**Nyx**
The moment the words left my lips, I'm not interested, the entire courtyard seemed to hold its breath, then explode into motion. It wasn't that they disagreed with my refusal. No, it ran deeper than that. These people despised simplicity. They thrived on spectacle, on drama that could be dissected, whispered about, and weaponized for weeks afterward.
A flat rejection? That was boring. Unacceptable.
Silence never lasted long here. It never did.
The murmurs began almost immediately, spreading outward like ripples across a still pond disturbed by a single stone. At first they were low, speculative, the rustle of fabric and shifting feet accompanying hushed conversations. Then the voices rose in volume, opinions spilling forth uninvited, buzzing through the air like a disturbed hive of angry bees. Students leaned in toward one another, eyes darting between me and Kaelara, eager for the next spark that might ignite something entertaining.
