The sun was barely above the horizon, but the hallways of Starfall Academy were already humming with the nervous energy of the 14th of Verdant. Serena stood before her mirror, adjusting the high collar of her uniform. The Starfall Academy ensemble was a masterclass in military elegance: a fitted dark under-uniform layered beneath a sleek, sleeveless black overcoat. The sharp silver trim caught the light, and the Academy logo—a stylized falling star—sat prominently over her heart.
She looked the part of a Hero, but her eyes told a different story. They were heavy, carrying the weight of the "Three Stars" and the blood she'd spilled in her own mind just hours prior.
As Serena stepped into the hallway, she found Layla leaning against the stone wall, already vibrating with excitement.
"There she is!" Layla chirped, pushing off the wall. "First day, first class. Are you ready to show these instructors why they call us the 'Hero Generation,' or are you going to play it cool?"
Serena let out a long, weary sigh. "You don't know the half of it, Layla. Last night was... complicated. A lot of shitty things happened."
Layla's cheerful expression faltered, replaced by a look of genuine concern. "Why? What happened? You look like you haven't slept in a week."
"I'll tell you later," Serena muttered, her boots clicking sharply against the floor. "Let's just say I feel a few decades older than I did yesterday. I'm not sure I have the energy for 'Hero' antics today."
Layla gave her a lopsided smirk, though her eyes remained watchful. "Well, sounds like hell. Just try not to collapse until after lunch, okay?"
The classroom was more of an arena than a standard lecture hall. It was vast, with tiered seating that could easily accommodate fifty students, all focused on a central training floor made of reinforced obsidian.
They made their way to the front row, where Anna was already waiting, her posture perfect and her notes laid out.
"Good morning, Serena. Layla," Anna greeted them with a polite nod.
Rowan and Ben, sitting just to Anna's right, offered their own greetings—Rowan with a confident grin and Ben with a quiet wave. Serena slumped into her seat beside them, the cushioned chair feeling like the greatest luxury she'd ever known.
At the very back of the hall, sat Arthur and Michael. They remained silent, Arthur watching the room with the detached intensity and Michael already sleeping putting his head on the desk.
The morning light filtered through the high, arched windows of the lecture hall, illuminating the dust motes dancing over rows of expectant faces. Layla nudged Serena, her eyes darting toward a middle bench where two students sat with an unmistakable air of nobility.
"Serena, look," Layla whispered, pointing subtly. "The Remington twins—Leena and Kaelen. They're basically royalty in the combat world. I heard Kaelen reached Stage Ⅱ before he even hit puberty."
Serena glanced over. The twins sat with perfect posture, their silver hair catching the light, looking like twin statues of marble and steel. "Yeah," Serena said, her voice flat. "They look expensive. But honestly? I don't think they have anything on Henry."
Layla blinked, a mischievous grin spreading across her face. "Oh? Rooting for the underdog already? I didn't think he was your type."
Serena laughed, a short, sharp sound. "Underdog? For Henry to be an underdog, he'd actually have to care about the competition. Believe me, I've seen what's behind that lazy stare. He doesn't want anything to do with this world."
The heavy iron-bound doors creaked open. The chatter in the hall died instantly as a man walked in with a slow, rhythmic stride. It was Henry. He wore a long, thin black duster over a rumpled grey shirt, his hands buried deep in his pockets. He looked less like a professor and more like a man who had been dragged out of bed and into a courtroom.
He scanned the room, his gaze lingering on Serena for a fraction of a second before he stepped onto the podium. A confused murmur rippled through the students.
"Alright," Henry began, his voice a low, gravelly rasp that somehow carried to the back of the room. "Most of you are wondering why I'm up here and not in the back row sleeping. Your actual professor was arrested for assault a few days ago. So, the Headmistress decided I'm your interim lecturer."
He picked up a piece of chalk, the sound of it scratching against the slate board making half the class wince. In massive, jagged letters, he wrote:
SELF STUDY
Without another word, he slumped into the high-backed chair at the podium, crossed his arms, and let his chin drop to his chest. Within seconds, his breathing evened out into a steady, rhythmic nap.
Layla looks amused "Looks like it's a DIY education today."
Anna serious as ever "Well... this is certainly a subversion of academic norms."
Rowan furiously slapped the desk. "He's a disgrace to the Academy's reputation!"
Wanda resigned just leaned back and closed her eyes. She knew Henry. The twins insulted Kaelen's jaw tightened; Leena looked like she wanted to duel him.
The silence lasted exactly one minute before Serena stood up. Every head in the room turned as she marched down the aisle, her structured boots clicking like a countdown on the stone floor. She reached the podium and, without hesitation, slammed her hand down on the desk right next to Henry's ear.
BANG!
Henry jolted, his eyes snapping open. He blinked, looking up at Serena with the bleary, annoyed expression of a man whose dream had just been interrupted.
"If it isn't my favorite Hero," Henry muttered, leaning back and rubbing his eyes. "What can I do for you, Serena? Did you lose your way to the library?"
Serena folded her arms over her chest, her "Three Stars" invisible but her presence heavy. "You're supposed to be teaching, not hibernating. Stop being an ass and do your job."
"This is a self-study lecture, Serena," Henry countered, his voice dripping with feigned innocence. "Don't they teach you definitions in the Light Path? It means you learn... by yourself. I'm just here for the insurance."
Serena didn't move. She didn't argue. She simply stared at him, her eyes cold and unwavering—the same look she had used when she ended the Jester in her mind.
Henry tried to hold her gaze, then chuckled nervously. "Alright, the 'disappointed older sister' look isn't going to work on me. I've had better people than you try to guilt-trip me."
She remained silent, a statue of pure, unadulterated judgment.
Henry's smirk slowly faded. He shifted in his seat. "You're really not going to leave me in peace, are you?"
"What do you think?" Serena asked, her tone dangerously low.
Henry let out a long, theatrical sigh and pushed himself out of the chair. "Fine. I'll do it. I'll teach." He muttered under his breath as he stood, "I swear, I must have a magnet for overbearing women in my soul."
Serena's icy expression vanished instantly, replaced by a bright, victorious smile that caught Henry completely off guard. "Good! I knew you had it in you."
Henry stared at the sudden change, shook his head, and gestured to her seat. "Go. Sit down before I change my mind."
As Serena skipped back to her place, Henry turned to the class, he still looked bored and like someone who didn't want to be there.