Under His Watch
Country: Aurivelle
City: Auremont
Alvara
The hallway slowly emptied.
Voices faded.
Footsteps disappeared.
And just like that…
It was over.
Or at least… it should have been.
But I could still feel it.
That shift in the air.
That awareness crawled under my skin.
Because they were still there.
Mrs Hawthorne.
Grayson Hawthorne.
Watching.
Mrs Alexia stepped forward, her presence immediately restoring order.
“Everyone back to your studios”
This time, no one hesitated.
Helena, Leonora, and Ally left without another word, their earlier confidence completely gone.
I didn’t look at them.
I didn't need to.
I bent to pick up my bag, steadying myself.
Breathe in.
Breathe out.
Control.
“Alvara.”
I froze slightly.
Mrs Hawthorne’s voice.
Soft.
Calm.
But impossible to ignore.
I turned.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Walk with us.”
We moved through the hallway together.
Mrs Hawthorne in front.
Mrs Alexia beside her.
Grayson is just slightly behind…
And me.
Following.
It felt strange.
Walking like this.
Like I belonged in a space I had just been questioned in minutes ago.
Mrs Hawthorne spoke first.
“How are things progressing at the institute, Mrs Alexia?”
“Very well, ma’am,” Mrs Alexia replied.
“The current batch has strong potential. We’ve seen significant improvement in both technical execution and creative direction.”
“And discipline?” Grayson’s voice came in.
Calm.
It shouldn’t have affected me.
But it did.
“It’s maintained,” Mrs Alexia answered carefully. “Though… situations arise.”
“I saw one just now,” he said.
Silence followed.
Not uncomfortable.
But sharp.
“Do you ensure your designers are protected?” he asked. “Or is it standard practice to let things escalate before intervention?”
My steps faltered slightly.
Just for a second.
But I kept walking.
Mrs Alexia didn’t miss a beat.
“We do not tolerate misconduct,” she said. “What happened will be addressed accordingly.”
“Good.”
That was all he said.
But it lingered.
Heavy.
And I wasn’t sure why.
We arrived at Mrs Alexia’s office.
She opened the door, stepping aside.
“Please.”
Mrs Hawthorne and Grayson entered first.
Mrs Alexia followed…
Then paused, turning to me.
“You can wait here.”
I nodded.
“Yes, ma’am.”
The door to the inner office closed.
Leaving me alone in the outer room.
I sat down slowly.
My hands resting on my lap.
Still.
Quiet.
Waiting.
Normally, I would have been nervous.
Panicking, even.
But right now…
There was only one thought in my mind.
She saw everything.
Mrs Hawthorne.
She saw it all.
The insults.
The tension.
My response.
I let out a slow breath.
Maybe this was it.
Maybe I had gone too far.
Voices filtered through the door.
Muffled.
But not entirely unclear.
“…overall structure is impressive,” Mrs Hawthorne was saying.
“Thank you, ma’am,” Mrs Alexia replied.
“And the designers?”
“They are competitive. Some are more disciplined than others.”
Grayson’s voice again.
Clearer this time.
“Competition is expected,” he said. “But hostility isn’t.”
“If your top designers are being targeted publicly and within the institute…” he continued, “it raises questions about your control over the environment.”
My breath caught slightly.
I wasn’t meant to hear that.
But I did.
“…it will be handled,” Mrs Alexia said firmly.
“I expect it will.”
Then silence again.
And somehow…
That affected me more than anything else.
A few minutes later, the door opened.
I stood immediately.
Mrs Alexia stepped out first.
“Alvara,” she said.
“They’d like to see you.”
I walked in.
Calm.
Composed.
Even when my heart had started beating just a little faster.
Mrs Hawthorne sat elegantly, her attention shifting fully to me the moment I entered.
Grayson stood by the glass wall.
Watching.
Of course he was.
“Come closer,” Mrs Hawthorne said gently.
I did.
She studied me for a moment.
Not harshly.
Not critically.
But deeply.
“What happened earlier,” she continued, “is not something you should have to endure alone.”
Something in my chest tightened.
“I understand, ma’am.”
She shook her head slightly.
“No,” she said softly. “You’ve accepted it. That’s different.”
Silence settled.
Then her tone shifted.
Warmer.
More personal.
“You are talented, Alvara,” she said. “But talent alone isn’t enough in places like this.”
My fingers tightened slightly.
“I know.”
“You must also learn to stand,” she added. “Not just in skill… but in presence. In your worth.”
Her words were calm.
But they carried weight.
The kind that stayed.
“Do not let anyone reduce you to your past,” she said. “Because if you accept that… they will never let you rise beyond it.”
I nodded slowly.
Taking it in.
Every word.
“And one more thing,” she added, a faint smile touching her lips.
“I expect to see you win Designer of the Month again.”
That caught me off guard.
I looked up slightly.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Good.”
I could feel it again.
That gaze.
Without looking, I knew.
Grayson.
Still watching.
Still silent.
And somehow…
That silence said more than words.
We stepped out together shortly after.
Mrs Alexia joined us, and the four of us made our way toward the parking lot.
This time, the air felt different.
Lighter.
Mrs Hawthorne spoke casually as we walked.
“I hope you’re using the set I gave you,” she asked.
“Yes, ma’am,” I replied.
“And remember what I told you,” she added, her gaze steady. “I’ll be at the top… waiting for you to reach me.”
I nodded.
“Emotion drives the moment,” she said evenly, “but discipline carries it through.”
She studied me for a beat.
“I understand,” I replied.
A faint smile curved her lips. Satisfied.
At the parking lot she turned to me one last time.
“You’ll do well, Alvara.”
Simple.
Certain.
Then she stepped into the car.
Grayson followed.
But before he did…
He paused.
Just for a second.
His eyes met mine.
Brief.
Unreadable.
Then he got in.
And the car door closed.
The cars drove off.
Leaving silence behind.
Mrs Alexia stood beside me for a moment.
Then…
She sighed softly.
“You handled yourself well,” she said.
I turned to her.
“Thank you, ma’am.”
She looked at me more closely now.
Less like an instructor.
More like… something else.
“You should know,” she added, “Mrs Hawthorne is kind to everyone.”
“But she doesn’t take interest easily.”
My brows furrowed slightly.
“And it seems like she has taken interest in you.”
That settled heavily.
“I see,” I said quietly.
Mrs Alexia gave a small nod.
“Don’t waste that.”
Then she turned and walked away.
I remained there.
Standing.
Thinking.
About everything.
The hallway.
The words.
The silence.
The way things shifted.
And him.
The man who had once looked at me and seen incompetence…
Now watching me like he was seeing something else entirely.
I exhaled slowly.
Whatever this was…
It wasn’t over.