Pans

Damien was sitting quietly in Pearl Institute's garden courtyard, nestled under a flowering mana willow, sipping from a chilled carton of peach-flavored mana tea. The world, for once, was calm. No fireballs. No explosions. Just breeze, birdsong, and a few bugs wisely minding their business.

Then she appeared.

Jiang Xiao Yu.

She stepped through the garden arch like a breeze carved from glass—graceful, composed, but... distant. Her long raven-black hair drifted behind her, and her pale robes shimmered faintly with defensive enchantments. She looked unchanged, but Damien could tell instantly: something had happened.

"You alright?" he asked, closing his tea and rising slowly.

"I'm fine," she replied, just a fraction too quickly.

"Your parents—"

"I said I'm fine."

Her words weren't harsh. Just final. She turned and walked off toward the dorms, her silhouette poised, unreadable.