Two years.
Two years since the Eclipse.
Two years since the courtyard cracked open beneath my feet and the world almost fell apart.
Sometimes it still feels unreal how much can change in so little time.
Crescent Ridge stood different now. Taller. Stronger. Brighter. Morning light poured over the rebuilt training grounds, turning the fresh wood and stone warm gold. The perimeter walls rose higher than before, lined with metal reinforcements and climbing vines planted by the gardeners who insisted the ridge needed beauty as much as protection. Beyond them, the forest shimmered softly with dew, its branches swaying gently in the early wind.
I stood at the center of it all, sweat dripping down my spine, watching the new line of trainees struggle to hold their stances. It was barely sunris
