Damien’s setup was clean. That was the best part for me. There were no witnesses that mattered. The teachers around wouldn’t do anything to him. Silas was unwanted. No one would waste time on him. All he needed was to provoke Silas. Push him far enough, and he would eventually snap in front of the wrong person. And when he did? He would be gone. Simple.

Damien took another bite, savoring it more this time. The food tasted strangely more delicious today. A group of students approached his table, drawn by the rumors circulating about Silas and him.

"Yo, Damien," one of them said, trying to sound casual. "What happened earlier? We heard you folded Pinky."

Another leaned in, eyes gleaming. "Yeah. Something about his room, too? People are saying it’s wrecked."

Damien didn’t answer right away. He set his fork down carefully, wiped his mouth with a napkin, and leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on the table as if he was about to share something worth hearing.

"You guys really don’t see it, do you?" he said, his voice smooth.

"See what?" someone asked.

"That guy doesn’t belong here."

His answer was simple. He picked up his drink and took a slow sip before continuing.

"I didn’t even go all out," he added casually. "I just adjusted the pressure a bit... and he dropped, right there. Couldn’t even stand properly."

His answer caused them to laugh nervously. Damien was dangerous.

"And his room?" another asked, more eager now.

Damien’s smile widened slightly.

"Let’s just say," he said, leaning back again, "I gave him something to remember. Nothing serious. Just... rearranged things."

"Damn..."

"That’s messed up."

"But kinda deserved, though," someone muttered.

"If he can’t handle it, he shouldn’t be here," Damien shrugged, picked up his fork again, and continued his meal as if the conversation was already over. Silas had been in his place. The balance had been restored, or so he thought. As far as he was concerned, the problem had already been handled, and Silas? He was just waiting to make his final mistake.

And Silas really made that mistake. What happens when someone stops caring about anything, even himself? He becomes a maniac. He becomes suicidal, unhinged. That was what Silas became.

He was already being called a madman, a maniac, Pinky, and all sorts of hurtful names as if he weren’t a human. As if he didn’t matter, didn’t have a life. He had endured all that, but this time, Damien had pushed it too far. Silas knew he had intentionally done that to make him react and get him expelled. He was trying to use the academy rules against him, all because he was powerless. But reality was cruel.

Just remembering how the teachers around him ignored everything made him seethe in rage. He knew he wasn’t needed there. He knew he was the strange boy, but to the extent that no one would step in to stop a blatant bullying was too much.

He stopped caring. He now had a system. He would live with it and learn everything he needed. He had already survived this much. If he wasn’t needed in Valecrest, then he should as well be expelled, and he would make sure he was expelled. He didn’t care anymore. He was going to teach Damien a very hard lesson. One that would leave a scar for years, and if he ever tried to come back, he would end him.

***

The corridors felt different as he moved through them, uncaring about the whispers around him.

"Pinky."

"He smells like trash."

"He is trash."

No. It was different because none of it mattered anymore. Silas walked straight through it all with a calm expression and steady steps. His uniform was clean, but the faint stench still lingered, clinging to him no matter how much he had scrubbed... Or maybe it was in their heads. Either way, it still didn’t matter.

The cafeteria was buzzing as usual. Silas had reached it. He knew Damien would be there eating. He stood at the entrance, framed by the light from the corridor, his pink hair dull under the cafeteria’s glow.

"Oh, Sil-"

Whoever was trying to speak up stopped when they saw Silas’s smile. He didn’t say a thing. Instead, he moved towards Damien’s table. He was a bit far from the entrance, seated at the center of the cafeteria. Whether it was deliberate or coincidental, no one knew.

Silas didn’t care either. When he reached close enough, he grabbed the edge of one of the cafeteria tables, confusing those who had started noticing him. The metal strained a bit from his grip, but no one noticed the intense reddish-pink glow from his eyes.

"Yo, Damien! Catch!" He shouted, ripped the huge metallic table, probably weighing more than 100 kilograms because of the materials used, and threw it. The move was so sudden that no one could react in time to it. It tore through the air like a projectile, heading straight at Damien.

Damien fumbled, trying to use his ability, but it was too late. The table slammed into him with a sickening impact, sending him crashing more than ten meters into another table, scattering food everywhere. The cafeteria exploded into chaos, and people scrambled out of the way. The smile on Silas’s face was the smile of the devil to them, and Damien was his victim.

Damien slowly stood up with a bloodied face and ragged clothes and shouted in panic and fear.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

But Silas was already moving... faster than anyone expected, with that same unhinged smile on his face.

"Something I should’ve done a long time ago."

He crossed the distance in seconds, stepping over a broken chair without hesitation. Damien groaned as he tried to move out of the way. He wanted to run, escape, but Silas didn’t give him time. He caught him and drove his fist straight into his ribs.

A loud cracking sound echoed in the place as Damien choked, the air ripping out of his lungs as his body curled instinctively. Silas grabbed him by the collar, yanked him up, and drove his knee into his stomach.