The garden behind the southern lecture wing was quieter than usual. It was that strange hour between late afternoon classes and early evening prep—when the sun dipped low enough to wash the courtyard with soft amber, and the breeze carried the faint scent of pine from the bordering woods. Most students had drifted off to dorms, the dining hall, or study rooms. Only the rustling leaves and distant chatter of few lingered.
Ivan sat alone on the curved stone bench beneath the old magnolia tree, elbows planted on his knees,his hands clasped tight. His jaw flexed, relaxed and flexed again. He wasn't angry—it was the thought of what sam had just told him, and that was far worse.
Sam's words played in a loop in his mind.
"She didn't have dark magic… it was some power."
"The rogues were large in number, even Leon couldn't fight them."
"It was Mia's power that scared them away."
