*****
The room stood still.... breathless.
All eyes were on Alistair Ashthorne as he stepped out from among the elite students, the heavy silence around him amplifying every footstep he took
Astrid Voss held up the knife with the sigil of the Crimson Hunt still gleaming coldly in her gloved hand. Her voice sliced through the room like a blade.
"Is this yours?"
Alistair stared at her, those slate-grey eyes betraying nothing. Not a blink. Not a twitch. Just a quiet stillness that made the room feel even colder.
He didn't nod.
He didn't shake his head.
He said absolutely nothing.
The silence was damning.
Astrid tilted her head slightly, her eyes narrowing. "Alistair Ashthorne. Are you a member of the Crimson Hunt?"
Still nothing.
Magnus Thorn stepped forward now, the lines of his face hardening. "You think this is a game, boy?" he growled. "Do you have any idea what that symbol means? Or what the penalty is for housing Crimson Hunt weaponry within academy grounds?"
