We walked through the academy hallways in silence.
Not the comfortable kind.
But the kind that lingered after something… unnecessary had already happened.
The polished marble floors reflected the soft glow of the chandeliers above, each step echoing faintly in the otherwise quiet corridor. Students moved aside instinctively as we passed, their whispers trailing behind us like shadows.
"Is that them…?"
"They fought in the cafeteria…"
"I heard they beat up Thornfield…"
"Isn't that the Apex…?"
Their voices were hushed, yet impossible to ignore.
At the front, Seraphina Ravenshade walked without once looking back.
Her posture was straight, her pace measured—not rushed, not slow. Every step carried an unspoken authority that made even the air around her feel… ordered.
Behind her, the two council members followed closely.
The tall one with orange hair glanced at us once, his sharp eyes assessing—measuring.
The shorter girl with pink hair seemed more curious than anything, her gaze flickering between Leon and me as if trying to piece together what exactly had just happened.
Leon, on the other hand, looked completely unbothered.
He walked beside me with his hands in his pockets, his uniform still stained faintly with sauce and blood. A lazy expression rested on his face, though the slight twitch at the corner of his lips suggested he was holding back a laugh.
"Tch…" he muttered under his breath. "All that for a bit of fun."
I exhaled slowly.
"You call that fun?"
He tilted his head slightly.
"What? Don't tell me you didn't enjoy it."
A pause.
A faint smirk tugged at my lips.
"…I didn't say that."
He chuckled.
"Thought so."
Ahead of us, Seraphina suddenly stopped.
Not abruptly.
Not dramatically.
But with such precision that it felt like the entire hallway had come to a halt with her.
She turned.
Slowly.
Her blue eyes fell on us.
Cold.
Sharp.
Unreadable.
"You two seem quite relaxed," she said.
Her voice wasn't loud.
Yet it carried.
Effortlessly.
Leon shrugged.
"They started it."
I added, "We only responded."
For a moment, she said nothing.
Her gaze lingered on us, as if weighing our words—not for truth, but for value.
Then—
"I didn't ask for excuses."
A beat.
"I asked for discipline."
The air grew heavier.
Even Leon's smile thinned slightly.
Seraphina stepped closer.
Her presence was… overwhelming.
Not in the way of raw power like Alyssa.
Not in the crushing pressure of someone like the serpent.
But in something far more controlled.
Far more dangerous.
Authority.
"You are both S-Class cadets," she continued. "One of you is the Apex," she finished, her gaze settling on me for a fraction longer than necessary, "and the other…"
Her eyes shifted to Leon.
"…is someone I cannot quite place yet."
A faint pause followed.
Not hesitation.
Assessment.
It felt as though she was trying to peel something apart—layer by layer—only to find that whatever lay beneath refused to reveal itself.
Leon smiled.
Easy.
Carefree.
False.
"Just a regular student," he said lightly.
For the briefest moment—
Something flickered in her eyes.
Not belief.
Not disbelief.
Something closer to… interest.
Then it was gone.
Just like that.
Seraphina turned without another word and resumed walking.
We followed.
The corridor grew quieter the deeper we went.
Students disappeared.
The whispers faded.
Even the light seemed dimmer, the golden glow of chandeliers replaced by a colder, more subdued illumination.
We had entered a different part of the academy.
One that wasn't meant for casual wandering.
The walls here were lined with tall, arched windows, their glass tinted slightly, muting the outside world into something distant and unreal. Banners hung between them—deep blue, embroidered with silver insignias that represented the authority of the student council.
At the end of the hallway stood a set of large doors.
White.
Polished.
Unmarked.
Seraphina stopped before them.
For a moment, she didn't move.
Then—
She placed her hand against the surface.
A faint pulse of mana spread outward.
The doors opened silently.
The room beyond was vast.
Not in the way of grandeur—but in the way of purpose.
Everything inside was arranged with intent.
A long table stretched across the center, its surface spotless. Chairs were aligned perfectly along both sides, untouched, unused. At the far end stood a raised platform, simple yet imposing.
No decorations.
No excess.
Only function.
We stepped inside.
The doors closed behind us with a soft click.
And just like that—
The outside world felt… gone.
Seraphina moved toward the center of the room before turning back to face us.
"You will both explain," she said.
Her tone wasn't aggressive.
It didn't need to be.
It carried certainty.
Finality.
Leon let out a quiet breath.
"…Some nobles got their pride hurt," he said casually. "They tried to make a scene. We ended it."
