The others, hearing only his words and not the meaning behind them, nodded.
They turned away, some murmuring their agreement, admiring the scale and clarity of the portal. To them, it was beautiful. A marvel of magical engineering.
None of them saw what Rattan saw.
None of them felt what he felt.
And no one noticed the way his smile faltered the moment their backs were turned.
And just like that, the wait was over.
It was time to return to the academy.
The students moved with excitement and chatter, but Rattan felt none of it. Ever since witnessing the horrors through the portal, he had been adrift—quiet, hollow, moving through the days like a ghost wrapped in flesh. He barely remembered packing, barely registered the moments between then and now.
Now, as he stood on the magical platform that carried them upward—rising steadily toward the open space above—his gaze drifted downward.
And what he saw made his breath catch.
