The cafeteria buzzed with whispers, plates clattering in nervous rhythm. Every eye was already glued to Zane's table, but when a tall boy with slick blond hair and noble crests embroidered on his uniform strutted forward, the room held its breath.
He stopped right in front of the table, chin tilted so high he might have strained his neck.
"Ladies," the boy said smoothly, completely ignoring Zane and Asher. "You must be lost. Nobles of your caliber shouldn't be sitting with… peasants."
Mira's smirk widened. Celeste arched a delicate brow. Luna shifted uncomfortably but didn't move closer to him.
The noble leaned on the table, eyes locked on Celeste. "Why waste your beauty on someone like him?" He jabbed a thumb toward Zane, who at that moment was buttering his toast with zero interest. "He's nothing compared to me. I come from House Veylor—wealth, power, and prestige. Yet you sit with—"
"—a peasant," someone whispered, and the word rippled through the cafeteria like wildfire.
All eyes snapped back to Zane. He was still eating, chewing slowly, until finally he put the toast down.
He turned lazily to Asher. "Would you take care of it, or should I?"
Asher blanched, shaking his head so fast it was almost a blur. "N-Nope. Not me. Not this time."
Zane sighed, stood, and dusted the crumbs off his uniform. The noble grinned, mistaking the gesture for hesitation.
"You dare stand against—"
CRACK.
Zane's fist connected squarely with his jaw.
The boy didn't just fall—he flew. His body sailed across the cafeteria like a ragdoll, crashing into a table on the far side before slumping to the floor in an unconscious heap. Gasps erupted everywhere. Some students screamed. Others just sat frozen.
The system pinged.
> [Shadow Essence +2]
Zane exhaled slowly, as though he'd just done something as mundane as swatting a fly. Without another word, he sat back down, picked up his toast, and took another bite.
The entire cafeteria was silent. Not a whisper, not a cough, not a scrape of a spoon.
Zane glanced at the quiet room, brow furrowed. "What? Eat your food."
No one moved.
Mira chuckled low. Celeste's lips curved into a sly smile. Luna hid her face behind her hands.
Asher, meanwhile, had both palms covering his eyes, muttering, "We're doomed. Absolutely doomed."
And Zane? He just sighed and kept eating.