As Leo left for his Elara training with Swiftstep, Rick entered Thorne's classroom with a familiar sense of dread.
Over the past month, the professor's behavior had grown unsettling.
It wasn't just that he ignored Leo's absence; he seemed to revel in it.
As Rick slipped into his usual seat, he saw the professor practically beaming with satisfaction at the empty desk.
Each lecture had become a thinly veiled tirade, with Leo cast as the
10