Gaelira left the West Dueling Hall with aching arms and the feeling that her legs could give out at any moment.
During the fight, she had managed to ignore the exhaustion, but now every step reminded her that this body was still not prepared to perform the techniques she knew.
Octavia walked beside her carrying the training sword Gaelira had forgotten to return, glancing at her from time to time as if expecting her to do something strange.
"You can ask," Gaelira said as they passed through one of the corridors connecting the dueling hall to the main building.
"I don't know what you mean."
"You've been staring at me since we left."
Octavia looked away. "I'm just trying to understand how someone who avoided any physical activity managed to defeat Clarke Calnoy."
Gaelira needed a few seconds to think of an answer that would not make her even more suspicious. "I suppose I knew more than I remembered."
"It doesn't work that way."
"After my mother's spell, some of my memories are still confused. That's all I can tell you."
Octavia did not look convinced, but she did not continue questioning her either. She handed the sword back when they reached a rack filled with training weapons, and Gaelira placed it with the others.
The red-haired girl had witnessed the entire duel and had to know it had not been luck, but accepting that Gaelira could handle a sword also meant admitting that she no longer completely knew the person walking beside her.
They left the main building through a side door and crossed a covered bridge.
Crownspire stretched around them like a small city built high above the ground. From there, Gaelira could see training courtyards, buildings connected by walkways, and students moving between the three main towers.
Some parts were impressive, although the cracked stones and roofs repaired with materials of different colors made it impossible to forget that the academy had seen better days.
"That one is Thornheart Tower," Octavia explained, pointing toward the oldest of the three structures.
The tower rose near Crownspire's western edge and was partially covered in reddish vines.
Its banner showed a heart surrounded by black thorns, the same symbol Gaelira had seen during the ceremony.
Unlike Moonveil, whose tower had narrow windows and gray stone walls, Thornheart seemed to be built from reddish blocks worn down by rain. It was not the most elegant, but it looked the strongest.
"The common rooms and dormitories are. The houses aren't only for sleeping. The points we earn during classes, competitions, and activities accumulate throughout the year."
"And what does the winning house get?"
"Priority when choosing schedules, additional access to training rooms, and a special dinner at the end of the year."
Gaelira looked at the building again. "That seems like a small reward for causing a war between three towers."
"That's because you haven't seen what some students are willing to do to avoid early morning classes."
They passed through a wooden door reinforced with iron bands and entered Thornheart.
The common room occupied much of the lower floor. Several tables surrounded a fireplace made from intertwined stone branches, while dark red sofas filled the spaces near the windows.
Some students looked up when they recognized Gaelira, but none approached. Whispers began as she passed them.
Gaelira heard her surname and a mention of the duel. 'News travels too quickly in this place.'
Octavia kept walking without paying attention to them. She showed her the dining hall behind the common room, a small study area, and Thornheart's main board.
There were separate sections for announcements, punishments, and points. Although the term had only just begun, several names already appeared under a warning forbidding the use of magic inside the dormitories.
"What did they do?" Gaelira asked.
"One tried to warm his bed and burned the curtains. Another student enchanted her shoes to walk on their own and still hasn't managed to find them."
Gaelira imagined a pair of shoes wandering the corridors at night and had to suppress a smile. "I'm starting to understand why they need so many rules."
Octavia took a small copper key hanging from the board by a red thread.
The end was shaped like Thornheart's thorned heart, and a small plate showed the number twenty-seven. She handed it to Gaelira before beginning to climb a curved staircase.
"This is your key. If you lose it, you'll have to pay for another."
"And where is your room?"
Gaelira stopped in the middle of the staircase. "We're sharing a room?"
"First-year rooms are for two students."
"That doesn't explain why they put us together."
"Probably because you're the last student assigned to Thornheart and it was the only available space." Octavia continued climbing without looking at her. "Before you ask, I didn't request it."
"It's reassuring to know you didn't plan all of this just to keep an eye on me."
"If I wanted to keep an eye on you, I would've chosen a room with a lock on the outside."
Gaelira let out a short laugh and followed her to the third floor.
The corridor was narrow, with wine-colored carpets and windows overlooking the forest around Crownspire.
Octavia stopped in front of a door marked with the number twenty-seven and inserted her key. Before opening it, she took a deep breath as if preparing herself for something more complicated than sharing a room.
The room was larger than Gaelira expected.
Two beds occupied opposite walls, accompanied by desks, wardrobes, and small bedside tables.
A circular window illuminated the center, while another door seemed to lead to a tiny bathroom. The right side was already perfectly organized: books arranged by size, folded clothes, and a small plant beside the window. It was not difficult to guess who it belonged to.
The left side was a different story. Three trunks, two boxes, and several bags covered the floor around the bed.
Several dresses stuck out of a poorly closed chest, and a pile of books remained tied together with a rope.
Gaelira immediately recognized the luggage sent from the mansion and felt a flash of annoyance when she realized her mother really had prepared everything before telling her about Crownspire.
"At least I won't have to go back for my things," she commented.
Octavia closed the door behind them. Then she placed her bag on the desk and examined the mess with an increasingly dissatisfied expression.
Gaelira stepped toward one of the trunks, but her roommate's voice stopped her before she could open it.
"Before you unpack that, we're going to establish some rules."