The atmosphere at the academy was completely different this morning.
It was not an open threat like Duke Malric or Varis.
This tension was colder.
Quieter.
Much more official.
The Headmaster called Sera to his office.
A nervous look hung on his face a look Sera had never seen on any teacher before.
“Miss Voss,” he said with formal caution.
“The academy is placing you under ‘special observation status.’ This means extra security, constant monitoring, and…” He paused slightly.
“…a visitor who wishes to meet you.” Sera’s heart froze for a second.
“Who?” “Lord Evander Thorne.
From Imperial Apex Academy.
A Special Evaluator.” Sera had never heard the name before.
Yet, the Headmaster’s body language made it clear that this was no ordinary visitor.
Before meeting Evander, the teachers questioned Sera once more.
This time, their tone was far more detailed and probing.
“When Marcus mentioned your mother,” a senior teacher asked, leaning forward, “and you reacted the way you did… do you believe that was your own power, or something else?” Sera stayed silent for a moment.
“I still don’t know the clear difference.” Another teacher spoke up.
“And when you tried to reach out to the entity inside you… did you get a response?” Sera’s body went rigid.
“How do you know I tried asking anything?” The teachers exchanged quiet glances.
“We received reports that the entity within you reacted in ways far too complex for a standard bloodline power.
It confuses us, Miss Voss.
That is why Imperial Apex is now involved.” Sera revealed nothing.
The dragon spirit’s name, the riddle in the West Wing, her mother’s letter—she kept every secret locked away inside.
Lord Evander Thorne arrived in the afternoon.
He was tall, with a body language so controlled he seemed almost inhuman.
Dark silver hair.
Electric blue eyes that felt like a strike of lightning whenever they locked onto someone.
His robes were simple, yet they radiated pure authority and unyielding power.
When he entered to meet Sera, only Caelum and Theron stood beside her, having volunteered to stay.
“Miss Voss,” Evander said.
His voice was smooth, almost entirely devoid of emotion.
“I am here to observe you.
Merely to observe.” Sera kept her voice steady, refusing to yield under pressure after everything she went through with Duke Aldric.
“And what if you like what you observe?” “Then Imperial Apex Academy will express formal interest,” Evander replied without a second’s hesitation.
“And rest assured, Miss Voss… we rarely show interest.” Without warning, his eyes drifted toward her wrist.
“Do you possess a family heirloom?
Something passed down from your mother?” Sera’s heart skipped a beat, but she forced her expression to remain blank.
“Why do you ask?” “According to ancient records at Imperial Apex,” Evander said softly, “dragon bloodline artifacts are often tied to physical objects.
If such an item exists, it would be invaluable for us to study.” “No,” Sera lied immediately, surprising even herself with her composure.
“There is nothing.” Evander’s gaze shifted to the palm of her hand, as if he could already sense what lay beneath her skin.
Inside her, the entity grew restless.
A sharp prickling sensation spread across her palm it was uncomfortable with this cold, powerful presence.
Evander sensed her lie, but he did not press further.
Caelum stepped forward, his royal authority clear.
“You may be from Imperial Apex, but you cannot cross your boundaries here without considering the academy’s permission and Sera’s privacy.” Evander looked at Caelum.
His eyes were assessing, yet not dismissive.
“Crown Prince Drayke.
Your concern is noted.
I am only here to observe, not to interfere.” Theron remained silent, but his stance was completely alert.
Evander noticed him too.
“A Beastman Knight,” he noted with faint interest.
“Are you involved in this as well?” “I protect her,” Theron answered simply.
“Interesting,” Evander murmured.
He turned his gaze back to Sera.
“So many protectors… for a single vessel.” Something hardened inside Sera.
“I am not a vessel.” No smile touched Evander’s lips, but a subtle shift appeared in his eyes a flicker of deep curiosity, and perhaps a touch of respect.
“No,” he said quietly.
“You are not.
That is… very interesting.” He studied her for a few moments longer, measuring the power hidden within her, before nodding.
“I will remain here for a few days, Miss Voss.
I will observe, and then I will report back to Imperial Apex.” He turned toward the door, then paused.
He looked back one last time.
“A word of advice, if you care to listen,” he said.
His voice was calm, yet heavy with warning.
“Whatever secret you are hiding… the longer it stays buried, the more dangerous it becomes when it is finally revealed.
And things always come to light, Miss Voss.
Always.” With that, he walked away.
A heavy silence fell over the room.
Sera looked down at her palm.
The entity was still restless, having clearly recognized the threat in Evander’s power.
Caelum spoke in a low voice.
“He asked you about your bracelet… how did you lie so smoothly?” “Because I know I can’t trust anyone anymore,” Sera said, looking at him.
“Aldric, Varis, Malric, and now Evander… everyone wants something from me.
That bracelet is the only secret that still belongs solely to me.” Caelum nodded in understanding.
“I won’t speak a word of it to anyone.” Later that evening, as Sera walked down the corridor,Kairos intercepted her.
His face was unusually grim.
“Miss Voss, listen carefully,””Kairos whispered, checking their surroundings.
“Evander Thorne is not just an evaluator.
His name appears in the old Temple records as a ‘hunter’—someone who tracks down ancient, hidden bloodlines.” Sera’s blood ran cold.
“Tracks them down?
To collect them?” “It means,”Kairos said, “if Imperial Apex truly becomes interested in you, they won’t just invite you.
They will take you, whether you agree or not.” Sera looked out the window into the gathering dark.
Duke Aldric was taking a personal interest.
Malric and the Temple were closing in from the shadows.
And now, a hunter from Imperial Apex was standing right inside the gates.
The pressure had breached the academy walls.
Sera knew that keeping her secrets hidden was about to become far more difficult than ever before.