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"Fourth!"Luna exclaimed, her dark eyes bright with genuine excitement."Thalia, that's incredible!"

"It's unexpected," Thalia admitted, still processing the implications.Her high ranking would mean better resources, more forge time — advantages she desperately needed if she was to survive three more years at Frostforge.

Ashe clapped her on the shoulder, her usual reserve softened by a rare smile."Well deserved."

Roran grinned, the strain of the past weeks momentarily lifted from his features."We should celebrate with actual food, now that supplies have arrived."

They made their way to their usual table in the dining hall, joined by other Southern students whose relief at the news of returning home was palpable.The hall seemed lighter somehow, as if the very stones of Frostforge had been awaiting this respite.

"What will you all do with the break?"Thalia asked, surveying her friends' faces."Six weeks seems like an eternity after being here."

"Return to my clan lands," Ashe said without hesitation."There are ceremonies I should attend, family obligations to fulfill."She didn't elaborate, and Thalia didn't press.

"I'll be on the first ship south," Luna said, a gleam in her eye that spoke volumes."My father will be eager to hear about my...educational experiences."She exchanged a significant glance with Thalia, who understood the unspoken truth — Luna's father would want every detail about the academy to fuel his campaign against it.

"What about you, Roran?"Thalia turned to the curly-haired Southern boy.

A shadow crossed his features, dimming his usual brightness."I'm...not sure.I don’t exactly have family to go back to, but there are some matters I’d like to attend to.”

The vague response only deepened Thalia's curiosity about his background.For all his openness and charm, Roran rarely spoke of his life before Frostforge, beyond mentioning that his family had been lost to Isle Warden raids.A few feet away, she noticed Levi and Mona exchanging a meaningful glance.She realized that they, too, were reading into Roran’s words – though their curiosity was more rooted in suspicion.

Clearly, not everyone had decided to trust Roran, as Thalia had.Some of them still seemed to think that he wasn’t a survivor, but a spy for the Isle Wardens.Not for the first time, Thalia found herself wondering whether Roran was aware of the rumors that swirled around him.He didn’t act like someone burdened by suspicion — no furtive glances, no forced charm meant to deflect.

“Levi, what are your plans?”Roran asked, his tone delicate; perhaps he had noticed, after all.

“Back home to Verdant Port,” Levi said, his arms folded.“I’ll be working as a fisherman – earning a bit of coin for my family.”

Beside him, Mona frowned.“A shame, having to work while you’re meant to be resting.”

Levi snorted and waved a dismissive hand."Not at all.It'll be a joy to work the docks compared to being stuck in the Howling Forge."

Thalia's gaze drifted across the hall, unconsciously seeking a particular face.She found Kaine sitting apart from the other second-years, his broad shoulders hunched slightly as he ate alone.As if sensing her attention, he looked up, his ice-blue eyes finding hers without hesitation.

Something twisted in Thalia's chest — sympathy, perhaps.While others celebrated their temporary freedom, Kaine had nowhere to go.The academy was his alternative to a prison cell; the break would mean six weeks of echoing hallways and solitary meals.

"Kaine will be staying," she murmured, more to herself than her companions.

"Of course he will," Luna replied softly."Where else would he go?"

The question hung between them, a reminder of the dark rumors that surrounded him — rumors he had partially confirmed to Thalia.Had he killed his father?He had never denied it outright.

"What about you, Thalia?"Roran asked, breaking into her thoughts."Back to Verdant Port?"

The question brought a genuine smile to her face."On the first ship I can board.I need to see my mother and Mari, my sister."The thought of home — the small herb shop with its hanging bundles of dried plants, the scent of the sea mixing with medicinal preparations, her mother's tired but loving face — filled her with longing so intense it was almost pain.

"I want them to see that I survived," she added, her voice softer.She was no longer the girl who had left Verdant Port, frightened but determined.Frostforge had tempered her, like metal in fire — hardened her edges while revealing strengths she hadn't known she possessed.

"They'll hardly recognize you," Luna said, her tone light but her eyes serious."The question is, will you recognize home?"

Thalia had no answer for that.She only knew that for the first time in months, she felt something close to hope — not just for survival, but for something more.The chance to see her family, to know they were safe for a little while longer.

Six weeks of respite before returning to the academy's dangers.

Six weeks to remember what she was fighting for; and after that, she would be thrown back into the furnace of Frostforge once more.