When Selenne entered the examination hall, the atmosphere shifted in a way even the untrained could feel. Her presence did not crack like thunder or blaze like summoned light; instead, the room settled into a quieter posture, as though the air had chosen to straighten its spine. Students rose in practiced unison, their gazes fixed ahead while their attention tugged subtly toward one particular corner of the room where tension pooled thicker than anywhere else.
She acknowledged their greeting with a composed nod before letting her gaze sweep across the rows. The students looked prepared enough—nervous in ordinary ways, confident in predictable ones—but beneath their surface composure was a thread of anticipation she found unusual for a midweek exam. It wasn't directed at her, which was already strange; it was directed at whatever, or whoever, had stirred the room long before she arrived.
