The classroom carried a low, restless hum as students gathered into their usual clusters, conversations overlapping in soft layers while chairs shifted and books were set down, the entire space alive with movement until that fragile rhythm was abruptly disturbed by the tension forming at the center.
Damon stood in front of Mira, his presence alone enough to draw attention, while she sat frozen in place, her entire body trembling as though even the act of breathing had become difficult, her fingers gripping the edge of her desk and her face flushed an intense red, her eyes wide and uncertain as they struggled to meet his.
Before anything more could unfold, a hand rose between them, firm and deliberate, cutting through the space that Damon had closed.
"What do you want?"
The voice was steady, edged with quiet defiance, and Damon's gaze shifted slowly toward it, his expression cooling further as his golden eyes met a pair of sharp blue ones beneath a head of sky-blue hair, the contrast between them immediate and unmistakable.
Without hesitation, Damon spoke, his tone low and biting enough to silence the room.
"Bugger off, maggot, this has nothing to do with you."
The effect was immediate, as the surrounding chatter died down almost instantly, the atmosphere tightening as every nearby student turned their attention toward the confrontation, the weight of his words settling heavily in the space.
From the other side, Serena stepped in as well, positioning herself beside Mira with quiet confidence, her presence composed yet supportive as she stood opposite Damon, reinforcing the line that had just been drawn.
Lucian did not retreat, his posture firm despite the pressure, his voice calm but resolute as he replied.
"She's my friend, so of course I'll interfere if you're trying to bully her."
At that, a faint pulse appeared along Damon's neck as tension tightened beneath his skin, his gaze shifting away from Lucian and settling once more on Mira, his expression sharpening as his voice lowered slightly.
"Is that so, then tell me, Miss Mira, are you really friends with this blue snake?"
The words carried a different weight now, quieter yet more cutting, and Mira's reaction only deepened, her shoulders curling inward as her composure threatened to break completely, tears gathering at the corners of her eyes as her breathing grew uneven under the pressure of being forced into the center of something she clearly could not handle.
Just then, from behind Damon, a voice slipped in with a casual tone that felt almost out of place in the charged atmosphere.
"Ohhh, what's going on he—"
CRACK.
Damon's head snapped backward without warning, his body reacting before thought as he drove a sharp back headbutt straight into the speaker behind him, the impact echoing sharply through the now silent classroom.
He turned immediately afterward, his movements controlled yet edged with aggression, his gaze locking onto the figure behind him as he spoke without softening his tone.
"What did I say about not sneaking up on me last time?"
Valerian stood there, though the state he was in was anything but normal, his head thrown back at an unnatural angle as though his neck had been broken entirely, yet instead of pain, laughter spilled from him, unhinged and erratic.
"Hhahahheheheahhahhehhe!"
The sound sent a ripple through the room, and then, just as suddenly, his body corrected itself, his head snapping back into place in a single fluid motion as though nothing had happened, leaving no sign of injury, only that same unsettling grin stretching across his face.
"Not bad," he said, tilting his head slightly as his eyes gleamed with interest, "it seems that old husky is rubbing off on you."
"Hiiihiihahahahhiahhaa!"
The laughter followed again, echoing strangely in the tense silence, while Damon watched him for a brief moment without responding, his gaze steady before it shifted once more, passing over Mira, then Lucian, as if dismissing the entire situation in a single glance.
Without another word, he turned and walked toward the back of the classroom, where Khaira was already seated, her presence as grounded and imposing as ever, while Eric sat a few seats away, visibly tense, as though trying his best not to be noticed.
Damon took the seat beside Khaira in the corner, his posture settling into stillness once more, yet the tension that lingered around him made it clear that nothing about him had truly calmed.
Damon leaned back slightly in his seat, his gaze lowering for a brief moment as his thoughts turned inward, the earlier surge of instinct still lingering faintly beneath the surface as he tried to make sense of what had just happened.
What was that…?
His fingers pressed lightly against the desk as his brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.
The moment I saw that pretty boy, it felt like I should crush him right there without even thinking…
Damon exhaled slowly, drawing in a deep breath as he deliberately forced that surge of aggression down, regaining control over himself piece by piece until his posture relaxed again and the sharp edge in his presence dulled just enough to no longer suffocate the space around him.
Almost in response, the classroom itself began to settle, the tension that had spread earlier gradually fading as students returned to their seats and the low murmur of voices resumed in a cautious, restrained manner.
It was then that he noticed her.
Khaira.
She had been staring at him the entire time.
Not casually.
Not even with curiosity.
But with a fixed, unblinking expression of pure, unapologetic disgust, her eyes locked onto him as though she had no intention of looking away anytime soon.
Damon tried to ignore her at first, shifting his gaze forward as if she didn't exist, but when the stare continued without even the slightest break, irritation crept in, and he turned his head sharply toward her.
"What's with you?"
Khaira didn't flinch nor blink.
Instead, her gaze dragged over him slowly, from head to toe, before she spoke in her heavy, rolled beastman accent, her voice carrying a rough, grounded weight.
"Yoo… are too shallow,… pickin' up a girl jus' 'cause she got big flesh, eh?" she said, her lips curling slightly as she tilted her head, "what use dem things even got, huh… tell me dat?"
