Arthur didn't stop walking at first.
He already knew what was coming.
That quiet pull at the edge of his awareness had become familiar now, as a signal only he could see. So when the interface slid into his vision again, he just let out a long breath and slowed down.
"…Finally."
There was relief in it.
Not because it was hard, but because he was done with it.
No more thinking about how to start the conversation. No more timing it between training breaks. No more watching expressions and guessing reactions.
He had done it.
All of them.
Well… almost.
His eyes shifted across the hall, landing briefly on Commander Lyra. She was still occupied, correcting Selene's stance with a firm tone, her attention sharp as ever.
Arthur looked away after a second.
"…Not yet."
He didn't rush that thought. There was no need.
She hadn't met the conditions anyway. Sparring wasn't the same as a real fight. Not in his system's eyes. Not in his own either.
And more than that…
