The healing ward's waiting area was thick with tension. Eleven people had gathered there - Aria, several of Adrian's closest friends from the class - Aurelia(his sister), Aurelius, Kairen, Lila, Ardel, Irithel, and Ren, two instructors who had been closest to him(like Instructor Elara and Ardent), and Principal Arwen himself who arrived about 5 minutes ago after finishing the ceremony. They had been waiting for nearly an hour since Adrian was brought in, each lost in their own thoughts as they tried to process the impossible events they had witnessed.
The afternoon sun cast long shadows through the ward's windows, its warm light a stark contrast to the anxiety that filled the room. Every few minutes, someone would glance at the closed door leading to Adrian's room, then at each other, as if seeking confirmation that this wasn't some shared illusion.
