March 10th, 2012 — 12:45 PM
Asura Academy — Class C Homeroom
Perspective: Elfina
The afternoon sun was warm and golden, spilling through the tall classroom windows and painting glowing stripes across our wooden desks. ✨
The final bell had already rung, but nobody had packed their bags to leave.
I sat comfortably in my seat, humming a little tune under my breath as a small crowd of classmates swarmed around my desk.
Ever since I came back to class, feeling completely energized after Kai's magical medicine took away all my tummy ache, everyone had been trying to talk to me!
"Elfie, are you really feeling all better?" Cressida asked cheerfully, leaning over my desk with a bright grin, her brown pigtails bouncing. "We were so worried when you were gone for two days! Class felt so boring without our cute representative!"
"I'm completely fine now, cress! Super healthy!" I beamed, flexing my arms like a tiny champion. 🌸
Right across from me, Kai was leaning back in his chair, his head resting against one hand as he lazily spun a wooden pencil between his fingers.
Clack. Clack. Clack.
The pencil flipped across his knuckles in a smooth, continuous circle, never once dropping. He looked so calm and relaxed, staring out the long window at the drifting clouds as if the loud, gossiping classroom didn't even exist.
He's so cool... 🥰
My chest fluttered with that familiar, warm squeeze. Whenever I looked at him, I still remembered the feeling of his warm arms holding me tight against his chest last night, his soft voice promising he would never leave his little girl, and his healed hands holding mine under the lavender blanket.
The heavy wooden classroom doors swung open with a dramatic swoosh.
Instructor Aisha Olyvra swept into the room, her emerald-green robes flowing behind her like liquid silk. Her silver-blonde hair was pinned up with an elegant jade comb, her gold-flecked eyes scanning the classroom with sharp, motherly authority.
The classroom instantly went dead silent. Cress scrambled back to her desk, and even the students whispering in the back row sat up straight.
Aisha walked up to the podium, placing both hands on the polished wood, a mysterious, calculating smile touching her lips.
"Good afternoon, my lovely students," Aisha greeted, her melodic voice carrying effortlessly across the room. "I know the final bell has rung, but the Academy Board has just finalized the official parameters for your upcoming trial. Listen closely, because this affects whether all of you remain in this academy."
She tapped the black chalkboard behind her with a piece of chalk, writing a large, bold date across the center:
MARCH 14TH, 2012 — THE TRI-LABYRINTH SIEGE: LIFE NEXUS
A collective murmur of nervous gasps rippled through the room.
"Today is March 10th," Aisha announced, her gaze sweeping over our anxious faces. "You have exactly 4 days to prepare. On March 12th, I will provide the final tactical terrain hints and simulation rules. But today, you must understand your freedom. Plus a short hint, 3 wishes to your advantage! Try to come up with a few..."
She turned back to the board, drawing two glowing circles and surrounding them with six smaller circles.
"As I explained before, each class will have two Soul Anchors. One is selected randomly by the simulation array right before the exam begins. The second anchor is chosen by your class through a direct, democratic vote."
Aisha paused, leaning against the podium as her eyes sparkled.
"However, the High Council has revised the combat structure. Previously, the six Knights defending the two souls were going to be randomly drafted. That restriction has been abolished."
The classroom erupted in murmurs.
"Abolished?!" Roman muttered, his jaw dropping.
"Yes," Aisha smiled. "You have complete autonomy. In total, Class C will field 7 active combatants: 1 Soul Anchors and 6 designated Knights. All 6 Knights will be chosen by your own class vote. Three will be assigned to protect Soul A, and three will protect Soul B. The rest of the class will remain in the observation gallery to provide real-time strategic counsel through your class link."
The tension in the room snapped like a stretched bowstring.
Sophia sat up with an icy, composed smirk, her cold eyes flicking toward the board. Beside her, Lucia—her sharp-tongued bestie—crossed her arms, leaning toward Sophia with a venomous sneer.
"Finally, some common sense," Lucia whispered loudly enough for half the front row to hear, tossing her brown curls. "This means we don't have to worry about random luck sticking us with a useless deadweight who scores 1 credit. The six strongest players can fight, and the parasites can sit in the gallery where they belong."
