It was a warm, bright day. Little Athena strolled through the garden, enjoying the gentle breeze, while a curious Ayden and a mischievous Julian trailed behind her.

As they wandered, a commotion caught Athena’s attention. Voices rang out loudly from the direction of the central fountain. She paused, frowning, and the boys followed suit. It sounded like some children were bullying someone.

Moving cautiously, they approached the group. As they got closer, the scene became clearer—a group of elvish children stood in a semi-circle, surrounding a lone girl in the middle. She looked pitiful, her head hanging low as if trying to shield herself from their harsh words.

“Who do you think you are?” one of the boys sneered.

“How many times have I told you to stay at least two feet away from us?” A girl grabbed the child’s shoulder, shaking her forcefully.

The little girl trembled under the grip.

“Mute and deaf now, are you?” the older girl mocked. “Every time you walk beside us, your mere presence disgusts us.”

Another girl, who appeared to be Athena’s age, clung to the sleeve of an older boy and pouted. “Brother, she tried to bully me just now.”

The older boy furrowed his brows, his sharp glare landing on the already tearful child.

“You’re just jealous of my sister because she’s perfect, and you’re nothing but a defect.”

Another boy standing behind the trembling girl stepped forward. “Brother, don’t listen to her! She can’t even speak, so she can’t tell you what really happened. But I was here. I saw everything.”

Before the older boy could respond, another child shoved him. “Shut up, you brat. One eyesore wasn’t enough—Father had to bring another into the world.” He spat in disgust.

Athena clenched her fists. Cowards. That’s all they were—cowards who took pleasure in picking on someone weaker than them.

“Cowards!” she shouted.

All heads snapped toward her.

“Why are you bullying someone weaker than you?” she demanded, stepping forward.

The girl holding her brother’s sleeve turned and sneered. “Who do you think you are, calling us cowards? Do you even know who we are?”

Athena rolled her eyes. “What does that have to do with anything? A coward is a coward, whether mortal or immortal.”

While Athena held the attention of the bullies, Ayden and Julian silently slipped between them, grabbing the trembling girl and guiding her away. She looked malnourished, her bones visible beneath her thin frame.

The older girl reached out again, intending to grab her shoulder, but before she could, Athena swiftly pulled out a whistle from her pocket and blew into it.

No sound was heard.

And yet, a moment later, Prince Alexander appeared with several guards.

“Cupcake, are you alright?” He scooped Athena into his arms, scanning her for any signs of harm.

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Once satisfied she was unscathed, he turned serious. “What happened?”

Athena pursed her lips. “Dad, they were bullying this girl. They called her names and mocked her because she’s mute.”

Alexander’s expression darkened. He turned to the man standing beside him—an imposing elvish prince, his face etched with disappointment.

Athena’s eyes widened slightly. Only then did she realize the identity of the children—they were Elvish royalty.

The Elvish prince strode forward, scooping up the trembling girl in his arms before turning his glare on the older boy. “How many times have I told you not to neglect or bully her? She is your sister, too.”

The boy pursed his lips but said nothing.

That day, the prince punished all the children except the weak little girl and her brother, who had tried to defend her.

From that moment until the end of their visit, the girl and her brother stayed close to Athena, Ayden, and Julian. Over time, she gained weight and started to look like any normal child her age.

When the time came for them to part ways, the air was thick with sadness. Athena was worried about the girl’s future.

So, she did something.

She took the whistle—her father’s birthday gift to her—removed the chain from her neck, and tied it around the little girl’s instead.

“If you ever need help, blow this whistle. Help will come. I hope we meet again, friend.”

As the memory faded, Athena found herself smiling.

She had met her friend again.

As Athena relived her old memories, she arrived at the principal’s office. Taking a deep breath, she steadied herself, fully aware of what awaited her beyond those doors.

Knock. Knock.

“Come in,” Principal Sylvester’s voice rang out, laced with unmistakable excitement.

Pushing open the door, she was met with numerous expectant gazes—far more than she had anticipated.

“Miss Arcane, please take a seat.” Principal Sylvester gestured to the chair in the center of the room. Athena complied, settling herself amidst the circle of professors.

Alfred Leylani gave her an apologetic look, but she merely pursed her lips.

“So, Miss Arcane, we have a few questions for you.” Principal Sylvester rested his chin on his clasped hands.

Athena nodded.

“Let’s start with your skills. Do you have anything to say?”

She glanced at Alfred in confusion, sensing there was something she wasn’t aware of.

Alfred, noticing her expression, elaborated. “Inherent skills are inherited from your parents. They usually mutate only after reaching a certain level of mastery. However, your inherent skill has already mutated. Did you experience anything unusual?”

Athena shook her head. “No.”

Sylvester leaned forward slightly. “Then how were you able to use your sword to draw a barrier array?”

She shrugged. “It was simple. I channeled my mana into the sword, and its properties changed accordingly.”

One of the professors narrowed his eyes. “Child, do you know why, despite some books suggesting that it's possible, no one actually does it?”

Athena remained silent, allowing him to continue.

“Because such a technique requires an immense amount of mana—far beyond what any child your age should possess. How did you do it?”

Athena’s gaze met his evenly. “Maybe I’m blessed with abundant mana. Is that a problem?”

The room fell silent for a moment before Sylvester cleared his throat.

“Then tell us, what did you see in the Alpha dorms?”

She carefully chose her words, opting not to reveal anything about Rufus for now. Instead, she described the robotic maids and butlers, as well as the enchanted forest.

With each revelation, gasps echoed through the room. The endless stream of questions drained her patience, but she endured it.

Athena sighed as she exited the office, rolling her shoulders. Three hours of questioning, and still no real answers. If anything, she had even more questions now. But one thing was certain—she wasn’t just another student in their eyes. They were watching her closely.

Athena hurried out of the office, anxious about whether Alya had waited or left. She had just begun walking toward the library when—

The whistle pierced the air.

Her eyes widened.

Without hesitation, she bolted forward. The onlookers barely saw a blur before she disappeared, only to reappear at the library entrance in an instant.

Inside, chaos awaited her.