For the first time in days, the room was quiet. No hum of mana in the walls, no thunder rolling through the hull—just silence.

A faint warmth brushed across Noel's face. He stirred, his eyes blinking open against the thin beam of light spilling through the curtains. Sunlight. Real sunlight.

He pushed himself up slowly, leaning on one elbow. The storm had passed, and the ship had finally left the endless tunnel. Outside, beyond the glass, the world stretched open: a clear sky painted in soft gold and blue, mountains rising in the distance, water glittering in the morning light.

Noel exhaled, a sound caught somewhere between relief and disbelief. 'Finally. We're out.'

The bed shifted beside him. Charlotte was still curled against the sheets, her pink hair mussed and falling messily across her face. In the dim light, strands stuck up in every direction, a rare imperfection on someone who always seemed untouchable to others.

Her breathing was slow, even—completely at ease now that the storm had ended. The tightness that had lingered in her body last night was gone.

Noel sat back, watching her for a moment. She'd come here trembling, unable to hide her fear, and fallen asleep against him like it was the only safe place left in the world. Now, with her hair a mess and her cheek pressed into the pillow, she looked less like the saint everyone revered and more like a girl who had finally let herself rest.

He glanced toward the window again, the sunlight catching on the polished frame of Revenant Fang where it rested against the wall. 'A storm underground, a world that never stops bending the rules… and yet, mornings like this still exist.'

The ship creaked lightly as it sailed forward, steady and calm. Outside, voices could be heard—crewmen calling to one another, students leaning over railings to see the open world again.

Charlotte shifted with a quiet sigh, her lashes fluttering as she stirred awake. Noel looked down just as her golden eyes blinked open, dazed and heavy with sleep.

"…Morning," she whispered, her voice still thick with drowsiness.

Charlotte rubbed at her eyes with the back of her hand, her hair even more untamed now that she'd moved. A soft yawn escaped her lips before she blinked up at Noel.

"You're already awake…" she murmured, her voice husky with sleep.

"Someone has to make sure the world didn't collapse while you were snoring," Noel replied dryly.

Her cheeks puffed faintly as she sat up, clutching the blanket around her shoulders. "I don't snore."

"You kicked the sheets twice," Noel countered.

Charlotte gave him a halfhearted glare, but it quickly melted into a smile. She glanced toward the window, and her eyes widened as the sunlight hit her face. "Oh… we're out."

"Yeah," Noel said softly, leaning back against the headboard. "Looks like the storm passed for good."

She pressed her hand to the glass, staring at the clear horizon. "It feels unreal. After being buried in that tunnel for so long…"

The cabin was quiet again, the warmth of the sun filtering through the window. Charlotte turned back to him, her golden eyes softer now. "Thank you. For last night."

Noel tilted his head. "You don't have to thank me. You needed rest."

"I needed you," she corrected gently, her fingers brushing a strand of messy hair behind her ear. "I… don't like showing that side of myself. But with you, it doesn't feel embarrassing."

Her honesty caught him off guard. He held her gaze for a moment, then looked away, exhaling slowly. "You really do say things that make it hard to reply."

Charlotte giggled softly, tugging the blanket tighter around her shoulders. "Then don't reply. Just stay the way you are."

She leaned over, resting her forehead against his shoulder for a moment longer before standing. "Come on. Let's go see the others. If the sun's out, they'll all be on deck already."

Noel nodded, grabbing his coat from the chair. As she straightened her hair with her fingers, he allowed himself one last glance at the window, the light streaming in.

'Yeah… mornings like this are worth holding onto.'

The deck was busier than Noel had seen it in days. Students leaned over the railings, some laughing in relief, others shading their eyes against the sunlight after so long in darkness. The air smelled fresh, crisp, nothing like the heavy mana that had pressed against their lungs in the tunnel.

Noel stepped out beside Charlotte, the breeze tugging lightly at his coat. Elyra and Elena were already waiting near one of the tables, with Marcus and Clara not far behind.

Elyra lifted her glass of water in greeting, her gray eyes gleaming in the morning light. "You took your time."

Charlotte's cheeks flushed faintly, but she only smiled as she took a seat. Noel ignored the remark, pulling out a chair beside Elena.

"So," Noel began, glancing around the group, "what happens once we dock in Valon?"

Elyra straightened, her tone all business. "I'll be meeting with my mother. My parents need the full report on Tharvaldur, including Noriel's agreement on the resources."

Noel nodded once. He'd expected as much.

Charlotte fiddled with the edge of her sleeve before speaking. "I need to visit Pope Orthran. My father will want to hear directly from me about what happened. And…" She paused briefly, then added more quietly, "I want to see him too."

Elena placed her hands on the table, her expression firm. "I'll go with you, Noel. The Festival Hunt is next."

At that, Marcus leaned forward, his grin wide. "Clara and I are going straight to Nivaria. No point wasting time in Valor if the festival's on our home turf."

Clara rolled her eyes at his enthusiasm, but she didn't deny it.

The Festival Hunt. This year, it wasn't just an event—it was the next battlefield waiting for all of them.

The deck slowly emptied after breakfast, the students scattering into smaller groups. Some leaned over the railings to marvel at the open sea, others retreated to their cabins to rest in real sunlight for the first time in weeks.

Noel stayed behind, leaning against the railing as the wind brushed past his face. The horizon stretched wide and bright, the mountains behind them shrinking as the ship cut forward.

He exhaled slowly. 'Elyra reporting to her family. Charlotte going to Orthran. Elena with me at the Festival. Selene dealing with her mother… Everyone already knows where they're going.'

His grip tightened slightly on the railing. 'And me? Valor will have something waiting for me, no doubt. A warm welcome from the Thorne family, probably a gilded leash to remind me who I'm supposed to be.'

The thought soured, but before he could dwell on it, a familiar flicker appeared in the corner of his vision.

'Status.'

He whispered it under his breath, and the translucent screen unfolded before him.

[New Mission Begins in 4 Days!!]

Noel stared at the glowing letters, his mouth twisting into a dry smile. 'Oh, what joy. Another ticking clock.'

He closed the menu with a flick, leaning back against the railing, eyes on the waves. 'This time, I'll go straight for the enemy. No point dragging anyone else into the fire if I can face it head-on.'

A gull cried in the distance, the sound sharp against the steady rhythm of the water.

'The hard part won't be fighting… it'll be finding them. The Third and Fourth Pillars. If the mission's about them, then that's where this road is leading.'

His jaw tightened, though the faint smirk never left his face. 'Well… it's not like I get a choice, do I? It's just something that has to be done.'

The sun climbed higher, bright and relentless. Noel pushed away from the railing, turning back toward the interior of the ship.

Four days. That was all the peace he'd get.

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