Kael stood outside the office door for a moment before knocking.
"Come in," a familiar voice called.
Pushing the door open, Kael stepped inside
The office was tidy—shelves packed with books, training weapons mounted neatly on the wall, and a single desk in the center.
But his attention was immediately drawn to the woman sitting on the edge of the desk, arms crossed, looking at him with an amused expression.
She had been watching him the entire day.
That smirk, that look—it wasn’t just any teacher keeping an eye on her student.
"So, you’re the new combat instructor," Kael said, closing the door behind him.
Eleana tilted her head. "That’s what they’re calling me, yeah."
Kael narrowed his eyes. Something was off.
"You asked me to come here just to talk?"
Eleana let out a soft laugh, uncrossing her arms and hopping off the desk. "I just wanted to see how my dear student is doing."
Kael felt a hand lightly press against his shoulder. The touch was too familiar. He stepped back, studying her face carefully.
Then, it clicked.
His expression darkened. "Amelia."
Eleana—no, Amelia—grinned. "Took you long enough."
Kael sighed, running a hand through his hair. "So that’s the secret behind your sudden arrival. And let me guess, my mother showing up yesterday wasn’t a coincidence either?"
Amelia leaned against the desk, arms resting behind her. "She just wanted an excuse to see you. I don’t need one."
Kael exhaled. "What are you even doing here?"
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Amelia shrugged. "I was bored."
Kael scoffed. "You’re the Dragon Queen’s bodyguard. And you just left?"
"She’ll live."
Kael sighed again. "So? You’re going to be my teacher now?"
Amelia smirked. "I’ll make sure you don’t slack off."
Kael frowned. "Right. And all that nonsense during class today? That was just for fun?"
She tapped his shoulder again, stepping a little closer. "It was fun, wasn’t it?"
Kael moved back. "Not really."
Amelia chuckled. "You’re no fun."
Kael rolled his eyes. "I’ll manage." He turned towards the door. "If we’re done here, I’ll be going."
As he reached for the handle, Amelia casually said, "See you tomorrow, kid."
Kael paused, glancing back. "Don’t call me that."
Amelia only smiled, leaning back against the desk. "Then act like an adult."
Kael clicked his tongue and walked out, shutting the door behind him.
Amelia let out a quiet laugh. "This will be entertaining."
---
Morning sunlight streamed through the academy’s halls, casting long shadows as students bustled about, hurrying to their respective classes.
Kael stood near one of the pillars in the courtyard, a notebook in his hand, waiting for Lumia.
Not long after, a girl with striking purple hair and deep violet eyes approached.
Lumia looked at him expectantly, adjusting the strap of her bag.
"Sorry… your notebook," Kael said, handing it over.
Lumia took it, flipping through the pages briefly before looking up. "Yes?"
Kael cleared his throat. "It got… damaged."
Lumia blinked. "Damaged how?"
Kael scratched the back of his head. "Spilled water on it."
Lumia raised an eyebrow. "How much water?"
Kael hesitated. "A lot."
Lumia let out a sigh but didn’t seem particularly mad. "Well, at least you’re telling me now."
Before Kael could respond, a voice cut through the courtyard.
"Hey, you two! What are you doing here? It’s time for class."
Kael turned his head slightly and met emerald-green eyes.
Professor Eleana—no, Amelia—stood there, arms crossed. But her gaze wasn’t on him.
It was fixed on Lumia.
Amelia’s lips twitched slightly. "And you—you’re the student council president, right?"
Lumia straightened. "Yes, ma’am."
Amelia tilted her head, studying her for a moment longer before shifting her gaze back to Kael.
’That bastard told me he doesn’t have a girlfriend. And here he is, meeting with the princess.’
Kael could practically feel the shift in Amelia’s mood.
He had seen her amused before, but this? This was different.
Amelia suddenly smiled—too sweetly. "Kael."
Kael tensed. He knew that tone.
Amelia reached out and casually grabbed his wrist. "Come with me."
Kael gave her a flat look. "We have class."
Amelia’s grip tightened ever so slightly. "I said, come with me."
Lumia, who had been watching silently until now, frowned slightly.
Something about the way Professor Eleana touched Kael felt… off. It wasn’t aggressive, but it wasn’t how a teacher should act toward a student either.
Kael sighed. "Fine."
As Amelia pulled him along, Lumia watched them go.
She didn’t understand why, but something about this whole interaction unsettled her.
...
The atmosphere in the classroom was suffocating.
Serena stood at the front.
"Your midterms start tomorrow. I hope you’ve all prepared."
Silence.
A few students exchanged nervous glances. Some gulped.
Others stared blankly at their desks as if hoping the knowledge would miraculously come to them.
Serena adjusted her glasses. "If you fail, don’t bother coming to me with excuses. It’s your own fault."
And with that, she walked out.
The moment the door shut behind her, the classroom exploded into chaos.
"We’re finished," Ren groaned, slumping forward onto his desk. "I haven’t studied a single thing."
Marcus leaned back, rubbing his temples. "Same. I meant to study, but then, you know... distractions happened."
"You were gambling again, weren’t you?" Shirone said flatly.
Marcus waved him off. "That’s not important right now."
Ren let out a dramatic sigh. "No, seriously. I might actually fail this time. This isn’t like my usual ’I’ll just scrape by’ situation."
Kael, who had been quiet until now, finally spoke up. "Yeah... I also haven’t studied."
The group turned to look at him.
Shirone tilted his head. "Well, obviously."
Marcus smirked. "Yeah, when have you ever studied?"
Kael frowned. "Oi, that’s uncalled for."
Ren sighed, leaning back. "Look, it’s fine for you guys. But I have expectations to meet."
Marcus scoffed. "Expectations? What are you talking about?"
Ren gave them all a deadpan look. "I’m the topper, you idiots. I have to score well."
Kael, Marcus, and Shirone froze.
A heavy silence settled between them.
Then Kael spoke. "Wait. You’re the topper?"
Shirone nodded. "Yeah. Highest in every subject. Haven’t you noticed?"
Kael’s mouth opened, then closed.
He looked at Ren, then at Marcus, then back at Ren.
Marcus shook his head in disgust. "This guy. This absolute menace. Complaining about failing when he’s the highest scorer."
Ren quickly raised his hands. "Hey, hey, I could fail! I haven’t studied this time!"
Shirone clicked his tongue. "Shut up, Ren. Even if you don’t study, you’ll still pass somehow."
Marcus slammed a fist on the desk. "I swear, people like you are the worst."
Kael, who had been enjoying their banter, suddenly froze.
Wait.
He hadn’t studied.
Like, at all.
He didn’t even know what the exam format was.
His face paled.
His voice came out in a whisper. "Wait… I might actually fail."
Marcus smirked. "Welcome to the club, Kael. We’ve been expecting you."
Kael looked around at his friends—Ren looking smug despite his fake worries, Marcus shaking his head in defeat, and Shirone flipping through his notes like a scholar about to ascend to enlightenment.
This was bad.
This was really bad.