Spring arrived without announcement and made itself at home.
The training grounds that had been churned by winter were green again. The arena that had been shattered by two extraordinary students at the peak of their abilities had been rebuilt stone by stone, its new surfaces already accumulating the scuff marks and burn patterns that gave training spaces their character. New students moved through Skygate Academy's routines with the fresh energy of people who hadn't yet learned what the grounds had recently held, and the older students moved among them with the quiet distinction of people who had.
The National Championship had become history.
