Light streaked in as the door swung open. Footsteps entered first light, deliberate and voices floated in behind them, muffled but close enough to curl under the skin. Virat stood at the center of the threshold, his chest rising with quiet satisfaction. His eyes caught the scene and lit with something sharp and cruel, a glint that spoke of winning a move only he understood.

Triumph sat on his face like a crown he had no right to wear. Virat wasn’t alone. A professor trailed in behind him, face drawn tight with disapproval, and a handful of students hovered at the doorway, their curious eyes darting between Aksh and Malvika. And then the act began.