Sophia gave an approving, elegant nod, her lips curling with quiet disdain. "Indeed. Competence should be selected, not randomized. If we choose our frontline properly, we won't have to carry anyone's shameful mistakes."
Delyra Nysira glared daggers at both of them from across the aisle, clicking her tongue sharply, while Serena quietly tapped her desk, her dark eyes evaluating the board with calm neutrality.
Axel, on the other hand, puffed out his chest so hard his buttons nearly popped, crossing his arms and grinning from ear to ear.
"The stage is set!" Axel whispered dramatically to himself. "As the class's secretion weapon, being selected as First Knight is inevitable! The people yearn for my power!"
Rigel leaned forward, his messy hair falling over his intense, focused eyes. He didn't look excited—he looked deeply analytical, already scribbling notes and calculating team compositions in his notebook.
Beside him, Leena rested her chin in her palm, giving me a warm, knowing wink from across the aisle.
"You have until tomorrow afternoon to cast your initial formation for the 6 Knights and your voted Soul Anchor," Aisha concluded, gathering her papers with a warm, encouraging smile. "Do not repeat the divisions of your first monthly exam. If you wish to survive expulsion, you must stand united. Class dismissed!"
With a rustle of her emerald robes, Aisha exited the room.
The moment the door clicked shut, the classroom was on the verge of erupting into loud, chaotic shouting. Roman was already opening his mouth to demand that the high-ranking fighters take the knight slots, and Milo looked panicked, looking around for guidance.
Before anyone could start arguing, Rigel caught my eye and gave me a firm, resolute nod.
It's time.
I took a deep breath, stood up from my desk, and walked briskly up to the teacher's podium, clapping my hands together with a bright, cheerful smile.
Clap!
"Everyone! Quiet down for just a few minutes, please!" I called out, my voice ringing clear and sweet across the room.
The room immediately quieted down. Even Roman and Lucia clamped their mouths shut, turning their attention toward the front. Nobody wanted to be rude to the Class Representative—especially not when that representative was Rank 0.
"I know everyone is super stressed about the 4-day deadline," I started, resting my hands on the wooden podium with a warm, friendly chuckle. "And I know the first monthly exam left a lot of bitter memories for all of us. But we aren't here to point fingers, and we definitely aren't here to cry over split milk! What happened last month is in the past. What matters right now is making sure every single person in this room stays in this academy together!"
A few students in the middle rows exchanged relieved glances, nodding softly.
"Remember the most important rule of the Tri-Labyrinth Siege," I continued, tapping the board with a piece of chalk. "The exam doesn't care who gets first place or who gets second place! Both first and second place are completely safe! Only the class that finishes in third place suffers the 0.1 percent penalty and faces expulsion! That means we don't have to defeat the entire world. We just have to ensure one class loses worse than us."
Rigel stood up from his seat, walking over to stand beside me at the board, his broad shoulders squared and his voice steady and commanding.
"Elfina is right," Rigel took over, turning to address the class. "From a tactical standpoint, a three-way free-for-all is the most dangerous battlefield possible. If Class A, Class B, and Class C fight independently, the chaos will tear our formation apart. Our only guaranteed path to victory is an absolute alliance."
Rigel drew a line connecting Class C to another circle on the board.
"If we forge a pact with one of the other classes, the battlefield immediately becomes 12 Protectors against 6. A 6-man advantage in a closed labyrinth creates an insurmountable siege force. We can pin the third class inside their sector and shatter their Soul Anchors in under 15 minutes."
Xavier raised his hand hesitantly from the third row, scratching his head. "Uh... that sounds amazing, Rigel, but why would Class A or Class B ever agree to ally with us? Let's be real... they look down on Class C like we're dirt. They think we're an easy target."
"Class C has a reputation," Axel chimed in from the back, leaning back with a smug smirk. "They fear me, but they also fear our Representative's terrifying celestial firepower. Why would they shake hands with the best when they can just hunt it?"
I smiled warmly, looking across the room at all my classmates.
