The mana in the air slowly stilled, fading like ripples after a storm. The field slled faintly of scorched earth and cold iron, the only sound the distant hum of magic retreating back into its casters.
Selene stepped forward, her heels crunching softly against the broken ground.
Her erald eyes found Eran, and for a mont it felt like the entire field had gone still again. She leaned in slightly, her expression unreadable, but beneath her calm, Eran saw it.
Guilt.
Warmth.
And sothing she couldn’t put into words.
Eran t her gaze without flinching, his own eyes calm, unreadable, yet carrying a weight that only she could understand.
"I’m glad you’re safe," Selene said quietly, her voice carrying the faintest tremor of relief.
Eran’s lips curved into a faint smile.
And then...
Evelis stepped up next, his golden glow long gone, but his presence still commanding. His gaze swept over the field, then stopped on Eran as if trying to read sothing no one else could see.
"The training will be canceled for now," Evelis said finally, his voice deep and decisive. "Until further notice."
His smirk returned... that knowing, almost amused curl of his lips, before he turned to the crowd.
"That’s enough for today," he called out, his tone laced with lazy authority. "Go. Get so rest."
The nobles hesitated only a mont before whispers began to spread like wildfire. Their boots shuffled as they began leaving in small groups, their voices thick with speculation, awe, and disbelief.
Evelis walked past them, casual as ever, and with a flick of his fingers a glowing portal shimred into existence, its edges warping the air around it.
And even as the portal shimred open, the crowd’s eyes were still fixed on Miyu.
The mory of that final mont still burned in their minds the enormous violet circuit flaring wide, mana surging like a living storm, her eyes glowing with a deadly light as she swiped the skeleton down in a single devastating PUSH.
They had all seen it.
They had all felt it.
And yet... none of them knew.
None dared even glance at Eran.
All their awe, all their whispers, were pinned on Miyu alone.
"She isn’t just a Grade D..." soone murmured under their breath.
"No way soone with that much mana is just Rank II."
"Did the academy misclassify her? Or is she hiding her true strength?"
"Either way... that wasn’t normal. Not for soone like her."
Miyu’s steps were slow, her head slightly bowed, cheeks still burning crimson. She knew. She knew it hadn’t been her. That last burst of power, that final command had not co from her hands.
Her heart thudded confusedly as she passed through the portal, feeling every eye on her back.
One by one, the nobles followed, the sound of their whispers still buzzing like flies in the tense air as they stepped through the hall.
The whispers didn’t die down, if anything, they grew louder, swirling like an invisible storm around them. Every step across the hall echoed with curious glances and half-hidden smirks.
Eran walked with his hands in his pockets, his expression unreadable, though his mind wasn’t still.
He could only imagine what must be running through Miyu’s head at that very mont the weight of every eye, every murmur, pressing down on her pride.
Miyu, on the other hand, walked with her head slightly bowed, crimson still burning across her cheeks. She could hear every murmur, every doubt, every "there’s no way she’s still a Grade D..." and "did you see the size of that circuit?!" Their words cut sharp, like needles, pricking her pride with each step.
For just a mont, Eran glanced at her from the corner of his eye. She caught it and quickly looked away, lips pressed tight.
Then Nyssa’s voice cut through the noise, clear and commanding.
"Everyone," she said, her tone soft but firm enough to silence the nearest group of whispering nobles. "Follow Selene and Evelis to the chamber. You all need to rest for now."
Her words seed to settle over them like a calming spell. Even the boldest whispers quieted, leaving only the sound of footsteps and faint rustles of cloaks.
Miyu hesitated at first but nodded faintly, still refusing to et anyone’s eyes. Eran simply exhaled a small laugh under his breath, scratching the back of his neck as he trailed behind her.
The group moved slowly, their collective energy a strange mix of tension and awe. It wasn’t just exhaustion that weighed on them it was the image of what they had just witnessed, the power they had seen displayed.
And through it all, Eran’s smirk deepened just slightly.
As they walked the length of the hall, the silence pressed in, broken only by the asured sound of their boots against the stone.
Nyssa slowed her pace, stepping just close enough to Miyu’s side. Her lips curved into the faintest, approving smile.
"You were really impressive," she said, her voice warm but firm. "What you did back there on the field... you saved your class partner’s life."
Miyu’s steps hesitated just slightly, her pulse spiking at the praise. Slowly, her eyes drifted not to Nyssa but to Eran just behind her.
Eran t her stare without a word, his head tilting lazily to the side, as if to say, You know the truth.
That small, infuriatingly calm smirk tugged at his lips, as though he was savoring her reaction.
Miyu’s throat tightened, her face flushing crimson all the way to her ears. She quickly faced forward again, clutching the edge of her uniform to keep her composure, but her burning cheeks betrayed her.
By the ti they reached the chamber, the whispers of the halls had faded behind them, leaving only the sound of the door sliding shut with a low hum.
The room was quiet — not empty quiet, but alive. Verdant mana hung thick in the air, glowing faintly at every corner like threads of erald light woven into the very walls. It pulsed softly, a rhythm that matched the beat of a calm heart, filling the space with an almost sacred serenity.
Eran’s eyes wandered across the chamber as he stepped inside. This was his first ti here, and he could feel it, the place wasn’t just a room, it was breathing. Each breath of mana brushed against his skin, tasting his presence, asuring him.
And Miyu lingered just behind him, her gaze shifting across the glowing corners. The violet in her own eyes shimred faintly in response, as though the room recognized the power she had just unleashed outside.
Nyssa moved past them with quiet grace, her green mana almost blending with the room itself as she raised her hand. "Sit," she said, her tone gentle but firm.
Verdant ripples spread across the floor, weaving into three faintly glowing circles , one for each of them.
Eran smirked faintly and stepped into the nearest one, lowering himself into the circle with a casual ease that made Miyu want to glare at him again — and she almost did, but she was too aware of the heat still lingering on her cheeks.
Nyssa’s gaze lingered on Miyu a mont longer. "Your mana is still fluctuating," she said. "Let the chamber work with you. It’ll stabilize your flow."
She hesitated before finally stepping into her circle, her long hair falling over her shoulders as she stepped in. The mana welcod her instantly, humming louder as though responding only to her.
Eran noticed, his smirk widening. Even the chamber reacts to her, he thought, but his mind was already playing a different ga, her conquest bar had jumped in his system, and he knew this quiet mont might just push it further.
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