The moment he entered the apartment, Lilia stood up from the couch so fast she almost tripped over herself. Her hands were clenched near her chest, eyes wide, like she'd been waiting at the door the whole time.
"W-What happened?" she asked. "Did something go wrong? Are you hurt? Is Lyra—"
"We're fine," Xavier said, taking off his jacket. "It's done."
Lyra immediately cut in. "Done is an understatement. You should have seen him, Lilia. He walked into that office like he was about to fire the whole university. Your professor tried running. Your professor tried lying. And then—"
"Lyra," Xavier muttered.
She ignored him completely, eyes sparkling. "He took the entire room under control. Hundreds of students screaming, teachers panicking, holo-screens blowing up with evidence—Xavier stood there like it was just another Tuesday."
"I told you to stay here," Lilia whispered, voice trembling slightly.
"And let him keep bothering you?" Xavier asked bluntly. "I don't think so."
