***********

"Who are you?" he inquired.

"What do you mean, sir?" Lyra responded.

"Are you human?" he asked, his gaze fixed on her.

"Please stop confusing me with your questions. I am human, and you know that, sir," she replied.

"What kind of human could survive such a corrosive acid?" he continued, still astonished.

"I can't explain it; I'm just as surprised as you are," she admitted.

The other students stood frozen, their eyes wide and expressions filled with shock as they stared at Lyra.

Lyra glanced at Linda and noticed the astonishment reflected in his eyes.

"You did this on purpose, didn't you?" Rose shouted.

"What... what do you...