The classroom carried a low, restless hum as students gathered into their usual clusters, conversations overlapping in soft layers while chairs shifted and books were set down, the entire space alive with movement until that fragile rhythm was abruptly disturbed by the tension forming at the center.
Damon stood in front of Mira, his presence alone enough to draw attention, while she sat frozen in place, her entire body trembling as though even the act of breathing had become difficult, her fingers gripping the edge of her desk and her face flushed an intense red, her eyes wide and uncertain as they struggled to meet his.
Before anything more could unfold, a hand rose between them, firm and deliberate, cutting through the space that Damon had closed.
"What do you want?"
