Jasmin's POV
The Academy's towering gates stretched before us, their wrought iron silhouettes stark against the pale dawn sky. Each footfall echoed hollow in my chest, weighed down not by fatigue but by the relentless burn of Max's stare drilling into my spine.
When I'd demanded he stop watching me so intently, I'd expected shame or irritation. Instead, his scrutiny had only intensified. His gaze felt like a brand now, deliberate and searching, as if he could peel back my carefully constructed facade with sheer willpower alone.
My hands curled into fists. If he maintained this laser focus much longer, my cover would crumble. His sudden quiet unnerved me more than any confrontation would have. This wasn't mere silence but calculated observation, the kind that dissected every micro-expression and catalogued inconsistencies.
