Mrs. Lira found herself staring at Jae again and caught herself, the heat in her cheeks rising quick and uninvited. Don't do that, she told herself, a quiet scolding meant to push the thoughts away.
She straightened her back, forcing her shoulders to loosen as the cool night air slid over her skin. It carried the clean scent of pine and damp earth, the sort of smell that could cut through the stale, stone-heavy mustiness clinging to her from the dungeon.
Lantern light from the academy's carriages cast a soft, golden glow over the clearing, spreading in gentle pools around the clusters of students and teachers gathered outside the dungeon's entrance.
The flickering flames caught on armor, hair, and the occasional glint of polished weaponry, creating a warm haze against the dark.
