Late evening had fallen by the time the school finally finished dealing with the battle's aftermath. Lin Jie decided against following Qian Minghui home; his instructor was swamped, and Lin Jie had no desire to be a bother. Once the emergency status was lifted, he returned to his own house, stepping into the stale air and silence. A thin layer of dust coated every surface, a testament to days of emptiness.
Inside the quiet solitude of his home,
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