Chapter 10 – Ticket
Chapter 10 – Ticket
Fifteen minutes had crawled by, and still, Zane's name hadn't been called. His discomfort, already unbearable when he arrived, had only grown worse. A chill clung to his skin, and his limbs trembled as if reacting to some invisible fever. Every breath made the pain in his ribs throb.
But he wasn't about to let anyone see that.
He grit his teeth and pushed the agony to the back of his mind, hiding it beneath a layer of icy calm. He'd already been the center of attention far too many times today. When he walked up to claim his ticket, he didn't want any more eyes lingering on him than necessary.
'How long must I wait?' he muttered inwardly, scowling. 'Feels like I'm the last damn name on that list.'
He knew there were a lot of third-year students, and realistically, it wasn't strange that he hadn't been called yet. But his condition made patience a luxury he couldn't afford. He silently wished the lottery gods would have mercy on him just this once.
He leaned back against the wall and exhaled. "Hm... Just a little longer, I'm sure it will be—"
"Zane Darkborn! You're next! Where are you?"
The teacher's voice boomed across the hall, breaking through the chatter like a blade.
Zane let out a dry breath and pushed himself off the wall with a grunt. 'Speak of the devil...'
As he started walking toward the teacher, the murmur of the crowd fell into hushed murmurs and familiar glares. Dozens of pairs of eyes locked onto him, most filled with disdain or discomfort. But now, seeing him bandaged from head to toe, they looked at him as if he were contagious.