Days passed without anything major happening. Khan went by lessons, parties, and enchanting nights with Liiza as his connection with the Niqols' society deepened.
An almost imperceptible pressure began to fall on the academy as the arrival of the daylight drew near. The parties lasted longer, the professors applied harsher exercises in their lessons, and more couples appeared. Even Doku and Azni spent more time together since they didn't know how Nitis would be once its long and safe night ended.
Those changes were gradual. They were even almost impossible to notice for the recruits who had never dived too deeply into the Niqols' social environment. Still, Khan saw everything clearly due to his three different lives. His almost complete pretense with the humans, his vague lies with the aliens, and his absolute honesty with Liiza gave him three different perspectives that allowed him to analyze every transformation in the world around him.
