CHAPTER 272: TO TOMORROW

By the time the crowd began dispersing, the energy was palpable, part excitement, part dread. Elara glanced over as they stepped into the open courtyard again.

"You looked distracted."

"Just thinking about Morgana’s tone."

"She always sounds like that."

"No," Merlin said quietly. "This was different."

Elara studied him for a moment, then said, "Whatever it is, we’ll face it. Together."

He smiled faintly. "That’s the second time you’ve said that."

"Then remember it."

He nodded, eyes glinting faintly gold in the sun. "I will."

They walked on, the sound of students echoing behind them, laughter, chatter, the start of something new.

And for the first time that morning, Merlin felt a quiet certainty settle in his chest.

Something was changing again.

And this time, he wasn’t facing it alone.

The day stretched long, the courtyard slowly draining of sound until only the faint hum of the mana lines remained. Merlin stood beneath the old willow near the edge of the training grounds, hands in his pockets, wind tugging gently at the hem of his coat.

He hadn’t meant to linger this long. But something about the emptiness felt grounding, real.

Elara was beside him, her usual calm presence a quiet contrast to the light chaos still fading from the announcement. "You look like you’re thinking too much again," she said, tone mild but knowing.

Merlin gave a faint huff of breath. "I usually am."

"Hmm." A small pause. "You could try thinking less."

"That would make me too normal."

A faint smile ghosted across her lips.

Before he could say more, a voice boomed across the grounds, loud, bright, and unmistakably Adrian Kain.

"There he is!"

Merlin turned as Adrian approached, his golden hair gleaming under the late afternoon sun, broad grin splitting his face. Behind him trailed Nathan, Liliana, Ethan, Seraphina, and Dorian, the entire group gathered like the cast of a story snapping back into place.

For a moment, the sight froze Merlin’s thoughts. It felt... right.

"About time you came out of hiding, Everhart!" Adrian called out as he jogged the last few steps and clasped Merlin’s shoulder with that same friendly force that could probably break bone if he wasn’t careful.

Merlin raised an eyebrow. "I wasn’t hiding. Just... breathing."

Adrian laughed. "Breathing, hiding, same thing. You’ve been gone for so long the first years are starting to make conspiracy theories about you."

Liliana, who followed close behind with an armful of books, rolled her eyes. "The only conspiracy is that you’re allergic to quiet, Adrian."

He grinned. "Someone’s gotta keep morale up."

Nathan finally caught up, slightly out of breath, dark hair falling into his eyes. "Adrian’s been talking non-stop since the announcements ended," he muttered.

Ethan, walking just behind, smirked. "That’s because he’s terrified Morgana might actually make him read during break."

Adrian shot him a mock glare. "Shut up, Crowell."

Seraphina and Dorian trailed at the rear, her stride crisp and deliberate, his slower, detached. Seraphina’s silver eyes swept over Merlin before she crossed her arms. "So, the prodigal student returns to dominance," she said evenly. "First place again, I hear."

Merlin exhaled softly. "I wasn’t exactly competing."

"Maybe not," she said. "But everyone else was."

Dorian’s crimson gaze flicked to Merlin then away again. "...Still didn’t look like you broke a sweat," he muttered.

Merlin didn’t deny it. He just shrugged.

Elara shifted slightly at his side, her expression cool but her voice faintly amused. "Are you all here to interrogate him or to talk?"

Liliana laughed, a soft, melodious sound. "Both, maybe." She brushed a strand of hair from her face. "We haven’t seen each other outside class for weeks. It feels like forever."

Nathan nodded quietly. "Yeah. Guess it’s been... a while."

For a few heartbeats, silence hung between them. The kind that didn’t need to be filled, heavy with the unspoken, the memories of battlefields and labyrinths and moments they couldn’t name aloud.

Then Adrian clapped his hands together. "Well! Since we’re all alive, ranked, and temporarily free of Morgana’s death glare, how about a meal? My treat."

Ethan raised an eyebrow. "Your treat?"

"Fine," Adrian amended. "Our combined treat. I’ll pay if you pretend to appreciate my generosity."

Liliana sighed but smiled. "You’re impossible."

"Yet beloved," he countered.

Seraphina glanced toward Merlin. "You coming, Everhart? Or are you too busy communing with the wind again?"

Merlin tilted his head slightly, lips curving faintly. "I’ll come."

Nathan grinned, relief flickering in his blue eyes. "Then it’s settled. Let’s go before Adrian spends his money on something stupid again."

Adrian barked a laugh, but didn’t deny it.

They ended up in the city district just outside the academy walls, a narrow cobblestone street lined with food stalls, cafes, and glass-lit shops glowing soft under evening mana lamps. It smelled of spice, bread, and faint ozone from nearby enchantments.

They found a table at a small open café, half under the shade of flowering trees. The city hummed around them, distant carriages, laughter, the pulse of everyday life.

Liliana and Seraphina sat across from each other, discussing class placements. Adrian was telling an exaggerated story about a sparring match he’d "definitely" won. Ethan pretended to be bored but was clearly listening. Nathan laughed at the wrong parts, as usual.

Elara sat beside Merlin, quiet but content, her violet eyes occasionally flicking toward him whenever he wasn’t looking.

For a moment, watching them all, Merlin felt something twist in his chest.

’It’s strange,’ he thought. ’Knowing how all their stories were supposed to end. And seeing them here, laughing like none of that ever existed.’

He didn’t let the thought linger. Instead, he leaned back in his chair, listening to Adrian’s booming laughter, Liliana’s exasperated sighs, and Nathan’s half-hearted attempts to keep peace.

It was... peaceful.

Warm.

Real.

When the food arrived, roasted skewers, fresh bread, spiced fruit wine, Adrian raised his cup. "To surviving first year!"

"To not dying in exams," Ethan added dryly.

"To friends," Liliana said simply.

The rest followed, clinking glasses lightly.

Merlin hesitated only a moment before joining in. "To... tomorrow," he said quietly.

The words hung there, soft but certain.