I let go of Naomi's hand.
"We should get food before Misato's meeting."
"I'm not hungry."
"You need to eat anyway. The buff burned through everything yesterday."
"I ate breakfast."
"Toast and coffee doesn't count."
She smiled. Small but real.
"Fine. But you're paying."
"With what money?"
"Figure it out."
We walked to the dining hall. My shoulder throbbed where the nurse had applied that cold gel but the pain stayed manageable. The bruising would fade. The bite marks would close. Everything healed if you gave it time.
The dining hall was half empty. Post-ceremony chaos meant most students were either celebrating or hiding in their rooms. We loaded trays. Naomi grabbed her health-conscious quinoa bowl situation. I went for maximum protein. Chicken breast. Rice. Vegetables that looked like they came from an actual farm.
Belle sat at our usual table by the windows. Jordan was face down on the table. Possibly dead.
"Hey corpse," I said.
