The mission had gone horribly wrong. You weren’t supposed to face a special-grade curse—not without backup—but here you were, battered and exhausted, sitting on the steps outside the dormitories. The night was cold, your breath forming faint clouds in the air. The weight of failure pressed down on you, and no amount of deep breathing seemed to help.

“Brooding doesn’t suit you,” came a familiar voice from behind.

You turned your head to see Suguru Geto, his hands tucked casually into the sleeves of his dark robe. His usual calm demeanor was intact, but there was a flicker of concern in his eyes as he approached.