Nellie didn't flinch.
She'd seen him like this before, had bared her own vulnerabilities to him in return.
Her fingers tightened briefly on her skirt, a small tell of nerves, but her gray eyes held his, steady and unflinching behind her glasses.
"I need help with spell theory," she said, her voice clear, measured, as if addressing both a mentor and a friend. "And also with mathematics to score better in the inter class Academic tournament."
The silver coin spun lazily, a silver moon caught in an invisible tide.
Lor's gaze—altered, otherworldly—remained locked on hers, unblinking, as if peering into something beyond her words.
The silence stretched, heavy with intent, each second a pulse that seemed to sync with the room's quiet heartbeat.
One breath. Two. Three...
His eyes slid shut, the silver glow fading like a candle snuffed out.
The coin dropped, striking the rug with a soft chink, wobbling in a tight circle before collapsing flat.
