The Headmaster’s Judgment

Lucien's eyes fluttered open slowly. His head throbbed like someone had taken a hammer to it, and his vision blurred for a few moments before settling. He found himself sitting in a chair in an unfamiliar room—dimly lit, with shelves of books stretching up to the ceiling and the faint scent of old parchment filling the air.

(Oh, great. I'm either in a headmaster's office or some creepy wizard's study. Both seem equally bad.)

"You're finally awake," a cold, refined voice said.

Lucien snapped his head toward the voice—and his heart nearly stopped.

Sitting across from him was none other than Cecilia Winslet. Her emerald eyes burned with contempt, and her delicate face was twisted into an expression of cold disdain. Next to her, Leon Albright sat with his arms crossed, his ever-present sword resting against his chair. The tension in the air was thick enough to cut with a knife.

Before Lucien could even think of speaking, another voice broke the silence.

"I see you're still in one piece. That's more than I expected." The headmaster's voice was calm but carried an unmistakable weight.

Lucien finally turned to face the man behind the massive wooden desk.

The headmaster was an imposing figure. An older man with streaks of silver through his hair, his eyes were like steel—sharp and unforgiving. The sheer pressure of his presence made Lucien's throat go dry.

"Do you know why you're here, Lucien von Zephyr?" the headmaster asked, his voice even.

Lucien opened his mouth—but once again, no words came out.

[Say something, idiot!] the system chimed in. [You're making this more awkward than it already is!]

"I… I'm not sure," Lucien finally managed, his voice cracking.

Cecilia scoffed. "Of course you're not. Pathetic as always."

Lucien winced.

Leon's eyes narrowed. "After your… incident yesterday, you should consider yourself lucky you're still breathing."

(Incident? Oh, right—the mana outburst. The one that looked like it set the academy on fire… but somehow didn't.)

The headmaster leaned forward, his hands steepled. "Your behavior in this academy has been beyond unacceptable. Countless complaints from students, staff, and even the maids. And now, you've caused a mana outburst powerful enough to be felt across the entire campus."

Lucien swallowed hard. "But… nothing was damaged, right?"

The headmaster's eyes flashed dangerously. "That's precisely the problem."

"Huh?"

[Oh, good. You broke reality. Congratulations.]

"Mana of that magnitude should have reduced this building to ashes," the headmaster said. "And yet there was no destruction—only flame that disappeared without a trace. That is not normal. That is dangerous."

Lucien wanted to melt into his chair.

Cecilia's gaze hardened. "He's a threat to everyone here. I told you we should have expelled him long ago."

Leon nodded. "I'd gladly solve this problem myself. Just say the word."

(WHY DOES EVERYONE HERE WANT ME DEAD?!)

[Maybe because your past self was a walking red flag? Just a thought.]

"Enough." The headmaster's voice cut through the room like a blade.

Lucien's pulse raced as the older man's eyes locked onto him.

"Lucien von Zephyr. You have one chance to explain yourself. What happened during that outburst?"

Sweat trickled down Lucien's temple.

(SYSTEM, HELP ME!)

[Oh no, you're on your own. You made this mess.]

Lucien took a shaky breath. "I… I was practicing magic. Trying to improve myself. The… outburst was an accident. I lost control."

The room fell into a heavy silence.

The headmaster's eyes remained fixed on him, searching for any sign of deceit. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he spoke.

"For now, you will be placed under observation. If there is even one more incident…"

He didn't need to finish the sentence.

[Translation: One more screw-up and you're dead.]

"Dismissed," the headmaster said.

Lucien bolted out of his chair like his life depended on it—which, honestly, it probably did.

As he hurried out of the room, he could feel the burning glares of Cecilia and Leon following him.

(Just survive. Just survive. That's all I need to do.)

[You're doing a bang-up job so far, champ.]