The bells rang across Lionhearth at dawn.
They weren't urgent.
They weren't ceremonial.
They were… ordinary.
That was what unsettled me.
Six months ago, the sound of bells had meant alarms, formations, blood in the corridors. Now they just meant the start of a school year. Students flowed through the academy grounds in uneven streams—some running late, some laughing too loudly, some visibly terrified as they clutched schedules they didn't understand.
I walked through it all quietly.
No escort.
No orders.
No weapons drawn.
Just boots on stone.
At some point I realized people were looking at me.
Not directly. Not boldly.
Side glances. Half-turns. Whispers caught and swallowed too late.
"…that him?"
"…looks older."
"…Remember the Dratonian Forest—"
I slowed slightly, frowning.
Had I forgotten some regulation? I glanced down, checking my uniform. Clean. Proper. No blood this time. My sword was sheathed, worn but compliant. Nothing out of place.
I adjusted my collar anyway.
The staring didn't stop.
I passed a group of other second-years near the courtyard fountain. One of them stiffened as I walked by, posture straightening unconsciously. Another nudged his friend and muttered something I didn't catch. A third simply watched me until I disappeared around the corner, eyes narrowed like he was measuring something he didn't understand.
It didn't feel hostile.
It felt… wary.
I didn't like that more than hostility.
The Classroom Wing rose ahead of me—tall, pale stone, banners freshly cleaned and hung for the new year. The noise grew louder the closer I got. Doors opening. Boots scuffing. Someone shouting about seating arrangements. Someone else arguing about breakfast portions.
Normal.
I stepped inside.
And the noise stuttered.
Not fully. Not dramatically. But enough that I noticed.
Heads turned. Then more. Conversations slowed, then resumed at a lower volume. A first-year bumped into someone and hurriedly apologized—twice—before realizing he'd run into a wall.
I sidestepped him.
"…sorry, sir—" he started, then froze.
I paused. "…I'm a student."
His face went red. "Y-yes! I—sorry!"
He fled.
I stood there for a moment longer than necessary.
Something was wrong.
I continued down the corridor toward the assigned classroom for Class 2-S. The plaque outside the door gleamed, newly engraved. Fresh start. Clean slate.
I reached for the handle.
Before I touched it, the door burst open.
Kai nearly collided with me headfirst.
We both froze.
He blinked. Once. Twice. Slowly leaned back, eyes scanning me from boots to shoulders to face.
"…Why are you taller?"
I frowned. "I slept."
"That's not—" He squinted. "No. Your shoulders are wider. That's illegal."
I stepped aside as he continued staring.
Inside the classroom, chaos reigned.
Not disaster—just Class 2-S as I remembered them.
Theon had dragged desks into uneven rows. Aelira and Liam were arguing over window seating. Arion was already sitting, staring straight ahead like a condemned man. Seraphyne was perched on a desk, swinging her legs, hair brighter than I remembered. Varein leaned against the wall near the back, arms crossed, eyes half-lidded.
They all looked up.
Silence fell properly this time.
No whispers.
No movement.
Just them… watching me.
"…You look weird," Seraphyne said finally.
"Thanks," I replied.
Varein tilted his head. "Did you—" He stopped. Squinted harder. "You didn't, did you?"
"Didn't what?"
"…Get replaced?"
I sighed. "I trained."
"That's worse," Kai said. "Why are you calm?"
"I am always calm."
Seraphyne snorted. "No, you're not. You're focused. That's different."
I walked into the room and took a seat near the center without thinking. Immediately realized it was the instructor's usual vantage point and shifted two desks back.
No one spoke for a few seconds.
Then Liam frowned. "Why do you keep looking at the doors?"
I blinked. "…Habit."
"Stop it," Seraphyne said. "It's creepy."
I forced my gaze forward.
The door opened again.
Sir Aldred entered.
Same posture. Same measured steps. Same presence that snapped spines straight without a word. He scanned the room once, eyes lingering on me for half a heartbeat longer than necessary, then nodded to himself.
"Welcome back," he said. "If you're still alive, you did something right. Sit."
Everyone obeyed instantly.
Sir Aldred set his materials down calmly. "We'll begin the year with light sparring. Assessment only."
A ripple of excitement ran through the class.
Kai cracked his knuckles. Varein stretched his neck. Seraphyne's grin sharpened.
I felt a flicker of unease.
"You've all trained over the break," Sir Aldred continued. "Today is not about victory. It's about understanding where you stand."
Kai looked straight at me. "Perfect."
I met his gaze. "…We sure?"
He grinned. "Oh, I've been waiting."
The sparring grounds buzzed as we stepped outside. Other classes gathered at the periphery, pretending not to watch while very clearly watching.
Sir Aldred gestured. "Pairs. Begin."
I didn't even make it to pairing.
Kai stepped forward first.
"Five strikes," he said. "No aura."
I nodded. "No aura."
He moved fast.
I didn't.
I shifted a half-step to the side, letting his first strike pass, redirected the second with my palm, caught his wrist on the third, twisted, and placed my blade gently at his throat before the fourth could happen.
Silence.
Kai froze.
"…Did—did you just—"
"Five strikes," I reminded him.
Sir Aldred spoke calmly. "Winner: Rain."
Kai stumbled back, blinking. "No, no, again."
Varein stepped in next.
Wind stirred unconsciously around his boots.
I waited.
His opening was clever—feint into pressure. I read his weight shift, stepped inside his guard, tapped his shoulder twice, disarmed him, and nudged him back with my elbow just enough to break balance.
He hit the ground hard.
"…What?" he muttered.
One by one, they came.
Liam. Controlled, precise.
Aelira. Sharp, technical.
Seraphyne. Aggressive, flaming.
None of them landed a clean hit.
Not once.
I wasn't faster.
I was earlier.
By the end, weapons laid scattered across the yard. Breaths were ragged. Dirt streaked uniforms.
I stood where I'd started, breathing steady.
Sir Aldred observed me for a long moment.
"…Enough," he said.
The class surrounded me immediately.
"You cheated."
"You moved before I did."
"That doesn't make sense."
Seraphyne jabbed a finger at my chest. "What are you hiding?"
"Nothing," I said honestly.
"That's worse," she hissed.
Sir Aldred cleared his throat. "You're done for today."
As we dispersed, I felt the weight of eyes on my back again.
By lunch, rumors were already spreading.
"He doesn't use aura anymore."
"He's broken his limits twice already."
"He made a pact with a sea spirit."
I choked on my water when someone said sea spirit.
I lowered my gaze, quiet.
I didn't feel triumphant.
I felt… separate.
The bell rang again.
Class resumed.
Homework existed.
And for the first time since Newoaga, I understood something clearly.
Strength didn't free you from being watched.
It just changed why.
And the year had only just begun.
I sighed, internally crying.