The results were posted an hour later.
Elena had never spent a longer hour in her life.
Students filled the conservatory hallway, pacing, whispering nervously, checking their phones, pretending they weren't anxious. But every few seconds, someone glanced toward the large bulletin board where the results would be pinned.
Elena stood near the back of the crowd, clutching the strap of her bag.
Her mind kept drifting to the unfamiliar man she had met earlier.
Daniel Mercer.
The card he had given her now rested carefully inside her bag. She had looked at it several times while waiting, still unsure why someone like him would approach her.
Valkor Cultural Foundation.
The name still felt strangely familiar.
But she couldn't place it.
Suddenly, movement spread through the hallway.
The conservatory assistant walked toward the board holding several sheets of paper.
The entire crowd surged forward instantly.
"Elena, breathe," she muttered to herself.
The papers were pinned to the board.
Students rushed to read the names.
Some gasped in excitement.
Others groaned in disappointment.
Elena waited a few seconds before stepping forward.
Her eyes scanned the page quickly.
Accepted Students — Ardell Conservatory Piano Program
Line after line of names blurred together.
Her heart beat faster.
Then she saw it.
Rivera, Elena.
For a moment, she couldn't breathe.
Her hand rose slowly to her mouth.
"I… I got in," she whispered.
Relief flooded through her chest so suddenly that she laughed softly in disbelief.
All the years of practicing.
All the sacrifices.
All the doubts.
They had finally led somewhere.
Around her, students were celebrating, hugging friends, calling family members.
Elena stepped back from the crowd, still smiling to herself.
She reached for her phone.
Her parents would be so happy.
Just as she began typing a message, a familiar voice behind her said,
"Congratulations."
Elena turned.
Daniel Mercer stood a few steps away, his hands casually folded behind his back.
"You already knew?" she asked.
He gave a small smile.
"I had a good feeling."
Elena laughed softly.
"Well… thank you. I guess."
"You've earned it," he replied.
Before Elena could say anything else, Daniel's phone vibrated.
He glanced at the screen, then looked back at her.
"Actually," he said thoughtfully, "there's someone who would like to meet you."
Elena frowned slightly.
"Me?"
"Yes."
Daniel gestured toward the end of the hallway.
Elena followed his gaze.
At first, she only noticed the tall figure standing near the large window at the far end.
He stood with his back slightly turned, looking outside at the city skyline. His posture was straight, composed, almost commanding.
Students walked past him without realizing who he was.
But something about him made Elena pause.
Her heart skipped once.
Something about that silhouette felt… familiar.
"Who is that?" she asked quietly.
Daniel didn't answer immediately.
"You should see for yourself."
Elena hesitated for a moment before walking slowly down the hallway.
Step by step, the distance between them closed.
The man by the window finally turned slightly.
Dark hair.
Sharp features.
Cold, composed expression.
For a second, Elena's mind refused to believe what her eyes were seeing.
But the moment his gaze met hers—
Everything became clear.
Adrian Volkov.
The boy who once stood silently in the doorway of the academy auditorium.
The boy everyone feared.
The boy who had vanished after graduation.
He looked different now.
Older.
More powerful.
The quiet loneliness she had once seen in his eyes had been replaced with something deeper.
Something darker.
Yet the moment their eyes locked, time seemed to fold in on itself.
Elena's breath caught.
"…Adrian?"
His name escaped her lips like a memory she had tried to hold onto for years.
For a brief moment, the cold mask on Adrian's face shifted.
Something softer appeared in his eyes.
Something almost familiar.
"It's been a while," he said calmly.
But Elena was still staring at him, stunned.
Because the quiet boy from the academy hallways was gone.
In his place stood a man who carried power like it was part of his shadow.
And suddenly Elena understood something she hadn't realized before.
The unfamiliar man she had met earlier…
Had never been the real surprise.
The real surprise—
Was seeing Adrian Volkov again.