Chapter 13: The Classroom

Ethan and Adrian stepped into the classroom, their eyes immediately scanning the spacious room filled with students. The grand lecture hall was lined with towering bookshelves against the walls, the scent of parchment and ink lingering in the air. Rows of polished wooden desks stretched across the room, each one occupied by well-dressed noble students engaged in hushed conversations.

Ethan instantly felt the weight of their gazes. All nobles. The realization settled over him like a heavy cloak. He had expected it, but standing in a room where he was the only commoner made it all the more real.

At the front of the room sat a girl with long, silver-blond hair that shimmered under the sunlight streaming through the tall windows. Her sharp, emerald-green eyes—so similar to Adrian's—were focused on an open book in front of her.

Adrian grinned and nudged Ethan forward. "Come on, let's sit over here."

Ethan followed as Adrian took a seat beside the girl. Without looking up from her book, she spoke in a calm, level tone. "You're late."

Adrian scoffed playfully. "We're not late, Talia. The instructor isn't even here yet."

The girl—Talia—finally glanced up, her piercing gaze landing on Ethan. She studied him for a moment, then turned back to Adrian. "And who's this?"

Adrian leaned back in his chair, smirking. "This is Ethan. He's a new student, and I figured I'd spare him from the company of pompous nobles."

Talia raised an eyebrow, then turned her gaze back to Ethan. "Talia Vaelris."

Ethan nodded politely. "Ethan."

"You have a last name?" she asked curiously.

He hesitated for a second before shaking his head. "Just Ethan."

She didn't pry further, simply nodding in acknowledgment. "Well, welcome to the academy, Ethan."

Ethan felt a small sense of relief. Unlike the others in the room who were eyeing him with veiled suspicion, Adrian's sister seemed more neutral, if not slightly curious.

As the three of them settled into their seats, Adrian and Talia began discussing the academy, explaining the different instructors, the curriculum, and the competitive nature of the noble students. Ethan listened intently, absorbing every word.

However, in the back of the room, whispers began to spread.

"Why is the prince sitting with a commoner?"

"It's disgraceful—royalty shouldn't associate with peasants."

"Who even let someone like that into the academy?"

Ethan pretended not to hear them, but he could feel the weight of their judgment pressing down on him. Adrian, on the other hand, rolled his eyes and turned slightly in his seat.

"If any of you have something to say," he called out casually, "why not say it loud enough for me to hear?"

Silence.

The nobles immediately looked away, their hushed whispers ceasing. Adrian smirked, satisfied.

"They'll get over it," he said, leaning toward Ethan. "They always do."

Before Ethan could respond, the room was suddenly filled with an intense, almost suffocating pressure. It was like the air itself had become heavier, making it difficult to breathe.

The grand door at the front of the room swung open with a loud creak.

A tall man entered, his mere presence commanding immediate silence. His uniform was pristine, dark with golden embroidery lining the cuffs and collar. A long, flowing cape trailed behind him, barely brushing against the floor. His sharp features—piercing gray eyes and slicked-back silver hair—gave him a cold, unyielding appearance.

Count Aldrick.

The most feared instructor in Erisia.

Every student straightened in their seats, their previous murmurs vanishing in an instant. Even Adrian, usually so carefree, adopted a more composed posture.

The count's gaze swept across the room like a blade, lingering briefly on each student before settling at the front row—on Ethan.

For a brief moment, their eyes met. Ethan felt a chill run down his spine.

Then, without a word, Count Aldrick turned toward the desk at the front of the classroom, placed a single book on it, and spoke in a low, commanding voice.

"Lesson begins now."

And with that, the first day at the academy had truly begun.