The air in the office was thick, heavy with the hum of the professor's blade. Armand felt the whisper pressing against his mind, louder than any he had heard before. It wasn't just sound — it was intent, sharp and invasive.
Grace Johnson stepped forward, her voice steady. "You've been hiding from the Circle. Why?"
Professor Wright's lips curled into a thin smile. "Because the Circle is a lie. You think whispers are truth? They are chains. And I intend to break them."
Armand's grip tightened on the desk. "Then why keep the journal? Why write about silencing the whisper?"
The professor's eyes gleamed. "Because I've found a way. A way to end the voices once and for all. And you, boy, are proof that the Circle is desperate. They send children to do their bidding."
Grace's hand hovered near her bag, ready. "You don't understand. The whisper isn't meant to be silenced. It warns, it protects."
Professor Wright raised his knife, its hum swelling into a piercing note. "No. It controls. And tonight, I will show you what happens when silence is shattered."
The lantern flickered, shadows twisting across the walls. Armand felt the weight of choice pressing down on him — to trust Grace, to trust the Circle, or to believe the professor's words. The whisper inside his head grew louder, urging him toward a decision that could change everything.