The lecture hall was vast, its floor of white marble, the large windows overlooking the back garden where autumn leaves were slowly falling. The seats were arranged in stone tiers, capable of holding over two hundred students. On this first day, the students were streaming in in waves, some looking for a seat close to the podium to be at the centre of events, some preferring a spot in the middle, and some… looking for shadow.
Ryan entered the hall a little late, not because he was tardy, but because he had waited until the place was crowded. He knew what he was doing. He knew the back seats were the least crowded, the least noticed by teachers, the least exposed to the gazes of the curious.
He climbed the stone tiers quietly, his eyes searching for a distant spot. He found a seat in the last row, on the edge, where he could not be clearly seen from the podium. He sat down and adjusted his high collar a little.
He was not required to sit there. There were no assigned seats or mandatory numbers. He could have sat anywhere he wanted. But he chose this place. He wanted to be out of sight.
He watched the students as they entered one by one.
Some wore the blue robe with confidence, the academy badge on their chest gleaming like a star. Others were still in civilian clothes, waiting for their formal uniforms. They were different – tall and short, light and dark hair, frowning and smiling faces.
But one thing was clear: the front rows were filled with the children of nobles, the middle rows with diligent common students, and the back rows… were for the likes of Ryan. For those who didn't want to be in the spotlight.
He didn't mind. It was what he had chosen.
And He remembered first Prince words from the entrance ceremony.
'Many of you are here because your parents paid. Many because you are talented. A few are here because you had to be. Those few are the ones who will survive.'
The First Prince had been harsh. He hadn't polished his words. He spoke them as they were, without ornament, without trying to please anyone. And that was what made them dangerous.
Some students – especially those whose parents had paid for their seats – might have felt insulted. Might have felt angry. Might they will try to prove that they were not just money, but real power. That was good. That meant they would train hard.
But others… others might take the speech differently. Might see it as a threat. Might see it as a call to cruelty. Might decide that the "weak" who had to be here were targets to be eliminated, or at least subdued.
Ryan remembered the looks he had seen when he entered – some students were staring at those sitting in the back with disdain, as if they saw prey.
he whispered to himself.
"I think it will be more unpleasant than I thought."
But what bothered him more was not about himself. It was about his sister.
Liara.
The first Prince was to become her husband. He had asked for her hand, and the Darvin family had been forced to accept. Ryan didn't know all the details, but he knew enough: that his sister didn't want this marriage. That the royal family was using her.
Ryan thought.
"If he speaks this harshly in public…How does he speak when no one is watching?"
He closed his eyes for a moment. He knew he could do nothing. Not now. Not as a new student with no influence, no money, no power.
Therefore, he must become strong.In order to have an effect
His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a door opening forcefully.
A man entered.
He was not old. Around forty. He wore the dark blue robe like the other teachers, and on his chest the golden eagle on crimson. But his round crystal spectacles were unusual, looking strange on his sharp face. His hair was black with early white streaks, combed back carefully.
He didn't smile. He didn't say hello. He climbed the podium, placed a stack of papers on the table, then looked at the crowd.
he said in an ordinary voice, neither loud nor low.
"I am Lorian Field,My lecture is on the basics of the elements. It won't be fun. It won't change your lives. But whoever misses it will fail the end‑of‑year exam."
A short silence.
"Now, I will distribute the papers. They contain the compulsory and elective subjects. Read them, sign them, and return them to me by the end of the lecture."
He raised his hand. A small wind blew from inside his sleeve, carrying the papers and distributing them lightly to each student. No paper missed its target. Each one landed in front of its student, as if a hidden hand had placed it there.
Some students raised their eyebrows. Others looked surprised. Ryan showed no reaction.
He looked at the paper in front of him.And he began to read