Learned Response (Flashback)

[Zlakalia]

(12th of Fall, 507AV) Hypnosis. Zlakalia didn't really know what the word meant, let alone understand why she was sitting in a room of big people looking down at Professor Stonemiller as he sat in front of the big class. His desk was pulled aside, the older man simply staring at his students. He sighed, his hands drooped lower and his head was pointed down, only the eyes looking up. The Professor's old brown suit had scuffs and tears in the knees, looking rather warn. Zlakalia thought he looked broken, defeated, tired. The other students were a lot louder than Zlakalia, the way they talked and joked waiting for class to begin. The scholars around her were mostly just young people, learning just the concepts of magic before moving on to greater things. Several of them had taken classes with Professor Stonemiller before, it seemed, or so the whispers would hint. "His classes are tough," Zlakalia heard to one side of her, and from another, "Stonemiller almost didn't let me here, said he wasn't sure I respected magic." Zlakalia sat silent. The whole room seemed to quiet with her. More than just that... The room was unnaturally still, the students all locking eyes with the Professor. No one seemed to move for a moment, the air only disturbed by the breathing of the big people. Something was going on, something strange. Zlakalia found herself unmoving as well, but more from a worry to blend in rather than any outside force. "I'm tired." The silence was broken by a younger student, and shortly after he slumped forward onto his desk. Several of the other students followed suit, some mumbling and others fighting to keep their eyes open, but many simply laying their heads against their desks and passing out. Zlakalia glanced around, trying to figure out what was going on. She stood up on the chair, her head finally peeking out over the desk surface above. "I missed one." The words were Stonemiller's as Zlakalia peered around, his eyes locked on her. "Why don't you sleep too?" Zlakalia gave him a curious glance before her mind was suddenly assaulted with the strangest of emotion, weariness. Like she just cried for hours or something, Zlakalia felt just completely drained and out, tired and weak mentally.