"They wouldn't," I declared calmly, my voice sweet, light, and completely confident. "Which is why I have already finalized our alliance with Class A."
Silence.
Absolute, deafening, pin-drop silence slammed across the classroom like a tidal wave.
Roman's jaw hit his desk so hard his pencil rolled off.
Lucia's eyes bulged out in pure shock, her hands freezing mid-air.
Scarlet Hearst gasped, sitting straight up in her chair with wide, bewildered eyes, while Leena's mouth formed a little 'o' of disbelief.
Even the 2 elven students—Rinsha and Novenol—who usually sat in quiet, aloof elegance, widened their sharp eyes in complete astonishment.
Only two people in the entire room didn't react at all.
Kayla Caroline sat by the back corner, casually filing her nails with a cold, knowing smirk, completely unfazed.
And right there, Kai was still spinning his pencil across his knuckles.
Clack. Clack. Clack.
His face was totally calm, not even a single blink disturbing his peaceful gaze out the window, as if everything I had just said was an old script he had already written weeks ago.
"C-Class A?!" Scarlet stammered, leaning forward over her desk, her voice shaking with disbelief. "Elfie... are you serious?! Princess Rose Valentine agreed to an alliance with us?!"
"Mhm!" I nodded cheerfully, putting the chalk down. "Class A and Class C are going to coordinate together in the war. Our shared objective is simple: we are going to completely eliminate Class B."
"How on earth did you convince the Crown Princess to ally with Class C?!" Lucia demanded loudly, her face a mixture of envy, disbelief, and shock. "I heard rumors she wanted to destroy us! Why would she ever shake hands with us instead of joining Class B?!"
I tilted my head, tapping my chin thoughtfully with a sweet, innocent giggle.
"Well... we just have a really good relationship with Class A now! Princess Rose is actually very nice once you get to know her!"
The entire class stared at me as if I had just claimed I went on an afternoon picnic with a ferocious fire-breathing dragon.
They began murmuring among themselves in feverish, excited whispers, already celebrating the incredible prospect of fighting alongside the imperial heir.
I stood by the podium, watching their relieved, happy smiles.
I said it so easily...
Princess Rose agreed to ally with us.
She didn't hesitate. She didn't demand extra credits, and she didn't ask for unfair terms. She agreed to fight alongside Class C to crush Class B, just like that.
I slowly looked toward the back of the classroom.
Kai was still resting his cheek on his hand, the wooden pencil spinning lazily between his pale fingers under the warm afternoon light.
A tiny, quiet question whispered in the back of my mind, echoing like a soft bell.
Why would Princess Rose Valentine... the flawless, proud imperial heir who has never bowed to anyone in her entire life... agree to an alliance with our class so easily?
Was it really because of our 'good relationship'...?
Or was it because of the boy sitting alone... who never says a single word?
---
March 10th, 2012 — 12:55 PM
Asura Academy — Class A Homeroom
Perspective: Rose Valentine
The heavy oak doors of Class A shut with a muted, solemn thud as Instructor Columbina departed.
Unlike the noisy corridors of the other wings, our room did not descend into restless chatter. 25 elite students sat in upright, disciplined rows, their breathing quiet, their expressions composed. When you assemble nobles, prodigies, and master craftsmen, they do not waste energy on panic. They wait for direction.
Beside my desk by the window, Asier Yeshe sat with his cheek resting lazily in one palm. His liquid-gold eyes were fixed on the glass, watching a lone sparrow take flight across the courtyard. When our gazes crossed, he offered neither a nod nor an objection—just that placid, unreadable poker face.
I stood up, smoothing the front of my tailored uniform, and walked with measured, unhurried grace to the front of the classroom.
The eyes of Class A followed me in synchronized, respectful silence.
I placed my hands lightly on the edge of the podium, letting my gaze sweep across the room. When you lead those who consider themselves superior to the rest of the world, you do not raise your voice. Authority is not volume. It is clarity.
