Chapter 49: Glass House
Noah woke to the soft glow of morning light spilling through his window.
He blinked the sleep from his eyes, stretched, and slowly sat up.
His body still ached from the bird hunt, especially his legs and shoulders, but it wasn’t anything he couldn’t handle.
His thoughts immediately went to Arlo.
He got dressed quickly and stepped outside into the crisp morning air.
The campus grounds were quieter than usual, with most students still asleep, enjoying one of their free days of the week.
As he walked toward the infirmary, the hum of conversation and movement slowly picked up. He greeted a few familiar faces along the way, nodding or offering a quiet "morning."
When he reached the infirmary, he stepped inside and made his way to the wing Arlo had been placed in. The nurse gave him a nod and told him that his friend had already woken up.
He walked down the short corridor, then pushed open the door to Arlo’s room.
Arlo was sitting up on the bed, a wide grin on his face, hair ruffled, looking like he hadn’t just coughed up blood and passed out in the forest.
"About time," he said, flashing a peace sign. "I was starting to think you’d moved on and replaced me with Theo."
Noah let out a breath of relief. "You’re awake."