The classes had ended, and there was still some time left before the competition began. The academy grounds buzzed with excitement as students prepared themselves, either practicing, strategizing, or nervously fidgeting. However, amidst all the chatter and speculation, one thing was oddly clear in everyone's mind:
Who would take second place?
Wait, second place? Not first?
Well... it wasn't hard to figure out why. Kaelith, the Silver Dragon, was there. Everyone knew that beating her was next to impossible. She was a league of her own, and the idea of someone else taking first place felt more like a fairy tale than reality.
So, the real fun was in watching the battle for second place. Would it be Violet, Maruti, Ethan, or Esdeath? The anticipation filled the air.
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Meanwhile, Ethan was walking alongside Violet and Sylvania through the academy corridors. They were on their way to prepare for the competition, their casual conversation occasionally interrupted by the excitement around them.
As they approached a room, Violet and Sylvania suddenly stopped right in front of the door.
Ethan, who had been distracted, nearly bumped into them but stopped just in time. He tilted his head in confusion as they both turned around to face him, their cheeks slightly flushed.
"Ethan, are you doing this on purpose, or are you just clueless?" Sylvania asked, her voice tinged with both irritation and embarrassment.
"Huh? What are you talking about?" Ethan replied, genuinely baffled.
Sylvania's face turned a deeper shade of red. She clenched her fist and, before Ethan could piece things together, landed a solid punch on his head.
"That's the ladies' washroom, you idiot!" she snapped.
"Oh… shoot!" Ethan finally realized his mistake, his eyes widening. "I was so focused on keeping an eye on the surroundings, I didn't even notice!" he thought in his mind.
"If you ever do this again, we will kill you," violet warned, her tone dead serious despite her flushed cheeks.
The two girls huffed and walked into the washroom, leaving Ethan standing outside, rubbing the back of his head where Sylvania had punched him.
"Great, just great," Ethan muttered to himself, glancing nervously around to make sure no one had seen the embarrassing scene. He sighed, deciding to stay outside and keep watch. "At least I can guard the door... I guess."
After a few tense moments that felt like hours, Violet and Sylvania finally came out.
Ethan immediately straightened up, letting out a long breath of relief. "Thank goodness nothing happened!" he mumbled under his breath.
They both looked Ethan with still pissed look but soon their anger faded away and they walked towards the cafeteria.
Meanwhile someone else was watching from the surroundings that even Ethan didn't notice.
Yep! It was none other than maruti.
She had her bored as she thought, "How am I gonna distract him? ", she thought.
But then a idea appeared on her mind.
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The atmosphere in the cafeteria was lively, filled with chatter and laughter as students discussed the upcoming competition. Ethan, Violet, and Sylvania had just picked up their dishes and were making their way to an empty table.
But before they could reach it, a loud voice echoed through the room.
"Step asiddeeee!"
Out of nowhere, Maruti came bolting toward them at full speed. She didn't even give anyone time to move aside before crashing directly into Ethan.
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BAM!
The collision sent Ethan's plate flying into the air, scattering food everywhere. Both of them fell to the ground with a thud—Ethan flat on his back, and Maruti landing squarely on top of him.
Her large chest smothered Ethan's face, and her body was now covered in sauce and bits of food from the spilled plate.
The entire cafeteria froze.
To anyone watching, the scene looked ridiculously intimate. Maruti lay sprawled on top of Ethan, her chest completely covering his face. Some students stared in shock, while others were already whispering amongst themselves.
"I… can't… breathe…" Ethan's muffled voice came from beneath her. He flailed his arms weakly, desperately trying to push her off.
Realizing this, Maruti finally rolled off him, collapsing beside him with an exaggerated sigh.
The cafeteria erupted into chaos.
"Lucky bastard!" someone yelled.
"Why couldn't it be me? I'd happily let her crush me like that!" another voice groaned in jealousy.
Meanwhile, Violet and Sylvania rushed forward, their faces a mix of anger and concern. Violet quickly extended her hand to Ethan, while Sylvania helped Maruti up.
Ethan stood up slowly, scratching his head in confusion. "What just happened?" he mumbled, still dazed.
But Maruti wasn't done yet. As Sylvania helped her up, Maruti suddenly extended her hand dramatically, and the moment Sylvania's fingers touched hers, she let out an exaggerated scream.
"Owwww! My hand! It's broken!" Maruti cried, clutching her hand as if it was about to fall off. She rolled back and forth on the floor like a child throwing a tantrum.
The students in the cafeteria stared in confusion, unsure whether to laugh or take her seriously.
"I can't stand up! My foot's fractured too!" Maruti wailed, clutching her leg and wincing like she was in unimaginable pain.
"What? Who gets a fracture from a tiny bump?" Ethan said, raising an eyebrow.
Maruti suddenly pointed an accusing finger at Ethan, glaring at him with mock anger. "You! You did this on purpose, didn't you? You wanted to injure me so I couldn't participate in today's competition!"
"What kind of nonsense is that?" Violet snapped, crossing her arms. "You were the one who ran into him!"
"Yeah, it feels more like you're the one trying to damage Ethan's reputation," Sylvania added with a glare.
Before the argument could escalate further, Ethan raised his hands, trying to calm them down. "Relax, everyone! It's just a small fracture—if it's even real. The nurse will heal her in no time."
