His hand was weak, and he knew it. Nothing to do with the car trip over, he was sure, though he fought his empty stomach to keep the peace. Excitement had created butterflies, but the closer he came to her, the quicker they died. And the sudden brightness in his mind did nothing to calm his rising panic. In his current state of mind, he could feel actually feel it travel into him from her. And though he felt no pain when the light burst into him, like New Years fireworks, he couldn't stop from flinching ever so slightly. Even if it was just for a moment, the burst of light illuminated all except the deepest corners of his expansive mind. His small circle was always lit, just barely, but when the flash came, he was able to see the ring of beasts; manifestations of his darkness. In fact, a few of them smiled. As he and they both knew, his bubble of protection was temporary, and would burst. They would come for him then and they would steal his resources again. But for now, they waited.<br/><br/>Once he and Max shuffled into the classroom, and Hardich hastily withdrew his hand, he forced his lips into a very uneasy smile. There seemed to be an ocean of wide eyes, frozen in place, waiting for something. Children were like little pacified monsters, bent into an iron submission by an institution that held their wild attentions.<br/><br/>He swallowed, trying to wet a dry throat with a dry mouth, and after eyeing the sea of eyes, he turned to Miss Mind.<br/><br/>"Yes, yes, that's really fun. However, we're here to observe you, remember? What exactly have you done with your class today?" He asked, pulling Max with him to sit in a miniature chair at one of the tables in the back.