The halls of Hyakkaou Private Academy were unusually quiet for once, the kind of silence that only happened early in the morning—right before the real insanity started. Most students were already tucked inside classrooms or side rooms, whispering over their first gambles of the day. Cards shuffling. Chips clicking. The soft buzz of excitement that always made Mary roll her eyes.

Mary walked down the hallway like she owned it, hands in her blazer pockets, blonde pigtails swaying behind her with every step. Her expression was the usual mix of boredom and mild irritation, rolling her eyes over the occasional student who peeked out to check their ranking or duck back into a gambling match.

She didn’t bother greeting anyone. Why would she? Half of them were too busy scheming to even look up. The others stared at her like they were waiting to see if she’d snap at someone this early.

Her shoes clicked sharply against the polished floor as she passed a group arguing about rigged dice. Mary snorted under her breath. "..Pathetic,” she hissed. It wasn’t even 8AM and they were already risking debt for breakfast entertainment.