It was finally here... the graduation ceremony, I mean.
The culmination of four long years that had felt like an eternity of endless pressure, suffocating expectations, and the gnawing dread of promotion and demotion chasing our every breath. The fourth year had been utter chaos for everyone with sleepless nights spent on edge, training till our bodies nearly broke, and hearts beating wildly at every announcement of the new rankings being posted on the bulletin boards.
Now, I found myself standing rigid at the very front line of the Silver Class with my eyes fixed dead ahead.
Even as the excitement and restless whispers buzzed around me, my mind felt oddly empty. Maybe it was the numbness. Maybe I'd simply run out of tears. The sting had dulled over time and worn away by resignation. By the time graduation actually came, all I had left inside was this heavy acceptance.
