Returning to school was fraught with tension. The armored vehicle stopped in front of the main entrance, and its passengers quickly exited. Lucy, still weak, was immediately taken by medical staff to the school infirmary. Barbara, her face full of concern, walked closely beside the stretcher, ready to take further steps to ensure the girl’s safety.

The rest of the students were instructed to go straight to their rooms. The teacher left no room for discussion, issuing the command in a tone that brooked no argument. Isaac and Cornelius, along with the others, headed down the hallways toward their dormitories. However, along the way, they noticed a familiar figure—Adhiraj, the Indian prince who had recently failed the exams for the special class.

“Is that him?” Isaac asked quietly, glancing at Cornelius.

“Yes. Looks like he decided to stay,” Cornelius replied with a faint smile.

Adhiraj stood leaning against the ledge of a large window, talking to a few students. His posture was confident, and his expression, as usual, exuded aristocratic calm. When he noticed the two awakened students, he paused his conversation and nodded to them with an air of cool politeness.

“I didn’t expect to see you here at this hour,” he said. “I assume you’ve had a rough day.”

Isaac raised an eyebrow, surprised by the sincerity in his voice. Cornelius, however, maintained his typically sardonic demeanor.

“Rough is an understatement,” Cornelius replied. “But that probably doesn’t concern you. You didn’t make it to the elite class.”

Adhiraj smiled faintly, seemingly unbothered by the remark.

“That’s true. I wasn’t adequately prepared to meet your standards,” he admitted, standing upright. “That’s why I decided to make a change.”

Isaac looked at him with mild disbelief.

“A change? What do you mean?”

“I gave up the privileges I had as a prince,” Adhiraj said calmly. “I decided to join the regular class to experience life as it truly is—without protection, without special treatment.”

Cornelius snickered softly.

“Great, a prince among commoners. Must be quite the experience.”

Adhiraj turned to him, his gaze growing serious.

“More than you think,” he replied. “I’ve realized that strength doesn’t come from titles or money. I wanted to learn what true struggle is.”

Intrigued, Isaac took a step closer.

“I didn’t expect that from you,” he said hesitantly. “But aren’t you afraid that life in a regular class will overwhelm you?”

Adhiraj smiled, though this time it was a smile full of determination rather than politeness.

“I’m no coward. If something overwhelms me, it will only be my own weaknesses,” he replied. “And those, I intend to overcome.”

Cornelius raised an eyebrow, surprised by the response, but said nothing more. Adhiraj glanced at them again, this time with something resembling respect.

“You, on the other hand, have proven your strength. Congratulations,” he added. “But remember, strength isn’t just about combat abilities. It’s something more.”

Isaac reflected briefly on his words before Cornelius tugged at his arm.

“Come on, philosopher king, we need to get moving,” he said sarcastically.

Adhiraj watched as the two walked away, a faint smile playing on his lips. Perhaps life in a regular class would indeed be a new beginning for him. Perhaps this time, he would find something more than an empty title.

Meanwhile, Jian hurried down the corridor toward the principal’s office. His footsteps echoed, and his face betrayed determination mixed with unease. As soon as he reached the office, he opened the door without knocking, disregarding formalities. Philip looked up from his documents, as if expecting such an entrance.

“We have a problem,” Jian announced, closing the door behind him.

“I know,” Philip replied calmly, gesturing to the chair across from him. “Sit down.”

Jian nodded, taking a seat across the desk.

“Lucy isn’t the only one,” Philip said before Jian could speak. “Two other students from one of the regular classes were also abducted and returned with similar marks on their necks. They’re the kids rescued from the House of Roses three years ago.”

Jian frowned, leaning his elbows on his knees.

“What happened to them?”

“They were kidnapped but found after 24 hours,” Philip replied, his voice calm but tense. “Both had strange symbols etched on their necks, which I suspect are the same as Lucy’s. This isn’t a coincidence.”

Jian was silent for a moment, weighing his words.

“When I went to rescue Lucy,” he began, looking Philip straight in the eye, “I noticed something strange in the building where they held her. Symbols were carved on the walls. I don’t know exactly what they were, but... they affected my powers.”

Philip frowned, placing his hands on the desk.

“What do you mean?”

“They restricted me,” Jian explained, frustration evident in his voice. “I couldn’t fully use my abilities. Those opponents were experienced and had the upper hand. If Isaac and Cornelius hadn’t ignored my orders, I’m not sure I could have saved Lucy.”

Philip drew in a sharp breath, visibly concerned.

“This is serious,” he admitted. “If these symbols can restrict the powers of the awakened, it means we’re dealing with someone who knows our weaknesses.”

Jian nodded but added something that clearly troubled him.

“There’s one more thing. Cornelius.”

Philip looked at him with interest.

“What about him?”

“He hid the fact that he can summon a spiritual weapon,” Jian said, his voice tinged with reproach. “Only in a critical moment did he reveal his ability. It’s a sniper rifle. Thanks to it, he eliminated the person conducting the ritual.”

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Philip raised an eyebrow, his expression remaining neutral.

“Why would he hide it?”

“I don’t know,” Jian admitted, shrugging. “Maybe he wanted to see how far he could go without using it. Or maybe he simply doesn’t trust anyone enough to show his true strength.”

Philip sighed, leaning back in his chair.

“Cornelius is a complicated case, but his abilities might prove crucial. For now, the most important thing is to ensure that the three of them—Lucy and those two boys—don’t leave the school grounds. We need to protect them and figure out who’s behind all this.”

Jian nodded, though the tension in his shoulders revealed how much the situation troubled him.

