The morning sun filtered through the high windows of the lecture hall, casting long beams of light across the tiered seating.

I sat in my usual spot near the back, spinning a quill between my fingers.

The class was buzzing. Not the usual drowsy Monday morning murmur, but a sharp, hushed whispering that stopped whenever I looked in a specific direction.

I frowned.

'Something is amiss.'

I scanned the room.

The chalkboard was clean. The instructor hadn't arrived yet. The students were in their seats.

Wait.

I looked at the front row, center seat.

It was empty.

Usually, that seat was occupied by a beacon of golden hair and righteous energy. Kael never missed a class. He was the type of student who arrived early to polish his desk.

'The Golden Boy isn't here.'

My gaze shifted to the left.

There sat Elisha. The elf archer wasn't looking at her textbook. She was looking at me.

Her eyes were narrowed into slits, burning with a hostility so potent I could almost feel the heat on my skin. If looks could kill, I'd have an arrow through my skull right now. Beside her, Mariella looked nervous, refusing to make eye contact with anyone.

'Ah,' I thought, a slow realization dawning. 'So that's it.'

Just then, a soft rustle of fabric announced an arrival.

Ariana slid into the seat beside me. She smelled faintly of the expensive soap from my estate—a lingering reminder of the weekend.

She didn't even say hello.

"You reported Kael?!"

She exclaimed it in a harsh whisper, leaning in close, her eyes wide with disbelief.

I blinked, confused by her sudden intensity.

"Yeah," I replied casually, opening my notebook. "And why does that come as such a surprise to you? I told you yesterday I was going to handle it."

"You are really asking me that?" She looked at me incredulously. "I mean, seriously, Lucien. Your reputation is… otherwise, you know?"

I raised an eyebrow.

"Otherwise?"

"Usually, you would have… I don't know, challenged him to a duel? Hired some ruffians? Get some upperclassmen to bully him? You know, villain stuff." She gestured vaguely. "I didn't think you'd go to the teacher."

I chuckled softly.

"Well, people change, don't they? Why dirty my hands when I can use the rules?"

Ariana paused. She looked at me—at the faint smile on my lips, the relaxed posture.

A softness entered her eyes.

She leaned in closer than usual, her shoulder pressing comfortably against mine. It was a bold move for her, a shift in our dynamic since the bridge.

"Well," she whispered, a small smile playing on her lips. "I am glad you changed. The new you is… smarter. And cuter."

I felt a slight heat rise in my neck.

"Ha, ha. You have gotten bolder, haven't you?" I teased, nudging her back.

She didn't retreat. She just hummed happily.

"But seriously," I asked, lowering my voice. "How do you know I reported Kael? I didn't mention the specific details to anyone but Samantha."

Ariana stopped organizing her pens. She turned her head slowly, looking at me like I was some sort of weirdo from another planet.

"Did you come here with your ears closed?"

"What?"

"I mean, everyone is talking about it, Lucien."

"Talking about me reporting him?"

"No," she shook her head. "Talking about the fallout."

She pointed toward the empty seat in the front row.

"They're talking about Kael's suspension."

I paused. "Suspension?"

"He has been suspended for a week," Ariana stated matter-of-factly. "For attacking a fellow cadet unprovoked. The notice went up on the bulletin board this morning. 'Conduct unbecoming of a Knight.'"

She glanced at Elisha, who was still glaring daggers at us.

"Well, everyone knows who he attacked. It doesn't take a genius to connect the dots between your bruised nose yesterday and his empty seat today."

I leaned back in my chair, a genuine look of surprise crossing my face.

"Oh."

I looked at the empty seat again.

"So he actually got suspended."

I expected a detention. Maybe some deducted points. But a full week's suspension right before the Mid-Semester Assessments?

Samantha really didn't play around.

"That explains why his friends look like they want to murder me," I mused, glancing at Elisha again.

"Let them look," Ariana said fiercely, opening her textbook with a snap. "He deserved it."

I smirked, resting my chin on my hand.

"Indeed he did."

The Hero was gone for a week. The Villain was sitting comfortably in class with the girl.

'Looks like it's going to be a peaceful week.'

***

The door to the lecture hall slammed open.

Instructor Samantha Hall strode in, her presence instantly silencing the room. She wasn't carrying textbooks today. She was wearing her full combat gear—a sleek, silver breastplate over a combat uniform, her rapier strapped to her hip.

"Put your books away," she commanded, her voice echoing off the walls.

She scanned the room, her grey eyes sharp as flint.

"The Mid-Semester Assessments are next week. So we will be having a mock practical assessment today.

She pointed toward the exit.

"To the Training Arena. Now."

