The office fell into complete silence.
Alex's final words lingered in the air like an impossible prophecy.
"And if everything you said about these heavenly locks is true..."
"I believe I can also remove one or perhaps even two locks from Brother Berdin's talent."
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Even the breathing inside the room became unusually quiet.
The instructors exchanged stunned glances, each wondering if they had heard correctly.
Then, Principal Gayas slowly narrowed his eyes.
Unlike the others, he did not allow excitement to cloud his judgment.
He had witnessed countless geniuses throughout his unimaginably long life.
He had also seen ambitious prodigies make impossible promises in order to attract attention before eventually falling into darkness when reality shattered their pride.
His expression remained calm as he looked directly into Alex's eyes.
"Young man. Do you understand what you are saying?"
His voice was neither angry nor mocking.
