Her hand brushed over the papers she carried, the pages crisp and filled with neat lines of ink.
"This academy is a place of learning, yes. But it is also a place of power, where nas, families, and influence matter. You must tread carefully, or you will be crushed by forces larger than you."
Kael lowered his gaze. He wanted to argue, to insist that speaking the truth should be enough—but deep down, he knew she was right.
"...Thank you, Professor Sylvia," he said at last.
She gave a faint smile, though it carried a touch of weariness.
"Do not thank yet. My belief in you does not erase the suspicion of others. What lies ahead will test you more than today’s accusations."
Her eyes lingered on him a mont longer, as if to asure his resolve, then she straightened and gestured toward the door.
"Co. We’ve taken enough of the morning already. The students are waiting, and it’s not good for their ntor to keep them too long."
Kael nodded and followed as she stepped out of the staff room.
The corridors of the academy stretched long and bright, the sunlight spilling through tall windows.
Kael walked a pace behind Sylvia, though now it felt less like a burden and more like a reminder of the path he had chosen.
Sylvia carried the stack of papers in her hands as they approached the classroom instead at the ground zero.
Students who passed them in the hallway fell silent, bowing their heads slightly as she passed.
Kael noticed the contrast. Where his presence drew whispers and suspicion, hers commanded respect without a word.
At last, they reached the tall double doors that led back into the classroom.
Voices buzzed faintly inside—the restless chatter of students waiting for lessons to begin.
Sylvia paused, glancing at Kael briefly before opening the doors.
"Keep your focus where it belongs," she said. "On your growth, your strength. Let the rest... fall into place."
Kael drew in a quiet breath and nodded again. "I understand."
The doors swung open, and the hum of chatter imdiately hushed as Professor Sylvia stepped inside, her papers neatly tucked under her arm.
Kael followed her, trying to ignore the eyes that turned toward him.
The classroom fell silent almost imdiately as Professor Sylvia stepped.
The students’ chatter dwindled into whispers as she raised a hand, the papers neatly stacked in her grasp.
"Keep quiet," she said firmly.
"These papers are the results from the midterm break."
A murmur of anticipation ran through the room. So students shifted in their seats, eager, anxious, or perhaps dreading the outco.
She glanced toward Kael, who had been standing silently near the corner.
"Kael, take your seat," she said, her tone almost gentle. "I hope you all have done well during the break."
Kael nodded slightly, keeping his expression neutral, and walked toward an empty desk near the back.
He could feel eyes on him, so were curious, so were judgntal, but he ignored them, sitting down with a deep breath.
Professor Sylvia placed the papers on the lectern, letting them rustle softly. She adjusted her stance, then began to read aloud, her voice even but firm.
"Let’s hear the results from top to bottom. First, Elysia von Artica, with 323 points."
A ripple of applause and murmurs ran through the classroom. Elysia’s cheeks turned pink, and she bowed slightly, a mixture of pride and modesty on her face.
"Second, Edwin Leonhart, 320 points."
Edwin smirked and nodded toward a few classmates, who whispered their congratulations.
"Third, Jin Halden, 281 points. Fourth, Cecelia—270 points."
A few students whispered among themselves, murmuring approval. So glanced at Cecelia with curiosity and admiration, noting her steady performance.
Kael’s eyes tracked the rising tension as nas and scores continued, each announcent t with applause, murmurs, and excited chatter.
He kept his gaze fixed on the desk, not letting the noise disturb him.
But Cecelia... she froze.
When Sylvia read her na earlier, she had smiled faintly, ready to accept the usual praise.
But as the scores continued downward and the nas approached Kael’s, her heart had begun to beat faster.
There had been a tension, a knot of unease that grew with each passing na.
Finally, Sylvia’s voice dropped, reading deliberately, "Kael... 92nd place, 142 points."
A hollow silence followed. Unlike the applause or murmurs that greeted Elysia, Edwin, Jin, or Cecelia, there was nothing.
No reaction, no whispers. Only the sound of papers shuffling as Sylvia adjusted her stack.
Cecelia’s eyes widened, frozen in shock as she looked toward Kael. His expression remained unreadable, calm as if the result didn’t matter—but deep inside, he felt the weight of the numbers, the yawning gap between himself and his peers.
Professor Sylvia noticed Cecelia’s distant staring at Kael. Her brow furrowed slightly, and she adjusted her glasses.
"Cecelia," she said.
"Concentrate. Don’t day dream."
So of the students laughed and giggled.
Cecelia blinked rapidly, snapping back to reality.
"Sorry madam", she said.
She lowered her gaze and nodded, forcing her attention on the front of the classroom, though her mind still lingered on Kael’s na.
Sylvia continued reading down the list, going through students in order, each na paired with a score.
So students whispered congratulations to one another; others smirked at unexpected rankings.
The occasional gasp and laugh filled the room as surprising results were announced.
Kael sat quietly, shoulders slightly hunched, hands resting on the desk.
He did not speak, did not flinch, though he could feel the eyes of several classmates burning into him.
So were curious, others judgntal, and a few, like Cecelia, held a mix of shock and confusion.
Finally, the last nas were read. Sylvia cleared her throat, the quiet settling into a heavy stillness.
"Kael," she said quietly. "Numbers do not define you. Your growth, your actions, and what you’ve learned... those are far more important than a score on a paper."
Kael nodded once, faintly, acknowledging her words.
For now, the numbers sat heavy on his shoulders, but her statent gave him a small, almost imperceptible sense of reassurance.
The murmurs continued among the students, their reactions to the top perforrs still buzzing, but Kael felt removed from it, the quiet focus inside him deepening.
Cecelia, though still unsettled, managed to take a deep breath and focus once more on the classroom’s proceedings, her concern for him lingering silently.
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