When Cian took the bottle, Layland clenched his hands tightly in his lap. Anticipation made him antsy, so much so that he watched every little move that Cian made with hawkish eyes. He noticed when the top of the bottle wouldn't come off and Cian just peeled it away. At least that's what it looked like. Layland made a mental note to check the lab for any foreign chemicals that could elicit hallucinations.

At first, he was sure he didn't hear right when Cian said it didn't work. The words surprised him, not just because this should have been impossible, but because he had become so intent on watching the other student that his voice made Layland jump. "Are you sure it didn't work?" he demanded, just barely keeping his voice down. A quick glance assured him that eyes were mostly keeping away from the little corner table. Mostly anyway.

"I need a detailed explanation of your symptoms and anything, anything at all that may have changed between the first and second potion." He couldn't believe that the potion didn't work. He'd seen the test results himself and just the fact that he could have failed in something made him feel dizzy. He dropped his head onto his hand, barely censoring a curse.