Professor Malcris changed the lesson before breakfast.
That was how I knew the trap had teeth.
Ordinary instructors changed lessons because weather shifted, equipment failed, or a noble parent sent a letter with too much perfume and not enough shame.
Malcris changed lessons because a bell rang twice, a ranking board lied in public, a saintess asked permission, a commoner girl changed a strike, an assassin entered my room, and an old world under Astral Zenith had started moving its attention toward me.
He did not announce any of that.
Naturally. Disaster disliked subtlety.
Instead, the notice appeared on every first-year slate at dawn.
COMBAT THEORY AND SURVIVAL ETHICS:
Today's scheduled lecture on "Dungeon Formation Roles" has been replaced by "Narrative Pressure in Group Decision-Making."
Attendance mandatory.
Late arrival will affect team classification.
Professor Aldric Malcris.
I stared at the phrase for five seconds.
Narrative pressure.
