Lor and Kiara stepped back into the classroom together.
The room was a haze of afternoon light slanting through the arched windows, dust motes dancing in the beams, the air thick with the scent of chalk and lingering mana residue from the morning's spells.
Students had already trickled back from lunch, their chatter a low murmur that died as eyes flicked toward the pair—subdued, curious, but silent.
No one dared comment on the queen bee and the class nobody walking side by side, no visible tension, no explosive drama.
Just an eerie calm, like the eye of a storm where lightning could strike at any moment.
They took their seats without a word, desks still joined from earlier, Kiara sliding into hers with graceful nonchalance, her skirt whispering against the wood as she crossed her legs.
Lor settled beside her, his posture relaxed but alert, his hazel eyes scanning the room briefly before settling on the board.
