Three weeks in, the academy had stopped being new.
It was familiar now in the way difficult terrain becomes familiar, not comfortable, but known. Leo understood the specific acoustics of the Magical Theory lecture hall, how sound carried through the tiered seating depending on where Ross stood when she spoke. He knew which seats in Combat Theory gave him the clearest read on the room. He knew that Monster Ecology's professor called on non-volunteers in alphabetical order when discussion stalled, so he prepared ahead.
He knew Garrett's dining hall timing, early, neutral table, east wall. He used the ten minutes before the meal arrived to extract whatever the scholarship student had observed since their last update. Garrett delivered information the way he did everything, efficiently, without embellishment, with the dry satisfaction of someone who enjoyed being right.
