Seraphina waited until everyone left before she became angry.
Again.
A pattern was forming.
Unfortunate.
The recovery room was quieter after the Duke's second letter. Not safer. Quieter. The new Warm Things ledger sat inside Niko's rank-blind lockbox near Elara's vine. Valeria had taken the black note for ink tracing. Nyx had vanished to hunt whoever touched the old notebook. Veylan had gone to file a combat-safety objection so aggressive the academy would need a dictionary and a shield.
Ren had been sent to sleep.
He argued.
Badly.
Seraphina won.
Aiden went to watch the corridor with Liora, who claimed she was "not standing guard, only existing violently near the door." Elara stayed long enough to grow the second set of bark pages, then nearly fell asleep standing. Niko carried her supplies out while muttering about organic paper tolerances.
Then the room closed.
Seraphina stood beside the table.
I stood by the window.
Distance.
A mistake.
She noticed immediately.
