The final dismissal bell finally rang. The last Applied Magic class of the day was officially concluded.
Elodie deliberately slowed her movements as she packed her notebooks into her bag, waiting until every last student had walked out the door.
Lady Raveena still stood gracefully at the front of the room, using a wet brush to wipe away the remnants of complex magic circuit diagrams from the blackboard.
"Elodie? Haven't gone home yet? Is there a magic theory still bothering your head?" Raveena asked softly, without turning her back from the board.
Elodie took a few hesitant steps toward the teacher's desk. Her fingers, damp with cold sweat, nervously twisted the hem of her uniform. "Lady Raveena... can I ask you something?"
"Of course you can. Ask away." Raveena set down her eraser, turning around to lean casually against the edge of her desk.
