Wang Hao burst into the room, covering the distance in a blur of three powerful strides.

His eyes, wide with an almost frantic disbelief, locked onto Lin Yi.

He then reached out, his hands clamping onto Lin Yi’s shoulders with a grip that seemed to demand confirmation. For a long, silent second, he stared into Lin Yi’s face, as if searching for any flicker of illusion, any sign that this wasn’t real, that the figure before him wouldn’t simply vanish. Then, a wave of relief, so potent it verged on anger, broke through his composure, and he spoke, his voice booming.

"I knew it! I told her, didn’t I? I said it clearly, right from the very beginning. A monster like you, one of a kind, wouldn’t just... die so easily. Look at you, standing here. You came back, exactly as I predicted!"

There was a triumphant, almost childish satisfaction in his tone, mixed with the profound relief of having his deepest fears proven wrong. His words, though rough, carried an undertone of immense concern that had clearly tormented him. The academy had been a place of quiet despair for a month, with rumors and official reports painting a grim picture, yet Wang Hao, stubborn as ever, had clung to a sliver of hope, fueled by his unwavering belief in Lin Yi’s extraordinary nature.

Lin Yi, despite the unexpected force of the greeting, remained utterly calm. His gaze met Wang Hao’s, unwavering.

"You called me a monster," he stated, his voice even, devoid of accusation. It was a simple observation, a gentle prod at the familiarity that allowed such bluntness.

Wang Hao, still clinging to Lin Yi’s shoulders, scoffed. "I said what I said," he retorted, a defensive pride in his own conviction warring with the obvious joy of seeing his friend alive. He wasn’t about to apologize for a sentiment that had, in his mind, been vindicated by Lin Yi’s very presence.

He finally released Lin Yi’s shoulders, but made no move to step back. His expression was a kaleidoscope of conflicting emotions, too complex to settle into a single clear feeling.

Relief, profound and dizzying, battled with a lingering disbelief that felt almost insulting to the reality before him. An undercurrent of anger, perhaps at Lin Yi for making them worry so deeply, or at the universe for taking him, mingled with a surging excitement for whatever new adventures this return implied. And beneath it all, a deep, weary grievance, the quiet complaint of a friend who had endured a month of gnawing uncertainty, of sleepless nights and half-formed fears.

"One whole month," Wang Hao repeated, shaking his head slightly, as if trying to physically dislodge the memory of that agonizing period. "Do you even grasp the meaning of ’one month’? Thirty days, Lin Yi. A whole month where we had no idea if you were alive or dead. We had to officially report you missing to the academy authorities. The paperwork alone was a nightmare, and the looks we got... the sheer pity. Shen Rou, bless her methodical heart, went through the trouble of calculating your survival chances not once, not twice, but three separate times, using entirely different methods and data sets, trying to find any glimmer of hope in the numbers."

"The results were not optimistic," Shen Rou’s voice, cool and precise as ever, cut through the residual tension from behind Wang Hao. Unlike Wang Hao’s impulsive rush, she had not thrown herself across the room. When Lin Yi had first materialized at the doorway, a sudden, almost ethereal presence, she had simply stood up from her seat, a movement of quiet dignity, and then walked forward. Her pace was her usual measured, deliberate stride, each step calm and perfectly balanced. Yet, despite her outwardly composed movements, the subtle flush that had risen on her cheeks, the faint tightening around her eyes, betrayed an emotional tremor that her posture meticulously concealed.

She stopped two steps directly in front of Lin Yi, maintaining a small, respectful distance. Her eyes, usually so analytical and detached, swept over him once, a quick, almost clinical assessment.

It was a thorough scan, like a seasoned medic checking for unseen injuries before uttering a single word. She registered the faint, almost imperceptible traces of wounds that had clearly healed, though not without leaving any sign of mark.

She then noted the subtle yet undeniable change in his bearing, a new solidity, a deeper gravitas in his posture. But more significantly, her keen gaze picked up something new in his eyes, a depth and intensity that had not existed before his disappearance. It was the unmistakable look of someone who had traversed an immense distance, not just physically, but spiritually; someone who had endured a long, perilous, and profoundly transformative ordeal.

She finally raised her eyes to meet his, a silent acknowledgment passing between them.

"I stated that your chances of being dead were high," she reiterated, her voice clear and steady, a purely factual recall of her earlier, data driven conclusion. "I would like to formally withdraw that statement now."

It was a rare admission for Shen Rou, whose calculations were almost invariably accurate, underscoring the extraordinary nature of Lin Yi’s return. The carefully chosen words, formal and precise, somehow conveyed more emotion than an outburst ever could.

"You didn’t nothing wrong," Lin Yi replied, his own tone calm, accepting the logic behind her past assessment without judgment. "You simply judged based on the available information concerning me. That’s something I except someone like you to do."

"Indeed," she confirmed, a faint nod of her head.

A brief, thoughtful pause stretched between them.

"It was still incorrect." Her voice softened imperceptibly, a subtle shift in tone that spoke volumes of her genuine regret. "I apologize."

For Shen Rou, whose world was built on accuracy and verifiable facts, admitting an error, especially one with such profound implications, was a significant gesture.

"It’s fine," Lin Yi said, his eyes conveying understanding. There was no need for lingering apologies for a conclusion reached logically, even if he, Lin Yi, had decided to defy it.