The silence left behind by the boy's execution lingered for a long time; no one knew what to say, no one wanted to make a sound out of fear of being next.
Everyone stared at the floor, the walls, their own hands, anything but the blood-flecked frost scattered near the front of the classroom. Ren looked ready to faint, and Liri's entire body trembled. Even Elara, who rarely showed a weak side to herself, had gone pale.
Morena simply breathed slowly, steadying her thoughts.
Death was not new to her. She had seen worse scenes, far more grotesque, far more personal. But this was different; this was a Wizard killing an apprentice for nothing more than insubordination and incompetence.
A Wizard reminding everyone exactly where they stood.
Finally, Varra brushed a hand through the air. A cold wind swept across the floor, gathering the ice powder into a neat pile which she moved aside with another gesture.