"Instructor Columbina has given us the operational framework for the Tri-Labyrinth Siege," I began, my voice clear, steady, and carrying effortlessly across the quiet hall. "4 days remain before the gates open on March 14th. While the rest of the academy is currently celebrating their freedom to choose 6 Knights and one Soul Anchor, we need to examine what the instructors chose not to say."
Julian Esther leaned forward from the second row, his hazel eyes alert, fingers resting lightly on his notebook.
"Columbina called this a 'Labyrinth Siege,'" I continued, turning to the board and drawing a wide outer perimeter enclosing three concentric sectors.
"In the first monthly exam, we were funneled into narrow, subterranean cave networks where line-of-sight was constricted to less than 15 paces. But pay attention to her exact phrasing today: 'siege,' 'containment booths,' and 'spatial transit gates.' A true labyrinth is an enclosed dungeon. A siege takes place on open or semi-open terrain."
Figga pushed his thick magnifying goggles up onto his forehead, his sharp dwarvian eyes blinking with sudden interest.
"That brings us to our first structural deduction," I stated, looking at Figga and Samanthia. "This trial will not be confined to dark tunnels. The simulation is pure gaslighting. We will be in an open-air architectural ruin—wide plazas, broken parapets, and elevation variance. This means high-altitude aerial reconnaissance and long-range vision will dictate the engagement, not close-quarters fights."
Aurelius Vaelcrest nodded slowly, his wavy golden hair catching the sunlight as he traced the perimeter on his desk.
"Second deduction: the deployment loophole," I continued, drawing two small squares inside our sector. "The rules state that the two Soul Anchors are sealed inside isolated booths, rendered incapable of casting spells outward. But notice the rule's silence regarding inward projection. An anchor cannot attack, but their defensive barriers, ambient passive auras, and sensory relay links remain entirely operational within their booth. If we place an anchor with autonomous spatial distortion, the enemy cannot breach the seal even if our guarding Knights are bypassed."
Xylar adjusted his rimless silver spectacles with a single finger, his mismatched violet and cyan eyes gleaming with quiet appreciation.
"And the third, most critical loophole," I said, looking across every row. "The scoring metric. The academy explicitly designed this test around asymmetric elimination. First place and second place receive identical immunity. Only the third-place class suffers the 0.1 percent penalty and faces an expulsion vote. The system is openly daring two classes to form a pact and butcher the third."
Cecily Isha murmured from the shadowy corner by the lockers, her whisper cutting through the silence like a thread of silk. "A 12-versus-6 pincer."
"Precisely, Cecily," I nodded. "A 3-way clash invites choas we cannot control. A 12-man coordinated siege is an absolute certainty. Therefore, Class A will not fight alone. We will forge an alliance."
Julian rested his chin on his intertwined fingers, smiling smoothly. "A sound diplomatic resolution, Princess. Class B's Victor Sterling has already sent subtle overtures through his faction members, hoping to align our frontlines against the commoners in Class C."
"We are not allying with Class B," I stated calmly.
Julian's smile froze slightly.
The pristine silence in the room fractured into quiet, bewildered stares.
"We are allying with Class C," I announced, my voice ringing with total, unshakeable certainty. "Our objective is the complete elimination of Class B."
A wave of restless energy broke across the classroom.
Samanthia slammed her calloused hands down on her desk, her blacksmithing apron rustling as her dwarvian braids swayed. "Class C, Princess?! With all due respect, why would we lower our banners to align with the lowest-ranked class in the year?! Their roster is a disaster! They have a handful of decent fighters, a crowd of panicking nobodies, and that 1-credit deadweight dragging down their budget!"
"Class A has always hunted the strongest game," Xylar pointed out, his voice a quiet, measured drawl. "From a statistical standpoint, Class C's overall combat average is 18 percent lower than Class B. Aligning with an inferior asset introduces structural volatility to our defensive line."
Aurelius leaned back, his sapphire eyes narrowing with genuine, aristocratic curiosity. "Lady Rose, if our goal is a guaranteed victory, Victor's frontline possesses fortified elemental shields and heavy shock troopers. What does Class C offer that Class B cannot provide?"
"They offer Elfina Lunaris." I answered directly.
The name hung in the cool air like a drawn blade.
