Then, everywhere became silent, gasps rippled through the air like wind brushing over still waters, shocked whispers trailing like scattered leaves, and a subtle ripple of movement cascaded through the rooftop as students instinctively took a step back. Their right hands hovered just an inch from their slightly parted lips, caught between awe and fear.
Jamie's upper body rose slowly, deliberately, like a storm cloud reclaiming its form after a thunderclap. His left hand clutched his cheek where the blow had bloomed moments ago, while his right fingers gripped the edges of his jaw, working the muscles in small, painful circles to shake off the sting. A faint, almost deranged smirk curled along his lips like smoke from a cracked mirror.
Across from him, Milo stood with fists clenched at his sides, trembling, not from fear, but from an inner tempest, rage and restraint clashing beneath his skin like thunder against a dam wall threatening to break.
