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"Depending on whether we count Saturday as day zero."

Cassian leans over. "Please don't start that argument."

Nyra ignores him. "Historical equivalent..." Her finger moves. Two human disappearances. One ward fluctuation. That's it. She looks up. "We're significantly ahead."

"Again." I say.

"Yes."

Professor Neris joins us. Nyra immediately gives her the comparison. Six disappearances. One dragon. Large-scale depletion. Residue. Siren gap. Pre-event warning. Professor Neris reads. Her face grows steadily worse. "Historical day thirteen had none of this."

"No."

"Dragon involvement?"

"First documented dragon event was much later."

"How much later?"

Nyra turns a page. "Day twenty-six." Silence.

Cassian mutters, "That's bad."

Nyra doesn't correct him this time. Rhyven has appeared behind us. I didn't hear him. He reads over Nyra's shoulder. "Day twenty-six."

"Historically." She says.

"What happened?"

"Two dragons became temporarily unresponsive to their Riders."

Eddy looks up sharply from across the table. "Taken?"

"No." Nyra shakes her head. "They recovered."

"How long?"

"Minutes."

"Then the current event is worse." Rhyven says.

"Yes." Nyra closes the historical file. "Much worse."

Thirty days until the old first attack. If the date means anything. Less likely every hour.

My father joins us. "We can no longer use forty-three days as a strategic minimum." No one argues. There. Officially. The number is dead. Not forgotten. Dead.

"What do we use instead?" Caelen asks from behind him. He has finally returned from northern operations. Mud on his boots. Hair wet. Eyes immediately finding me. Then checking the field. Then me again. Of course.

My father answers: "Readiness."

"Date?"

"None." A pause. "We proceed as though escalation can occur at any time." Something changes in Caelen's face. Not surprise. Acceptance. We all knew. Now the Council has said it.

"All academy assessments move forward." The Headmaster adds "Third- and fourth-year preparedness reviews begin this week."

Rhyven looks toward him. "Deployment assessments?"