The principal called for all students to gather in the grand hall as they returned from their city endeavors.
Yuna's joyful steps echoed faintly in the vast space; she was in a good mood after finally escaping the city and all its chaos. But the moment she stepped inside the hall, she felt the suffocating quiet.
Ever since returning to the academy, something had been… off. Every pair of eyes seemed to follow her. Curiosity, awe, and thinly veiled scrutiny lingered in their gazes.
As someone who disliked attention, Yuna felt irritated. She wasn't timid beneath the curious stares of mere children, but that didn't mean she enjoyed being observed like some spectacle.
"Cards of Evigheden Academy, you have done well."
The principal's youthful voice rang out. She didn't bother hiding her habit of calling students "cards," but none of them minded.
"Principal, the city's contaminated water hasn't been completely purified yet, and handling the wreckage—"
