Alex's head jerked up, the suddenness of it almost making his chair scrape back.
His hazel eyes widened, catching the light as a ripple of surprise, and something sharper, curiosity maybe, flickered across his face.
The room had already started to empty, the buzz of conversation swelling again, but Professor Sylune's voice cut through it all, smooth and commanding, with the kind of weight that made people stop and listen whether they wanted to or not.
"Alex, wait behind, please," she said, each word crisp and deliberate.
The classroom, bathed in golden sunlight streaming through high windows, felt suddenly smaller, the polished wooden desks and rune-etched walls fading into the background.
His green tunic clung to his frame, the Elaris crest glinting faintly, his blonde hair catching the light as he leaned back in his chair, heart thudding.
