You’re the blot

Alex sighed heavily, his shoulders squared, his red eyes narrowing as he faced Vaelen in the sunlit corridor of Starhaven Academy.

The taunt "Lost without your boyfriend, huh" grated like sandpaper against his already frayed patience, each word a jab that stung more than he wanted to admit.

The bustling hall had quieted, students slowing their steps, their vibrant tunics catching the prismatic light from the crystal panels overhead, their whispers a soft, buzzing hum as they sensed the brewing storm.

Alex's frustration from his earlier tutoring session, where he'd fumbled his telekinesis, simmered beneath a layer of hard-won confidence, and Vaelen's scowl, sharp with contempt, was like a match tossed onto dry kindling.

"I'm really not in the mood for any unproductive conversation," he said, his voice low, firm, his gaze locking onto Vaelen's gray eyes, his stance unyielding.