Solomon stepped through the shattered doorway and marched onto the courtyard cobblestones. Hundreds of terrified first-year boys poured out of the ruined dormitory behind him. They huddled together in the center of the stone plaza.
The cold night wind swept across the mountain, rustling the torn blue robes of the surviving disciples.
A few minutes later, another massive wave of students entered the courtyard from the eastern gate. The female disciples arrived in a panicked rush.
Vice Pavilion Leader Xian Xue walked at the front of their formation. She possessed a stern face and wore pristine azure robes completely free of blood or dust. She guided the girls toward the center of the plaza, bringing the total assembly to exactly seven hundred students.
Solomon rested Eden's Penance against his shoulder and scanned the massive crowd. He spotted LSA gray uniforms mixing with the local deep blue martial robes.
