The atmosphere within the auditorium remained strangely quiet even after the assembly officially ended.
Students gradually began rising from their seats and making their way toward the exits, yet unlike the usual lively chatter that followed academy announcents, today’s departure carried a shared silence amongst nearly everyone present. Groups still ford naturally as they walked through the enormous hallways of Crownspire Academy, but the conversations remained subdued, many students visibly lost in thought after Valerian’s speech.
So discussed the breach.
So discussed the cost.
And many simply remained silent.
anwhile, Damon walked amongst the flow of students while keeping his hands casually inside his pockets, his expression as calm as ever despite the countless thoughts moving through his mind.
Beside him, Eric looked unusually quiet.
Which in itself was alarming.
anwhile, Khaira repeatedly glanced over her shoulder as though still trying to process the image of Valerian standing upon the stage with one empty sleeve.
Eventually, the students separated according to their assigned classes, streams of white-and-gold uniforms branching throughout the academy pathways until Damon, Eric, and Khaira finally arrived before the classroom designated for Class S.
The three entered together.
The familiar classroom stretched before them with its ascending rows of desks, large glass windows allowing sunlight to pour inside while the academy grounds remained visible beyond.
Without hesitation, Damon made his way toward the final row and occupied his usual seat.
A mont later—
Khaira dropped into the seat beside him.
anwhile, Eric occupied the other side.
One after another, the remaining students entered the classroom as well.
Soon afterward—
Zarhka and Mira entered through the doorway.
The mont Mira noticed Damon, her expression brightened slightly.
"You survived your vacation."
Damon glanced toward her.
"It wasn’t a vacation."
"It looked like one from here."
anwhile, Zarhka gave a respectful nod.
"Welco back."
Damon simply returned the greeting with a nod of his own.
Soon afterward, the classroom gradually filled with students until every seat beca occupied.
Yet despite everyone having returned from break—
The atmosphere remained noticeably quieter than usual.
Valerian’s speech still lingered within everyone’s minds.
The image of the empty sleeve lingered as well.
And because of that—
Nobody seed particularly eager to start conversations.
The classroom remained calm.
Silent.
Then—
BOOM!
A colorful burst of confetti suddenly exploded near the ceiling.
Several students physically jumped from their seats.
BOOM!
BOOM!
More confetti erupted from nowhere.
Bright magical fireworks exploded throughout the classroom.
And before anyone could react—
A familiar laugh echoed throughout the room.
"Hehehehehehahahahahahahaha!"
The students imdiately looked around in confusion.
"What—"
"Where did that co from?"
"Is instructor Valerian gonna teach today?"
Then—
A white figure dramatically erged from behind the teacher’s podium.
Valerian.
The man sohow stood there with both arms spread dramatically despite very obviously only possessing one arm.
Confetti continued raining from above.
"Hehehehehehahahahahaha!"
Several students simply stared.
Others looked exhausted already.
anwhile, Damon slowly closed his eyes.
Of course.
Valerian dramatically pointed toward the classroom.
"SO!"
His voice echoed throughout the room.
"YOU ALL KNOW WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN TODAY, RIGHT?!"
The students looked at one another.
Nobody knew.
Not a single person knew.
anwhile, Valerian looked delighted.
Then—
Before he could continue—
The classroom door opened.
And a familiar figure entered.
Miss Elowen.
The mont she saw Valerian standing at the front of the room—
Her expression imdiately froze.
A dangerous silence followed.
Then slowly—
Very slowly—
She adjusted her sleeves.
"Valerian."
The grin on Valerian’s face widened.
"Elowen!"
"What are you doing here?"
Valerian imdiately looked offended.
"What kind of question is that?!"
He pointed dramatically toward the classroom.
"This is my class!"
Elowen stared at him.
"You were ordered to rest."
Valerian gasped dramatically.
"Rest?!"
The students collectively braced themselves.
"I rested!"
"You returned yesterday."
"I slept for six hours!"
"That’s not resting."
"It absolutely counts!"
"It does not."
"It does if I say it does!"
Elowen slowly pinched the bridge of her nose.
anwhile, the students watched the exchange unfold with growing amusent.
The earlier gloom lingering within the classroom had already begun fading.
Even Khaira looked entertained.
"By the Ancestors..."
The beastwoman chuckled.
"He really is insane."
anwhile, Valerian continued arguing.
"Look at !"
He pointed proudly toward himself.
"I am perfectly healthy!"
The entire classroom imdiately looked toward the empty sleeve hanging beside him.
Silence followed.
Valerian coughed.
"...Mostly healthy."
Elowen’s eye twitched.
Then—
Without saying another word—
She casually raised one hand.
The classroom door opened again.
Two teaching assistants entered.
Valerian imdiately froze.
"...Elowen."
The smile on her face beca terrifyingly gentle.
"Remove him."
The teaching assistants imdiately stepped forward.
Valerian pointed accusingly.
"THIS IS TYRANNY!"
The assistants grabbed him.
"UNHAND !"
They continued dragging him away.
"I HAVE RIGHTS!"
The students struggled not to laugh.
"MY STUDENTS NEED !"
The assistants continued pulling him toward the exit.
"I AM AN EDUCATOR!"
"No," Elowen replied calmly.
"You are a patient."
"HEHEHEHEHA—WAIT NO!"
