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The clinical way he delivered this information, devoid of any emotional inflection, made the account all the more unsettling. It was as if he were reporting on someone else's experience rather than his own harrowing ordeal.
The stark difference between this composed, detached Adrian and the one they had known just two weeks ago couldn't have been more apparent. It was especially evident in the way he addressed even Aurelia and Aria—his own closest people—with the same measured distance he used with everyone else.
Principal Arwen's grip on his staff tightened imperceptibly, while Instructor Elara and Ardent shared a concerned look. The rest of Adrian's friends seemed to struggle with this shift, their expressions a mix of relief at his return and confusion at his changed demeanor.
