Chapter 92: Bastian comes
Alex stood firm, his red eyes locked on Vaelen’s gray ones, the elf’s tightened fists a clear threat as he growled, "Repeat what you just said."
The sunlit corridor of Starhaven Academy pulsed with tension, students forming a loose circle, their tunics shimmering under the crystal panels’ prismatic light, their whispers a soft buzz, the air thick with the scent of parchment and faint elixirs.
Alex’s frustration from the tutoring session, where he’d failed to master telekinesis, fueled his defiance, his confidence unshaken by Vaelen’s rage, the bad blood from their assembly encounter the previous day blazing in his chest.
He opened his mouth, ready to hurl his words again ’you’re the blot, Vaelen’ when a familiar voice cut through, sharp and urgent.
"Whoa, whoa!" Bastian called, weaving through the crowd, his lopsided grin strained as he stepped between them, his hands raised like a peacemaker.
His presence broke the standoff, the corridor’s light catching his blonde hair, his blue eyes darting from Alex to Vaelen, assessing the heat of the moment.
He turned to one of Vaelen’s crew, a lanky boy with nervous eyes, his exasperation clear.
"Seriously, man, why didn’t you stop them?" Bastian asked, his voice a mix of disbelief and irritation, his hand gesturing toward the tense scene, the gathered students leaning in, their murmurs growing louder.
The lanky boy shrugged, his shoulders hunching, his voice low but audible over the crowd’s hum.