The bluntness of it made Damon's eyes narrow slightly, but before he could respond, his gaze flickered downward for just a fraction of a second—
As if she should be talking…
Khaira caught it instantly.
A slow, almost mocking grin spread across her face as she leaned forward slightly, pressing her chest together in an exaggerated motion, her tone turning sharper, more challenging.
"Heh… yoo lookin', ain't ya?" she said, her voice thick with amusement, "like dem, do ya…? den fight me… I let yoo look all yoo want."
Damon lifted his gaze back to hers without reacting outwardly, his expression flattening as he replied in a dry, almost dismissive tone.
"What's so good about them?"
He didn't wait for her response, turning his attention forward just as movement at the front of the classroom drew everyone's focus again.
Valerian stood there now, his presence immediately shifting the atmosphere, his grin as unsettling as ever as his eyes swept across the room with clear amusement.
"Hehehe… welcome, students…" he began, his voice smooth yet erratic in its rhythm, the kind that made it difficult to tell whether he was serious or simply enjoying himself, "as many of you might have guessed already… I am your strategic instructor."
The remaining murmurs died almost instantly, the class falling into a tense silence as his words settled, no one particularly eager to interrupt whatever came next.
"So… here is your first assignment…" he continued, a low, almost delighted laugh slipping through as he clasped his hands behind his back, "what we learned last week… we will now implement it in practice, because theory without execution is just wasted breath."
His gaze moved slowly across the students.
"Today… you will form a party… one that will accompany you for the entire year—"
Before he could complete the sentence, two voices rose sharply from opposite ends of the classroom, cutting through his words with equal force.
"I object!"
"I fight alone!"
As Damon and Khaira rose at the same time, the motion itself felt almost inevitable, their gazes colliding for a brief moment before shifting forward toward Valerian, and Damon could not help but think of course as the situation unfolded exactly as expected.
Valerian, standing at the front, brought his hands together in an excited clap, his expression lighting up with a kind of unhinged delight as he leaned forward slightly, his eyes gleaming.
"Ohhh… does that mean you can defeat me today?" he said, his tone laced with amusement as he gestured toward them, "come, come… show me…"
For a brief second, it almost sounded like an invitation.
Then—
His expression changed.
Subtly.
Sharply.
"…or should I bring you here?"
The shift in his voice carried something entirely different now, something that instantly pulled at memory rather than logic, and both Damon and Khaira stiffened at the same time, the recollection of the previous session flashing through their minds with uncomfortable clarity.
Without another word, both of them sat back down.
Almost in sync.
Damon clicked his tongue faintly, irritation flickering across his expression as he leaned back into his seat.
Seriously… now this…
Valerian, as if nothing had happened, shifted again just as quickly, his demeanor snapping back into that same playful unpredictability as he let out a light, almost childish laugh.
"Good, good… it seems we have no objections," he said, waving his hand dismissively, "so… get started."
The classroom erupted into movement almost immediately, the earlier tension dissolving into urgency as students began shifting from their seats, voices rising as they moved toward one another, forming groups based on familiarity, strength, or simple instinct, the room quickly turning into a chaotic mix of negotiations, alliances, and silent calculations.
As expected, the most attention gathered around Lucian and Serena, both of them quickly becoming the center of interest as several students attempted to align themselves with strength, though it became apparent rather quickly that the two had already decided to form a party together, their interaction brief yet decisive enough to discourage further attempts.
Elsewhere, Aelrion had already gathered a few fellow elves, their discussion short and efficient as they formed their own group with minimal delay, their coordination smooth enough to suggest prior understanding.
On the opposite side, a group of beastmen began gravitating toward Khaira, drawn naturally by her presence as they approached her with clear intent to form a party under her lead.
Damon glanced sideways.
Khaira noticed.
Immediately.
"What… you wanna form party with me?" she said, her tone rough, her accent thick as she leaned slightly forward with a challenging look, "not happenin'… dis time, I beat ya for sure."
Damon looked at her as if she had just said something profoundly stupid, his expression flattening as he slowly raised his hand and pointed a finger—not at her—but past her, casually waving it to the side.
Khaira blinked, leaning back slightly as she followed the direction of his gesture, her attention shifting just enough.
Damon stood up without another word.
And walked.
Straight toward a familiar figure.
"Eric—"
Before he could finish—
Valerian's voice cut through the room again.
"Hhahahah… oh, I forgot one thing…"
The laughter carried a strange delight as all movement slowed just slightly, attention snapping back toward him.
"We don't want a single team becoming too powerful now, do we?" he continued, tilting his head as if the thought had only just occurred to him, "hiehhih… so here's how it will work…"
His eyes swept across the class.
"Rank one to five cannot form a party with each other," he said, his tone almost sing-song, "No more than 2 students will be allowed in a party from top 15, no more than 3 students from top 25, no more than 4 students from top 35."
He spread his arms slightly, as if presenting something obvious.
"50 Students. A five-member party."
A brief pause followed.
Then his grin widened again.
"Ohhh… why are you all looking at me like that…?" he added lightly, "go, go… get going."