Maruti shot Ethan a dramatic look, fake tears shimmering in her eyes. She gestured toward the bits of food and sauce smeared across her clothes and even on her chest. "Do you really think I can go to the nurse's office like this? Look at me!"
Ethan looked at the mess on her outfit and sighed.
Maruti crossed her arms and demanded, "Since you're the reason this happened, you should take me to my room so I can change. After that, you can escort me to the nurse's office!"
Ethan felt a headache coming on but nodded reluctantly. "Fine," he said with another sigh, "I'll take you."
But before Ethan could even move, Violet and Sylvania stepped in, both glaring furiously.
"There's no need for that!" they said in unison.
Sylvania rushed toward Maruti and bent down, attempting to lift her up. Her hands strained, her face turning red from the effort, but Maruti didn't budge an inch.
"Why is she so heavy?" Sylvania muttered through clenched teeth. She tried again, groaning with effort, but in the end, she gave up, panting in exhaustion.
Violet stepped forward confidently. "Let me handle this," she said, cracking her knuckles. With a flick of her hand, she cast her spell. "Zero Gravity!"
Instantly, Maruti's weight was supposed to disappear, and Violet grinned as she reached down to lift her. But to her shock, even with zero gravity, Maruti still didn't move. Violet tugged harder, her confusion growing.
"H-how?" Violet stammered, her eyes wide with disbelief.
What neither of them knew was that Maruti was secretly using her immense strength to hold herself down. Without anyone noticing, her fingers were gripping the flat ground beneath her, preventing them from lifting her.
In the end, with no other options, Ethan stepped forward, rubbing the back of his neck. "I guess I'll have to do it," he said.
He crouched down and, with surprising ease, lifted Maruti into his arms like a princess.
"Wow," Ethan muttered as he carried her, "you're lighter than I thought."
Of course, Maruti didn't resist at all. Instead, she relaxed in his arms, hiding her smile as her plan had gone exactly as she wanted.
"It worked!" Maruti thought to herself, feeling triumphant as she leaned slightly into Ethan's chest.
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Kaelith sat at her desk, quietly flipping through the pages of a thick book, her silver hair glowing faintly in the soft light. She was focused, her sharp silver eyes scanning every word. But suddenly, the in the shape of lenses she wore over her eyes slid off, landing on the desk with a faint crack. Before she could react, the lenses shattered.
A bright glow erupted from her now-uncovered silver eyes, a light so intense it reflected off every surface in the room. Kaelith froze, her breath hitching as she felt an overwhelming surge in her aura. It was as if a dam inside her had broken.
Realizing what was happening, she quickly pushed her chair back and sat cross-legged on the floor. Closing her eyes, she concentrated, trying to steady the wild energy coursing through her body.
It took half an hour of deep focus, her chest rising and falling with controlled breaths, before the pressure finally subsided. Slowly, Kaelith opened her glowing silver eyes, now calm but still luminous.
"The seal my mother placed on me has broken," she murmured, her voice tinged with both concern and urgency. She stood up, brushing her silver hair over her shoulder. "I need to inform her."
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Kaelith arrived at Lilith's office moments later, her steps quick but steady. Pushing the door open, she found her mother seated at a large desk, buried under piles of paperwork. Lilith, wearing a pair of small glasses, looked up briefly, her youthful face showing no surprise at Kaelith's sudden arrival.
It was always jarring to see them together. Lilith, with her petite frame and youthful features, looked more like Kaelith's younger sister than her mother. The sight of her diligently working with her small hands only added to the impression.
Kaelith didn't waste time. "Mother," she began, her tone firm. "The seal you placed on me has broken. I need you to put a new one on me."
Lilith sighed heavily, setting down her pen and removing her glasses. She rubbed her temples, exhaustion clear on her face. "Kaelith, do you see how much work I'm drowning in right now? Putting the seals on you again will take hours, and honestly…" She trailed off, her voice softening. "I don't think it's necessary anymore."
Kaelith blinked, taken aback. "What do you mean? If my strength isn't reduced, it won't be fair to the other students in the competition!"
Lilith let out another sigh, this time with a hint of sadness. She leaned back in her chair, her silver eyes meeting Kaelith's glowing silver ones. "Kaelith," she began gently, "you still don't understand how this world works, do you?"
Kaelith frowned slightly, confused by her mother's tone.
"There's no such thing as 'fair' or 'equal' in this world," Lilith said, her voice steady but laced with bitterness. "People like to talk about fairness—that anyone can succeed regardless of whether they're born a commoner, a noble, or even royalty. But do you think that's really true?"
Lilith paused, letting the weight of her words sink in. Then she continued, her gaze unwavering. "Of course not. In reality, someone born into nobility has clear advantages over commoners. And someone born into royalty? Their opportunities are limitless. The rich get richer, and the poor… well, they struggle just to survive."
Kaelith stayed silent, her hands clenched at her sides.
Lilith leaned forward, her expression softening with sympathy. "The reason I placed those seals on you wasn't to make things fair for the other students. It was to make things fair for Princess Ravenna, But now that she's disqualified, there's no need for you to hold back anymore."
Kaelith's heart sank at this revelation. Another truth about the world's cruel reality had been laid bare before her. But rather than feeling anger or frustration, she simply lowered her head, her silver hair falling over her face.
"Understood," she said quietly, her voice devoid of emotion. Without waiting for a response, she turned on her heel and walked out of the room, the door clicking softly shut behind her.