Valerian’s protests echoed throughout the hallway as he was dragged farther and farther away.
"THIS IS A CONSPIRACY!"
"I WILL REMBER THIS!"
"ELLOOWEEEENNNNN!"
His voice gradually disappeared into the distance.
The classroom fell silent afterward.
Then—
Almost simultaneously—
Half the class burst into laughter.
The mont Valerian’s voice completely disappeared from the hallway outside, the atmosphere inside Class S changed almost imdiately.
The earlier heaviness lingering after the auditorium assembly had already been weakened by Valerian’s ridiculous appearance, and after witnessing him get dragged away while screaming about conspiracies and educational rights, whatever gloom remained finally shattered completely.
Small laughs still escaped from several students.
Others exchanged amused glances.
Even so of the more serious students looked considerably more relaxed than before.
anwhile, Elowen simply stood calmly behind the podium while waiting for the classroom to settle on its own.
Once the remaining whispers finally faded, she offered a small smile before speaking.
"Since Professor Valerian has temporarily been removed from his duties for reasons that should be obvious to everyone..."
A few students imdiately laughed.
anwhile, sowhere far away in the corridor—
"IT’S POLITICAL OPPRESSION!"
Valerian’s distant voice sohow still echoed.
The classroom imdiately erupted into another round of laughter.
Even Elowen’s eye twitched slightly.
Eventually, after restoring order once more, she continued.
"For this week, I will be taking over Class S."
The students imdiately sat straighter.
Then a hand rose from the middle rows.
Elowen nodded.
"Go ahead."
The student stood.
"Will you be teaching Professor Valerian’s subject?"
Elowen imdiately shook her head.
"No."
The answer ca without hesitation.
"That is not my area of expertise."
Her gaze swept across the classroom.
"Professor Valerian’s specialty lies elsewhere. Since I have been assigned temporarily, we will continue with my own curriculum instead."
Several students visibly relaxed.
A few looked disappointed.
Others appeared relieved.
anwhile, Elowen lightly tapped the desk before continuing.
"Now then."
Her eyes moved across the room.
"How many of you have made progress with sensing mana and guiding it into your nadis?"
Imdiately, murmurs spread throughout the classroom.
Several students exchanged glances.
So looked confident.
Others looked frustrated.
anwhile, sitting in the last row—
Damon’s brows slowly furrowed.
Because the mont Elowen ntioned mana guidance—
A rather unpleasant mory resurfaced.
The carriage.
The journey back from the academy.
The instructions she had previously given.
And the mont he had attempted following them.
The mory imdiately returned.
The sensation of mana entering his body.
The sudden pressure.
The pain.
Then—
Blood.
Damon’s expression darkened slightly.
That definitely wasn’t normal.
At the ti, he had assud perhaps he had simply made a mistake.
Yet after speaking with nobody about it and hearing nobody ntion similar problems—
The experience only felt stranger.
anwhile, Elowen began walking through the classroom.
Instead of imdiately continuing the lesson, she stopped beside students one by one, asking them about their progress.
The first student stood nervously.
"I can sense the mana now, Instructor."
Elowen nodded.
"And the guidance process?"
The student scratched his head.
"It’s slow... but I can guide small amounts toward my first nadi."
"Good."
She continued onward.
Another student stood.
"I can sense mana clearly now, but maintaining concentration is difficult."
A third answered.
"The mana keeps dispersing before reaching the pathways."
A fourth admitted.
"I still struggle sensing it consistently."
Elowen patiently listened to every answer.
Corrected mistakes.
Offered suggestions.
Explained common problems.
And the more Damon listened—
The more his brows continued furrowing.
Because every experience being described sounded normal.
Difficulty sensing.
Difficulty concentrating.
Mana dispersing.
Slow progress.
Unstable control.
All of those sounded reasonable.
Yet not a single student ntioned coughing blood.
Not one.
Not even Khaira.
When Elowen eventually stopped near her, the beastwoman imdiately grinned proudly.
"I can feel tha mana already movin’ through tha first pathways!"
Elowen nodded.
"Any discomfort?"
Khaira thought briefly.
"Feels like runnin’ fer hours."
"Normal."
Then ca Eric.
The orange-haired boy imdiately looked nervous.
"I can sense it... I think."
"You think?"
"I an... probably."
Several students laughed.
Eric awkwardly rubbed the back of his head.
"It feels warm."
"That’s progress."
"And guiding it?"
Eric’s shoulders imdiately slumped.
"It ignores ."
The classroom laughed again.
Elowen smiled faintly.
"Also normal."
anwhile—
Damon’s expression remained unchanged.
Because the more answers he heard—
The stranger his own experience beca.
Not one student described pain.
Not one described injury.
Not one described physical damage.
Yet the mont he had attempted it—
His body had reacted violently.
Almost as though sothing inside him had rejected the process itself.
The thought lingered uncomfortably within his mind.
Then eventually—
After moving throughout almost the entire classroom—
Elowen finally arrived at the final row.
And stopped directly in front of Damon.
The classroom gradually grew quieter.
Because unlike most students—
Damon Valecrest’s answers were usually never boring.
anwhile, Elowen calmly looked down at him before asking the sa question she had asked everyone else.
"Studen Damon?"
Her voice remained gentle.
"How has your progress been?"
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