Marcus still lay motionless on the rough dirt floor, completely unconscious.
Chaos immediately erupted across the stadium grounds.
Instructors stood up from their seats, their overlapping voices shouting over one another.
”This needs to be reported at once” ”We have never seen a reaction like this before” ”Summon the Headmaster immediately!” Sera remained frozen in the center of the ring.
Her hands still glowed with a faint, pulsing mixture of golden and silver light.
Her entire body quivered slightly from the shock.
That strange inner reaction hearing the entity’s voice so distinctly and watching it avenge her mother kept ringing in her ears.
Theron was the first to reach her side.
He placed a steady hand on her trembling shoulder.
”Sera.
Look at me.” Sera lifted her eyes, her gaze still slightly unfocused.
”She spoke,” she whispered softly, her voice meant for Theron alone.
”For the first time, so clearly.” ”And she felt it…
when he insulted my mother.” Theron’s jaw tightened, but his tone remained grounded and quiet.
”We will talk about this later.” ”Right now, just breathe.” ”Just take a breath.” Caelum stood a short distance away.
Riven and Kairos were close by as well, but they refrained from crowding her, giving her space to breathe.
Two senior instructors approached briskly.
Their expressions were strictly professional, yet an underlying trace of curiosity glinted in their eyes.
”Miss Voss,” one of them stated firmly.
”We need to ask you a few questions regarding what just occurred.” ”In a private room.
Immediately.” Caelum took a decisive step forward.
”She isn’t going alone.” ”I’m accompanying her.” The instructor didn’t argue, simply offering a single nod.
The atmosphere inside the private chamber was heavy and oppressive.
The first instructor opened a thick record book.
”When did this power first manifest so clearly?” Sera answered directly, keeping her voice even.
”During the initial evaluation.” ”After that, it has reacted to immediate danger or strong emotional triggers.” ”I cannot fully control it yet, but I keep it from overflowing.” The second instructor leaned forward across the desk.
”What was the exact trigger today?” Sera remained silent for a brief moment before speaking up.
”Touch.” ”Unwanted touch without permission.” ”And…
the deliberate insult against my mother.” ”Just the physical contact?” the first instructor pressed.
”No,” Sera clarified, exhaustion lacing her words.
”The physical touch triggered the dormant power.” ”But his words…
his words made it angry.” ”I felt it inside me.” ”Like something is in there that doesn’t just react…
but actually feels.” The two instructors exchanged a sharp glance, their quills moving feverishly across the parchment.
”That is precisely what concerns us,” the second instructor murmured.
”Standard mana signatures simply react.” ”They do not possess emotional intent.” ”What you are describing…
is entirely different.” Sera met their intense gazes calmly.
”I try my best to keep it suppressed.” ”Today…
I failed to hold it back.” The instructors did not dig any deeper.
No mention was made of her mother’s hidden letter, the West Wing, or the entity’s true nature.
Sera kept those critical secrets buried safely within herself.
When she finally stepped back into the stone corridor, Duke Aldric was waiting alone.
”Miss Voss,” he greeted her softly.
His tone retained its usual calculated weight, but now carried a subtle layer of genuine respect.
”What you displayed back there…
was far beyond the level of a mere student.” Sera looked straight at him despite her lingering fatigue.
”What are you implying?” ”I am saying that the official reports being drafted will not remain contained within this academy.” ”They will inevitably reach the Imperial Apex.” ”Those figures have been searching for reactions like yours for generations.” Sera felt a cold pit form in her stomach.
”And if they do?” ”Then you will no longer just be a topic in my marriage proposal,” the Duke noted quietly.
”You will become a matter of interest for the entire empire.” Sera suppressed her rising irritation, her tone turning sharp.
”And what about Marcus?” ”He deliberately tried to humiliate me.” ”He weaponized my mother’s memory on purpose.” The Duke’s expression softened slightly, a rare hint of solemnity touching his features.
”Marcus crossed a line he had no right to cross.” ”I will discipline him personally.” ”That is my promise to you.” ”Your promises carry very little weight,” Sera replied directly.
”You watched him do it, and you did nothing to stop him.” Duke Aldric stood silent for a moment before offering a small nod.
”You are correct.” ”I was wrong.” He turned to leave, then paused in his tracks.
”Whatever force you unleashed in that ring…
the Temple and Malric will view it purely as a weapon.” ”I view it as a legacy.” ”And as a daughter protecting her mother’s honor.” With those final words, he turned and walked away down the hall.
Nearby, Riven spoke in a low murmur to Kairos.
”If that entity truly possesses feelings and isn’t just a force…
Varis will have to recalculate his plans entirely.” Kairos nodded grimly.
“Or he will simply grow twice as cautious.” Further down the hall, Elena intercepted Sera near the exit.
”I heard what happened,” Elena said quietly.
“Are you all right?” ”Manageable,” Sera replied with a faint breath.
Elena offered a small, reassuring smile.
”I have already begun searching through the restricted archives.” ”Just as I promised.” Sera offered a genuine look.
“Thank you, Elena.” In the shadowed corner of the hallway, Livia stood watching silently.
For the first time, genuine fear flickered across her face.
She is completely out of my reach now, Livia thought to herself.
She stood her ground and defended her family’s name…
while I could never stand up against mine.
Late that night, Sera stood alone in her quarters by the open window.
She held her hand up in the moonlight, staring at her palm.
You spoke, she whispered quietly into the silence of her mind.
So clearly today.
And you listened when he spoke her name.
A soft, reassuring heat spilled across her hand in reply.
”Thank you,” she murmured quietly toward the dark room.
Thank you for defending her when I couldn’t.
No distinct words echoed back, but a soft, warm sensation settled over her spirit as if the presence inside her shared her quiet peace.
Sera looked out over the academy grounds illuminated by the distant lights below.
Starting tomorrow, everything would be different.
The incoming reports.
The relentless questions.
The Duke’s newfound interest.
The rumors spreading all the way to the Imperial Apex.
She was not fully prepared for what lay ahead.
But there was no turning back now.
And this time…
she was ready to step forward.