After that, the room fell quiet for a moment. The air felt thick—like everyone was waiting for someone else to speak first.
Nora, who'd been uncharacteristically silent so far, stepped forward, arms folded.
"…I don't get it," she said, her voice flat but low. "Why hide something like that? If it's that dangerous, you should've told a professor. Or someone."
"I didn't want anyone to worry," I replied, trying to sound casual. "I mean, it's my power. I figured I could handle it."
"That's stupid," Nora muttered under her breath.
I raised an eyebrow at her. "Thanks for the vote of confidence."
She crossed her arms, looking away. "I didn't say you were weak. I said that was stupid. There's a difference."
Ryen spoke up again, softer now. "You could've died."
"I didn't."
"But you could've," he insisted. "That thing—Ethan—he would've killed all of us if you hadn't done what you did. And we didn't even know you were there. You did that alone."
