Elena's earlier words had been spoken softly, almost in passing. Standing so close to him while the others lingered a few steps behind, none of them had heard what she said.
The award ceremony continued smoothly after that, flashes of light capturing smiling faces, handshakes, and formal poses. A few minutes later, Elena prepared to step down from the stage.
But just before turning away, she leaned slightly toward Alex. "Come meet me in my office later."
With that, the ceremony officially came to an end.
One group after another exited the stage, until only three figures remained at the center — Alex, Draim, and Vivianne.
Alex shifted his gaze, quietly observing the two seniors beside him.
Draim approached first, an easy, friendly smile softening his features — far different from the intimidating aura his reputation carried.
"Congratulations," he said warmly. "Seems you barely edged me out. Just a few points, you know. Next time, I won't let you have this easy." His tone was light, teasing rather than resentful.
He then turned toward Vivianne, offering her a respectful nod. "Good match out there, Scarlet."
Without lingering, he stepped off the stage and slipped into the crowd below.
Vivianne remained where she was. Her expression stayed composed — dignified, calm, almost unreachable. She radiated the kind of elegant stillness that warned others not to come too close.
Yet behind that flawless mask, her eyes drifted toward Alex more than once. 'Who exactly is he…? He's… surprisingly handsome.' A faint warmth touched her cheeks as the thought formed before she could stop it.
She quickly looked away, restoring her usual cool façade, though the slight stiffness in her posture betrayed the moment she had tried to hide.
Alex noticed the subtle glances, but chose not to comment.
Even for him, approaching someone with that much refined, almost suffocating presence felt… unnecessary.
And so, for a brief, quietly awkward moment, the two simply stood there — the academy's most mysterious junior and its radiant Crimson Rose — separated by nothing but a silence neither seemed willing to break.
◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆
The moment Alex stepped out of the auditorium, the atmosphere shifted instantly. He wasn't met by a handful of curious students like before—he was overwhelmed by a suffocating crowd that seemed to erupt out of nowhere. Voices crashed into him from all directions.
"Hey, how YOU got first place?!"
"Did you cheat or bribe the teachers?"
"The scoring system has to be broken."
"There's no way a cripple could beat Draim!"
Some stared at him with wide-eyed awe. Others narrowed their eyes in suspicion. A few looked at him with outright hostility, as if his success was a personal insult. Accusations flew freely, each one sharper than the last.
Through a mix of quiet intimidation, cold glares, and sheer stubborn endurance, Alex eventually managed to push his way out of the chaos.
When the noise finally faded behind him, he let out a slow, shaky breath.
'That was exhausting…'
As he made his way down the hallway toward the central block, Aurora's presence brushed against his thoughts, light but familiar.
"Do you think she found out?" he asked quietly.
"It's hard to say," Aurora replied, her tone thoughtful. "But she definitely knows you're Alicia's disciple. And from the way she spoke… she seems to know Alicia very well."
Alex frowned slightly at that.
"Hmm… that's possible. But then again, why did she call me to her office?"
Aurora scoffed under her breath. "How would I know? I'm not a mind reader."
That didn't help ease the knot forming in his chest.
The hallway grew quieter as he approached the towering double doors of the Principal's office. An ornate academy crest was carved elegantly into the wood, radiating a quiet, undeniable authority.
He stopped before it, inhaled deeply, straightened his posture, and finally knocked.
The doors creaked open on their own.
Inside, Principal Elena sat behind a polished desk, papers neatly stacked beside her along with various other items arranged with surgical precision. Sunlight streamed through tall stained-glass windows, washing the room in soft, shifting colors.
She didn't look up.
Instead, she continued reviewing her documents, pen gliding across the pages as if his presence was little more than a passing breeze.
The silence stretched taut. Only after setting the final paper aside did she finally raise her eyes.
"You sure took your time coming."
Alex offered an awkward smile. "I was… held up, Ma'am."
He stepped forward, ready to elaborate—
"That won't be necessary."
Elena rose and circled around the desk with unhurried elegance. Her heels clicked softly against the floor as she came to a stop just a few paces away.
Her eyes held a sharp gleam—curiosity mixed with a quiet, calculating intensity.
