Chapter 11 - 10: Ripples in Fate
Third-Person POV
The rest of the first day settled into a steady rhythm. After the exchange students’ introductions, the lecture began. The professor, an older man with silver-rimmed glasses and a crisp navy-blue suit, launched straight into the material without wasting time.
Franz, Orion, Zane, Lena, Celeste, Iris, and Emphera sat together near the center. Their presence, especially that of the special exchange students, drew more than a few glances from the other students. Some whispering was inevitable, but after the first ten minutes, most lost interest and focused on the lecture.
Franz leaned back in his seat, one hand idly spinning a pen. His notes were sparse, consisting of brief bullet points that captured only the most essential details. In contrast, Lena and Iris wrote diligently, filling their notebooks with meticulous handwriting. Celeste kept up but looked unimpressed, while Zane tried his best to follow along, occasionally shooting side glances at Franz, who seemed unfazed by everything.
Midway through the lecture, a loud creak came from Zane’s seat. The entire row stiffened. Before Zane could react, the chair gave way beneath him.
"Shit—"
Then, before he could hit the ground, a firm hand grabbed his collar, steadying him. The fall stopped just in time, and Zane barely managed to land back in his seat. Blinking, he turned to his side, meeting an all-too-familiar pair of glasses and an expression of complete indifference.
Franz casually let go as if nothing had happened.
"Careful," he said, turning back to his notes.
Zane swallowed, his heart pounding. That was weird. Normally, if something unlucky happened, he’d somehow get out of it at the last second. But this time, it wasn’t his own luck saving him—it was someone else.
Meanwhile, Emphera smirked. "It must be fate. Maybe Franz is destined to be your knight in shining armor, Zane."