As soon as Eric heard Alina's quiet words his heart sank a little. He was very surprised. He had thought that Alina was just sad about something that had happened in her classes.
He thought she was just feeling overwhelmed by her first few days at the Academy. But her sadness was so deep that she was asking him her only friend in this vast place to leave her alone.
He was surprised by the coldness and the emptiness in her voice. Then Eric spoke softly. He tried to understand what was wrong. "Is there some sadness you have that you don't want to share with me?" he asked his voice gentle. "You can tell me Alina. I am your friend. You can trust me."
