The sun dipped low behind Arcadia Academy's silver spires, casting long amber shadows across the marble pathways. Mana lanterns buzzed to life one by one, bathing the campus in gentle, bluish glow. The evening air was cool, crisp… but strangely tense.
Luca walked the path toward the dormitories, hands buried in his coat pockets, boots crunching softly against the gravel. Yet with every step, an invisible weight pressed heavier on his back.
Students passed him—but not as they used to. Not with casual nods or disinterested glances. No, this time… they stared.
Some paused mid-conversation as he neared. Others quickly turned their faces, pretending to be engrossed in books or scrolls. But he heard them.
"Is that him…?"
"Yeah, it's him, right?"
"I heard he made one of them explode just by glaring…"
Luca frowned, his brow twitching slightly. What the hell…?