I added, "They approached first. We didn't escalate—it just… went that way."
Silence followed.
Seraphina had just parted her lips—no doubt to deliver a far more thorough reprimand—
When a sharp sound cut through the stillness.
Ring.
The sudden chime of a communication device echoed unnaturally loud within the quiet council chamber.
Seraphina's expression did not change at first.
But her eyes—
They shifted.
Briefly.
Then widened.
A reaction so subtle that anyone else might have missed it.
But not me.
She glanced at the caller ID.
And for the first time since we had met her—
Her composure cracked.
Just slightly.
She answered immediately.
"…Yes, ma'am."
Her tone was different.
Respectful.
Measured.
Careful.
Her gaze flickered toward us.
"…Yes. Both of them are here."
A pause.
Silence filled the room, heavy and stretched.
"…I understand."
The call ended.
No delay.
No hesitation.
The pink-haired council member tilted her head slightly.
"Who was that, President?"
Seraphina exhaled quietly.
Then—
Her eyes returned to us.
"It seems," she said, her voice regaining its usual calm authority, "the Headmistress herself wishes to involve herself in this matter."
A beat.
"She has requested that both of you report to her office."
My face paled.
Of all people…
Beside me—
Leon scoffed.
"Hey, are you joking? Why the hell would sh—"
The world twisted.
There was no warning.
No formation.
No chant.
Space itself seemed to fold inward.
The floor vanished beneath our feet.
The air collapsed.
And in the next instant—
We were falling.
THUD.
Pain shot through my back as I slammed into solid ground.
"…Fuck."
I groaned.
Leon, on the other hand, landed perfectly—
On top of me.
"…Get off."
He stepped aside lazily.
"Relax, you cushioned the fall."
I pushed myself up quickly, ignoring him—
And froze.
We were no longer in the council chamber.
We stood inside a vast office.
No—
Not vast.
Expansive.
Every inch of the room radiated refinement.
Tall windows stretched from floor to ceiling, draped in sheer black curtains that swayed faintly despite the absence of wind. Beyond them, the sky seemed distant—muted—as if the room itself existed slightly apart from reality.
The floor was polished obsidian, smooth enough to reflect distorted images of everything above it.
Shelves lined the walls—filled not with ordinary books, but ancient tomes, sealed scrolls, and artifacts that hummed faintly with restrained power.
A low table rested at the center, crafted from dark wood veined with silver, its surface holding a delicate porcelain set—untouched.
The air carried a faint scent.
Jasmine.
Soft.
Deceptively calming.
But beneath it—
Something deeper lingered.
Something dangerous.
And at the far end of the room—
She sat.
Aurelia.
Her black hair fell like silk over her shoulders, her posture flawless, her presence—
Absolute.
But it was her eyes—
Those void-like, unfathomable eyes—
That held everything still.
They were already on us.
Watching.
Waiting.
I stood immediately and bowed my head.
"G-good evening, Headmistress."
Silence followed.
She didn't respond.
Not immediately.
She simply… looked.
And under that gaze—
Even breathing felt like an effort.
Beside me, Leon clicked his tongue softly.
Then—
Without warning—
The illusion shattered.
His appearance shifted.
Black hair turned to gold.
His lazy demeanor sharpened.
And the blindfold covering his eyes shimmered faintly—concealing what lay beneath.
He dropped the act.
Completely.
Aurelia spoke.
"Leon."
Her voice was calm.
Cold.
Controlled.
"Just because I allowed you to follow through with your… plan…"
A faint pause.
"…does not mean you are free to brawl with children."
The temperature in the room dropped.
"Pathetic."
Leon coughed lightly.
"O-okay, okay… maybe we went a bit far."
"You did."
Her gaze didn't soften.
Didn't waver.
"I do not particularly care what the Apex does."
Her eyes flicked toward me.
Only for a moment.
Then back to Leon.
"But you—"
Her voice lowered.
"You are an SS-ranker, A living power house.
A pause.
"And you allowed yourself to be provoked by the empty words of a noble."
Leon scratched the back of his head.
"…He was annoying."
"Leon."
Her voice turned colder.
Sharper.
Final.
The room itself seemed to tighten.
"…uh… I won't do it again."
A beat.
Silence.
Then—
"This is your last chance."
The words didn't sound like a warning.
They sounded like a verdict.
Leon didn't reply this time.
For once—
Even he understood.
Aurelia's gaze shifted.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
Until it landed on me.
And unlike before—
This time—
It didn't leave.
"Now…" she said softly.
"…let's talk about you."