Author's Note: The chapter needs heavy editing. Please return to read 3-4 hours later. Sorry for the inconvenience caused and thank you for your understanding!
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The hotel room was quiet, save for the soft rustle of leaves outside the open window. I sat on the edge of the bed, the events of the day replaying in my mind. The image of the injured student, his body battered and bruised, clinging to life, was etched into my memory. Despite the chaos, I had managed to help, to make a difference. It was a small victory, but a victory nonetheless.
A soft knock at the door pulled me from my thoughts. I opened it to find Oscar standing there, his expression unreadable.
"May I come in?" he asked.
I nodded, stepping aside to let him enter. He moved with the grace of someone always in control, yet there was a tension in his shoulders that hadn't been there before.
