The room was dark except for the center, a single lantern on the U-shaped table, teachers seated around it like shadows with faces.
Eugen was standing in the only lit spot, because that was where he wanted to be.
He was wearing a robe similar to that of the Custodians and armor. Something in between the two. White fabric with discreet gold embroidery, the symbol of the Cathedral.
"Regular coins are noise," he said. "And noise attracts Gamers."
The atmosphere in the room shifted, subtly, but Eugen felt it. He saw it. The shoulders of two teachers stiffening slightly. A female teacher stopping her note-taking.
Father Elias, in the corner, pushed his chair back; his expression hadn't changed, but it was different from the expression he'd had five seconds earlier.
"Everyone who hasn't been marked as a Gamer has this." Eugen took out the Custodians' coin. "Everyone here in this room has it. We have proof, for now, that we aren't those aberrations."
