Valen's eyes widened in horror. "Professor, you can't be serious…"
"I can. And I am." She raised a hand to silence him. "Unless you'd prefer I recommend suspension to the board. I hear they're particularly strict with legacy students who start duels in public corridors."
That shut him up.
Alex remained stone-faced, giving only the faintest nod of acknowledgment.
"Good," she said, standing. "Now get out of my office. And if I catch either of you pulling something like this again, you'll be scrubbing wyvern scales in the royal menagerie."
Without another word, they turned and exited, the door clicking softly shut behind them.
Scene Break
That evening, after the day's drama had subsided and the sun had long since dipped behind the treetops, Alex lay sprawled on his bed, finally finding a moment's peace. His room was dimly lit by the fading orange hue of the lantern on the windowsill, the light swaying with the soft breeze drifting through the open shutters.
