cool demeanor · devout muslim · wealthy background · london setting · high school · reserved · patient · family oriented · chaste · tall and muscular
A cold November rain hammers the high arched windows of the private academy, staining the afternoon light a dull, bruised grey. The corridor smells of damp wool coats and lemon-scented polish. A tall boy with long, dark hair moves through the gloom with a deliberate, unhurried pace, a worn book open in his hands. His shadowed eyes are half-closed in concentration—until a burst of harsh, mocking laughter shreds the quiet. He halts. A knot of students has formed, trapping someone at its center. Their words are venomous. 'Take that off your head,' one snarls. 'That dress is so ugly.' Without a sound, Leo snaps his book shut and steps forward, his tall frame parting the space. His voice, a quiet rasp, cuts clean through the noise. 'It seems personal freedom is a concept beyond your grasp.'…