The sight of the white ceiling overhead immediately set the tone for my day as I opened my eyes. Hospital, doctors, treatment. I closed my eyes, taking a slow, deep breath. There was no pain in my ribs, my arms and legs were intact - a good sign. Only my right cheekbone throbbed, and my nose was numb, likely due to anesthesia. I moved my jaw - it functioned, not broken. This was a relief. Judging by the position of the sun through the window, I must've been unconscious for about two hours. That's quite long for a simple knockout. It was concerning, but my mind seemed capable of assessing the situation. I wiggled my fingers and toes - all accounted for.

I opened my eyes again, taking in my surroundings. My bed was situated by the window, separated from the rest of the room by a drawn curtain. Beside the bed was a stand for an IV drip; lifting my hand, I noticed marks that clearly indicated I had been hooked to one. I longed to slip into the Break and heal myself, but it was impossible. I had to endure. The curtain rustled, revealing two pairs of familiar, concerned eyes.

"How are you feeling?" Claire whispered.

To my surprise, Claire looked much better than I had expected. The only evidence of the shapeshifter's harsh blows were two faint red marks on her face.

"I'm not sure yet," I replied, my voice sounding unusually hoarse to my ears.

"Don't worry," Christian reassured me, "You just had..."

He was cut off as two hands reached around them, grabbing their ears and yanking them behind the curtain.

"Weren't you told not to disturb him?" A vaguely familiar voice scolded my friends. "Go back to your own beds, or I'll make you stay here till morning!"

"Alright."

"I don't want to stay 'till morning'!"

After dealing with the pair, the doctor peeked into my corner. I recognized him as the head physician of the university, the same one who was present at Maya's duel. According to the reviews, he was an excellent specialist and a very powerful Seer.

"Close your eyes, young man," he instructed, raising his hand to my face.

Through my closed eyelids, I could sense a gentle stream of healing energy flowing from his hands. It was soothing. I gave in to the calm, a decision I immediately regretted when my Spark responded to the external energy.

"Hmm," the doctor abruptly cut off the treatment. He leaned in closer, whispering, "I wasn't mistaken... Young man, have you been tested for energy sensitivity?"

"No. My Spark awakened recently - after the start of the academic year," I confessed. It was disconcerting not being able to lie.

"Alright, I won't add that detail to your record. But starting from next year, I highly recommend you go through the commission and get yourself registered."

"Thank you. What..."

"What's wrong with you? Don't panic, it's just a minor concussion and a broken nose. The reason you've been asleep for so long is that I put you under to aid your recovery. Overall, you're fine and will be discharged tomorrow morning. Don't look so glum; you're staying the night here, and there's no room for discussion! Now, relax. I'm going to tune into your Spark; don't resist - it'll speed up your healing significantly."

Following the instructions, I relaxed and opened up my Spark. The sensation was peculiar - it felt as if I was floating on an air mattress in the middle of the sea, carried along by the gentle breeze. Drifting on the waves... Drifting...

Damn! I didn't even notice how I dozed off! That sly doctor simply put me to sleep.

When I woke up, my nose had already regained sensation and was mildly aching. More of an itch than pain, really. It took a herculean effort to keep my hands off and not scratch it.

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"Aha! You're awake!" Claire exclaimed, evidently noticing the movement of my hand. "Open your eyes - you can't fool us!"

Truth be told, I had no intention of pretending I was still asleep. This time, the curtain separating me from the rest of the room was drawn back. The room was designed for four beds, three of which were currently occupied, while one was vacant. However, it was clear that this would soon change as a couple of my friends were sitting on chairs in their regular clothes, not hospital gowns.

"Are you guys getting discharged?" I asked.

"We've already been discharged," Christian confirmed. "We just decided to wait until you woke up."

"How are you?"

"Definitely better than you," Claire retorted sharply, though I could still detect a note of concern in her voice.

"Everything's normal," Christian, the dark-haired one, nodded. "And according to the doctor, you'll be fine by tomorrow too."

