Yara was a bit taken aback when Mirabe approached, not expecting Dr. Elliot to introduce the familiar-looking girl she''d seen before. Hearing him refer to her as "my student" only added to her surprise.


    The Physics Department and the Mathematics Faculty often worked together, but news of Dr. Elliot taking on a new student had somehow slipped under the radar.


    Yara was curious but yed it cool, shing a friendly smile at Mirabe. "Hi, I''m Yara."


    "Hi," Mirabe replied politely.


    With features that were almost ethereal-mist-like eyebrows and eyes that sparkled like blooming flowers-Mirabe exuded a kind of quiet elegance. Yara took a moment to appreciate her beauty before looking away.


    This girl was easily the most stunning person she''de across in ages. Plus, there was something genuinely pleasant about her presence.


    Dr. Elliot raised an eyebrow at Mirabe andmented, "Yara''s currently doing her PhD and is the youngest rising star in the Math Faculty. She didn''t even need to take the usual exams to advance. Quite the achievement."


    "You''re too kind, Dr. Elliot," Yara said, shaking her head modestly.


    Dr. Elliot chuckled and continued, "Actually, this student of mine is pretty good with numbers too. You should swap contact details; you might find it useful down the line."


    Yara wasn''t too surprised. Anyone under Dr. Elliot''s wing had to be top-notch.


    And she had a good feeling about Mirabe: straightforward, genuine, not one of those scheming types.


    Yara took out her phone and opened the Messenger app to her QR code. "Sure, add me on Messenger."


    Mirabe hesitated for a moment, then pulled out her phone and added Yara.


    Yara epted the request and sent over a smiley emoji as a friendly hello, then put her phone away. Looking up at Dr. Elliot, she said, "I''ll head out now, Dr. Elliot."


    She had just popped by to drop something off and didn''t want to linger.


    Dr. Elliot waved her off, and once Yara was out of sight, he turned to Mirabe. "Come on, let''s chat in my office."


    "Okay," Mirabe said, following him upstairs.


    In the office, Dr. Elliot poured a ss of water for Mirabe and handed her a document. "Take a look at this."


    Mirabe paused before taking the document from Dr. Elliot, skimming the first page quickly. "Is this about acoustic levitation research?"


    Dr. Elliot nodded. "Yes, it''s from the Math Faculty. They want to work with us to develop a sonar detector."


    Mirabe raised an eyebrow. "Sounds like a major project."


    Dr. Elliot set his ss down on the coffee table. "Might as well tell you it''s for detecting submarines."


    Mirabe''s cheeks twitched slightly. She set the document aside without reading more. "Acoustic levitation research is pretty advanced here. Are you worried about something?"


    Dr. Elliot, knowing she''d get to the heart of the matter right away, gave a small cough. "Not exactly worried..."


    "You''re concerned about the risks thate with sonar experiments," Mirabe said, finishing his thought.


    Every big experiment has its own risks, sometimes even life-threatening ones.


    Dr. Elliot''s expression turned serious as he leaned back on the sofa, lost in thought.


    Mirabe watched him, sharing in the silence, before finally speaking. "The road of scientific research is always going to be filled with challenges like these."