"That voice..."
Seris looked up toward the portal, her lips parting as the space above the street tore wide open. The portal above the street didn't close. It hung in the air like a jagged fracture in dark glass, humming with a low, spatial vibration that made the surrounding air ripple.
Headmaster Vega stepped out of the tear.
He didn't drop from the sky, nor did he land with a loud crash. His boots simply touched the ground with a faint, dry click. He wore a simple black coat with a high collar over a white shirt, completely clean, untouched by the ash and purple mist drifting through the alley.
His short silver hair was neatly combed, and his golden eyes held a stillness so deep it made the chaos around him feel strangely quiet. He glanced at the fourteen-foot monster, then turned his gaze toward Seris.
