The training dummy exploded.
Jayden pulled his fist back, knuckles split. Shadow and lightning still crackling across his skin.
[Damage: 1,156 units]
Sonnet rank threshold.
Finally.
"Again," Kael said from the observation deck.
He hit another dummy. Same result. Metal twisted. Essence readings spiked.
Around the facility, other students watched. Their expressions weren't impressed.
They were hostile.
"Show off," someone muttered.
Jayden ignored it. Focused on the next target.
His eye pulsed. Full mode for a split second.
[Optimal strike angle: 43 degrees. Maximum efficiency.]
He followed the guidance. The dummy crumpled.
Whispers erupted behind him.
"That eye again."
"Unnatural."
"He's cheating somehow."
Jayden's jaw tightened. He wasn't cheating. He was just
Different.
And they hated him for it.
Lunch. The cafeteria felt like a war zone.
Students gave their table a ten foot radius. Like they might catch something.
Marcus slammed his tray down. "This is getting ridiculous."
"Ignore them," Jayden said.
"Hard to ignore when they're literally moving tables away from us."
Cinna picked at her food. "Someone vandalized my locker this morning. Wrote 'monster' on it."
Jayden's fork bent in his grip. "What?"
"I cleaned it off. But..." Her voice dropped. "People are scared. And scared people do stupid things."
Elena appeared. Sat down without asking.
Half the cafeteria went silent.
"You're making this worse," Drake called from across the room. "Sitting with the freak."
Elena didn't even glance at him. "Jayden. We need to talk."
"About?"
"The faculty meeting last night. I overheard my father discussing it." Her tone was ice. "They're voting on whether to expel you."
The words hit like a punch.
"For what?" Marcus demanded.
"For being a potential threat. For growing too fast. For reminding them of Lucian Valeheart." Elena's eyes met Jayden's. "The vote's in three days. Some professors are pushing hard for removal."
"Which ones?"
"Professor Aldric Kane is leading the opposition. He thinks you're dangerous." She paused. "Headmaster Theron is undecided. If he sides against you, you're done."
Jayden's mind raced. Expelled. Three days.
Everything he'd worked for gone.
"What can I do?"
"Prove them wrong. Show them you're not a threat." Elena stood. "Or get strong enough that expelling you becomes impossible."
She walked away.
The cafeteria exploded in whispers.
"She's helping him."
"The Northstar family's making a mistake."
"He's corrupting her too."
Marcus leaned forward. "Three days. How do we fix this?"
"I don't know." Jayden stared at his hands. "Maybe they're right. Maybe I am too dangerous."
"Bullshit." Cinna's voice cut through. "You saved our lives. You're training to protect people. That's not dangerous that's heroic."
"They don't see it that way."
"Then we make them see it."
But Jayden wasn't sure that was possible anymore.
Evening training. Private session.
Jayden pushed himself harder than ever. Speed drills until his legs screamed. Manifestation work until his essence reserves hit zero.
[PASSIVE GROWTH ACTIVATED]
[Speed: 12.4 → 12.9 units]
[Manifestation: F+ → D ]
Progress. Always progress.
But would it matter if he got expelled?
"Cross."
He turned. Professor Kane stood in the doorway. Space time specialist. The one leading the charge against him.
"Professor."
"I need to speak with you." Kane approached. "About the vote."
Jayden's muscles tensed. "I'm listening."
"You're growing exponentially. Your talent is unprecedented. And that terrifies people." Kane's expression was unreadable. "But I've been researching. Digging into old records."
"And?"
"Lucian Valeheart didn't go mad because of his power. He went mad because people tried to control it." Kane pulled out a folder. "Experiments. Restrictions. They treated him like a weapon instead of a student. Pushed him until he broke."
He handed the folder to Jayden.
Inside were documents. Photos. Reports of "containment protocols" and "growth suppression techniques."
Jayden's stomach turned. "They tortured him."
"They were afraid. So they tried to cage him. And when the cage broke..." Kane's voice dropped. "He killed everyone involved. Then disappeared."
Silence.
"Why are you telling me this?"
"Because history's repeating. The faculty wants to control you. Restrict your training. Monitor your every move." Kane met his eyes. "I'm arguing for the opposite. Let you grow freely. Trust that you're not Lucian."
"But you're losing the vote."
"Yes." Kane turned to leave. "So you need to do something dramatic. Something that proves you're on humanity's side. Three days, Jayden. Make them believers or become a fugitive."
He left.
Jayden stared at the folder in his hands.
Photos of Lucian young, scared, locked in essence suppressing chains.
Then later photos. Older. Harder. Eyes filled with rage.
Is this my future?
His eye pulsed.
[OMNI Probability Analysis]
[Current trajectory: 73% chance of expulsion]
[If expelled: 89% chance of being hunted]
[Survival probability if hunted: 34%]
The numbers didn't lie.
He had three days to change everything.
Or run.
That night. 2 AM.
Jayden couldn't sleep. He walked the Academy grounds, mind racing.
Footsteps behind him.
He turned. Zain emerged from the shadows.
"Can't sleep either?" Zain asked.
"Something like that."
They stood in uncomfortable silence.
"I heard about the vote," Zain said finally. "For what it's worth, I don't think you're a threat."
"Really?"
"You're dangerous. But not a threat. There's a difference." Zain looked at the Academy towers. "Threats destroy without purpose. You have purpose. Protecting your team. Getting stronger. That's not villainy that's ambition."
"Tell that to the faculty."
"I did. Voted in your favor during the student council meeting." Zain's cold eyes met his. "But my vote doesn't matter much. The professors hold the power."
"Why are you helping me?"
"Because strong fighters make each other stronger. If they expel you, they're weakening us all." He turned to leave. "Three days. Don't waste them hiding. Show them what you can really do."
He vanished into the darkness.
Jayden stood alone under the stars.
Three days.
He needed a plan.
His eye pulsed, and suddenly he knew exactly what to do.
Dangerous. Reckless. Perfect.
Tomorrow, he'd request access to a B rank dungeon.
Supervised. Recorded. Witnessed by faculty.
He'd clear it solo.
Prove he could control his power. Use it for good. Be the hero they needed, not the monster they feared.
It was the only way.
His phone buzzed. Text from Marcus.
"Whatever you're planning, we're in."
Below it, Cinna: "You're not doing this alone."
Jayden smiled despite everything.
Three days to save his future.
Time to bet everything on one mission.
End of Chapter 13
[EXPULSION VOTE: 3 days. Current probability: 73% removal. Plan: Solo B rank dungeon run witnessed by faculty. Risk level: EXTREME.]