**Chapter 110 – After the Training**
The training was over, but the body still carried its weight.
The group walked back across the courtyard at a slower pace than usual. The sun was already higher, and the heat was starting to truly press down. Astrid went ahead, rolling her shoulders. Marina beside her still released small clouds of vapor without realizing it. Rina drank water from a canteen while walking. Sylvara and Lirien came right behind, talking quietly. Joker and Harley stayed a little more in the middle, and Kuroe closed the group in silence.
— I liked this kind of training — Astrid commented. — At least we don't stay still listening to theory.
— Easy to say when you're the team's anchor — Marina answered. — I almost took a shoulder to the ribs.
— You dodged.
— At the last second.
Rina laughed through her nose.
— I thought it was fun. Running from one side to the other without thinking much.
Sylvara shook her head.
— You call that not thinking? You practically guessed which way they were going to try to pass.
— Intuition — Rina answered, shrugging.
Lirien smiled slightly but didn't join the conversation. Joker listened to everything in silence, hands in his pockets. Harley beside him swung her arms, still with excess energy.
— Your team did well — she commented, looking at Kuroe. — Especially you and the quiet girl.
Kuroe took a second before answering:
— She keeps up quickly.
That was all she said.
No one pressed for more details.
When they got close to the cafeteria, the movement was already greater. Students from other classes were coming in and out. The noise of trays and conversations leaked through the open door.
That was when Darian Voss appeared on the path, coming from the opposite direction with two classmates. He was still sweaty from the training, blond hair stuck to his forehead, and his expression was that of someone who hadn't liked his own performance.
As he passed the group, he slowed down enough to speak:
— Look at that. The circus is still standing.
Harley stopped and tilted her head, smiling in that overly sweet way.
— Good morning to you too.
Darian opened his mouth to answer, but his gaze met Joker's. There was no open challenge there. Just an inconvenient calm. The kind of calm that made any provocation seem childish.
In the end, Darian simply clicked his tongue and continued forward with his classmates.
— One day he'll learn — Astrid muttered.
— Or he won't — Harley answered. — Both ways are funny.
They entered the cafeteria and took the usual table. The food still lacked any real quality, but no one complained too much. Hunger after training spoke louder.
While they ate, the conversation spread into light topics: the next schedule, whether the afternoon teacher would be boring, whether anyone had seen Graciela earlier. At one point, Marina looked over her shoulder and commented:
— The green-haired girl is alone again.
A few of them followed her gaze.
Elowen was at a more distant table, near the window, eating in silence. She didn't seem bothered. She also didn't seem particularly interested in the rest of the hall.
Kuroe looked in that direction for two seconds. Then she returned her attention to her own plate.
There was no extra comment.
Lunch continued without any major events. When they finished, the group gradually stood up. They still had the rest of the day ahead — one more theoretical class and, afterward, a short free period before the end of the afternoon.
On the way out, while crossing the corridor, Kuroe and Elowen ended up passing each other in opposite directions. There was no conversation. Just a brief look and a small nod of the head, almost the same as in the training.
This time, however, the distance between the two gestures was a little smaller.
The group kept walking.
The academy continued its normal rhythm around them. Students talking loudly. Teachers passing with folders under their arms. The distant sound of someone training on one of the fields.
In the middle of all that, the eight continued together — sweaty, tired, and, somehow, exactly where they were supposed to be.
**End of Chapter 110**