"You were all present during the Valentine's celebration," I reminded them, looking directly into Aurelius and Xylar's eyes. "You saw her shower the entire capital in celestial stardust—magic that bypassed seven historical casting laws and created autonomous light formations on the fly without a single chant. In the first exam, she engineered the Lumina network from raw scrap and cleared over 22,000 credits solo. She does not operate within the predictable boundaries of standard academy theory."
Figga tapped his goggles, his brow furrowed. "Her output is monstrous, that's undeniable. But she's still only one person, Princess. Can one girl outweigh the entire collective military force of Class B?"
"She does not just outweigh them, Figga—she makes standard formations irrelevant," I replied with calm, empathetic patience.
"If we target Class C, we force Elfina Lunaris into a corner where her survival instincts take over. We currently possess zero reliable intelligence on her true magical ceiling. Her only visible vulnerability is her fierce, emotional attachment to her inner circle. If you threaten that circle, you face an unpredictable cosmic anomaly capable of tearing open spatial rifts."
I paused, leaning forward against the podium, meeting every student's gaze with soft, earnest conviction.
"Why spend our blood, our spells, and our strategic reserves trying to solve an impossible puzzle in the 2nd month of our first year? We leave Elfina Lunaris for year 2, when we have cataloged her limits and constructed proper counters. Against Class B, however, every card is already face-up on the table. We know their spells, we know their egos, and we know how to dismantle them."
Julian slowly nodded, his pencil resuming its rhythm. "A containment strategy. Isolate the anomaly, crush the predictable rival, and secure second or first place with 0 casualties."
"Pathetic."
A cold, razor-sharp voice slashed through the room, dripping with absolute, venomous disgust.
The temperature in the classroom plunged instantly.
In the back row, Lucas Reindhardt stood up.
He didn't slouch. He didn't look bored. His messy brown hair cast a dark shadow over his face, and his half-lidded green eyes burned with an icy, lethal intensity that made several students in front of him lean away.
"You stand up there sounding like a corrupt politician, Rose," Lucas spat, his tone mocking, bitter, and entirely devoid of respect. "Dressing up cowardice in pretty words about 'puzzles' and 'containment.'"
I held his glare without blinking, my voice cool and even. "It is called risk mitigation, Lucas. A leader does not throw soldiers against an unmapped minefield when an open road lies beside it."
"Risk mitigation?!" Lucas let out a short, mocking bark of laughter, stepping into the center aisle. "You made me a promise after the first exam. You sat across from me, drank your coffee, and promised that in the next trial, we would hunt Elfina Lunaris together. You looked me in the eye and said we would crush her speedrun and put her back in her place."
"The operational conditions have changed," I replied firmly. "The first trial was an individual credit race. This is an elimination siege."
"The only thing that changed is your fear!" Lucas snarled, closing the distance to the podium, his posture radiating unyielding, predatory arrogance.
"Class B is a circus! Victor Sterling is a pompous, sanctimonious clown who spends more time combing his hair and preaching about brotherhood than learning how to win! Sylvia Somerset is an arrogant narcissist who hides behind cheap illusions because she's terrified of real combat! You want to waste Class A's elite strength fighting a bunch of fragile, self-obsessed jokes?!"
"Those 'jokes' have spent the last 3 weeks building military hardware under Xeno Feynman," I retorted sharply, narrowing my blue eyes. "Sylvia has funded a technological network specifically designed to read our spell vectors in real time. Victor has drilled their classmates in defensive Phalanx formations. They are preparing for a war of attrition."
"Let them build their toys!" Lucas shouted, crossing his arms, his aura flaring with suffocating, raw intimidation. "I will tear through their Phalanx in 40 seconds and shatter Feynman's glasses into his skull! Class B is prey! But Class C is an insult! They are commoners, peasants, and trash who stumbled their way into a lucky score! A lion does not kneel in the dirt to shake hands with stray dogs just to hunt hyenas! We crush Class C, we crush their Rank 0, and we take our rightful throne!"
The classroom held its breath. The raw, toxic heat between our clashing wills was suffocating.
