The declaration fell like a cold anvil into a pool of mercury. Quinn Wainright and Gordon Jordan sat frozen, their expressions shifting through a kaleidoscope of bewilderment, denial, and eventually, sharp concern. Within the plush, soundproofed confines of the Spirit Martial Academy's inner sanctum, the silence was so absolute it felt heavy, a physical weight pressing against the mahogany walls.
Quinn Wainright, the Senior Proctor from the Azure Dragon Academy, was the first to blink. He adjusted his wire-framed glasses, his hand hovering uncertainly over a delicate porcelain teacup. "I... I’m sorry, Leo Shaw. I believe there must have been a localized Aetheric Disturbance that interfered with my hearing. Did you just say you were choosing the Phoenix Academy?"
Gordon Jordan, the battle
