Chapter 839: Break
Chapter 839: Break
Students began rising throughout the hall, some stretching their hands, others rubbing their eyes or necks. The doors opened, and the second-years moved out in uneven lines. Almost immediately, whispers began forming. Not full discussions, but dangerous fragments."The third question—"
"Did you mention channel—"
"What did you put for—"
Mystica’s voice floated after them, still lovely, still dangerous. "Do be careful. If I hear anything that resembles discussion of exam content, I will consider it malpractice, and I am in a mood to be creative."
The whispers died with impressive speed.
No one wanted Mystica creative in a disciplinary context.
Outside the hall, students spread into the corridor, some heading toward the restrooms, others toward the cafeteria, and a few simply walking in small loops as if movement might shake the pressure out of their minds. The break had loosened the silence, but not the tension. Students spoke carefully now, complaining about difficulty without naming questions, groaning about hand cramps, or making vague statements like "that section was evil" without specifying which section had tried to kill them academically.
Liam stepped out of the hall and paused near the doorway.
He looked around.
Sheila stood a short distance away with Edith and Ariana, the three of them already caught in a conversation he wanted nothing to do with. Sheila listened with focused attention while Edith spoke quietly, likely discussing pace, time management, or some safe topic that did not cross into malpractice. Ariana held her hands close to her chest, expression animated despite the stress, and Liam could tell she was resisting the urge to discuss specific theory details because that was exactly the kind of thing her mind wanted to do after writing.
Good.
They could handle themselves.
Liam was deciding whether to walk alone when Maxwell’s voice came from behind him.
"That was difficult."
Liam turned slightly.
Maxwell approached with a tired look, flexing his writing hand. "If the bell had not gone off when it did, I think I would have started losing brain cells just to continue."
"You need to have them first," Liam said.
Maxwell looked at him. "That was unnecessary."
"It was available."
Before Maxwell could respond, another voice cut in from the side.
"The test is nothing but a waste of time, words, and mental effort."
Asher joined them with his arms folded, his expression as irritated as it had been throughout the paper. His white hair looked slightly messier than usual, probably because he had dragged a hand through it several times while trying not to set the exam on fire.