Jelo was shocked—genuinely, completely shocked—that Atlas could guess his intention so accurately. The surprise hit him like a physical blow, and in that moment of vulnerability, the truth slipped out before he could stop it.
"Yes," Jelo admitted, the word coming out almost as a whisper. "Yes, I'm going after Garin."
Atlas's expression didn't change, as if he'd already known the answer and had just been waiting for confirmation. But his next question caught Jelo off guard.
"Why can't you just let it go?" Atlas asked, his tone genuinely curious rather than judgmental. "Garin got humiliated in front of the entire class when you threw him into a wall. His arm is in a sling. He's already been punished, in a way. Why do you need to take it further?"
