CHAPTER 239: THANK YOU, MASTER [1]

The air in the hall was still heavy when the doors opened.

A silence rippled through the hall, broken only by the soft, deliberate steps of the two figures who entered.

Principal Lucian walked in first. His golden eyes, cold yet glowing with a strange authority, swept across the room like a sword drawn from its sheath.

Each student flinched beneath that gaze. Behind him, Vice Principal Seris moved with quiet grace, her presence lighter, but no less firm.

As soon as they entered, the pressure changed. It was as if the weight of the ceiling doubled, pressing down on everyone’s shoulders.

Some students lowered their heads instinctively, while others sat stiff, pretending to endure.

Lucian’s eyes lingered on them, and in those eyes the truth of the room reflected.

He saw anger trembling beneath clenched fists. He saw fear etched into pale faces, the kind that lingered even after danger was gone.

Some students looked relieved, as if grateful it was only an exam and not something worse. A few looked hollow... already resigned, as though they had given up before even starting.

And yet, scattered here and there, he noticed the rare glimmers of something else... a quiet determination.

The spark of students who, even after being broken down, wished to grow stronger.

But Lucian also saw what couldn’t be hidden... cracks.

Fractures in bonds that had seemed solid only yesterday. He saw the way certain students avoided each other’s eyes, shame and bitterness twisting their expressions.

Trust had been tested, and some had failed.

In times of danger, it was always this way.

Lucian had seen it more times than he could count. People believed in loyalty, in friendship, in unity.... but when fear clawed at the throat, when death brushed close, the mask slipped.

A person would always think of themselves before others. It was a cruel truth. One that destroyed illusions.

The silence stretched long until Lucian finally broke it. His voice rolled across the hall, deep and sharp, carrying an edge that cut straight through their hearts.

"You’ve all shown me the truth of who you are."

The words rang out like thunder.

Lucian didn’t shout. His voice carried the kind of weight that demanded silence, that made even the bravest hesitate to breathe too loudly.

"The world we live in,"

"It does not care about your excuses. It does not care about your tears. It does not care if you were not ready."

"At any moment, we could be at war with demons. At any moment, the ground could collapse beneath your feet, and you would be forced to fight for your life."

A few students shifted uncomfortably. Some lowered their eyes, unable to meet his.

"You think this was hard?"

His golden gaze swept across the room again, sharp as a blade.

"You think this exam was cruel? This was nothing. Nothing but a shadow of what waits for you outside these walls."

His words were steady, but behind them there was an sharp harshness, like steel grinding against steel.

"When you step outside this academy. No one will protect you. Not your teachers. Not your families. Not your so-called friends."

He said, voice tightening,

"The world will not hesitate to kill you. Demons will not spare you because you are young. They will not give you time to prepare. You will either stand and fight, or you will die. That is the reality you chose when you walked through these Academy gates."

The weight of his words pressed harder. Students clenched their teeth. Some trembled, remembering how close they had come to losing their lives only hours ago.

Lucian’s expression hardened further.

"I know many of you are thinking of leaving," He said bluntly.

"Good. Leave. It is better that you realize now that you do not belong here. If you are not willing to endure, if you do not have the resolve to face death, then drop out.

Do not waste our time. Do not waste our resources. We will not coddle you. We will not carry you. If you cannot carry yourself, then you have no place in this academy."

The words were cruel. But they were also honest.

Some students bit their lips hard, as if trying to swallow the shame. Others hung their heads low, unable to argue.

Lucian raised his chin slightly, his golden eyes still cutting across them.

"By the second year, most of you will know what this world demands of you. But we have no luxury of time. That is why we have forced you to face reality in your first semester. This midterm exam was not meant to test your grades. It was meant to test your spirit. To show you the truth you all try so hard to ignore..."

"That you are not safe."

The silence that followed was suffocating.

"If you truly have a fire burning inside you,"

Lucian said, his voice lowering but sharpening further.

"Then you may stay. Train. Struggle. Break and rebuild yourselves until you are worthy. But if not... leave now. Do not waste the years we could spend on those who are willing to fight."

His words lingered in the air, sinking into each heart like stones into water.

Lucian finally drew back, his expression calm again.

"That is all. You may return to your dormitories."

The tension loosened slightly, but no one moved right away. It was as though their bodies had forgotten how.

Some students sagged in their places, drained. Others whispered to each other in low voices, torn between relief and dread.

A few sat frozen, as if trying to decide even now whether they had the strength to continue.

It was then that Vice Principal Seris, who had been silent all this time, stepped forward.

Her presence was quieter than Lucian’s, but no less commanding. Her sharp eyes scanned the room before fixing on two particular students.

"Kyle Valemont and Cedric Valtieri."

Her voice carried clearly, drawing every eye toward the pair.

"You two, my office. Now."

The air shifted again.

Kyle lifted his head, meeting Cedric’s gaze.

For a moment, neither spoke.

Kyle let out a small sigh, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"Great."

Cedric gave a crooked grin, though it was more grimace than humor. He leaned closer, whispering through clenched teeth.

"...I’m really fucked."

— — — — — —