Before he could answer, the door creaked open behind them. One of the jealous boys had tried to peek, but Professor Orwen's sharp voice rang out again.
"If you have time to gossip, you have time to copy ten more pages of mana theory!"
The boy yelped and slammed the door shut, leaving Selena and Kael outside of the class.
"You don't have to tell me now."
Kael looked at her for a long moment, then gave a faint nod.
"Thank you for that," Kael said at last, breaking the brief silence that lingered between them in the quiet hallway.
Selena gave a small nod.
"It's nothing," she replied with a faint smile.
"If anything, I should thank you for trusting me enough to ask about the Lost Land. It's rare that someone shares that kind of curiosity openly."
Kael rubbed the back of his neck, a little embarrassed by her calm composure.
"Still," he said, "you didn't have to look into it for me. So… really, thank you."
