Chapter Title: Fractures in Silence
September 1st – Crimson Vale Academy
It started like a whisper.
A few scattered murmurs in the halls. Nothing serious. Just enough to stir the waters.
In Class 1-D, the morning was unusually quiet. The kind of silence that made every ticking second feel like a warning. The fans hummed above, soft but droning. The clock ticked louder than usual. Even footsteps in the corridor outside felt distant, like the world was holding its breath.
Riven sat at the back of the class, arms folded, his gaze drifting to the window, expression unreadable. His foot tapped faintly, a steady rhythm against the floor. Ashir leaned lazily against his seat, spinning a pen between his fingers with rhythmic precision, but his eyes were darting. Watching. Expecting. Meira scrolled through her tablet with furrowed brows, flipping between documents — pretending to read, but clearly unsettled. Every now and then, she looked up, then back down, jaw tight.