“I’ll increase surveillance and keep a close eye on them. I won’t let anything happen to them,” he said firmly, rising from his chair.

Philip looked at him with approval.

“I trust you, Jian. Remember, this might only be the beginning of something much bigger. Be careful.”

The guardian nodded and left the office, leaving the principal deep in thought. Philip took a deep breath and glanced at a group photo from years ago lying on his desk. A shadow of worry crossed his eyes before he tucked the photo into a drawer and returned to analyzing reports.

In the school infirmary, Lucy lay in bed, slowly regaining consciousness. Meanwhile, Isaac, ignoring the teacher’s orders, decided to sit by the door to her room. He sat on a chair, staring at the floor, when his attention was drawn to a man exiting the room. It was a priest in simple black attire, which immediately caused confusion on the boy’s face.

“What’s a priest doing here?” he muttered to himself.

“That’s an exorcist, not an ordinary priest,” said Cornelius, who had approached him silently.

“An exorcist?” Isaac asked, looking at him in surprise.

“Apparently, the ritual had something to do with the Church,” Cornelius explained, shrugging as if it were obvious.

Hearing silence from Lucy’s room, they hesitated for a moment, but eventually decided to enter. Inside, they saw the girl sitting on the bed, staring pensively out the window.

“How are you feeling?” Isaac asked cautiously as he approached.

“Physically? Fine,” she replied, though her voice was quiet and distant. “I’ve always had a high tolerance for pain, but... what they did to me...” She paused briefly before looking at them with a shadow of fear in her eyes. “It was like they were cutting my soul. The pain was indescribable.”

Isaac wanted to say something, but suddenly the door burst open, and a worried woman rushed inside.

“Lucy!” she cried, rushing toward the girl to embrace her. “If I’d lost you, I don’t know what I would have done!”

It was Sarah Serafin, Lucy’s adoptive mother. After a moment, she noticed the two boys standing by the bed.

“You must be her classmates,” she said with a warm smile. “Thank you for being here.”

Isaac and Cornelius exchanged glances, then nodded in unison.

“We’ll leave you two alone,” Cornelius said, and the boys headed for the door, leaving Lucy in her mother’s arms.

When Isaac and Cornelius left the room, Sarah sat in the chair beside her daughter’s bed, clasping her hand. Her face showed exhaustion, but her eyes gleamed with determination. For a moment, both remained silent, as if trying to gather their thoughts after what had happened.

“How are you feeling, sweetie?” Sarah asked eventually, her voice full of concern.

“Better,” Lucy replied quietly, staring at her hands. “But I still feel... something strange. What they did to me wasn’t just physical pain. It was like... like someone touched my soul.”

Sarah frowned, squeezing her hand tighter.

“We’ll find them,” she said with undeniable certainty. “I promise you that the people who did this to you will answer for their actions. No matter who they are or how they hide.”

Lucy looked at her mother, seeing in her eyes anger mixed with care.

“Are you sure you can handle it?” she asked uncertainly.

“Of course,” Sarah replied, her voice gaining the decisiveness that always accompanied her when she spoke about work. “I run the criminal services in Rzeszow. I have the best people under me, and if necessary, I’ll use every available resource. I won’t rest until I bring them to justice.”

Lucy smiled slightly, seeing her mother’s determination. After a moment, Sarah changed her tone, as if wanting to divert her daughter’s attention from grim thoughts.

“Do you know what else I have to tell you?” she asked, smiling gently.

Lucy looked at her questioningly.

“I finally managed to buy our dream apartment,” Sarah said with a note of pride in her voice. “In a newly built skyscraper. You’ll have your own room with a view of the whole city.”

The girl raised her eyebrows in surprise.

“Really?” she asked, and something resembling excitement appeared in her voice.

Sarah nodded.

“Yes. We can finally leave that old apartment which...” she hesitated for a moment before continuing, “...which only reminds me of those I’ve lost. It’s time to move forward, Lucy. We deserve a fresh start.”

Lucy fell silent, and her eyes showed a mix of sadness and relief. Eventually, she nodded.

“Thank you, Mom,” she said quietly, her voice betraying how grateful she was.

The next morning brought a sense of calm that Lucy so desperately needed. She felt much better, though she remained under the close watch of the medical staff. For safety reasons, she was moved to a room near the private quarters of the principal, also located on the school grounds. The room was small but cozy, and most importantly, safe.

When Lucy learned that, besides her, two other students had been kidnapped in a similar manner, she felt uneasy. However, when she entered the common room where she was to meet them, she immediately recognized familiar faces.

“Tim? Mark?” she asked, her eyes widening in disbelief.

Both boys looked at her, their faces lighting up with smiles.

“Lucy!” Mark exclaimed, standing up. “I can’t believe it’s you.”

Tim also approached, though his expression was more serious.

“It’s been a while,” he said calmly, though relief was evident in his voice. “I didn’t expect us to meet again, and certainly not under these circumstances.”

Lucy felt her heart beat faster. The boys were her close friends from the orphanage, where they had endured hard times together three years ago.

“What happened to you?” she asked, looking from one to the other.

Mark sighed, sitting back down.

“Nothing good,” he said quietly. “We disappeared for 24 hours, and then they found us in the woods. We don’t remember anything, but these marks...” He touched the back of his neck as if recalling the pain. “It’s something I’ll never forget.”

Tim nodded.

“Now they’re saying we have to stay here, at the school. We can’t leave the grounds. It’s strange, but... maybe it’s safer this way.”

Lucy sat next to them, feeling the old bonds starting to rekindle. Despite the grim circumstances, she felt a sense of relief that she wasn’t going through all this alone.