"'Normal' is a relative term," the Count of Runar interjected as he stormed into the ward.

Claire and Christian immediately rose to their feet.

"Sit down. Abrupt movements aren't advisable for you today," our university boss waved them off.

After scanning the room, Gabriel Mustiel picked up an empty chair and placed it in the center of the room, then wearily seated himself on it.

"Tell me."

"We..."

"I..."

The couple started speaking simultaneously but were promptly cut off.

"You, tell me," the Count pointed at the redhead.

Claire recounted everything she remembered - from our decision to skip the lecture to the moment she fell to the ground after being struck by a third-year military department student.

"So," Gabriel began after listening to her very carefully, a hint of regret in his voice, "You're confirming that you grabbed Koenig von Raun's sleeve before he struck any of you?"

"Yes," the girl nodded, "But prior to that, he deliberately stepped on Christian's foot while he was unconscious."

"Deliberately, not accidentally?"

"Yes!" The redhead answered fiercely.

"Can it be proven?"

"No..." The girl's fire quickly dimmed.

"You're fortunate that von Raun has shown no desire to sue you or seek other forms of compensation for the insult you've caused him."

"But..."

"Silence! You were lucky! Incredibly lucky!" The Count then turned to Christian. "Were you unconscious throughout the entire incident?"

"Yes, I only regained consciousness when the doctors arrived."

"At least one of you acted sensibly!" Gabriel slapped his thigh in emphasis.

"But I didn't do anything. I just lay in the grass," Christian failed to understand his point.

"Exactly! You did nothing! Very prudent and reasonable, although admittedly, not of your own volition. You've had legal lectures!" The Count rolled his eyes. "What were you supposed to do, Claire?"

"Silently endure all attacks, physical abuse, and insults, then file a formal complaint through our patron, which is you, sir."

"Exactly! Silently!! Endure! And what did you do?! Be quiet! And if you believe in anything, pray that you continue to be this fortunate and escape so lightly! Get out of my sight and make sure I don't see you until tomorrow! Both of you!"

Claire and Christian disappeared in an instant. I couldn't blame them; I would have done the same in their shoes. After the noise in the corridor died down, the count pulled a chair towards me, placed his hand on my shoulder, and said, "I'm sorry."

A lump formed in my throat. Not because of his words but the way he looked at me; like someone who's already dead.

"I can't help you," he confessed, straightening up, "Or rather, I could, but given that Koenig von Raun is an international student, my hands are tied. Any attempts to intervene would irreparably tarnish my reputation and reveal secrets best left hidden. I like you, you have potential, but..."

"But I'm not worth the loss," I finished for him.

"Exactly."

"Then could you please explain? I don't quite understand."

"Izao! What possessed you to call a noble a coward?! And in front of a crowd of other shapeshifters?!"

"But I didn't."

"Are you sure? What exactly did you say to Koenig von Raun? Word for word!"

"Is that all you can do? Beat girls?" I recalled.

"That's an accusation of cowardice and even worse," the Count shook his head.

"One can argue about the phrasing..."

"You can't! If you were his equal, it would be one thing, but in your situation, and with so many witnesses... It's impossible."

"We're not living in the Middle Ages," I began to think out loud. "Even if he feels insulted and takes this to court, I'd only face a fine and possible expulsion from the university at most."

"Court?!" Gabriel laughed under his breath. "What court?" He rose from his chair. "Tomorrow, precisely at noon, you'll receive an 'invitation' to a duel."

"What?!" Saying I was shocked would be a colossal understatement.

"And remember," Gabriel continued as he approached the door. "Since I'm your official patron, if you try to run away or decline the challenge... It will be a permanent blot on my honor. Do you understand?"

"Absolutely," I replied. If I tried to escape, he'd personally strangle me - that much was clear.

"I'll stop by tomorrow at nine. We'll discuss the details... and your will..."

After pausing at the door for a moment, the count gently closed it behind him, leaving me alone in the ward.