The café wasn't too crowded that afternoon. The academy had just resumed its normal rhythm after the council's official statement. Most students had gone back to their routines, and the atmosphere felt lighter than it had been in weeks. The tension surrounding Instructor Garron's case was fading into the background, replaced by quiet murmurs of upcoming exams and weekend plans.

Arios sat near the window, one hand resting on the edge of a steaming mug. The faint scent of roasted coffee mixed with warm pastries drifted through the air. Lucy was beside him, stirring her drink slowly. Across from them, Liza was occupied with the dessert menu, flipping it up and down like she was debating between every item.

They hadn't spoken much since sitting down. It wasn't awkward silence, but rather the kind of quiet that filled itself naturally. The kind that came when people didn't need to speak to feel at ease.

Liza finally looked up. "They changed the cake recipe again," she said.

Lucy blinked. "Again? You're sure?"

"I can tell," Liza replied, tapping her finger against the picture of a slice of strawberry shortcake. "Last month it looked fluffier. This one's thinner."

Arios looked toward her with a faint smirk. "You remember the thickness of cake slices?"

"It's a gift," she said, without even looking ashamed.

Lucy sighed. "Only you would take dessert that seriously."

Arios let his eyes drift toward the door as someone entered. For a moment, his chest felt heavier. Amelia stepped in quietly, her hair tied up loosely, carrying a small paper bag. She scanned the room, hesitated when she noticed them, and then approached their table.

Liza leaned back in her seat. "Well, look who decided to grace the café with her presence."

Amelia stopped beside their table. "I… wasn't sure if you were all still here."

Lucy smiled politely. "You're just in time. We haven't ordered yet."

Arios straightened slightly, gesturing at the empty chair next to Liza. "Sit."

She did, though her posture was a bit stiff. She placed the paper bag on the table. Her expression looked calmer than before, but there was still a quiet nervousness there.

The waitress arrived and took their orders. Liza predictably went for the shortcake, Lucy ordered black tea, and Amelia asked for a fruit parfait. Arios stuck with his half-finished coffee.

Once the waitress left, Amelia spoke first. "The council… officially cleared my name today," she said softly. "They released the notice on the bulletin."

Liza nodded. "We saw it this morning. About time."

Lucy added, "They worded it carefully though. No mention of who found the evidence."

Arios said nothing. He didn't need to.

Amelia looked at him for a moment, then turned her gaze to her hands. "I wanted to thank you," she said quietly. "You didn't have to get involved."

He gave a slight shrug. "You were being framed. I had to."

Her lips pressed into a small line. "Still… I mean it. Thank you."

Liza grinned. "Careful, Amelia. If you get too emotional, Arios might actually smile."

Amelia looked embarrassed. "He already is smiling."

Lucy looked at Arios. "Barely."

Arios glanced at them one by one. "You're all making a big deal out of it."

Liza took a sip of her drink as soon as it arrived. "That's because it *is* a big deal. You pretty much went head-to-head with the council. And you didn't even get credit for it."

"I didn't need credit."

Lucy tilted her head. "You kind of deserve it though."

He leaned back in his seat. "Recognition draws attention. Attention causes problems."

Liza let out a dramatic sigh. "You make it sound like people thanking you is a tactical disadvantage."

"Sometimes it is."

Amelia gave a faint laugh, almost inaudible. "You haven't changed."

He looked at her. "Neither have you."

For a brief moment, their eyes met, and then she looked away. The air between them felt familiar—slightly awkward, but not unpleasant.

Lucy caught the exchange and smiled faintly to herself. She leaned toward Liza. "You notice something?"

Liza smirked. "Oh, I notice everything."

"Don't start," Arios said flatly.

Liza raised her hands. "I didn't say anything. Yet."

Amelia tried to change the subject. "So, what are you all planning to do this weekend?"

"Training," Arios answered simply.

Lucy sighed. "Of course."

Liza rolled her eyes. "You can't keep living in the training yard forever."

Arios shrugged. "Better than wasting time."

"Wasting time?" Liza scoffed. "You call relaxing with friends wasting time?"

He gave a dry look. "Depends on the friends."

Lucy smiled. "So you admit you have friends?"

Arios looked at her for a second, then took a sip of his coffee. "Unfortunately."

That earned him a playful slap on the arm from Liza. "Wow. Hurtful."

Amelia giggled. "You really haven't changed."

"I don't plan to," he said.

Their food arrived a few moments later. The plates were neatly arranged, and the smell filled the air between them. Amelia's parfait looked like a stack of rainbow layers, and Liza's cake actually did seem thinner than before.

She took one bite and frowned. "See? I told you. Not as fluffy."

Lucy gave her an unimpressed look. "You could just enjoy it instead of analyzing it."

Liza looked offended. "I *am* enjoying it. I'm just also disappointed."

Arios leaned back, watching them argue lightly. It was the same kind of banter that had slowly become normal between them. Nothing serious. Nothing that needed to be fixed. It felt strangely grounding.

