I watched him carefully as the professors finally left and students began filtering back into the classroom.
He moved with a strange combination of confidence and hesitation, as if constantly calculating his own actions.
Most students who achieved something remarkable would be basking in their moment of glory, accepting congratulations, perhaps even showing off a little more.
But Julian seemed almost... regretful?
His shoulders hunched slightly as he returned to his seat, avoiding eye contact with the students who tried to approach him.
He declined handshakes and deflected questions with polite but firm brevity.
This wasn't the behavior of someone who had just achieved academic immortality.
This was the behavior of someone who had made a mistake and was desperately trying to minimize its impact.
My fingers tightened around my quill as a possibility formed in my mind.
What if Julian wasn't a regressor at all?
