Damian walked out of the shooting range silently, his expression perfectly neutral.
But deep inside, he couldn't stop the creeping sense of disappointment from settling into his chest like a cold stone.
He was still human, after all.
Getting abandoned by one of his own teachers hurt more than he wanted to admit.
The rational part of his mind knew this was inevitable. He'd seen it coming from miles away the moment those videos started circulating.
His teachers were Nobles. His rivals were Nobles. His enemies were all Nobles.
Ever since arriving at this Academy, he'd been completely surrounded by this suffocating social construct. It was like a rope slowly tightening around his throat, getting closer and closer each day until he could barely breathe.
No matter how much he talked about treating everyone equally in his Mafia, the reality was that not a single Noble had ever joined his organization.
Not one.
