The first week at the academy settled like water finding its level. It rushed in some places and dragged in others, with pressure building underneath before anything broke the surface.
Leo moved through the rest of the introductory sessions like someone taking stock of a new workshop. Every classroom had its own layout, its own quiet rules, and its own way of showing him exactly where he fit. A few felt hostile. Most just felt unfamiliar.
None carried the easy safety of the Scarlet Anchor, but that was the whole reason he had come. He was here to close a gap measured in years.
Energy Foundations met in one of the bigger halls in the academic wing. Tiered seats curved around a wide open floor built for demonstrations. Eighty first-years filled the space, their combined aura and mana signatures humming low in the air like static against Leo's skin.
