Veylan broke academy protocol at dawn and looked insulted when no one applauded.
The notice arrived as a red-ink card under my door.
Not official.
Too direct.
Report to Old Arena C before first bell.
No uniforms.
No ranking pins.
No questions in corridors.
Bring your worst habits.
— V.S.
Ren read the note twice.
Then a third time, because apparently "bring your worst habits" was the kind of instruction that made support witnesses reconsider their life choices.
"Is this allowed?" he asked.
"No," I said.
He looked relieved for half a second, then realized that had not been reassurance.
Seraphina took the card from him, checked the ink, and frowned. "Old Arena C is sealed."
"Temporarily unavailable," Niko said from the floor, where he had been adjusting the lockbox around Warm Things. "Not sealed. There is a difference. Sealed means forbidden by structure. Temporarily unavailable means forbidden by paperwork. Veylan is more likely to ignore paperwork."
