Inside the study, the lesson was finally drawing to a close. Julian felt as though he were speaking through a thick layer of cotton; the clarity he usually prided himself on as a teacher was slipping through his fingers like dust.
He didn't need the System to scream at him with glowing windows; he could feel the drain in his own head, and his bones—a heavy, sinking sensation in his chest that made every breath a conscious effort.
He closed his leather-bound notebook with a snap that felt far louder than it actually was in the quiet room.
"That... that is all for today," Julian said, his voice barely a murmur.
Liora was the first to move, skipping over to the desk. She leaned in, her small face pinched with a look of genuine worry as she inspected him.