I stood tall behind the podium, refusing to yield a single inch of ground to his fury.
"You fight like a solitary beast, Lucas. But a sovereign protects her people," I said, my voice dropping into that quiet, chilling royal register that brooked no defiance. "You want to charge blindly into Elfina Lunaris because your bruised ego cannot stand that she cleared a dungeon faster than you. But I will not gamble the expulsion of our classmates on your personal pride."
Lucas's jaw clenched so hard the muscle twitched under his skin.
"Then prove your little speech," Lucas challenged coldly, his green eyes burning into mine. "Put it to the room. Call the vote right now, Princess. Let's see if Class A truly has the stomach to grovel before commoners—or if they still have the spine to hunt like lions."
I didn't hesitate.
"Very well," I declared, my clear blue eyes meeting his poisonous glare. "Let Class A decide."
I turned back to the black chalkboard, picking up a fresh piece of white chalk.
"There are 25 of us in this room," I announced, drawing two distinct columns across the board. "Option 1: We formalize a temporary siege pact with Class C to guarantee the elimination of Class B. Option 2: We stand neutral, reject all alliances, and fight both classes simultaneously."
Lucas stood in the center aisle with his arms crossed, a cocky, venomous grin spreading across his face as he turned to look at our classmates.
"Listen to yourselves," Lucas scoffed, his gaze sweeping over the rows with cutting disdain. "Are you really the finest prodigies of the Asura Empire, or are you shivering cowards looking for peasants to hold your hands? Class B is soft. Class C is a joke. If I take the field as First Knight, there isn't a single protector in Class C who can survive 3 exchanges with me. Not one. I can solo their entire team before their representative even finishes chanting a circle. We don't need partners. We crush both of them, take first place, and remind the entire academy who rules this year."
His toxic, arrogant fire struck a deep chord in the room.
These were high-born nobles and proud combat prodigies. The thought of bowing down to shake hands with commoners who had dragged the academy budget down felt deeply humiliating.
"Hands for Option 2," I called out evenly. "Neutrality. Fighting both classes alone."
Lucas raised his hand high, not even bothering to look around.
Beside him, hands shot up across the room. The nameless noble heirs, the proud duelists who wanted personal glory, and those who refused to associate with Class C raised their hands in rapid succession.
1, 2, 5... 10... 15... 17.
17 hands.
A crushing, overwhelming majority of 25 students.
Lucas gave a dark, arrogant chuckle, looking back at me at the podium with triumphant mockery. "17 out of 25, Princess. Your little diplomatic tea party is dead in the water. We hunt."
I kept my hand firmly on the podium. On my side, only my inner circle had raised their hands for Option 1: Julian, Cecily, Beatrice, and myself. Just 4 votes. Even Aurelius, Xylar, Figga, and Samanthia had hesitated, abstaining in quiet uncertainty.
Then, from the far corner by the sunlit window, a hand slowly, quietly rose into the air.
It wasn't hurried. It wasn't dramatic.
It was Asier Yeshe.
The entire classroom froze.
In months of classes, Asier had never raised his hand once. He had never spoken during homeroom debates, never volunteered for group trials, and spent 99% of every lecture staring out the window like a ghost.
Lucas's smirk vanished, his brow furrowing in sharp irritation. "What are you doing, npc? You finally woke up from your nap?"
Asier didn't flinch. He slowly stood up from his wooden chair, brushing imaginary dust from his immaculate black uniform. His liquid-gold eyes were completely flat, showing zero warmth, zero nervousness, and zero hesitation.
"I vote for the alliance with Class C," Asier said simply.
His voice wasn't loud, but it possessed a strange, quiet weight that made the whispering nobles immediately shut their mouths.
Lucas glared at him like he was an annoying bug. "You don't even speak in this class, Yeshe. Put your hand down and let the real fighters handle the strategy."
"I am voting," Asier replied in that same flat, calm tone. "Because unlike you, Lucas, I prefer not to be an idiot."
The classroom let out a collective gasp.
Lucas's green eyes turned murderous, his fists clenching at his sides. "What did you just call me?"
