Dominic was standing at the table, casually going through the last of the loot they hadn’t yet examined. The sealed container in front of him softly clicked open under his touch, revealing a tiny crystal that shimmered with changing colours in the lantern light. At the same moment, Theresa reached for the same artifact. Their fingers gently brushed against each other, and neither of them hurried to pull away.

"You’ve been quiet since we returned from the graveyard," she said softly, her voice calm. "Have you been thinking about what we saw down there?"

He met her eyes across the table. "Among other things."

***

The day after they returned from the graveyard, the apartment table was piled high with everything they had gathered. Two spatial bags’ worth of sellable items were separated from what they planned to keep.

They sold off the lower-tier weapons, basic materials, things with clear market value and no reason to hold onto. Two full spatial bags were taken to the right merchants and assessors in Caldmore. The money they earned was more than either of them expected, even after accounting for what they couldn’t carry out.

They also kept high-level artifacts whose functions were still a mystery, sealed containers, boxes, useful armor, equipment, and potions of both known and unknown types. Some items were too powerful or strange to sell without understanding them first. Personal effects of the dead were stored carefully and respectfully in the storeroom, with some items specifically set aside for Theresa’s gear.

The gold and coins found a safe spot in the spatial ring, enough to be life-changing compared to a month ago, though not enough to make them wealthy nobles. Dominic looked at the total, thinking about what it meant: territory, families, the future, before setting it aside for now.

For the first time, Theresa had proper equipment. She picked out a pair of reinforced gauntlets with sleek lines and precise enchantment channels, which reflected her sense of accuracy and high standards. She tried them on, flexed her fingers, and nodded with satisfaction.

"These will do," she said, sounding pleased to have found exactly what she was looking for, then returned to her notes.

At last, the apartment felt like a real base of operations.

***

Dominic stepped back into the academy for the first time since the bounty, feeling a mix of nostalgia and distance in the combat class courtyard. As he entered through the gate, he chose his usual spot near the back of the morning group, standing on those same stone flags under the open sky, hearing the familiar sounds of the academy settling into its rhythm around him.

But now, everything felt different in how he was present in it.

Not dramatically different. Just a subtle change in how he moved—like someone who had survived things that left a mark on them, and those marks had become a part of how they carried themselves. He naturally shifted his weight, without even thinking, as his eyes roamed across the space with the comfort of someone who knows how to read a room.

Garrett was running the warm-up drills. He moved through the group with the same unhurried correction he always brought to it, adjusting a stance here, a guard angle there. When he passed Dominic, his eyes moved over his footwork and stayed there for two seconds longer than anywhere else, nostalgia in his eyes.

Then Garrett moved on without saying anything.

Victor stood across the courtyard, and his eyes caught sight of Dominic. The comment about the cockroach never came up. Instead, it was just Victor, observing with a thoughtful, almost calculating look behind his eyes. The bounty and the open attack options had vanished. Frank Castle’s name lingered between them like an unspoken wall neither of them dared to acknowledge outright. Victor subtly recalibrated himself without letting it show.

Dominic held the gaze for a moment, then looked back at the drill.

The announcement poster appeared between the second and third rotations. Someone was the first to spot it and read it out loud, drawing everyone’s attention.

The Grand Trials is an exciting, cross-year, multi-disciplinary event. Combat events for the combat classes and production events for the production classes. The entire academy was engaged over multiple days of friendly competition. The date was just three weeks away.

The courtyard buzzed around it. Two students near Dominic quickly started discussing last year’s format. Someone nearby mentioned the prize structure, attracting three more curious onlookers. There was a warm sense of familiarity, the kind of energy that comes with a cherished event returning, filled with the unique sounds of an institution proud of its traditions and opinions.

Dominic casually looked over the shoulder of the person in front of him to read the posted notice.

He reflected on the last Grand Trials, who he was then, and where he placed. He remembered what it felt like to compete without much support against others who had private tutors, enchanted equipment, and family connections that opened doors before they even knocked.

He glanced at the date on the notice.

Three weeks.

With a quiet nod, he filed the information away and moved back to the drill line, feeling a spark of determination.

***

She slipped beside him as the courtyard buzzed around them.

He hadn’t noticed her approach; she was just suddenly there, standing at a gentle distance, eyes on the announcement board rather than on him. She had small, dark hair and a calm stillness, like someone who has decided to go ahead with something and is now fully committed, even if they’re unsure of what to do next.

He looked at her quizzically.

She studied the board for a moment longer, then turned her gaze to him, then beyond him.

"You—um—You were absent, for—for a while," she said softly, stuttering but carefully choosing her words, as if she was scared of saying something wrong.

