Mira crossed her arms, still standing by the door like some kind of chaperone. "Well? Are you going to get dressed or not?"
Zane flopped backward onto his bed dramatically, arms spread like he was reenacting some tragic stage play. "Dress codes… uniforms… rules… this is how freedom dies, Mira. Not with a bang, but with stiff collars and itchy pants."
"You've been here for ten minutes and you're already insufferable," Mira muttered.
"Ten minutes?!" Zane gasped, sitting up suddenly. "That's almost a record for me!"
Asher, now leaning coolly against the desk, raised a brow. "Does he… always talk this much?"
"Yes," Mira and Zane answered in perfect unison.
Zane pointed at her. "Hey! Don't steal my lines."
Mira ignored him and gave Asher a once-over, clearly unimpressed by his casual lean-and-smolder pose. "And you. You didn't even knock when you came through that portal."
Asher smirked faintly. "Knocking is… unnecessary for me."
"Wow," Zane cut in, clapping sarcastically. "Big words from Mr. I-Shimmer-Through-Portals-And-Scare-The-Life-Out-Of-My-Roommate. You know, some of us appreciate doors."
"Some of us don't trip over them on the way in," Asher said smoothly.
Zane froze. "...You heard about that?"
Mira pinched the bridge of her nose. "I saw that. Everyone saw that."
"Ah." Zane cleared his throat, feigning dignity. "I was… stress-testing the durability of academy flooring. For safety purposes."
Asher gave him the most subtle smirk, one Mira caught immediately. She rolled her eyes. "Great. I'm rooming next to a liar and a show-off."
"Correction," Zane piped up, raising a finger, "I am a charming liar, thank you very much. And Asher here is a—" He tilted his head toward his roommate. "What are you actually? You pop through portals, brood in corners, and try to flirt with Mira."
Asher's smirk faltered at the direct call-out. "I wasn't flirting."
"Oh sure," Zane waved his hand dramatically, "and I wasn't just lying flat on this bed two seconds ago pretending to be a tragic romantic poet."
Mira snorted despite herself. Then she quickly covered it with a cough. "You two are hopeless."
Zane grinned, triumphant. "Ah, progress. She snorted. That's one step closer to admitting I'm hilarious."
Mira shot him a glare sharp enough to cut steel, but the faint redness in her ears betrayed her.
Asher, recovering his composure, crossed his arms again. "If this is what academy life is going to be like, I'm starting to regret enrolling."
"Don't lie," Zane said, flopping back on the bed again. "You love it already. Everyone loves me. I'm like… sunshine."
"Sunshine that oversleeps, forgets responsibilities, and probably gives people sunburn," Mira muttered, heading for the door.
"Exactly!" Zane called after her. "I'm memorable."