Chapter 382:Dorms.

Chapter 382: 382:Dorms.

They left the registration hall.

Outside, the academy grounds had grown quieter.

Late - evening sunlight stretched across the pathways, turning the buildings golden around the edges. Students carrying uniforms and bags moved toward the residential sectors while families said their final goodbyes near the permitted boundaries.

Silver, Ravenna and Mallory walked together until they reached the large intersection separating the residential routes.

One sign pointed toward the eastern female residences and another toward the western male residences.

Silver stopped.

Ravenna stopped with him.

Mallory looked between them.

"I suppose this is where I leave both of you. I’ll head back to the house after Ravenna reaches the residential entrance."

He nodded.

"Thank you for staying with her."

Mallory’s expression softened.

"She doesn’t need to thank me for that, and neither do you."

Silver smiled.

"Still."

Mallory looked toward Ravenna.

"I’ll wait over there."

She walked ahead, deliberately giving them space.

Ravenna watched her leave, then looked toward Silver. For the first time since the reunion, neither of them seemed to know exactly what to say.

He glanced toward the western route, then the eastern.

"This feels ridiculous."

She nodded.

"I know."

"I’ve been trying to get back to you, and now the academy is telling me to walk in the opposite direction... I wanted to sleep next to you"

She chuckled.

"It’s one night."

"No, I don’t think so."

She narrowed her eyes.

"Don’t start."

Silver smiled.

"I’m not."

She stepped closer.

"You’re going to your dormitory."

"Yes."

"You’re going to eat."

"I’ve eaten a lot today."

"Eat again if you’re hungry."

He nodded.

"Yes, ma’am."

"Then you’re going to sleep."

"Definitely."

"You’re not going to explore."

He hesitated. She immediately pointed at him.

"Silver."

"I was only thinking about it."

"No."

"What if the dormitory has something interesting?"

"You can investigate it tomorrow."

"What if..."

"No."

Silver laughed.

"Fine. I’m going to sleep."

Ravenna looked at his bandages.

"For a long time."

"Until orientation."

"And if you feel worse?"

"I’ll go to the academy medical center."

She studied him.

"Promise."

His expression became serious.

"I promise."

She nodded.

Silver looked at her.

"My turn."

Ravenna raised an eyebrow.

"You don’t get to give me instructions."

"I absolutely do."

"Why?"

"Because you’ve barely slept either."

She opened her mouth to argue but he continued before she could say anything.

"You spent days worrying about me, drove all the way to Alpha Three, found Shawn, waited for messages that weren’t coming and then stood around this academy for most of today waiting for me. You look better than I do, but that’s a very low standard... when I list everything off, it sounds even worse that I thought."

Ravenna sighed.

"I’m fine, I had a bed to sleep in."

Silver stared, his eyes narrowed.

She recognized the hypocrisy immediately.

"Don’t."

He smiled.

"That’s exactly what I kept saying to the medics."

Ravenna looked away.

"Fine. I’ll sleep."

"Properly."

"Yes."

"No waking every hour to check your phone."

Ravenna’s expression changed.

Silver noticed.

Her voice became quieter.

"I don’t need to anymore."

Silver’s smile faded.

Ravenna looked at him.

"You’re here... I don’t have any more worries."

Those words carried more weight than anything else she’d said.

Silver reached for her and pulled her towards him. This time the embrace was gentle.

Ravenna wrapped her arms around his waist carefully, avoiding his ribs. He rested his cheek against her hair.

They stayed like that for a while before she spoke quietly against him.

"Tomorrow morning, before orientation, you’re telling me everything."

He sighed dramatically.

"I was hoping you’d forgotten."

"I waited six days. I’m not forgetting."

"Can I edit the story for dramatic effect?"

"No."

"Can I skip the unpleasant sections?"

"Especially no."

Silver smiled.

Ravenna pulled back enough to look at him.

"I mean it, Silver. I want to know what happened to you. Not because I want to make you relive something horrible, but because I spent those days imagining things that were probably worse than the truth. I want to hear it from you. Please, for my sake."

Silver looked into her gray eyes.

"I’ll tell you."

"Everything?"

"Everything."

"The queen?"

"Yes."

"The flying worms?"

"Yes."

"The fights?"

Silver nodded almost lazily now.

"My phone."

"Yes."

"Your sword."

"Yes."

Ravenna narrowed her eyes.

"The mountain."

Silver sighed.

"You really aren’t letting that one go."

"You looked guilty."

"I’ll explain the mountain."

"Good."

Silver smiled.

"Although I should warn you that at least one part is going to make you angry."

She stared at him.

"Only one?"

He thought about it.

"Several."

"Silver."

"I’m being honest."

She shook her head, a smile slowly appearing.

"Tomorrow."

"Tomorrow."

Ravenna began to step away but Silver caught her hand.

She looked back.

"What?"

He gently pulled her toward him. She understood a second before it happened.

Silver kissed her.

Unlike the kiss at the entrance, there was no desperation behind this one. She didn’t grab him as though he might disappear while he didn’t hold her as though he had just escaped death.

It was slower and gentler, like a quiet promise that neither of them needed to say aloud.

Her hand moved to the side of his face while Silver’s arm settled around her waist. For several long seconds, they simply stayed there, then they separated.

She remained close enough that their foreheads almost touched.

"That was unnecessary."

He smiled.

"You kissed me twice earlier."

"I thought you were dead for six days."

"So I get fewer kisses now that I’m alive?"

Ravenna tried not to smile but it didn’t work.

"Go to your dormitory."

Silver laughed.

"Tomorrow morning."

"Before orientation."

"I’ll find you."

Her expression softened.

"You better."

Silver released her hand slowly. Ravenna walked backward several steps before finally turning toward Mallory.

He watched her as she walked away. She reached Mallory, then looked back.

He was still there.

He raised a hand. Ravenna smiled and did the same. Only then did she continue toward the eastern residential sector.

Silver turned toward the western route.

He took several steps before a familiar notification appeared.

[System Upgrade: Synchronization in Progress.]

He glanced at it.

"Take your time."

For once, he didn’t care what reward waited at the end. He adjusted the academy uniform package beneath his arm and continued toward the male dormitories.

Tomorrow would bring orientation, class placement, training, new students and new problems; probably more danger than Silver wanted to think about.

But tonight, the academy had given them one instruction.

Rest.

He smiled.

After the week he’d had, it was the first academy rule he had absolutely no intention of breaking.

[The end of volume 2. It was long but... finally]