Professor Eleanor stepped up to the podium, her sharp eyes scanning the room once more. The quiet rustling of papers was the only sound as she prepared to address the class, her movements precise and deliberate.
"Let's talk about this semester," she began, her voice calm but firm. "You've had your break, your time to recover and reflect. Now, it's time to move forward."
Her gaze swept across the room, lingering momentarily on a few students before continuing. "The first semester, as some of you may have guessed, was only the beginning. A prelude, if you will. It was designed not just to teach you, but to test you."
Julia raised an eyebrow, leaning back slightly in her chair. Ethan noticed and smirked—Professor Eleanor always had a way of phrasing things that made even the most confident students second-guess themselves.