"Mr. Silas Ashard, head to the Principal’s office this instant!"

The announcement thundered through the academy’s speaker system, echoing across classrooms, training grounds, and dormitories alike. The voice carrying the message sounded strangely conflicted, frustrated, yet unable to hide a hint of satisfaction. Silas didn’t need to guess who it was. Valecrest had never lacked people eager to see him fall.

Not that it mattered.

Without changing his expression, he altered his course and headed toward the administration district at the heart of the academy.

The Administration Building was the crown jewel of Valecrest Collegiate Grounds. Unlike the classroom blocks and training arenas that emphasized practicality, the administration complex was built to inspire awe. Rising nearly fifteen stories into the sky, the structure combined modern architecture with old-world grandeur. Its exterior was fashioned from polished white stone and reinforced crystal-glass panels that reflected sunlight like a giant gemstone. Towering pillars lined the front entrance, each engraved with the names of distinguished graduates who had gone on to become renowned Rift Hunters, military commanders, scholars, and heroes.

At the center of the building stood a colossal version of Valecrest’s crest: a stylized silver stag standing atop a crescent of laurel leaves, with a faint blue star glowing between its antlers. The emblem was carved directly into the stone façade, large enough to be seen from almost anywhere on campus.

Broad stairways led to the main entrance, where a pair of massive oak doors stood permanently open. Beyond them lay a magnificent atrium stretching several floors upward. Suspended bridges connected various departments overhead, while banners displaying the academy’s colors hung from the ceiling. Mana-powered crystal chandeliers illuminated the interior with a gentle glow despite the daylight streaming through the enormous glass dome above.

Students often joked that the Administration Building looked less like a school facility and more like the headquarters of a powerful kingdom. Today, however, Silas barely spared it a glance. His hands remained tucked inside his pockets as he climbed the stairs. The beauty of the structure, the wealth invested in it, the prestige it represented; none of it stirred anything inside him.

His expression remained blank as he approached the entrance. Whatever awaited him inside, expulsion, suspension, punishment, or something else entirely, he no longer cared. The doors stood open before him, and without hesitation, Silas stepped through.

The journey to the principal’s office was surprisingly short. Perhaps because Silas wasn’t paying attention, or perhaps because his mind had already crossed a point where things like distance and time no longer mattered. Either way, before long, he found himself standing before a pair of imposing double doors crafted from dark mahogany. Intricate silver engravings ran along their surface, depicting scenes of humanity battling monstrous creatures emerging from dimensional rifts. The doors alone were worth more than most people’s yearly income.

Silas stared at them for a second and pushed them open.

Creaaak...

The office beyond was massive, calling it an office almost felt insulting. It was more akin to a royal chamber. Floor-to-ceiling windows occupied the far wall, overlooking nearly the entirety of Valecrest Academy. Sunlight poured through the crystal-clear glass, bathing the room in a warm glow. Shelves filled with books, trophies, historical relics, and framed photographs lined the walls. A large circular carpet occupied the center of the room, bearing the academy’s crest. At the far end sat the principal, Theodore Maguire. He was a man in his late fifties with neatly combed silver hair and sharp blue eyes. Despite his age, there was a powerful presence about him. It was not the overwhelming pressure of an awakened combatant, but the authority of a man who had spent decades commanding respect. His fingers were interlocked on top of his desk as he quietly observed Silas’s entrance.

Beside him sat vice principal Elena Garnet, a striking woman who appeared to be in her early thirties despite being significantly older. Her dark hair was tied into a professional bun, and her crimson-framed glasses gave her an intellectual appearance. Unlike the principal, whose expression remained neutral, hers carried obvious displeasure, not necessarily toward Silas, but toward the entire situation.

Silas noticed that immediately. His gaze shifted, and he realized they weren’t alone. Six other individuals occupied the room. Three men and three women, each seated around a long conference table positioned near the principal’s desk. Possibly board members or something close to it. Every single one of them possessed an air of importance. One was an elderly man whose chest was decorated with military insignias. Another was a stern-looking woman dressed in an expensive business suit. A bald man with a scar running across his scalp sat beside her, his arms crossed as he scrutinized Silas like an insect under a microscope. The remaining three varied in age and appearance, but one thing connected them all: Influence.

These were not ordinary educators; they were people who helped shape the academy itself. The room was silent as they stared at him. They were judging and examining him. Silas didn’t care. His hands remained in his pockets as he walked forward, the sound of his footsteps echoing softly against the polished floor. Eventually, he stopped a few meters before the principal’s desk without greeting or looking at any of the people seated around.

The vice principal’s brows furrowed slightly while one of the board members clicked their tongue. Principal Theodore finally broke the silence.

"Silas Ashard." His voice was calm. "Do you know why you’re here?"

The room’s attention sharpened as several of the board members leaned forward slightly. Silas met the principal’s gaze, turned to slowly look around the room, and back at the principal. A faint smile appeared on his face, but they could all tell that it was devoid of emotion. It was empty and cold.

"Because I didn’t finish the job?" He answered.

The temperature in the room seemed to drop as their expressions froze instantly. The vice principal’s eyes widened in disbelief. One of the board members nearly choked. Principal Theodore Valecrest’s calm expression cracked.

"You almost killed a student, Silas," Theodore said with a hard expression. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

"He didn’t die," Silas answered with the same expressionless face.

"Insolence! Do you know who he is?!" one of the board members, the one in a business suit, shouted in anger.

"Your son? I don’t care. Even if he is the son of the mayor, I don’t care," Silas said coldly.

"You!"

"What did you people do when I was getting bullied? I have been in this school for most of my life, and I lived in pain, torture, and disgrace just for existing. If my parents were still here, do you think any of you would be able to touch me? Though it sounds stupid. I’m all on my own," Silas said, his eyes darkening. His words made everyone, including the principal and his vice, lower their heads in shame. What he spoke was the truth, and they knew it.

"That is not the case here, Mr. Ashard," one of the women said with a sigh. "You didn’t just beat a student to near death. You hit a teacher. That is-"

"Do you know that the teacher and his associate watched as I was tossed around in the corridor by an awakened?" Silas asked, making the room silent again.

"That..."

"I am a non-awakened. I have no ability, as you all proclaim, but I’m the one standing a trial of expulsion. I thought the school rules prevented the use of abilities outside of combat class and rift expeditions, and also on non-awakened," Silas added, making their expressions change from bad to worse. The bad part for them was that he was right.

"They will be dealt with," the vice principal, Elena, said calmly.

"And I will be expelled."

"This is..."

"Silas isn’t getting expelled. Try it, and I will act personally. Wait, I’m already doing it." A familiar voice sounded as the doors were pushed open, and she walked in.

"Who... Miss Anna?!"

"Are you trying to go against me, Theodore?"

Silas’s eyes widened in shock and disbelief as he witnessed the principal and the board cower under the nurse’s sharp gaze.

"I wouldn’t dare!" Theodore instantly bowed, not daring to look her in the eyes.

"Good. I will personally oversee Damien’s recovery, too. But I’m warning all of you. If anything relating to this interesting incident comes up on Silas’s file, you will answer to it. In fact, anything that could put him in trouble. And deal with those so-called teachers," Anna fired orders, and all they could do was nod in acceptance and understanding.

She winked at the stupefied Silas and turned to move out, but stopped when she reached the doors.

"And one last thing... Prepare the documents for Silas’s inheritance. He will be 18 tomorrow."

With that, she left the room, leaving a bunch of scared adults and a pink-haired boy staring at her receding in disbelief.