He studied her more closely. It was the first time he truly looked at her, realising her face didn’t seem hostile like he had initially thought. But honestly, he hadn’t paid much attention to anyone at the academy before. She’d been part of his environment for a while, just a neutral presence quietly lingering in the background of his carefully managed space.

"I was...," he replied.

She nodded gently, a small but meaningful gesture. Then she said "alright," her tone like someone ticking off a task they’d set for themselves, and she moved away through the gradually dispersing crowd.

He watched her leave, feeling a little confused but thoughtful. After a moment, with a calm determination, he picked up his satchel and headed out.

***

The courtyard behind the apartment caught the late afternoon light well.

Theresa stood in front of him, patiently waiting, embodying someone who has spent years teaching students and knows that the best way to guide them is to wait until they are ready.

"Again," she said.

He reached for the bond with renewed confidence. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

It was quicker than last week. The awareness of finding it was smoother, free from fumbling, and the warmth connected clearly. The steadiness flowed into his limbs with a natural ease, a result of the daily practice that had gradually built this familiarity. He amplified his focus, held the connection with care, and gently let it go, trusting in his growing skill.

"Better," she said. "Now hold it while you move."

He moved through the footwork pattern Garrett had been practising all week with focus and ease. The amplification remained active throughout his movements, staying steady even as his concentration shifted. This made the connection between holding the thread and using his body feel more natural and almost seamless.

He repeated the pattern twice. The second time felt smoother and more confident than the first.

"The Trials," Theresa said, watching him reset. "What does the combat event involve?"

"Open sparring bracket first," he said, breathing controlled. "Then a survival quest, then a team format event. Then the final rounds are individual." He settled his stance. "Points are based on technique and performance."

"And you’re planning to enter."

"I think so, but I’m still deciding."

She gazed at him for a moment, and then a subtle change flickered across her face, something that wasn’t quite a smile, but warmed the expression just enough to feel friendly.

"Again," she said.

Wobbly had moved from its spot against the courtyard wall to roughly the center of the training area. It sat quietly in the direct path of the footwork pattern, looking as though it had found its perfect position and relaxed into it.

Dominic smoothly ran the pattern around it.

Wobbly watched him go by, with the focused attention of a seasoned instructor paying close attention to technique.

"It thinks it’s helping," Theresa said.

"It’s in the way," he replied.

"It thinks that’s helping," Theresa added.

He didn’t argue further and completed the pattern again. Wobbly turned to watch him from the other side, its glow pulsing once softly, as if offering a gentle encouragement.

***

In the cosy kitchen early in the morning,

He was heating water when suddenly, the system came to life.

[LIMITED BANNER: FALLEN CIVILIZATIONS]

[CURRENT SSS RATE: 70%]

[WARNING: BANNER EXPIRING IN 5 DAYS]

[CURRENT GT TOKENS: 400]

[30 DAY SURVIVAL QUEST PROGRESS: 25 DAYS SURVIVED]

[5 DAYS REMAINING]

He read it, the math sitting in front of him while the water heated. It was 400 tokens now, with 600 more coming once he finished the quest in 5 days. That would bring him to 1000. Two pulls. The banner would still be active when he completed the quest if his timing was right.

He remained calm. He wasn’t sure yet how rare a successful pull was without the banner, but he made a mental note of it. The coincidence of the banner and the quest finishing at almost the same time seemed either perfect timing or a deliberate system move.

He chose not to mention any of this to Theresa just yet.

***

It was the 29th day, the eve of completion.

The apartment was peaceful that evening. Everything was neatly in place. The Grand Trials were drawing near. The loot situation was resolved. Training was going well. The academy feeling slightly less hostile than it had before.

Dominic sat at the table, with Theresa reading nearby. Wobbly was settled comfortably in its spot.

The system activated one final time.

[30 DAY SURVIVAL QUEST PROGRESS: 29 DAYS SURVIVED]

[19HOURS REMAINING]

[LIMITED BANNER: FALLEN CIVILIZATIONS — FINAL WARNING]

[BANNER EXPIRES TOMORROW]

[CURRENT GT TOKENS: 400]

[PROJECTED GT TOKENS TOMORROW: 1,000]

[NOTE: TOMORROW. BE READY.]

He read it and then closed it gently.

His eyes drifted to the apartment, the table and the courtyard visible through the window. Wobbly on the floor. Theresa was sitting comfortably in her chair, absorbed in her book, with one hand resting on the gauntlet she’d placed on the table. She looked so relaxed, a true sign of the cosy space they had created together in just 29 days.

A wave of excitement filled his heart for tomorrow.