Areyos' words still echoed in the air. The classroom, bathed in soft light filtering through the stained-glass windows, seemed to hold its breath. By now, everyone had realized the truth: this academic year would be unlike any other. Excellence, that coveted prize, wouldn't be enough to secure a spot in the Prodigy Exam. Miller watched the scene with a slight smirk, a fleeting glint passing through his sharp green eyes.
"Areyos Orionis… just like your mother, you've inherited her habit of speaking the truth bluntly," he thought, his fingers tapping absently on the wooden desk. "It's an admirable trait, sure, but one that will earn you as many enemies as allies in this world."
At that moment, Sola slumped into her chair, her face pale, shaken by Areyos' honesty. A worried murmur spread through the room, students exchanging glances filled with frustration and resignation. Miller straightened up, his voice cutting through the heavy silence.