(A/N Big thanks to everyone for the Power stones and Golden tickets, they mean a lot. As usual, please don't hesitate to comment or drop a review. ENJOY)

Power stones people, Gimme it.

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Orion stepped out of the main spire, the doors closing silently behind him as he exhaled. His mind was full, not overwhelmed, just… occupied. Elysia's final question echoed once, then faded. He'd think about it later.

For now, it was almost four.

He checked his bracelet.

15:52.

Perfect timing.

He headed toward the main courtyard, where the group had agreed to meet. The academy's afternoon cycle had softened the lighting across the sky bridges and walkways, making the path back feel almost calm after the sheer density of the library.

When he reached the courtyard, Seris was already there, sprawled backward on a bench, arms flung out dramatically.

"Finally!" she groaned. "I swear this academy is trying to kill me with information."

Selene sat beside her, writing something in a compact notebook. "You barely spent three hours in the lounge. How did that exhaust you?"

"I was mentally preparing," Seris insisted.

Selene didn't look up. "For what?"

"For existing."

Caelum arrived moments later, appearing from the far path. His steps were steady as always, posture straight, but Orion noticed the faint signs of fatigue around his eyes.

"You look tired," Orion said.

Caelum blinked once. "The outer dorms are… active."

"Meaning?" Seris asked.

Caelum simply shook his head. "I'll explain when I'm sure my summary is accurate."

That was all he offered, and Seris accepted it with a shrug.

The four of them regrouped fully at exactly four, just as planned. No lectures, no breakdowns of information—not yet. They simply exchanged brief outlines.

Selene gave them a short summary of her first-floor visit. Seris complained about the lounge politics. Caelum offered vague but useful bullet points about population density, route layouts, and general student movement.

Orion told them he'd spent the whole day in the library.

As expected, Seris looked offended on behalf of every physically active human in existence.

"No breaks? No wandering? No eating? Nothing?"

"I ate in the morning," he replied.

"One meal doesn't count."

Selene hid a smile behind her notebook.

The conversation continued with the same easy flow, no pressure, no tension. Eventually they all drifted toward the park lawn—an open green field at the base of the main spire where students lounged, rested, or talked casually.

They sat beneath one of the tall shade trees—nothing special, just a peaceful spot. The next two hours passed without structure. They talked about small things: the number of students in each floor, the strangeness of the teleportation system, how massive the main spire was when viewed from below.

Seris reenacted a dramatic recount of someone fighting over a seat in the lounge. Caelum corrected three parts of her story. Selene corrected five.

Orion said little, but he listened, and it was enough.

As the sky dimmed with the academy's evening cycle, they slowly wrapped up.

"It's six," Selene said, closing her notebook. "We should head back."

Caelum nodded.

Seris stretched. "Alright, fine, fine. I'll see you all tomorrow."

They split at the gates—Selene and Seris heading toward their dorm wings, Orion and Caelum returning to Magnum One.

The walk back was quiet but comfortable. The halls had stabilized into evening pace—students moving slower, talking softer, lingering near lounge areas and study rooms.

Once they reached the Magnum One lobby, the familiar warmth settled instantly. A few students were already seated around the dining area. The scent of early dinner drifted faintly from the kitchen.

Caelum glanced at Orion. "Food?"

"Probably a good idea."

They moved through the serving line efficiently—simple food, quick portions, nothing dramatic. They ate without much conversation, both processing their day in their own ways.

Dinner didn't take long. Afterward, they drifted naturally toward the lounge.

It was fuller now. A cluster of students were playing some magical board game involving glowing tiles. Others were gathered around a floating screen watching some kind of competitive match from upper years. Conversations scattered across the room in easy, relaxed waves.

Orion took a seat on one of the couches. Caelum sat beside him.

A second later, one of the older boys looked over.

"You two joining anything?" he asked.

"Maybe," Caelum replied.

Orion shook his head. "Just watching."

The boy nodded and returned to his game.

Orion watched the floating board game for a moment. The rules were unfamiliar, but simple enough to decode from observation: strategic tile placement, mana reinforcement, and forced captures. It was interesting, but something simpler came to mind.

"Do any of you play logic games?" Orion asked casually.

A few heads turned.

"Logic?" one boy repeated.

"Like what?"

Orion snapped his fingers and the chess set in his room appeared in front of everyone.

"Chess."

A few of them were awed by the action but their attention was quickly drawn to the set.

A boy leaned forward. "Never heard of it. What's it about?"

"Just a strategy game." Orion said.

A few students gathered around automatically. Strategy games were popular among Chronos branches—anything related to thinking, planning, or pattern recognition always drew attention.

"How does it work?" another student asked.

Orion explained it briefly—movement rules, piece roles, capturing patterns, basic goals. He kept it simple, straightforward, leaving out openings or deeper strategies.

Caelum watched quietly, memorizing the explanation in seconds.

Within minutes, Orion and Caelum played the first demonstration round.

Orion won, though Caelum adapted quickly—much faster than a normal first-timer should have. By the end of the match, half the lounge was watching.

"That's actually fun," one of the boys muttered.

"Complicated," another added, "but fun."

"Teach us next ," the boy from earlier said.

Orion nodded. "Sure."

After that, the room settled into its usual rhythm. Caelum switched to observing the floating magical board game. Orion explored the chess layout again, adjusting some pieces, thinking through new positions.

Some students asked him quick questions. A few tried recreating the board on their own slates. Others played their original games while sneaking glances at the strange new one.

The atmosphere was easy—comfortable, familiar, even though the day had been long.

Eventually, the clock on the wall shifted to evening notation.

19:18.

Still early enough that the lounge stayed lively, but late enough that the day's weight finally began to settle.

Orion leaned back into the couch, arms folded loosely.

A long day.

A productive one.

Complicated, yes—but he'd processed enough for now.

Caelum glanced at him. "You alright?"

"Fine."

Orion allowed himself a small exhale.

Tomorrow would bring more.

But for tonight, this was enough.

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