Chapter 5: Authority Descends
"Everyone move aside!" The voice cut through the hallway like a blade as heavy, controlled footsteps followed, forcing the crowd to split instantly. Students stepped back without thinking, and even the teachers straightened instinctively—someone important had arrived. Raj didn't move; he simply watched, curious and interested, as a tall, composed man walked forward, his eyes sharp like steel and his presence suffocating. "…Principal…" someone whispered, and the tension in the air thickened. The Academy Administration had come.
The principal's gaze swept across the hallway—two unconscious students, a panicked crowd, and a thick silence hanging between them—before stopping on Raj. "…You." A single word, heavy and measured. Raj met his eyes without fear, only interest. "…Are you the cause of this?" Silence fell as everyone held their breath. Raj tilted his head slightly, calm and unbothered. "…What do you think?" The answer was dangerous. Murmurs spread instantly—"Is he admitting it?!" "Is he crazy?!"—but the principal didn't react. His eyes only sharpened. "…Interesting." After a brief pause, his voice turned firm. "Everyone else. Leave." No one argued. Not this time. Within seconds, the hallway emptied, leaving only a few teachers… and Raj, standing alone in front of authority as the air grew heavier and more controlled.
The principal stepped forward slowly, deliberately. "…Your name." "Raj." "…Rank?" A brief pause. "…F." A flicker of surprise crossed his face but vanished just as quickly. "…An F-rank?" one of the teachers muttered in disbelief. Raj said nothing. The principal studied him carefully. "…Two students. Severe energy depletion. And you were present both times." Raj smiled faintly. "…Coincidence?" The word lingered in the air, sharp and mocking. The temperature seemed to drop. The principal stopped walking. "…No." A simple answer. Final.
A faint glow appeared around the principal's hand—dense, heavy, powerful. Raj's eyes narrowed as he observed it. This energy was different from his—more refined, more controlled. "…You understand what you've done?" the principal asked. Raj didn't answer immediately. Instead, he glanced at the unconscious girl, then the boy, before looking back. "…They were weak." The same cold words. Unchanged. A teacher inhaled sharply. "Sir, this student is dangerous—he should be restrained—!" "Silence." The principal didn't even look at him. His gaze remained fixed on Raj. "…Weak," he repeated softly. "…And so you took their strength?" Raj's lips curved slightly. "…Yes." No hesitation. No regret. Only truth.
The air tightened. The teachers felt it clearly—this wasn't normal, this wasn't just a student. This was something else. The principal's gaze deepened. "…An ability that steals," he said quietly. "…Rare… and unstable." Raj's eyes flickered, his interest sharpening for the first time. "…Unstable?" The principal raised his hand slightly, and the glow intensified as a faint pressure spread through the hallway—unseen but deeply felt. "…Abilities like yours either become monsters… or are eliminated." Silence fell again, heavier than before. Even the teachers stiffened under the pressure. Raj didn't move. He didn't flinch. Instead, he smiled. "…Which one do you think I'll be?"
For a brief moment, even the principal paused before replying, "…That depends… on whether you can control it." The glow faded slowly, and the pressure lifted. After a long silence, he spoke again. "Take them to the infirmary." The teachers moved instantly, relieved, lifting the unconscious students and leaving quickly, escaping the suffocating tension. Soon, only two remained—Raj and the principal. The hallway felt empty, but the air was still heavy.
"…You're not afraid," the principal said. Not a question—a statement. Raj tilted his head slightly. "…Should I be?" A faint smile appeared on his lips. The principal watched him carefully for a long moment, as if making a decision. "…From now on, you will be monitored." Raj's eyes narrowed slightly. "…Watched?" "…Observed," the principal corrected coldly. "You will report to the Academy Special Division after classes. Do not refuse." Raj didn't reply, but his eyes shifted as the system flickered faintly in his vision. [New Condition Triggered] [External Threat Detected] His pupils shrank slightly. Threat…?
He looked back at the principal, and then slowly… he smiled. "…This just got interesting." "…We'll see," the principal said before turning away and walking off without looking back, leaving Raj alone once again.
Silence returned, but this time it felt different—bigger, heavier, like something had just begun. Raj looked at his hand, then at the faint red marks still floating in his vision. So many. So close. "…Monitored?" A low, dangerous laugh escaped him. "…Let them watch." His eyes darkened. "…I'll just grow stronger."
[Chapter-5 Ended]