Many faculty members raised their heads to check on the intruder, their conversations dying mid-sentence like candles being snuffed out. Coffee cups froze halfway to lips, papers rustled to stillness.
Conversations paused mid-way, leaving an expectant hush that pressed down on everyone present.
Principal Trevor Glass sat at the head of the long table, his expression unreadable, fingers steepled before him like a judge preparing to pass sentence. He said nothing, but his eyes tracked Aria's movement with the precision of a hawk watching prey.
The deputy principal leaned forward, her elbows resting on the black mahogany table, black hair catching the light from the crystal chandeliers. "Princess Aria. To what do we owe this... interruption?"
Aria stepped fully into the room, Laura trailing behind her like a nervous shadow, wringing her hands and keeping her eyes fixed on the polished floor.
