raised a hand.
"Don't argue."
Rhess closed his mouth.
Deren leaned toward Maeve.
"He's learning."
Maeve whispered back.
"Give him time."
Halvek's eyes shifted toward Deren.
Deren immediately looked innocent.
"I said nothing."
"I heard you."
"I was discussing the weather."
"It's sunny."
"I was wrong."
Halvek shook his head.
Then his gaze moved over all five of them.
For several seconds, he said nothing.
When he finally spoke, his voice was quieter.
"Three days."
Everyone knew what he meant.
The assignment ceremony.
Three days until the academy stopped being their home.
Halvek looked toward the training grounds.
"You've spent years being told what to do."
His gaze returned to them.
"Where to stand. What to study. How to fight. Who to obey."
He paused.
"That ends soon."
Nobody interrupted.
"After your assignments, the decisions become yours."
Deren smiled faintly.
"That sounds dangerous."
"It is."
Maeve looked at him.
"Do you ever say anything reassuring?"
"No."
"Fair."
Halvek looked at them one last time.
"Enjoy the next three days."
Then he walked away.
The five watched him leave.
Deren broke the silence.
"Was that..."
He looked at the others.
"...almost sentimental?"
Maeve nodded.
"Almost."
Seralyn smiled.
"He's getting old."
Deren's eyes widened.
"Don't let him hear you say that."
"He'll probably throw you into the fountain."
"Exactly."
Rhess glanced toward the fountain.
"Can he actually do that?"
Deren looked horrified.
"You don't know Halvek well enough."
That afternoon, the five returned to the dormitories.
There were no scheduled lessons.
No tournament preparations.
No examinations.
For the first time in months, they had nothing they were required to do.
Deren immediately declared this an emergency.
"We need to celebrate."
Maeve dropped onto the edge of her bed.
"Celebrate what?"
"Surviving."
"We're still alive."
"Exactly."
Seralyn sat beside the window.
"What do you propose?"
Deren thought.
"A feast."
Maeve stared at him.
"With what money?"
Deren's confidence disappeared.
"...Right."
Rhess reached into his bag and placed several coins on the table.
Deren looked at them.
"Where did you get those?"
"My tournament winnings."
Maeve frowned.
"You still have those?"
"Of course."
Deren slowly smiled.
"I like you."
Rhess grinned.
"I know."
Kaelen shook his head.
"You're encouraging him."
"Probably."
Deren stood.
"Then it's decided."
Maeve laughed.
"You're impossible."
"And yet you keep me around."
She looked at him for a moment.
"Unfortunately."
Deren smiled.
"Good enough."
They left the dormitory together.
For the rest of the afternoon, they wandered through the city without any real destination.
They ate too much.
Deren challenged Rhess to an arm-wrestling match and lost badly.
Then demanded a rematch.
Then lost again.
Then claimed the table was uneven.
Maeve bought a small wooden pendant from a street vendor because it reminded her of home.
Seralyn spent nearly twenty minutes examining old maps in a bookshop.
Kaelen bought nothing.
He simply walked.
And watched.
He watched Deren argue with a fruit seller.
He watched Maeve laugh at him.
He watched Rhess pretend not to enjoy himself.
He watched Seralyn quietly point out landmarks none of them had noticed.
At sunset, they returned to the academy.
The western sky burned orange.
They stopped on the outer wall overlooking the city.
Below them, thousands of lights slowly appeared as evening settled over the capital.
Kaelen rested his hands against the stone.
"It's beautiful."
Maeve stood beside him.
"You've never seen it like this?"
"Not from here."
She looked over the city.
"I don't think I've ever realized how big it is."
Rhess joined them.
"Neither have I."
Deren leaned against the wall.
"Tomorrow, I'll finally explore all of it."
Maeve laughed.
"You've been here a year."
"Exactly. I've barely started."
Seralyn looked at them.
"What if we're sent somewhere far away?"
Nobody answered immediately.
The question wasn't about distance.
They all understood that.
Finally Deren smiled.
"Then we travel."
Maeve looked at him.
"That's not how assignments work."
"Then we write."
Seralyn nodded.
"We should."
Rhess looked toward Kaelen.
"And if we end up in different Orders?"
Kaelen looked at each of them.
"We'll find a way."
Deren smiled.
"That's the spirit."
The five stood together as darkness settled over the capital.
None of them knew where the Order would send them.
None knew what waited beyond the walls.
None knew how long they would remain together.
But for one evening...
None of that mattered.
They were still students.
They were still friends.
And they still had two days left.