****

[The Training Arena]

The arena was a massive, dome-shaped structure filled with the smell of ozone, sweat, and polished steel. The floor was made of reinforced mana-stone, capable of absorbing high-tier spells without shattering.

We gathered in the spectator stands. Samantha stood in the center of the dueling ring.

"Today is a practical assessment," she announced. "A simulation of the upcoming exams. The rules are simple: First blood, incapacitation, or surrender. Use whatever weapon suits you. Magic is allowed up to Tier 3."

She pulled a clipboard from her belt.

"This will not be graded, but I will be watching. Yo ur performance here will dictate your matchups next week. Do not disappoint me."

She looked at the list.

"First match. Cadet Bordon Eisenwald vs Cadet Jarek Lance."

Bordon stood up from the front row, cracking his neck. The massive tank of the protagonist party looked even bigger in his training armor.

His opponent, Jarek, was a lanky noble from a minor house who wielded a long spear.

They stepped into the ring.

"Ready?" Samantha raised her hand. "Begin!"

WHOOSH.

Jarek moved first. He knew he couldn't match Bordon in strength, so he used his range. The spear tip glowed with a faint blue aura—[Wind Pierce].

He thrust forward, the spear blurring like a viper's tongue.

CLANG!

The sound of metal on metal rang through the arena.

Bordon hadn't even moved his feet. He had raised his massive tower shield, catching the spear tip dead center. Sparks flew.

"Too slow!" Bordon grunted.

"Don't get cocky, meathead!" Jarek shouted.

Jarek retracted the spear and unleashed a flurry of strikes. Clang! Clang! Clang! He danced around Bordon, aiming for the gaps in the heavy armor—the knees, the armpits, the neck.

Bordon pivoted, his movements heavy but precise. He was a fortress.

"[Skill: Iron Will]," Bordon roared.

A golden aura enveloped him. He stopped blocking and started walking forward.

Jarek thrust his spear at Bordon's shoulder. The tip connected, but instead of piercing, it skidded off the golden aura with a screech.

Jarek's eyes widened. "What the—"

Bordon was inside his guard.

"My turn."

Bordon didn't use his sword. He slammed the flat of his shield forward.

[Shield Bash].

BAM!

The impact was like a cannonball hitting a wall. Jarek's spear bent under the pressure, and the lanky cadet was lifted off his feet. He flew backward five meters, crashing into the barrier with a groan.

"Winner, Cadet Bordon," Samantha announced calmly.

She looked at the groaning Jarek. "Speed is useless if you cannot penetrate the defense. You wasted your mana on flashy strikes."

She looked at Bordon. "Effective. But you rely too much on your armor. Against a lightning mage, you would have been cooked inside that can."

Bordon bowed, sweating slightly. "Understood, Instructor."

*****

"Next match," Samantha called out. "Cadet Elisha vs Cadet Vane."

This was going to be interesting.

Elisha, the elf archer, stepped into the ring. She looked angry. With Kael suspended, she seemed desperate to prove that their party wasn't weak. She held a composite short-bow.

Vane was a fire mage, known for his volatile temper and heavy firepower.

"Begin!"

"Burn!" Vane screamed immediately.

He didn't wait. He slammed his staff down. [Fireball].

A sphere of roaring flame the size of a beach ball hurtled toward Elisha.

The crowd gasped. That was a lethal spell at this range.

Elisha didn't flinch.

She slid across the floor on her knees, bending her body backward. The fireball roared over her face, singing the tips of her ears.

As she slid, she drew three arrows in one fluid motion.

Thwip. Thwip. Thwip.

The arrows were coated in green mana—[Wind Enchantment].

Vane panicked, raising a [Flame Shield].

The first arrow hit the shield and evaporated. The second arrow hit the exact same spot, cracking the mana barrier. The third arrow punched through the crack.

Rip.

It tore through Vane's robe, pinning his sleeve to the ground.

"Ah!" Vane stumbled, trying to yank his arm free.

"Don't move," Elisha hissed.

She was already on her feet, sprinting. She didn't reload. She used the bow itself as a melee weapon.

She leaped, spinning in the air, and slammed the reinforced edge of her bow into Vane's jaw.

Crack.

Vane spun and hit the floor, knocked out cold.

The arena went silent. It had taken ten seconds.

"Winner, Cadet Elisha," Samantha said, raising an eyebrow. "Ruthless. Good use of momentum. But you are too emotional. You over-committed to the final strike. If he had a hidden dagger, you would be bleeding."

Elisha glared at the unconscious mage, then walked off the stage, shooting a hateful glance toward the back row—right at me.

I just watched, unmoved.

'Impressive,' I noted internally. 'Her agility has increased. But she's fighting angry. Anger makes you predictable.'

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