Lyra's POV
I lifted the handbook toward him as a gesture of gratitude, deliberately avoiding his piercing gaze. My attention shifted to Poppy, whose brow furrowed with obvious bewilderment. She turned back toward Ash, carefully smoothing her expression into neutrality.
"I'll catch you in Combat class?" she asked.
Ash gave a curt nod. He pivoted away from me, his broad shoulders tense as he began his retreat toward his room. Something rebellious stirred within me, refusing to let him dismiss me so easily. I stepped boldly into the hallway beside Poppy.
"Wait!" I called out, my voice echoing off the stone walls. He spun around with startling speed, fixing me with a stare that held both terror and fury. His eyes were impossibly wide with fear, yet his mouth remained pressed into an unforgiving line. I made a split-second decision to abandon any questions about the electricity incident. If it could unnerve someone like Ash, I had no desire to dig deeper.
