The suffocating noise had quieted over the academy after days of chaos and explosions, but the traces of destruction still pulsed in every corner. The solemn silence that follows storms had engulfed the place, broken only by the heavy pounding of hammers and the shouts of builders as they rebuilt what had been destroyed.
In the eastern courtyard, a group of workers stood trying to reconstruct the shattered columns. Smoke was still rising from some of the scattered craters on the ground, and the air was thick with the scent of ash and burnt iron.
One of the guards bent down to the ground, silently digging through the rubble. He quickly recoiled when a charred human hand appeared beneath the stones. He took a deep breath, then called out to his companions in a hoarse voice:
"Another body... Looks like he was one of the infiltrators."
The captain of the guard approached, frowning as she stared at the remains of the burned body, then pointed to one of the clerics and said sternly:
