They both walked out of the classroom with a Elaine walking slightly behind him. Her head was slightly bent in thought as she was worried, he noticed her walking behind him with slow steps which made him he turn his head slightly to the side and asked her,
"What's wrong?" he asked in a soft tone. "Is it about the test scripts?"
"What if the invigilator reports us?, or minus our marks, or make us repeat, the year?" she asked him tesnsed as she wringed her fingers together."wh–"
"There is no way she would be able to do that" He answered, Cutting her off.
" how do you know" she asked.
"Because I have been in this school longer than you have"
"That's not a good enough reason" she muttered under her breath which he heared clearly, but still his answer made her calm down.
"Don't you think you were rude to her for what you said?" she asked to no one in particular. Which made him slowly stopped his tracks as he heard her words, he turned to look at her, as she now Walked side by side with him. His eyes narrowed down at her which she noticed and was quick to apologize.
"Sorry, sorry" as she noticed he look offended by her question. He rolled his eyes before they began walking again. Then she asked him.
"Where are we going?" She asked As the hallways were quite empty, as most people were inside finishing their tests,
"I don't know about you, but I'm heading to the dining". She was glad with his answer as she had been hoping he wasn't going to the dorm, leaving her alone in the almost empty hallway.
When they finally reached the dining hall, the quietness hit her first. The usual chatter of students was absent, no clatter of cutlery, no hurried footsteps. The long tables stood nearly empty, and the high windows let in a gentle breeze that shifted the curtains slightly. It felt almost serene, a stark contrast to the chaos of the test they had just finished.
She watched as he sat down at the last chair of the dinning, she didn't know if she should stay next to him, after long thoughts she decided to seat opposite him. She had almost gone round the table when she heard his voice cut through the silence
"Seat here " he said gesturing at the seat beside him.
Elaine hesitated but eventually sat beside him. She found herself a little more tense than usual, her back straight, her hands clasped in her lap. Before she could think of something light to say, the words slipped out
"Aren't you going to eat anything?"
He had his eyes half-closed, as if retreating into thought. When he finally opened them, he gave a simple reply. "No. I just came here to sit."
Her lips parted, then curved faintly in understanding. "It's calm here," she agreed softly, glancing around the empty hall. "There are no students who finish the test and rush straight to eat. It means this place will be the calmest for now."
He gave a noncommittal hum, and she let her gaze wander for a moment before resting her hand absentmindedly on the wooden table. His eyes flicked toward it.
"Does it still hurt?" he asked suddenly.
Elaine blinked, taken off guard. She glanced down at her wrist where the phantom's mark burned faintly against her skin. "Well… yes," she admitted, frowning. She turned her wrist over, letting the light catch on it. "Is it supposed to be turning black?"
The mark had indeed grown darker, stretching in an abnormal way across her pale skin. It was both strange and unsettling.
"It will heal soon," he said, though his voice carried little reassurance.
She sighed softly and pulled her hand back. "Okay. It wouldn't leave a scar right?" she asked in hope which he crushed.
"That's a wish, because it would". Her eyes widened slightly before she stared down at her wrists without saying a word.
Allan leaned back slightly, as though retreating into silence again. He looked as if he might close his eyes once more, when Elaine's curiosity pricked at her and broke the stillness.
"I didn't ask earlier," she began carefully, "but… why did you help me?"
His lashes lowered, and for a long moment he gave no answer. She thought he might ignore her entirely, as he mostly did, but she knew he had heard. Finally, his voice came, quiet but firm.
"What do you think is the reason?"
She faltered. "Um… I don't know," she admitted truthfully.
"Because of the phantom's mark," he replied shortly.
Her brows knit. "How?"
Allan exhaled, his voice carrying a faint trace of weariness. He lifted his head, and his grey eyes locked onto hers. They were sharp yet captivating, a storm contained in calm water. Elaine felt herself momentarily lose her train of thought under their weight.
"I can feel your emotions through the phantom's mark," he explained. "Especially the extreme ones. Even during the tests… as you grew distressed, I felt it too. It unsettled me."
"So you helped me," she said slowly, piecing it together, "in order to feel okay yourself."
He didn't confirm or deny it, but the silence was answer enough. Elaine nodded slightly, her lips curving in a thoughtful line.
"Oh!" Her expression brightened a little, and curiosity sparked in her eyes. "You said you would tell me about you, Gwen, and Horace."
"Did I?" he asked, arching a brow.
"Yes," she insisted. "If my memory doesn't fail me, you said 'later.' And now," she leaned forward a little, "now is later."
For reasons he couldn't quite place, Allan didn't find her persistence bothersome. Normally, he hated being pressed with questions. Yet, with her, it felt… tolerable. Almost amusing.
"From what I know," he said dryly, "later means sometime in the future. Which isn't today."
She paused, staring at him as though he had just stolen a piece of her victory. Her lips parted, then closed in defeat. "Fine. You won't answer that. But at least," she pressed on quickly, "can you tell me what a medium is?"