The bell finally rang, breaking the heavy hush that had settled over the room. The physics teacher walked in, shuffling a stack of papers and mumbling something about missed assignments.
Maria sat rigid in her chair, still wearing the glasses. Her fingers adjusted the frame over and over, as if she couldn't bear to take them off. She shot quick, secret glances at Einstein, her expression a strange mix of pride and something almost like wonder.
Einstein pretended to focus on his textbook, scribbling formulas in the margins, but every now and then, his eyes flicked up to Maria. Vinci leaned forward on his desk, his pencil tapping a quiet rhythm. Hawking watched the whole scene from the back, his eyes sharp, reading every tiny shift in Maria's body language.
Eliza sat frozen by the window, her thoughts spinning too fast to catch. She forced herself to copy down the teacher's notes, but her hand trembled slightly. She didn't know whether to feel proud, relieved, or hurt.
Halfway through the lesson, Maria raised her hand lazily. The teacher paused, blinking at her in surprise.
"Sir, can I step outside for some air?" she asked, her voice unusually soft.
The teacher nodded, clearly startled. Maria stood up, smoothing her skirt and adjusting the glasses one last time before slipping out into the hallway.
A few minutes later, Einstein stood too.
"Sir, may I also step outside to check on Maria? She didn't look too well," he said in an even, calm tone.
The teacher frowned but waved him off distractedly, turning back to the board.
Einstein walked out slowly, closing the door behind him. He spotted Maria standing by the staircase, her back turned, staring out a window.
He approached her quietly. She didn't move at first, but when she heard his footsteps, her shoulders tensed.
"Enjoying the view?" he asked, his voice low but gentle.
Maria turned to face him sharply, her eyes burning with a mix of questions and something more fragile, almost like vulnerability.
"What did you do to me?" she demanded, though her voice cracked at the edges.
Einstein stepped closer, his hands relaxed at his sides.
"Nothing bad," he said softly. "You're just seeing things as they really are. The world… the people… even yourself."
Maria scoffed, trying to hold on to her icy glare. "Don't act like you know me. You think this makes you special?"
Einstein tilted his head slightly, his eyes never leaving hers. "It doesn't make me special. But it makes you see what's real. And maybe… it makes you feel something real too."
Maria opened her mouth to snap back, but nothing came out. For a moment, her mask slipped, and her eyes glimmered with something she refused to name.
Einstein took one slow step closer. "You can keep them," he said quietly, nodding to the glasses. "For now."She swallowed hard, her hand rising instinctively to touch the frame. "Why would you just give them to me?"
Einstein smiled faintly. "Because I trust you'll see what you need to see."
Maria stared at him, speechless. Then she turned sharply, brushing past him without another word. But just before she disappeared around the corner, she glanced back once, her eyes wide and searching.
Einstein watched her go, then let out a shaky breath. He pressed a hand to his chest, steadying himself before heading back toward the classroom.
When he stepped inside, Eliza's eyes darted to his immediately. He gave her a quick, small nod ;a silent message that everything was still under control.
Vinci's grin spread from ear to ear as he leaned across his desk to whisper, "You romantic genius. You almost had me believing you actually liked her."
Hawking smirked from the back, giving a slow, approving clap under the table.
Eliza looked down at her notes, her heart still a storm, but relief started to seep in.
Maria returned to class a few minutes later, her face unreadable, the glasses still on her face like a crown she wasn't ready to let go of. She sat down slowly, eyes glued to her desk.
Einstein picked up his pen and started writing again, as if nothing had happened. Vinci resumed his sketching, and Hawking leaned back in his chair, quietly satisfied.
Eliza finally let out the breath she didn't realize she had been holding. She touched the corner of her page, her fingers trembling slightly but steadier than before.
Somewhere deep inside, she knew this was just the beginning. The game had shifted, and Maria had stepped onto their board willingly.
Above them, the clock ticked on, each second pulling them closer to whatever came next.
They had all chosen their roles. And now, the final act had begun.