The scratching of pens spread through the room again. It was thinner now, but more even than before.
Those words still clung to everyone's ears. No one answered.
Everyone counted the time left in their own head. This time, they counted more carefully.
The white marks on the blackboard were denser than when they had arrived. So dense there was hardly room for another stroke.
Over by the door, the door was not the first thing to move.
A hand rose from a team in the neighboring row.
The person raising it first set down their pen, very gently. As though putting away something of their own.
The other hands on that team followed, without a word of discussion.
Their papers were turned facedown on the desks.
A proctor walked over, left the papers untouched, and merely tipped his chin toward the door.
The team stood and filed out, one after another. No one asked questions, and no one stopped them.
No one spoke as they left. They saved their words.
The chairs stood empty. No one moved to fill them. The empty seats stretched across two rows.
Before long, hands rose diagonally behind them as well.
This team left faster. They did not turn their papers over, just stood and went.
This time, the proctor did not even move.
Raise a hand, stand, leave-the three steps became one.
The door opened and closed. Waves of footsteps came in from the corridor, feet lifting in quick unison and landing just as quickly, heading straight for the stairs without slowing even there. They came more thickly than the occasional sob escaping into the room. With the windows open, they sounded closer than the people inside.
Those leaving held their backs straight, straighter than when they had come in.
Their pace was