Chapter 263 - Chapter 262: The Heartbeat Beneath the Academy

Night settled over the Celestial Academy with the specific quality that nights had when they marked significant transitions occurring beneath the surface of ordinary operations. The floating islands drifted beneath a sea of stars with the patient regularity they had maintained for centuries. Seven ancient Halls stood in perfect silence, their lights flickering like constellations suspended above the clouds, creating the illusion of a night sky made tangible and accessible.