I raised my hand slightly to keep order, looking at my quiet desk neighbor with keen interest. "Elaborate, Asier."
Asier turned his face toward the 17 students who had raised their hands, speaking without a trace of pride or emotion.
"You are voting with your pride," Asier said plainly. "Pride is an expensive luxury for people who haven't calculated the end of the year. The academy doesn't award the class championship based on who looked the most heroic in March. It awards it based on who holds the most points at the end of the year. In this exam, second place and first place yield the exact same survival result: zero penalties."
He walked a single step forward, his golden eyes scanning the room.
"If we fight both classes alone, we enter a war of attrition. Even if Lucas defeats 3 people, our spells will be depleted, our stamina will be drained, and our formations will fracture. But if we ally with Class C to eliminate Class B, we achieve three things. First, we guarantee that Class A never touches third place. Second, we let Class C exhaust their secret combat cards and reveal their frontline capabilities in front of our eyes. And third, we establish an active tactical observation on Elfina Lunaris without making her an enemy."
Asier paused, his voice dropping into a cold, honest register.
"I have seen people who fight like Elfina Lunaris. You believe she is just a lucky girl with a high score. You are wrong. She is someone who acts purely on instinct and emotion. If you corner a person like that, you do not get a duel. You get an execution. We will lose members. We will suffer injuries. And for what? To stroke your ego for 3 days?"
"Shut your mouth!" Lucas barked, stepping toward Asier with veins bulging along his neck. "You're a pathetic coward! You sit in the front, terrified of your own shadow, wetting your pants because a little girl threw some pretty lights in the sky! You're weak, Asier! You have no spine, no pride, and no guts to stand on a battlefield!"
Asier looked back at him, his face completely motionless.
"You can call me weak," Asier murmured softly. "Words do not alter physical reality."
Lucas sneered, laughing mockingly in his face. "You're just scared! Admit it! You're terrified of her!"
"I do not feel fear," Asier answered calmly, looking directly into Lucas's fiery green eyes. "Fear requires caring about the outcome. But I know that everyone in this room will feel fear the moment you target and try to hurt her."
Lucas took another aggressive step forward, towering over Asier with sheer physical dominance. "I can kill her. I am not afraid of a single thing in this world."
Asier didn't back away. He stared right into Lucas's soul with those dead, golden eyes, and whispered with terrifying, icy certainty:
"Then when the ground shatters beneath you... you too will feel inevitable death falling upon you."
The words hung in the air like a death sentence.
A heavy, suffocating silence gripped the room. Several noble students who had raised their hands for Option 2 visibly swallowed, their palms sweating as they looked between Asier's chilling conviction and Lucas's reckless anger.
"Think for the long term," Asier told the class, turning his back on Lucas as if he were nothing more than a passing breeze. "We are Class A. We are supposed to be the smartest students in the empire. Prove it. Win the war, not an empty street brawl."
He calmly sat back down in his chair by the window, resting his cheek on his palm once more.
Lucas was breathing heavily, his chest heaving with suppressed fury, while Julian Esther quickly seized the opening.
"Asier makes an undeniable strategic point," Julian announced smoothly, standing up to address the hesitant nobles. "A guaranteed victory with zero casualties preserves our ranks for the final exams. Why gamble on pride when we can control the outcome?"
"Let us recast the ballots," I said firmly, bringing my hand down on the podium. "Option 1: The alliance with Class C to eliminate Class B."
I raised my hand.
Julian, Cecily, and Beatrice raised theirs immediately.
Asier raised his hand again.
Then, Aurelius exhaled a soft chuckle, raising his hand. "Guaranteed survival is hard to argue against."
Xylar adjusted his spectacles, his pen tapping his notebook. "The probability of zero class expulsions rises to 94% under the alliance. I vote Option 1."
Samanthia groaned, wiping her brow, and raised her calloused hand. Figga followed.
Then, one by one, the nobles who had previously sided with Lucas began lowering their heads in sheepish pragmatism, raising their hands for Option 1.
8... 12... 15... 18.
19 hands.
"19 votes for Option 1," I declared, my voice echoing with final, sovereign authority. "The alliance with Class C is officially ratified."
