By the third day, the academy had changed. Not in structure. Not in schedule. Everything still functioned exactly as it was meant to. Lectures began on time. Students moved between halls with growing familiarity. Instructors carried out their roles without visible disruption.
But beneath that order, something sharper had taken root. Awareness. No one said it out loud, but everyone felt it. The first lecture had been unexpected. The second had confirmed it. And now, by the third day, the uncertainty had turned into something far more dangerous. Expectation.
Students no longer entered the Mana Theory lecture out of obligation. They came prepared. The lecture hall filled earlier than usual. Seats that had once been chosen casually were now claimed with intention. Students who had ignored the front rows before now occupied them without hesitation, while others positioned themselves carefully for a clear view of the board.
