"Silence," the head evaluator's voice cut through the laughter.
The elderly evaluator studied Ren with eyes that had seen decades of students trying to manipulate situations to escape consequences. Eyes that had watched countless desperate attempts to talk their way out of failure.
This wasn't the first time a student had made wild claims. But it was the first time one had done so while holding the fragments of something that shouldn't be breakable.
"Are you suggesting you can repair it? Here? Now?"
"Yes."
The word was simple, confident, carrying no trace of doubt or desperation.
"That's impossible," nobles shouted from the stands, but there was a note of uncertainty in their voices that hadn't been there before. Because if anyone could do the impossible, wouldn't it be the boy who'd already done it many times?
"Let him try," an unexpected voice resonated. All heads turned toward the source.
