ALI

ALI Ali's introduction is much quieter than Wulf's. He gives his name without an accompanying list of achievements, and he asks to leave dinner early. Later, Skye finds him looking through the library. Those scenes make him easy to underestimate in a group with some very forceful personalities. He isn't making the loudest first impression, but there is already a serious problem attached to something he brought with him: the lamp. The way that problem develops also matters. Wulf has taken the object from Ali's bag without understanding what it is. Ali realizes it is missing and becomes frightened, while Wulf is treating it as an intriguing, potentially valuable possession. That sets up a conflict around trust and boundaries before these students have even settled in. Something belonging to the quietest person in the room has been taken, and the person taking it assumes he understands enough to handle it. Ali's place in the group is immediately tied to the difference between what the others see and what they don't yet know.