Understanding her excuse, I didn't say anything. I slowly guided her out of the student council room. As I opened the door, I noticed other students who had been in the room, and they looked at me and Lina with various expressions. I ignored them and headed towards the auditorium, where the awakening process usually takes place. I walked slowly, supporting Lina with one hand on her shoulder. She seemed embarrassed and repeatedly asked me to let her go, but I ignored her pleas and continued to help her as we made our way through the academy's corridors.
I could hear students murmuring about us as we walked, but I focused on our destination and kept supporting Lina.
Eventually, we arrived at the auditorium for the awakening ceremony. A guard at the entrance asked for our IDs. Lina showed him hers along with the documents for her awakening. The guard confirmed her ID and checked her name on a list.
He signaled her to enter, and I followed her in. He was going to stop me, but when he saw my face, he fell silent and let it go. Inside the auditorium, we encountered a large space with a stage at the front and rows of seats around it. Some students were already seated, along with several teachers in front of the stage.
The teachers were assisting students with the awakening process. It was straightforward; the teachers would take out an awakening stone from their storage and call students in line. The called students would place their hands on the awakening stone, trying to feel the energy within it. Soon, the energy from the stone would flow into their bodies. If they had any latent talent, the energy would help them awaken it. If they had none, the energy would simply return to the stone, marking a failure in the process. This also meant that the awakening stone was wasted, making it an expensive process. That's why students only had three chances to awaken their talent.
Thinking about this, I sat in an empty seat next to Lina. She was nervous, knowing her turn was approaching. I held her hand tightly and said, "Don't worry about anything. Just focus on your awakening. I'll take care of everything, so give it your best."
When she heard my words, she seemed a bit more at ease and her anxiety faded. Soon, her name was called, and she stood up to go to the stage. I stayed behind, cheering her on from a distance. Once she reached the stage, she greeted the teacher there, who instructed her to place her hand on the awakening stone and feel the energy inside. She followed the instructions and concentrated, small beads of sweat appearing on her forehead.
After a minute, though, nothing happened. Typically, it takes about a minute to awaken, but she was taking longer. The awakening stone changed from shiny blue to gray, clearly losing its energy. Then, it shattered into tiny pieces. Lina broke her concentration when the stone broke. A teacher quickly approached her, noticed what had happened, and pulled out a high-tech scanner to check her. After scanning, the teacher showed a disappointed expression and said something to her.
Seeing her reaction, it was clear she must have failed her awakening. She walked off the stage with heavy steps until she reached me and said, "I failed my awakening. Maybe it's my fate to stay at the bottom. I'm sorry for failing your expectations, but I can't talk now. I'll speak with you later." With that, she walked out of the auditorium.
Watching her leave, looking so downcast, felt like my heart was being crushed. I stood up and rushed after her, catching up outside the auditorium. I grabbed her hand to stop her.
She halted and looked back at me. Her face was filled with sorrow, and tears were in her eyes. She looked utterly defeated. Then she said, "I'm sorry, but could you please leave me alone for a bit? I appreciate everything you've done for me, and I'm forever indebted to you. Even if you want to use me for your entertainment, I'll follow you. But today, I just need some space. I promise I'll be back tomorrow."
Her words pierced my heart like a dagger. At that moment, my emotions took control. Anger surged within me.
Slap!
The sound of the slap echoed through the academy. Everyone near us turned their heads. In my rage, I had slapped Lina, leaving a noticeable handprint on her left cheek. Tears filled her eyes, clearly from the shock of being struck. After the slap, I felt a wave of calmness wash over me, realizing the weight of my actions and feeling remorse.
Not wanting to dwell on it, I took her hand and said, "Come with me. I don't have time to deal with a sad person like you. Just follow me."
I led her out of the academy gate. My convoy, along with Ronald, was waiting there. I instructed them to get the cars ready and head to the mansion, then I climbed into the car with Lina. She remained silent, likely afraid of being struck again. Surprisingly, no one stopped us when I took her out of the academy, but that made sense since this academy essentially belonged to me. Not thinking about that any further, I turned to Lina, who sat beside me. I noted the mark of my slap on her cheek, and tears welled in my eyes, guilt gripping me for losing control.