Richard eased the door shut, the muted click swallowed by the buzzing chatter within. For a moment, no one noticed him, the crowd of senior apprentices too engrossed in their mockery of Trevor and Oren. A clumsy imitation of Oren's careful wandwork earned a burst of laughter, and Trevor's forced smile grew more rigid by the second.
Why are humans so fucking bad, Richard thought, irritation stirring in his chest.
He slipped further into the room, weaving between shelves stacked high with weathered tomes. Despite the chaotic scene, the place was clearly meant for quiet study—solid wooden tables and stiff-backed chairs arranged in neat rows, bright mage-lights suspended overhead.
