The morning sun cast long shadows across the Eldervale Royal Academy courtyard, and already the nobles who had humiliated themselves yesterday were avoiding my gaze, whispering feverishly among themselves, while others stared with wide-eyed curiosity, clearly trying to figure out what kind of monster a commoner could be.
By now, my nickname had spread across the campus: "The Smiling Commoner," and it seemed to make everyone both nervous and irritated, which I found mildly entertaining.
As I made my way toward the training grounds, I noticed two new figures lingering near the gates, their presence so pronounced that even the bustling students couldn't ignore them: one was a tall girl with icy silver hair and emerald eyes that scanned everything with predatory precision, her posture flawless and commanding respect without a word, and the other was a boy with dark, messy hair, a lazy grin tugging at his lips, and a faint magical aura that seemed to make the air around him slightly colder, though he carried himself as if he were just passing time for his own amusement.
The spiky blond noble from yesterday, still smarting from his public humiliation, stomped forward with a group of his friends, shouting my name with all the venom he could muster, and yet before I could even respond, the silver-haired girl stepped between us with a voice that carried across the courtyard and cut through the tension like a blade.
"Enough," she said, her tone sharp but controlled. "Your fight is meaningless if he doesn't even choose to engage."
The blonde boy's face twisted in frustration and confusion as he demanded, "And who are you to stop us?"
Her emerald eyes flicked over him like a predator sizing up prey. "I am Liora Valen," she said coldly, "and I decide which students are worthy of attention in this academy. And believe me… he is worthy."
Iarched an eyebrow, amused. "A noble with a sense of reality, finally? Or maybe a sense of humor?"
Her lips twitched as if suppressing a smile. Almost. Not quite.
The dark-haired boy beside her laughed lightly and inclined his head in my direction. "I think he's fun," he said casually, twirling a dagger in his hand. "I'm Kael Draven, consider me… an observer."
I gave a faint smile. Observers usually caused trouble, but the way he carried himself made it clear he wasn't just here for gossip.
The courtyard crowd had already begun to gather as Aren Valen practiced his sword techniques, sweat glistening on his brow, determination shining in every precise movement. I walked past him, keeping my expression neutral. "You're improving," I said casually.
He shot me a look that mixed irritation and awe. "You… you watch too much," he muttered.
I shrugged. "Someone has to notice when the hero starts failing."
Then the blond noble, clearly desperate to reclaim his pride, charged at me with a magical glaive, his aura crackling with raw energy. I didn't move. I didn't cast a spell. I simply stepped aside at the exact moment he expected me to flinch, and the glaive passed harmlessly where I had stood.
Kael chuckled from the sidelines. "Relax, I just like observing reactions," he said, tossing the dagger lightly so it spun around his finger.
I smiled faintly at him. "You're dangerous."
"Not nearly as dangerous as you," he replied, eyes glinting with a mixture of curiosity and challenge.
As the day wore on, rumors began to swirl even faster than before: a strange symbol had appeared in the east wing, some of the teachers were avoiding one corridor entirely, and Liora had murmured to me as I passed, "You might want to be careful; some students aren't meant to exist here."
Itilted my head. "I'll keep that in mind… or not," I said, the hint of a smile tugging at my lips.
From the shadows near the trees, something watched silently, something that was neither a student nor a person, an ancient presence that recoiled at my existence before disappearing without a trace. I smiled again. "Interesting," I murmured, as Aren glanced at me in confusion.
"What are you smiling at?" he asked, his voice a mixture of nervousness and curiosity.
"Just… the game beginning," I said, walking ahead.
And deep in the east wing, the sealed magic circle pulsed faintly, almost as if it had felt me, as if it had recognized me, and whatever lay dormant inside it stirred in anticipation.
Something was coming.
And I knew it would make the academy a far more interesting place.