The atmosphere inside the Vice Dean's office gradually grew heavier after his question, as though the quiet room itself had become unwilling to allow Luca's answer to pass without consequence. The soft flame of the magical lamp continued to flicker on the desk, casting long shadows across the walls while the sounds of the academy outside seemed to fade into the distance.
Luca remained silent.
He looked directly at the Vice Dean, his expression calm on the surface, although his thoughts had already begun moving rapidly.
Anything unusual about myself?
The question itself wasn't particularly strange.
What bothered him was the timing.
The Vice Dean had asked it immediately after mentioning the creature, and that was enough to make Luca wonder how much the man actually knew.
His mind briefly returned to the battlefield.
The golden symbol.
The strange vision.
The creature's words.
The sensation of dying.
And then waking up in the real world.
