The heavy mahogany doors closed behind the instructors, leaving a vacuum of silence in their wake.
For a few seconds, Class A sat in collective shock.
The concept of "no school" was still settling in.
It was like being told you had won the lottery, but you weren't allowed to spend the money until you ran a marathon barefoot.
Then, the murmurs started.
"So... we can just go?"
"I'm going to the dungeon center."
"Does anyone know where the library is?"
The paralysis broke.
Students began to stand up, gathering their stuff and forming cliques. Some looked excited, eager to exploit the freedom.
Others looked lost, terrified by the lack of structure.
Kael sat in his chair, staring at the empty podium.
A bead of sweat rolled down his temple.
He checked the invisible timer hovering in the corner of his vision.
[Task: Join a Faction]
[Time Remaining: 8 Hours, 42 Minutes]
[Penalty: Random, severe muscle cramps at the absolute worst possible times.]
