Morning. Two days before the vote.
Jayden stood before Headmaster Theron's office. Marcus and Cinna flanked him.
The door opened before he knocked.
"Come in."
Theron sat behind his desk. Professor Vance stood to the side. Kane leaned against the wall.
"You requested a B rank dungeon dive," Theron said. "Supervised. Recorded. With forty eight hours notice."
"Yes sir."
"Why?"
Jayden met his eyes. "To prove I'm not a threat. That I can control my power. Use it to protect people."
"Or you want to show off before we expel you."
"If that's what you think, then you've already decided." Jayden's voice didn't waver. "But I'm asking for the chance to prove otherwise."
Theron studied him. Long silence.
"Approved. Tomorrow morning. Ironclad Depths B rank dungeon, essence golems and corrupted beasts. You'll have faculty observers and live essence recording." He leaned forward. "But if you lose control, if that eye does anything we don't like, the vote becomes unanimous."
"Understood."
"Dismissed."
They left. The hallway felt colder.
"Tomorrow," Marcus said. "No pressure."
"None at all," Cinna muttered.
Jayden's eye pulsed.
**[Probability of success: 61%]**
**[Probability of changing vote outcome: 43%]**
Not great odds.
But better than nothing.
That afternoon. Advanced training.
The facility buzzed with tension. Everyone knew about tomorrow.
Drake cornered them near the sparring rings.
"Heard you're doing a suicide run."
"Not your concern," Jayden said.
"Actually it is. When you fail and get expelled, they'll tighten restrictions on the rest of us." Drake stepped closer. "So maybe you should just leave now. Save everyone the trouble."
"Back off," Marcus growled.
"Or what? You'll protect your pet monster?" Drake's crew laughed. "Face it. Jayden's a ticking time bomb. Better to cut him loose before he detonates."
Jayden's fist clenched. His eye flickered red.
"Do it," Drake taunted. "Show everyone what you really are."
"Walk away," Elena's voice cut through. She appeared beside them. "Now."
Drake sneered but backed off. His crew followed.
"Thanks," Jayden said.
"Don't. I'm not doing this for you." Elena's expression was ice. "I'm doing this because mob mentality is dangerous. But tomorrow? You're on your own."
She walked away.
The message was clear. Even his allies had limits.
Evening. The dorms.
Jayden packed his gear. Blade. Potions. Backup supplies.
His phone lit up. Messages flooding in.
Anonymous accounts. All saying the same thing.
*Don't come back.*
*Monster.*
*We don't want you here.*
*Die in the dungeon.*
Over a hundred messages. Maybe more.
Marcus burst through the door. "You seeing this shit?"
"Yeah."
"Someone organized this. Multiple accounts, coordinated timing." Marcus's face was red. "This is a campaign."
Cinna appeared behind him. "It's not just us. They're targeting anyone who supports Jayden. My roommate moved out. Said she doesn't feel safe around me anymore."
The room fell silent.
"I'm sorry," Jayden said quietly. "You shouldn't suffer because of me."
"Shut up." Marcus sat down hard. "We're in this together. Whatever happens tomorrow, we face it as a team."
"The dungeon's solo only."
"Then we'll be waiting when you get back."
Cinna nodded. "And if they try to expel you, we'll fight it. Legally. Publicly. Whatever it takes."
Jayden felt something crack in his chest. Gratitude. Loyalty. Brotherhood.
"Thank you."
His eye pulsed. Data flooded in.
**[Social sentiment analysis: 87% hostile, 8% neutral, 5% supportive]**
**[Projected escalation: High probability of confrontation within 24 hours]**
The numbers didn't lie.
This was about to get worse.
Night. 11 PM.
Jayden couldn't sleep. Again.
He walked the grounds. Empty. Quiet.
Too quiet.
His eye flickered. Warning.
Movement. Behind him.
He spun.
Students. Dozens of them. Emerging from shadows, from buildings, from everywhere.
Drake at the front. Zain to the side. Others he recognized from classes.
And behind them more. Way more.
Jayden's heart hammered.
"What is this?"
"An intervention," Drake said. "We're tired of waiting for the faculty to act."
More students appeared. Fifty. A hundred. Two hundred.
They surrounded him completely.
Marcus and Cinna ran from the dorm building. Pushed through the crowd.
"What the hell?" Marcus shouted.
"Stay back," someone yelled. "This doesn't concern you."
"Like hell it doesn't!"
They forced their way to Jayden's side. The three stood together. Backs to each other. Surrounded.
Two hundred students. All staring with fear and hatred.
"You need to leave," Drake continued. "Tonight. Before tomorrow's dungeon. Before you hurt someone."
"I haven't hurt anyone."
"Yet." A girl stepped forward. Expert rank. Fire affinity. "You're growing too fast. Breaking too many rules. You're dangerous."
"I saved lives in Ashwood!"
"You also exposed us to a B rank threat because you exist!" someone else shouted. "That dungeon was sabotaged. Someone wanted you dead. And we almost died because of it!"
The crowd roared agreement.
Jayden's mind raced. They thought he was the reason for the sabotage. The target that endangered everyone.
Maybe they were right.
"Just go," another student said. "Leave the Academy. Leave the city. Disappear before you become the next Lucian."
"I'm not Lucian!"
"Prove it. Leave."
The circle tightened. Two hundred students pressing closer. Essence flaring. Manifestations forming.
This wasn't a conversation anymore.
This was a mob.
Marcus's stone gauntlets manifested. "Anyone touches him goes through me."
"And me," Cinna said, hands glowing green.
But they were three against two hundred.
Jayden's eye exploded crimson and black.
**[THREAT ASSESSMENT: CRITICAL]**
**[MULTIPLE HOSTILES: 200+]**
**[AVERAGE RANK: Novice to Expert]**
**[RECOMMENDATION: RETREAT OR OVERCLOCK]**
His body tensed. Power surged beneath his skin.
He could overclock. Could move faster than any of them. Could
*No.*
That's exactly what they feared. What they expected.
The monster losing control.
But if he ran, he proved them right.
If he fought, he proved them right.
Either way, he lost.
Drake stepped forward. Flames danced across his hands. "Last chance. Walk away or we make you."
"You really want to do this?" Jayden's voice was quiet. Dangerous. "All of you against three?"
"If that's what it takes."
The crowd surged forward.
And Jayden had to make a choice.
Fight or flight.
Monster or victim.
His eye burned brighter.
Marcus and Cinna braced themselves.
Two hundred students closed in.
End of Chapter 14