Then, out of nowhere—
"Let's spar."
Alex blinked, stunned. "…Excuse me?"
A faint smile curved her lips. "I want to see it for myself," she said calmly. "How strong her disciple truly is."
Her easy certainty tugged at his curiosity, prompting him to finally ask, "Principal Elena… do you know my master?"
She tilted her head slightly, giving him a faint, measuring look—less judgment, more confusion, as if he were asking a question with an obvious answer.
"Of course I know her," Elena replied smoothly, resuming her slow stride. "Who do you think approved your extended leave?"
Alex's eyes widened a fraction.
She let out a soft, amused huff. "That girl didn't even bother explaining. Just a single cold message. Asking me to approve the leave request of her precious disciple."
There was a mix of disbelief and reluctant admiration woven into her tone, as though she still wasn't sure how to feel about it.
"She's really something," Elena murmured. Then she glanced back at him, studying him more openly now.
"Naturally, I became curious. I wanted to see who managed to catch that arrogant woman's eye… enough for her to take on as a disciple."
Alex stiffened slightly at the blunt phrasing, though he kept his expression composed and remained silent.
◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆
Alex and Elena stood facing one another in the center of the vast chamber.
This was her personal training hall—simple in design, yet reinforced with layers of advanced magic, easily more than twice the size of even the best student facilities.
Elena casually tossed a practice sword toward him.
Alex caught it without thinking.
She lifted her own blade, posture relaxed, eyes calm yet bright with quiet anticipation.
"Whenever you're ready," she said, beckoning him forward with a faint, almost provocative smile. "Come at me with everything you've got."
Alex knew the difference between them was absurd—an impossible gap.
But he didn't hesitate. He shot forward like a released arrow, mana flowing instantly into his sword to reinforce the training blade's durability and sharpness.
A sharp dash—then slashes, thrusts, feints, a rapid cascade of attacks with no pause between them.
His strikes were precise. Ruthless. Efficient.
Yet Elena's defense was flawless. With effortless grace, she blocked, deflected, and redirected every attack, as if she were guiding a dance rather than fending off an assault.
Inside, her eyes sharpened in quiet appraisal.
'Highly decisive… no wasted movements. No hesitation. His technique is refined. His strength, balance, timing, agility… all far beyond what you'd expect from someone who's only trained for a few months. That girl really found herself a hidden gem.'
The exchange continued for several minutes.
Then, abruptly—
Elena stepped forward.
Alex's eyes widened. 'She's attacking?!' He'd expected her to defend, maybe counter here and there—but not to suddenly go fully on the offensive.
He barely managed to block the first strike. The impact shot down his arms, rattling his bones.
The second came before he could regain his footing. A sharp twist. His guard broke. His stance faltered.
The third arrived instantly—the cool edge of her blade resting cleanly against his throat.
Alex froze. Breath steady, body tense, painfully aware that in a real fight… it would already be over.
Elena lowered her sword, studying him with open interest now.
Only three moves.
And the outcome was absolute.
"Hmm. Not bad." she murmured, sounding genuinely satisfied. "You lasted longer than I expected."
Elena's smile curved upward ever so slightly.
"Now let's continue," she said calmly. "This time, I'm going to attack with magic and see how much you can endure."
Alex's eyes widened.
A bead of sweat rolled down his neck, slipping beneath the collar of his uniform. That smile of her —didn't look gentle at all. To him, it looked terrifyingly dangerous.
He swallowed hard.
Beside him, Aurora hovered with a troubled expression. "You're about to suffer." she muttered dryly. "But don't worry… I'll be here to mock you afterward."
'That's not comforting.' Alex thought bitterly.
Elena let out a soft chuckle at the tension radiating from him. "Relax. I'm not going to kill you." she said lightly. "These will be very basic, simple mana-based attacks. Not spells yet. Even if you get hit, you'll only be hurt a little."
'Only a little?' Alex had a bad feeling about what "a little" meant coming from her.
Elena stepped back a few paces, lifting one hand. The air around her palm shimmered, a faint distortion rippling outward as mana condensed around her fingers.
"Ready yourself."