Ryan's eyes lingered on the elf as they passed.
Tall and slender, long ears were unmistakable beneath pale white hair tied back neatly. He had deep red eyes, different from any elf Ryan had seen in Elerea.
The elf wore robes that looked like they'd been ripped straight out from the cover of a fantasy novel. Flowing fabric, intricate embroidery along the hems, and that particular dramatic flair that screamed out "I'm a mage and I want everyone to know it."
Ryan had read enough back on Earth to recognise the aesthetic immediately.
Seeing an elf here, casually strolling through an academy in human territory, felt surreal. Wrong, almost. After everything in Elerea, after running and hiding and nearly dying, the sight should have triggered something. Anger, maybe. Fear even.
Instead, Ryan just felt confused.
Eleanor noticed his stare. "Problem?"
"There's an elf," Ryan said quietly.
"I see that."
"Doesn't that seem… odd?"
