Ms Ocsol got up and walked over to one of the tall windows and looked out.
"I'm gonna tell you something that might shock you," she said.
"Professor Hendricks noticed how you did in Combat Class today. He said you showed huge improvement in both your technique and your mentality."
Lucas was shocked. It seemed his use of the [Intimidating Presence] skill had been way too obvious?
"Professor Hendricks has been teaching combat for twenty years," Ms. Ocsol continued.
"He doesn't give compliments often, but he said you showed strategic thinking and adaptability he'd never seen from you before."
"I've been... practicing more," Lucas said.
"Practicing what, exactly?"
She turned back to look at him. "Because all that tells me is that you could've always done this stuff, Lucas. The question is why you didn't and why you're starting now."
Lucas realized he was in dangerous territory.
Ms. Ocsol was way too sharp, and his recent changes were getting exactly the kind of attention he wanted to avoid.
"Knowing that you might be expelled if I fail the midterms has a way has a way of waking you up." He said.
"Maybe. But I think there's more to it than that." She went back to her desk. "Which brings us to your detention."
Lucas got ready for copying lines or scrubbing floors.
"You're gonna write an essay," Ms. Ocsol said.
"Five pages, due by the end of this session. The topic is: 'The person I want to become and what I need to do to get there.'"
"An essay?" Lucas said in surprise.
"Yep. And I want you to be honest - brutally honest. Don't write what you think I want to hear, or what sounds good. Write about who you really are and who you really want to be." She put paper, a pen, and ink on the desk in front of him. "You've got two hours."
Lucas stared at the blank paper.
This was maybe the hardest assignment he could've gotten. How could he write honestly about his goals without saying stuff that would sound impossible or crazy?
He couldn't write about preparing for a demon invasion or building a secret villain identity.
But Ms. Ocsol had specifically asked for honesty, and something about her demeanor suggested she'd see through any obvious lies or generic BS.
After thinking for several minutes, Lucas started writing:
The person I want to become is someone who can protect the people I care about.
For most of my life, I've been weak - physically, mentally, and emotionally. I've let other people make decisions for me, drifted through school without any real purpose, and avoided challenges that might've made me stronger.
This weakness isn't just my personal screw-up; it's letting down everyone who depends on me or believes in me.
The world is more dangerous than most people think. There are threats coming that will test everyone's strength, courage, and guts.
I don't want to be someone who survives by hiding behind other people's protection. I want to be someone who stands between danger and innocent people.
To make this happen, I need to first admit that my previous approach to life has been completely messed up.
I can't keep coasting on my family's reputation or wasting the educational opportunities I've been given. Every day I spend being mediocre is a day I could've used to get stronger.
Lucas stopped, thinking carefully about his next words. He needed to be honest without being too specific about future stuff.
My immediate steps need to include: throwing myself completely into my studies, getting my physical abilities up through serious training, building real relationships with people who share my values, and developing the knowledge and skills I need to face serious challenges.
But beyond these practical things, I also need to change how I think about everything. I need to stop seeing myself as someone things happen to, and start becoming someone who makes things happen.
I need to take responsibility not just for my own future, but for my ability to help others when they need it.
The person I want to become is someone others can count on in their worst moments - not because I'm the strongest or smartest, but because I'm willing to step up when it matters most, even when I'm scared.
Lucas kept writing, finding that this was actually more relaxing than he'd expected.
In a lot of ways, he was putting into words thoughts and feelings he hadn't really dealt with since getting to this world.
The fear, the determination, the feeling of knowing about future disasters and knowing he was too weak to stop them. He wrote all of it on the paper.
When he finally finished, almost two hours had gone by. Ms. Ocsol looked up from her own work as he put down his pen.
"Done?" she asked.
"Yes, ma'am."
She motioned for him to bring the essay to her desk.
Lucas handed over the paper and waited nervously as she read through his work. Her face stayed neutral, but he noticed her eyebrows go up slightly at several points.
"This is... not what I expected," she said finally. "Your writing shows a level of self-awareness and maturity that your classroom behavior doesn't show."
"Is that good or bad?" Lucas asked.
"It's... interesting. You write about protecting others and facing serious challenges like you've got specific threats in mind. Most kids your age write about career stuff or personal goals. Your essay reads like someone preparing for war."
Lucas's was shocked. Had he said too much?
"I guess I've been thinking a lot about how messed up the world is lately," he said.
"The politicals between kingdoms, the stories we hear about weird stuff happening in remote areas... It seems like we might be living in more dangerous times than people want to admit."
Ms. Ocsol stared at him for a long moment.
"That's a pretty mature way of looking at things for someone who doesn't pay attention in history class."
"Maybe, I pay more attention than it looks like," Lucas replied.
"Maybe you do." She folded the essay and put it in her desk drawer.
"Lucas, I'm gonna make you a deal. Your midterm tests are in one week. If you can show the same level of effort and skill in those tests that you showed in today's combat class and this essay, I'll personally make sure the threat of getting kicked out goes away."
"Really?"
"Really. But," she held up a finger.
"This comes with conditions. No more missed detentions, no more sleeping in class, no more treating school like it's a pain in the ass and most importantly, giving your all in the exams, even if you don't pass. Can you commit to that?"
Lucas nodded firmly. "Yes, ma'am. I can."
"Good. Then get out of here." She went back to her papers. "And Lucas?"
"Yeah?"
"Whatever personal changes you're going through, whatever's gotten you to take things seriously now... I hope you can stick with it. You've got way more potential than you've been showing and I, as your teacher, don't want to see you waste it."