Lucas stood frozen in the middle of the room, looking at the 19 raised hands with absolute, blazing hatred.
"Cowards," Lucas spat, his voice shaking with bitter disgust as he looked at the entire room. "Every single one of you... weak, sniveling cowards."
He kicked an empty chair out of his way with a deafening CRASH, stormed down the aisle, and slammed the heavy classroom doors so hard the glass panes rattled in their frames.
The room exhaled a collective, exhausted breath.
I walked down from the podium, stopping beside Asier's desk as the students began packing their bags.
"Thank you, Asier," I said softly, offering a genuine, polite nod. "Your words were timely."
Asier didn't look up from the courtyard window.
"Do not thank me, Princess," he murmured in a flat, quiet monotone. "Just be careful not to make the wrong enemies. Because once you make the wrong enemies... they stay with you forever."
I lingered for a second, a strange, prickling sensation washing over the back of my neck, before I quietly turned and left the classroom.
---
March 10th, 2012 — 11:15 PM
Imperial Residence Dormitory — Rose's Bedroom
Flop.
I buried my face straight into my plush silk pillow, letting out a long, muffled groan.
I am so exhausted...
I rolled over onto my back, then rolled to the left, hugging my bolster tightly against my chest as my golden hair spilled across the white duvet.
Rationally... as the leader of Class A, my decision today was completely airtight. Allying with Class C was the smartest play on the exam. We isolate Class B, crush Sylvia and Victor's annoying little schemes, and secure our place in the academy without putting our classmates at risk of expulsion. It was clean. It was logical.
But emotionally...?
I rolled onto my stomach, resting my chin on my folded arms, staring at the soft glow of the moonlight outside my balcony.
I didn't just do it for the strategy.
I did it because I can't fight him.
A soft, fluttery warmth spread through my chest, chasing away all the stress of the day.
Kaiser.
My twin brother.
The brother who ran across the ballroom to pull me off the cold floor, who took a blade to his bare hands just to protect me, and who comforted me when I had nightmares.
How could I ever stand on a battlefield and point my magic at my own brother?
I couldn't. I just couldn't.
Everyone in Class A looked down on Class C like they were worthless trash, but they didn't know the truth. Class C wasn't weak at all. They had Kai. And behind Kai, they had Elfina Lunaris.
I rolled onto my back again, staring up at the ceiling canopy, tapping my lower lip with my finger.
Where did Elfie even get so smart?
I had spent an hour yesterday reading through her official academy background file. She was an orphan from a tiny, forgotten village in the middle of nowhere. She had never attended an elite preparatory academy, never had private tutors, and never studied classical imperial tactics. Yet, during the class meetings and the trials, she spoke with so much natural charisma, leadership, and terrifying strategic precision.
A soft, fond giggle escaped my lips, echoing into the quiet room.
Of course she's smart.
Her teacher, her partner, and her best friend is Kaiser Everhart. If you spend every single day beside a terrifying genius like him, how could you not become incredible?
I reached over to my nightstand, picking up my sleek Dwarvian Phone.
I tapped the screen, letting the soft blue light illuminate my face.
My wallpaper glowed back at me. It was the photo we had taken together—me smiling brightly with a piece of pasta on a fork, and Kai leaning beside me, his messy hair falling over his calm blue eyes, giving that faint, dry smirk that always made me feel so safe.
Tomorrow afternoon, we meet to finalize the alliance.
A excited shiver ran down my spine, making me kick my feet under the covers like an eager little girl.
I can't wait to see him.
We were going to work together. For the very first time, my brother and I were going to fight on the same side of the exam!
Then, right before my eyes grew heavy with sleep, Asier's quiet, chilling words echoed in my mind once more:
"Be careful not to make the wrong enemies. Because once you make the wrong enemies... they stay with you forever."
Why did Asier say that?
He sounded so sure of himself... as if he knew something terrible and hidden that the rest of the world couldn't see.
What does he know?
With that mysterious question lingering in the quiet dark, I clutched my phone against my chest, closed my eyes, and drifted into a peaceful, dreamless sleep.
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