The silence after Nolan's question stretched a little too long, the air thick with tension, as if even the room itself waited with bated breath.
Finally, Alina shifted and answered, softly but clearly, "Granfire hasn't actually taught us yet, sir."
Nolan blinked. "What?"
"He just gave us a movement skill," James chimed in, gesturing vaguely toward the floor where they'd been dancing before. "He said it was something he devised specifically for the Academy Counselors' evaluations. He told us to keep practicing it, and once we're done, we can move on to the body dance and then finally the blade portion."
For a moment, Nolan looked genuinely confused, as though trying to process if he heard them right. Then his eyes narrowed, suspicion brewing behind the glint of his glasses. "Wait a second. Are you all telling me that the movement I corrected earlier… that was something he taught you?"
The students nodded.
