Of course, Northern did not plan to be a coward—not today, not in a long time, perhaps not ever!
He had steeled himself beyond doubt. He would not resort to Chaos and Void, even though he faced a Leviathan that would prove nearly impossible to destroy.
Still, his gaze burned with determination that seemed foreign to him. Fresh resolve blazed in his eyes, and for some reason, his presence felt magnified against the sky above.
The instructors and students scattered throughout the Academy's different buildings all stared at the flying boy, and their hearts swelled with flickering hope.
Even Eleina, working in the smithy, didn't know what was happening beyond the fact that the academy was under attack. The terrible shockwaves hadn't reached them yet, but now she and the other blacksmiths peered into the sky. Though the distance was great, they could still make out the battle unfolding in the air.
