The fizz of Braxton Miller's synth-cigarette was the only sound that broke the suffocating silence.
On the dais, the guild masters remained paralyzed, their expressions ranging from disbelief to fury.
Professor Anya Petrova's fingers whitened around her riding crop, a visible vein throbbing at her temple. Her eyes had turned to glacial chips of blue ice, boring into Satori with naked hostility.
Satoru Takamura, normally boisterous and larger than life, sat slack-jawed. The mountain of a man seemed to have shrunk, his broad shoulders slumped forward as if he'd taken a body blow.
Elijah Valentine alone wore an expression of intrigue, his lips curled into a slow, appreciative smile. He studied Satori with the intensity of a scientist who'd just discovered a fascinating new specimen.
Hanae Mori had abandoned her characteristic slouch, sitting ramrod straight as she stared at Braxton Miller, her purple eyes wide with disbelief.
