Morning dawned after a night that felt longer than it should have. For Arian, a few hours of sleep after unraveling a dark conspiracy felt like a brief commercial break in the middle of a thrilling movie. Yet, the mask had to be donned again. With a deliberately unenthusiastic stride, he walked down the academy's bustling marble corridors.
Mid-way, a solitary figure in the deserted Student Council room caught his attention.
Of course, it was Reyna Ven Venotetra.
She stood alone by the window, her back slightly slumped, gazing out with a melancholic expression. Like Arian, she was a master of deception, disguised as an inconspicuous ordinary student. The difference was, Arian did it for freedom, while Reyna did it out of duty. The Emperor, in all his enigmatic wisdom, chose to conceal the existence of his youngest daughter from the public eye. Her name erased, her face a secret. A trump card, perhaps, held in reserve for the future of the empire.
Arian watched her for a moment. The girl's solitude felt so palpable, an invisible golden cage. Feeling a touch impulsive, he paused at the doorway.
"Hey, Reyna," Arian greeted casually, raising his right hand slightly.
The girl startled, as if pulled from a deep reverie. Her purple eyes widened as they met Arian's, a flicker of panic crossing them before she quickly re-erected her defenses. She just stared, frozen, not uttering a single word.
For someone who wants to be inconspicuous, a reaction like that is like setting off a flare in the middle of the night, Arian thought with a hint of amusement. He didn't wait for a reply, just gave a small nod, then turned and continued his walk to class.
Upon arriving in class, as he went to set down his bag, his eyes caught something unusual on the surface of his desk. Etched with strange precision, as if scored with a heated needle, was a symbol. A hexagram, a six-pointed star.
"What's this?" Arian muttered softly, his tone perfectly mimicking the confusion of an ordinary student. "I've never seen this mark before."
A lie. As Kayze, he knew exactly what a hexagram was—an ancient symbol often associated with summoning magic, seals, and balance. The question wasn't 'what is this,' but 'who.' Who was audacious enough to place a symbol of power on the desk of a supposed 'loser' known throughout the academy?
As Arian still feigned deep thought, a pair of expensive leather boots landed with an arrogant thud right in front of his desk. No need to look up to know who they belonged to.
"Look what we have here," Kaelen Valerius's voice dripped with scorn. "The failed son of a distinguished family. Tell me, Vallen, how can such noble blood produce a defect like you? Was your family's rigorous training too much for your tiny brain?"
Arian remained silent, gazing at the hexagram on his desk as if it were far more interesting than Kaelen's presence.
"What? Are you mad?" Kaelen smirked, relishing the silence. "Come on, hit me with your pathetic light magic. Oh, I forgot. You can't do anything without your loyal guard dog, Efasa, can you?"
Arian let the words flow over him like meaningless breeze. Anger was a luxury he couldn't afford in this role.
Seeing no reaction, Kaelen intensified. "Or perhaps you'd like to face me in the final exam later this semester? I'll show you the difference between true nobility and a family disgrace."
Arian finally looked up, meeting Kaelen's gaze with an expression of resignation. "No need. I concede. My apologies."
"Hmph," Kaelen scoffed in disgust. "Know your place. You're pathetic." He finally turned away, seemingly satisfied after achieving an absolute, unchallenged victory. As expected, bullies grow tired if their prey doesn't give them the reaction they crave.
Class began. It was Magic Resonance, taught by Professor Jia, a middle-aged woman with sharp eyes and a husky voice. She might be a bit rough, but her explanations were always logical and cut straight to the core of the issue.
"To create high-level magic, a large amount of mana is needed," Professor Jia began without preamble. "That's what fools know. The question is, how do we circumvent that law? How do we create high-level magic with minimal mana usage?"
No one answered. Silence filled the classroom.
Professor Jia snorted. "The method is mana compression. You force a large amount of mana into a much smaller conceptual 'container' before releasing it. Imagine compressing a spring as tightly as possible. When released, its force will be far greater."
She paused for a moment, looking at her students one by one. "But, there's a risk. If your mental container cracks under the pressure, if you can't withstand it... a backlash will occur, frying your magical circuits from within. Understand?"
Different, Arian thought. My technique isn't about forced compression, but resonant efficiency. Far more elegant, and the risk is almost zero.
The lesson ended, and the long-awaited break time arrived. Zaken immediately approached his desk with a dejected face.
"Ugh, Arian! You're lucky you got magic class. I just had magic mathematics! Numbers, formulas, calculus... my head feels like it's going to explode!" Zaken complained.
Arian chuckled softly. "Pfft… you poor thing."
"You should've been in my class. You're good at academics, your theoretical grades are always perfect," Zaken said, completely oblivious to the irony in his words.
"Well, I quite like numbers. I can manage a bit," Arian replied humbly.
After some light chatter, they decided to go to the cafeteria. However, the scene there was less than pleasant. In the middle of the cafeteria, Kaelen Valerius was at it again, in his seemingly eternal role as the school bully. His victim this time was a shy girl with pale pink hair and a slightly faded uniform—the mark of a commoner scholarship student.
"...pathetic," Kaelen sneered, his voice loud enough for everyone to hear. "How can a commoner with mediocre abilities like you be accepted here? This academy is truly ruined. Shameful."
The girl, Lena, merely bowed her head, the tray in her hands trembling. No one dared to intervene.
Except for one person.
"That's enough, Kaelen!" Zaken stepped forward, shoving Kaelen's shoulder until the arrogant youth stumbled slightly.
Kaelen turned, surprised. "Huh? Who are you to interfere?"
"Do you think I'm scared just because you're a Valerius? You only pick on the weaker ones," Zaken retorted with an angry glare.
"Ha! You're just Vallen's lapdog!" Kaelen scoffed. "What can you do?"
"Fight me," Zaken said, his voice steady. "In the final exam. In front of everyone."
Kaelen burst into laughter. "You challenge me? Hahaha, foolish!"
"If you lose," Zaken continued, unfazed. "You have to apologize to everyone you've ever bullied, and stop doing it forever."
"Funny idea," Kaelen sneered, his eyes glinting cruelly. "Alright. I accept. I won't lose anyway. But... if you lose," his tone turned serious and cold. "You will renounce your family name, become a commoner, and swear fealty to me for the rest of your life."
A horrifying wager. Lena, the pink-haired girl, immediately panicked. "No! It doesn't have to be like this! Thank you for helping me, Mr. Efasa, but this..."
"Hey," Zaken cut in, turning to Lena and gently taking her hand to calm her. "Don't you believe in me?"
"What a comedy show," Kaelen muttered in disgust, before finally leaving them.
The battle was set. A pledge had been made on hubris and bravery. The fiery hero against the cold antagonist. On paper, Kaelen was superior in every way.
And amidst the drama, Arian merely observed from a distance, calmly sipping his juice. A chess piece everyone mistook for a pawn, when in fact, he was the player. And the game had just become much more interesting.