Adam however completely ignored Ryan’s attempt to quit the group.
His focus was singular. His gaze was sharp and piercing.
"Ryan," he said his voice calm yet carrying an undeniable chilling weight "if you don’t tell the truth do you really think I won’t be able to find it out myself?"
The question so confidently stated caused a look of pure unadulterated surprise to flash across Ryan’s face.
But Adam didn’t give him any more ti to react. He did not give him ti to formulate another lie or a desperate plea.
He moved with a swift decisive motion. His hand shot out. He pressed it firmly against Ryan’s forehead.
"Recall," Adam commanded his voice a low resonant whisper. It was a command not a request.
The mont his palm made contact with Ryan’s skin Adam’s consciousness plunged into Ryan’s mories.
The world of the sterile quiet nurse’s office dissolved. It was replaced by a vivid first-person recollection of the previous night’s terrible events. Adam was now seeing the world through Ryan’s eyes.
He saw through Ryan’s eyes experienced the fear and the trepidation as Ryan sat alone in his new dormitory room.
Then he saw a tapping at the window.
A bird not an ordinary bird but a magical beast a construct of feathers and arcane energy was perched on the sill. It spoke its voice a strange synthesized squawk.
It was summoning Ryan to go outside.
"Ryan," the magical bird had chirped its voice tinged with an unnatural commanding tone
"how dare you betray us? How dare you leave the Red Team? Master Samba is summoning you now. You will co outside."
Adam saw Ryan’s initial reluctance his fear of what awaited him outside in the dark. He saw Ryan try to ignore the summons.
He saw him try to pretend he didn’t hear it. But the bird was relentless.
Its voice grew louder more insistent. Its tapping on the window beca more frantic more demanding.
Finally worn down by the persistent magical harassnt Ryan had given in. He knew he couldn’t ignore it forever. He had agreed to et with Samba.
The mory shifted. Ryan was now outside a short distance from the dormitory building.
He was near the park where Eric had sat just hours before. Samba the leader of the Red Team was there.
He was standing alone his arms crossed over his chest a smug contemptuous look on his face.
And standing a few paces behind Samba a tall imposing figure with dark hair was Cian.
He was one of the most powerful and influential students in the entire Academy a senior mber of the Red Team.
Ryan seeing the two of them waiting for him was terrified. He approached them his steps hesitant his body trembling. His voice also trembled as he spoke. "Samba," he had said his voice barely a whisper
"I’ve already told you I’ve joined a new group. I don’t want to be in any other group now. Please leave alone."
A cruel smile spread across Samba’s face. "You’re addressing by my na?" he had sneered his voice dripping with condescending nace.
"Have you already forgotten the rules of this Academy Ryan? A first-year does not address a senior by his na."
Before Ryan could even respond or apologize Samba had vanished. He reappeared instantly directly in front of Ryan. He grabbed the back of Ryan’s head his grip like iron. And he slamd Ryan’s face into the hard-packed earth of the ground.
"We have already told you," Samba had snarled his voice a low vicious hiss as he ground Ryan’s face into the dirt "whoever breaks the rules of this place will be punished. You showed no respect to your senior. And for that you must be punished."
Throughout this brutal one-sided assault Cian had simply stood there.
His hands were still casually tucked into his pockets. He was watching the scene with a bored detached amusent.
It was as if he were observing a mildly interesting if ultimately insignificant insect being crushed under soone’s boot. He did not care at all.
Samba had then stepped back. He looked down at the bleeding terrified boy on the ground.
"We didn’t call you here to ask you to rejoin our group," he had stated coolly. "We have no use for a traitor like you. We called you here to give you a warning."
In the mory Ryan had pushed himself up from the ground. His nose was bleeding freely. His face was already beginning to swell and bruise from the impact. The pain had been sharp and intense.
But it was nothing compared to the overwhelming terror that had gripped him. His fear had intensified. A cold chilling dread had settled deep in his bones.
He had co to the United Academy with such high hopes. He wanted to learn strategy military tactics. He wanted to learn how to coordinate companies of magicians in battle. Ryan’s mind was his greatest asset.
He was brilliant a strategic prodigy. But he had always been acutely aware of his one great weakness.
He lacked personal power. He possessed neither significant magical talent nor a physically strong body.
He was in a world that valued strength above all else very vulnerable. And now on his very first night he was paying the price for that vulnerability. He was being punished simply for being weak.
Ryan has always wanted to be a great warrior like the Emperor, but since childhood he has never been able to manifest magical energy or physical power.
And his family didn’t have enough money to teach him all these things, however he learned all about magical and warrior in his village itself and cracked the exam and ca here.
Ryan loves studying but he doesn’t have any fighting experience and he is cursing himself in this situation.
Whatever is happening is all his fault and he apologizes to Eric in his mind.
Then Ryan stands up in front of Samba and says, "I will not leave that group, you can do whatever you want".
Samba is very surprised to hear the answer from Ryan.
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