The moment Professor Marvin singled Leo out for the heavier vest, the whispers began.
"This guy? This kid is Leo Skyshard, the number one ranked genius?"
"Oh man. I thought the top students were gonna get it easy, but Professor Marvin is laying into them on day one."
"I mean, it's only fair. If they only had 25kg, they'd finish while we're barely at the halfway mark."
"I wanna be friends with Leo Skyshard. They say being around the right kind of people sparks growth"
As Leo heard the murmurs around him, he exhaled sharply through his nose, his frown deepening.
His anonymity was gone.
Before today, he was just another face in the crowd—one of many new students blending into the academy's brutal ranks. But now, everyone in the Elite Class knew his name, his face, and exactly where he stood on the rankings as a dozen new gazes bore into his back.
He hated it.