The atmosphere inside Class S remained considerably lighter than it had been at the beginning of the day, the earlier gloom left behind by the breach report having mostly faded after Valerian's dramatic appearance and equally dramatic removal from the classroom. Yet despite the more relaxed mood surrounding the students, a certain seriousness still lingered beneath the surface as everyone focused on Elowen's lesson.
Meanwhile—
At the very back of the classroom—
Elowen stood before Damon.
Her calm smile remained exactly as it always did.
"Student Damon," she repeated gently, "how has your progress been?"
For a brief moment, Damon remained silent.
His mind immediately drifted toward the incident inside the carriage.
The mana.
The pain.
The blood.
Then, after a brief pause, he simply answered,
"It's alright."
The answer itself sounded perfectly ordinary.
Yet strangely—
Elowen continued looking at him for another moment.
Her expression did not change.
