Theo's POV
The room was silent.
Every eye was fixed on the door.
Even Rex Calder had stopped moving.
That alone told me something.
Whoever just spoke…
Wasn't someone he could ignore.
Slow, steady footsteps echoed into the classroom.
Then she stepped inside.
For a moment—
No one spoke.
She didn't look intimidating in the usual way.
No overwhelming aura.
No aggressive stance.
But there was something else.
A quiet pressure.
The kind that didn't need to announce itself.
Her long silver hair fell neatly down her back, a few strands framing her face. Her eyes—calm, sharp, and observant—moved across the room once before settling on Rex.
She wore the uniform of a higher class.
Class B.
"…Rex."
Her voice was calm.
But it carried weight.
Rex clicked his tongue.
"…Arielle."
So this was her.
Arielle Virel.
The name alone shifted the atmosphere.
Some of the students whispered immediately.
"That's her…"
"Class B's top student…"
"She's here?"
Rex crossed his arms, trying to recover his usual confidence.
"This doesn't concern you."
Arielle didn't move.
"If you're done," she said simply,
"leave."
Silence.
Rex's expression tightened slightly.
Then he laughed.
"…You always act like you're above everyone."
Arielle didn't react.
Which somehow made it worse.
Rex glanced around the room, then back at me.
"…This isn't over," he said quietly.
Then he turned.
"Let's go."
His group followed him out without another word.
The tension in the room disappeared almost instantly.
Everyone exhaled.
Kairo dropped back into his seat.
"…That was close."
Mira crossed her arms.
"Of course he backed off. It's her."
All eyes turned back to Arielle.
She stood near the door for a moment longer before stepping fully inside.
Then—
She looked at me.
Directly.
Not curious.
Not impressed.
Just… observing.
As if trying to understand something.
"…You're Theo."
It wasn't a question.
I nodded.
She walked a few steps closer.
The entire class was watching now.
Even Kairo had gone quiet.
Arielle stopped a few feet away from me.
"You fought Lucian."
"Yeah."
A brief pause.
"…You lost."
"Yeah."
No point denying it.
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"But you pushed him to use Storm Overdrive."
The room stirred again.
Hearing it from her made it feel… more real.
I didn't respond.
Instead, I asked the only thing that mattered.
"…Why did you step in?"
Arielle tilted her head slightly.
As if considering the question.
Then she answered simply.
"Because I don't like pointless fights."
Kairo snorted quietly behind me.
"Yeah, sure…"
Mira elbowed him immediately.
Arielle ignored them.
Her gaze remained on me.
"You're being targeted now."
"I noticed."
"Rex won't stop."
"I figured."
A brief silence passed between us.
Then—
"You should get stronger."
Her words were calm.
Direct.
No emotion behind them.
Just fact.
I held her gaze.
"…I plan to."
For a moment—
Something shifted in her expression.
Slight.
Barely noticeable.
But there.
"…Good."
She turned to leave.
Then paused at the door.
"One more thing."
Everyone leaned in slightly.
Arielle glanced back.
"Water magic…"
A short pause.
"…isn't weak."
The room went completely silent.
Kairo blinked.
"…Did she just—"
Mira didn't even finish her sentence.
Because Arielle had already left.
The classroom slowly returned to normal.
But the atmosphere had changed.
Completely.
Kairo walked up to me immediately.
"…Okay."
"That just happened."
I didn't respond.
Because my mind was still on her last words.
Water magic isn't weak.
Mira looked thoughtful.
"…That's interesting."
"Why?" Kairo asked.
"She's not the type to say things without meaning them."
Kairo frowned.
"So you're saying—"
"I'm saying," Mira interrupted,
"there's something we don't understand yet."
Silence fell over the group again.
I looked down at my hand.
Water formed slowly above my palm.
Small.
Unstable.
Still incomplete.
I closed my hand, dispersing it.
She's right.
It's not weak.
I'm just not strong enough yet.
Outside the classroom, the rumors were still spreading.
A Class D student.
A water mage.
Who pushed the strongest student to his limit.
And now—
Even a Class B elite had taken interest in him.
I leaned back in my chair slightly.
Ignoring the lingering pain in my body.
Because one thing was clear now.
Things at the academy…
Were about to get a lot more complicated.