Everyone was making their way toward the grand hall that connected the twin balconies. Nearly every young noble and prodigy among them spoke in excited tones or wore expressions of pure elation, since for most, this was likely the greatest opportunity of their lives.
Alex and Zahra waited for the crowd to thin. The soft clamor of laughter and conversation washed over them when a low, deliberate voice cut through the noise.
"You are a hard man to find." The tone carried weight, sounding calm and measured. Alex's attention shifted immediately. It wasn't loud, but it was unmistakably meant for him.
A man approached with an amicable smile. He appeared to be in his early thirties, standing tall at nearly six feet and a half, his posture relaxed yet commanding.
His features were sharp, sculpted with almost aristocratic precision; his pale skin and short, radiant brown hair, streaked faintly with red, caught the starlight.