Amelia ate quietly, occasionally glancing at him. She seemed to want to say something more, but every time she opened her mouth, she stopped herself.

After a few minutes, she finally spoke. "When you brought the evidence to the council… you must've known they might not believe you immediately."

"I did," Arios said.

"So you went anyway."

"I wasn't looking for their belief," he said. "I was looking for the truth."

She looked down. "Still… I owe you a lot."

He shook his head. "You don't owe me anything."

Liza looked between them. "You sure about that? Maybe she owes you dinner or something."

Amelia turned red. "Liza—"

Lucy sighed. "Don't start teasing her."

Liza smiled innocently. "I'm just saying, gratitude should be shown properly."

Arios looked at her dryly. "And you're the authority on gratitude now?"

"I'm a professional in many fields," she said with a grin.

Lucy shook her head. "You mean chaos."

Liza shrugged. "Close enough."

Amelia smiled faintly again, though her eyes looked softer now. "Even after all that happened… it's nice to just sit like this again."

Arios nodded once. "Yeah."

There was a pause as they all continued eating. The sound of spoons and cups filled the space between them.

Lucy glanced at Arios. "Do you ever get tired of being cautious all the time?"

He thought for a moment before answering. "It's a habit now. Can't really turn it off."

She hummed. "That sounds exhausting."

"It is," he admitted. "But necessary."

Liza leaned forward. "Even here?"

He looked at her. "Especially here."

They didn't argue that point. Everyone at that table had seen enough of what the academy could hide beneath its polite surface.

After a few more quiet minutes, Amelia reached into her bag and pulled out a folded piece of paper. She slid it across the table toward Arios. "This was left in my locker this morning."

He unfolded it and read. It was short—an unsigned note that said only: *You should've stayed quiet.*

Lucy frowned. "That's not funny."

Liza narrowed her eyes. "Someone's still trying to scare her."

Arios folded the note back up. "I'll handle it."

Amelia looked uneasy. "It's probably nothing serious. Maybe a prank."

"Maybe," he said, his tone even. "But I'll check anyway."

Lucy gave a worried glance. "Do you think it's from Chase's side?"

"Possibly," Arios said. "But there's no proof yet."

Liza leaned back, her playful tone gone. "If they're still moving pieces around, it means they didn't take Garron's expulsion as a loss."

Arios nodded. "That's what I'm thinking too."

Amelia hesitated. "Then… are you saying this isn't over?"

He looked at her. "It's never really over."

The mood dimmed a little after that. They all continued eating, though more quietly this time.

After a while, Lucy changed the subject again, steering things back to lighter topics—small talk about assignments, complaints about curfews, and gossip about a teacher who had accidentally locked himself out of his own classroom.

It worked. The tension lifted again.

By the time they were done, the sun outside had started to set, casting an orange glow through the café windows.

They paid and stood up together.

Liza stretched. "That was nice. We should do this more often."

Lucy nodded. "Agreed. Preferably when it's not related to an investigation."

Arios gave a faint exhale through his nose, almost like a suppressed laugh. "I'll try."

As they walked out, Amelia stayed slightly behind. When they reached the exit, she called out softly, "Arios."

He turned. "Yeah?"

She stepped closer. "Really… thank you. For everything."

He nodded once. "Don't mention it."

There was a brief pause. She hesitated, then said quietly, "You know… you don't have to always carry everything alone."

He didn't answer right away. Then he said, "I know."

She smiled faintly. "Good."

Lucy and Liza were waiting just outside. Liza immediately leaned close with a grin. "That looked like a long talk. Should we ask what it was about?"

Arios gave her a look. "No."

Lucy laughed. "He said no, Liza."

"Yeah, but his 'no' sounded suspiciously like 'please pry more.'"

"It didn't," Arios said flatly.

They started walking toward the dorms together. The sky was dimming, the lamps flickering on across the path. The academy grounds were quiet except for distant chatter and the sound of their footsteps.

As they walked, Liza suddenly said, "Hey, Arios."

He looked over. "What?"

She smirked. "When Amelia thanked you back there, did it cross your mind to pat her head again? You know, like you did that one time?"

He stared at her for a second. "No."

Lucy chuckled. "You sure? You hesitated."

"I didn't hesitate."

"You did," Liza said. "That was a half-second delay. Classic guilty pause."

Arios sighed. "You two need new hobbies."

Lucy smiled. "Maybe, but you make this one too easy."

As they reached the dorm entrance, Liza stretched again. "Alright, I'm heading up. Maybe next time, we can actually eat in peace without threats or secrets."

Lucy nodded. "That'd be nice."

Amelia, who had walked with them quietly, gave one last small smile. "Good night."

Arios nodded. "Night."

They all split off toward their respective dorm wings.

When Arios reached his room, he locked the door, sat by the desk, and unfolded the note again. He stared at the words in silence for a long moment.

Then he folded it back, slipped it into a drawer, and exhaled quietly.

There were always more layers beneath the surface. But for now, at least for tonight, he could let things stay still.

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