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"Still there." I look toward my hands. "But everything that used to line up didn't."

Cassian nods slowly. "Can you fix it?"

"I don't know."

"Could Blood Echo?"

"I don't know." And I don't try to pretend otherwise.

Nyra closes her notebook. "Today was useful."

Cassian leans back. "High praise."

"It was." She looks toward the new protocol sheet. "We know more than yesterday." True. Not much but enough.

We know the blood wasn't emptied. We know magical access can be disturbed without destroying magic itself. We know resistance can slow an event. Maybe.

We know enchanted objects may take the greater impact. Maybe. And we know dragons react before our instruments do. That one feels different. Because that one we can use immediately.

I go upstairs near midnight. Room 305 is open. Caelen isn't there. Rhyven is. He's standing beside his desk, removing his weapon belt. He looks exhausted.

I stop in the doorway. "You're still awake."

"So are you."

"Good observation."

"Thanks."

I look toward the dragon-protocol copy on his desk.

"You knew."

He looks at me. "Knew what."

"That their body language mattered beyond training."

"No."

"Really?"

"No." He sets the belt down. "I knew they noticed things before we did."

"Not this."

"No."

I lean against the frame. "That bother you?"

"Yes." Honest.

"Why."

Rhyven is quiet for a second. "Because Theryn tried to warn us." There. My chest tightens. "She warned Eddy. She warned everyone." I don't correct him. He's right. We just didn't know the language well enough yet. He looks toward the protocol. "We do now." Not perfectly. But better. I nod. Start toward my room. "Eirea."

I look back. "What."

"Tomorrow morning."