Adom hit the first rooftop running.The tiles were slick from evening moisture, and his boots found purchase through pure momentum rather than grip. He didn't slow down. The next building was twelve feet away—an easy jump under normal circumstances, but normal circumstances didn't involve the metallic taste of panic in his mouth and the knowledge that every second he spent thinking was a second closer to catastrophe.He launched himself across the gap.Wind hit his face like a slap, carrying the sounds of celebration from below—music, shouting, the crash of something that was probably valuable being broken by someone who was definitely drunk. The noise rose and fell as he moved, but it never stopped. The entire city had turned into one massive distraction.Perfect cover for a prison break.His feet hit the next roof harder than he'd intended. Clay tiles cracked under the impact, but held. He was already moving again, scanning for the next jump, the next route that would get him back to the academy square faster. He needed to find Captain Morris before charging into the detention facility alone—no telling what he'd walk into without backup, and Morris was the fastest way to get proper authority involved.A gap opened up ahead that was too wide to jump. Adom cursed and veered left, looking for a way around.The celebration below seemed to be getting louder, if that was possible. Someone had started what sounded like a drum circle, except with more enthusiasm than rhythm.He couldn't hear his own footsteps over the noise.The academy square came into view three blocks away, still packed with celebrating crowds. He'd been jumping from roof to roof instead of flying because he needed to spot Morris in that chaos below, and that required the kind of controlled movement and clear sightlines that only came from staying close to the ground.Another jump. This one sent him sliding down a sloped roof until (...)