Evander didn't blink.
He simply waited.
Then he inhaled slowly, grounding the tension in the room before speaking again.
"Do you know who William Dawncrest is?"
Elion swallowed hard and nodded, already sensing where this was going.
Evander's lips tightened.
"No. Better question, do you know who the Dawncrest family is?"
Elion nodded again, weakly this time. He had heard the name, even before coming to the academy.
Everyone had.
Evander sat back.
And then he explained.
"The Dawncrests are one of the top noble families in the kingdom."
His voice was matter-of-fact, stripped of any drama.
"They control mining rights in three major provinces. They own two private mage battalions. They have alliances spanning three noble houses, a seat on the National Council… and enough political weight to move entire academies if they feel like it."
Liora stopped chewing her lollipop.
Cedric's expression stayed unreadable.
