Chapter 764: The Talk Of The Academy
"Slow down, tiger. The food isn’t going anywhere."
Liam lifted his head.
Dylan Wellington stood a few steps away from the table with a tray in his hands, looking noticeably better than the last time Liam had seen him. His blond hair was no longer full of ash and twigs, his face had more color, and the worst of his exhaustion had lifted enough for his green eyes to regain their usual mischievous glint. He still looked like someone recovering from a week of poor decisions and worse luck, but compared to his half-dead state after Nalim, he seemed almost reborn.
On his tray sat what Dylan would no doubt call delicacies, though to anyone else it looked like an unnecessary combination of sweet pastries, meat, fruit, and something covered in sauce that probably should not have been eaten before noon.
Dylan dropped into the seat across from Liam without asking.
"You know," he said immediately, setting his tray down, "I haven’t seen you once since the day we got back from Nalim. Not in the dorms, not in the cafeteria, not haunting any corridors like a gloomy academy legend. I was starting to think you got kidnapped by the Headmaster or adopted by the shadows permanently."
Liam looked at him for a moment, then continued eating. "Good to see you too."
Dylan smiled as if that answer pleased him. "There he is. Warm as a winter grave. But seriously, where have you been? Because while you were vanishing, the entire academy has been talking about you. You are the hot topic right now. First years are whispering your name like it summons bad luck. Second years are pretending they weren’t terrified watching the Berserker fight. Third years are suddenly curious about the second-year who beat Percy Granger and apparently decided Sync-class demons make good sparring partners."
Liam gave no reaction beyond taking another bite.
Dylan leaned in slightly, lowering his voice with exaggerated seriousness.