Chapter 69: Meeting Bastian
Alex pushed the heavy wooden door open, its hinges creaking slightly as he stepped into the hallway.
The door swung shut behind him with a soft, final click, muffling the faint shuffle of parchment and the last lingering traces of Professor Sylune’s voice as it faded away.
The hallway stretched before him, the noise almost deafening after the quiet of the classroom.
The corridor stretched before him, a gleaming expanse of marble veined with silver, its walls pulsing with soft, iridescent light that shifted from azure to lavender.
Arched windows lined one side, spilling golden morning light across the floor, their stained-glass panels casting kaleidoscopic patterns that danced like living murals.
His green tunic swished as he moved, the Elaris crest glinting on his chest, his blonde hair catching the light as he replayed Sylune’s directions, out the door, left down the corridor, third room on the right.
Simple enough, he thought, his smirk flickering with the confidence that had carried him through the morning’s tension, though her parting glance, that subtle lick of her lips, still simmered in his mind, a tantalizing distraction.
He turned left, boots clicking on the polished floor, passing clusters of students whose crests gleamed like tiny stars.
The whispers trailed him like a shadow, low and almost teasing, with snippets of "new guy" and "Vaelen" slipping into the air, sharp and curious.
Alex could feel their eyes on him, like invisible fingers pricking at the back of his neck.
But he didn’t flinch. Instead, he kept his head high, his steps deliberate and steady, letting his usual charm wrap around him like a protective cloak.