The blinding white light of the extraction array faded, replaced by the cool, crisp evening air of the Academy courtyard.
The spatial pressure vanished, and the heavy, suffocating atmosphere of the Obsidian Woods was instantly gone.
As my vision adjusted, I noticed we weren't the first ones back.
A handful of surviving squads were already scattered across the cobblestones, looking battered, exhausted, and covered in varying degrees of mud and monster blood.
And standing near the center of the courtyard, completely pristine and radiating absolute hostility, was a very notable figure.
Torren Graves.
He had a tall, athletic build, sharp features, and brown eyes that were currently burning holes into the side of my head. Torren was the undisputed top student who had flawlessly aced the practical and theoretical entrance exams.
