The cafeteria of Gloria Academy was as lively as ever, but the mood at the usual large round table near the windows was noticeably subdued.
Lyra poked at her salad with little enthusiasm; her usual bright energy dimmed.
Maelis sat beside her, quietly staring at her plate. Adrian, Leon, Selina, Claire, Ronan, and Lira completed the group.
Ronan was the first to speak, swallowing a big bite before talking.
"So… Gray really transferred because of that, huh?" he said, scratching his head.
"He went into deep meditation for months, missed all the final exams, and Headmistress Gloria wouldn't let him take late ones or skip the year. Meanwhile, Clementine's Headmistress just straight up offered to put him in the second year immediately."
"Yeah… That's exactly what happened. Gloria was super strict about it. No exceptions. I tried talking to her too, but she wouldn't budge," Maelis sighed, resting her chin on her hand.
