With a flicker of Essentia, Sylra’s legs shimmered, and a controlled wind current lifted them off the ground. They hovered just above the doorframe, weightless but steady.

“I hope they don’t find us,” she murmured, her voice barely above a breath.

Elliot glanced at her technique, intrigued. “I didn’t expect wind to be this useful.”

Sylra smirked slightly. “Its natural affinity is agility. Strength techniques are the hard part. This? This is easy—at least for me.”

"Strength is the hard part?" Elliot thought, narrowing his eyes. Based on what I’ve seen, her attacks are strong enough to send people flying… and she is ranked first, after all.

Sylra suddenly tensed. “Wait. Someone else is coming.”

Rheon stepped onto the third floor, his pace measured, his presence as calm as ever. But before he could advance, another figure emerged at the other end of the hall.

Professor Malveik.

Rheon’s expression didn’t shift as he approached, extending a hand in greeting. “Oh, Professor Malveik. What brings you here? I thought you’d be at the strategic tea session.” His tone was smooth, almost amused.

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Elliot stiffened at the name. “Malveik?” he whispered.

“A second-year instructor,” Sylra murmured back.

Malveik accepted the handshake with a steady grip. “Good to see you, Rheon,” he replied. His tone was polite, but his sharp gaze swept the hallway. “I was asked to locate two first-year students who skipped class. No luck so far.”

Rheon tilted his head slightly. “Is that so? What are their names? I might have seen them—I am a first-year instructor, after all.”

“The top ranker, Sylra,” Malveik said, then paused, as if recalling the second name. “…And Elliot.”

Rheon hummed thoughtfully. His gaze flickered, just for a second, toward the closed door of the nearby office.

“Oh, them?” he said casually. “They’re probably in the infirmary.”

Elliot felt it immediately—Rheon’s Essentia pressing against the door like an unseen weight.

"Does he know we’re here?!"

Outside, Malveik raised a skeptical brow. “And how do you know that?”

Rheon didn’t falter. “Their friend is there. Makes sense they’d stay with him until he recovers. Don’t worry, I’ll check on them myself—I already know them.”

A brief pause. Then Malveik exhaled, nodding. “Well… if you want to do my job for me, be my guest.” He turned on his heel. “Thanks.”

Rheon watched him leave, then spoke again—louder this time. “I think I’ll stop by the bathroom first.”

The words hung in the air, their real meaning clear to the two hiding behind the door.

Moments later, Rheon’s footsteps faded.

Elliot and Sylra exchanged a look before silently dropping back onto the floor.

“He covered for us,” Elliot muttered.

Sylra nodded, her expression unreadable. “Yeah… I’m sure he knew we were here before he even arrived.”

She exhaled, then straightened. “Let’s go to the infirmary. If anyone comes looking for us, that’s the most believable place to be.”

And with that, they slipped into the empty hallway, moving quickly before their luck ran out.