After the practice test, something strange happened.
People started looking at Mira differently.
Not with mockery.
Not with laughter.
But with confusion.
"She looked… calm," one student whispered.
"I felt something when she stepped forward," another said.
The rumors were quiet at first, passing from one corner of the academy to another.
Some said Mira's magic had awakened.
Others said she was hiding a secret technique.
Mira heard the whispers as she walked through the halls. Her heart tightened, but she kept her expression calm.
She remembered the warning.
If they know, they will fear you.
So she stayed careful.
She avoided attention. She left training early. She kept her head down.
But rumors grow fastest in silence.
Even teachers began observing her more closely. Their eyes followed her movements, searching for answers.
That night, the spirit spoke again.
"Attention is dangerous," it warned.
"I know," Mira replied softly. "I will be careful."
Yet deep inside, she understood something painful.
No matter how much she hid…
her change could not stay unnoticed forever.
The world had begun to sense her.
And once curiosity turns into fear — there is no turning back.