The Weight of Failure

Sunlight poured into the tall windows of the classroom, casting golden beams down on the students and the teacher's desk. The low hum of chatter with a few laughs here and there, hung in the air, when the heavy footsteps of Magnus Sir came to be heard. He stood at the head of the classroom, tall and stern, his eyes sharper than they had ever been. Leon, Isla, Finn, and Fanny were sitting among their peers, alert and waiting. Magnus took a deep breath, jaw tight, his eyes scanned the class. It seemed as though the tension in the classroom was thickening like storm clouds rolling in.

"I know many of you did the training, most of you even made it to the last round, but that is not what I am here to discuss today." Magnus now dropped his voice with a lower tone. He slammed a stack of papers down onto the desk abruptly BAM! The sound was sharp and precise, and it echoed loudly through the abandoned classroom.

Students flinched. More than a few jumped. A few nervous glances were shared amongst every student. A light mist of sweat formed on foreheads. Even the air in the room felt heavier.

Then Magnus' voice deepened.

"Except for Leon and Isla in the back, you're all going to have to retake the written exam. Some of you," he said, scanning the room with sharp eyes, "were only one stupid mark off complete failure!"

Everyone fell silent. Even Finn and Fanny, the most cheerful of the whole cohort, appeared pale. Finn nervously twisted the hem of his sleeve, and Fanny bit her lip, creasing her brows with worry.

"This," Magnus said, brandishing a sheet, "is the worst written score recorded across this academy!"

I felt that statement as a slap across the face, or some kind of physical blow.

"So…the teachers have decided. For the final exam, anyone scoring less than fifty out of one hundred is going to fail the course. And if you fail -" 

He paused slightly; I'm sure his next statement was going through all our minds exactly as it was going through his.

"-then you will be expelled from the academy."

Gasps. Wide eyes. Panic scintillated across the student faces. A few students muttered hushed disbelief, but no-one dared to say anything louder - until one did.

A boy stood up unsteadily. "Sir, that's not fair. The passing mark is thirty. You can't just change the rules. You're just a teacher, not the principal!" 

A murmur of support arose around him.

But Magnus showed no reaction. He held the boy's stare with a neutral expression, then finally spoke, voice low, but rich with authority.

"Your name is Yin Suzuki. Am I correct?"

The boy locked up.

"You scored thirty-three out of a hundred." Magnus narrowed his eyes further. "And you want to question me?"

Yin's mouth opened, but no sound came out. His legs trembled. Gradually, he lowered himself back into his seat and kept eyes away from Magnus.

"I could," Magnus said, eyes ablaze, "expel you right now if I wanted to. But for the record, I don't want to. I would assume, but not say, you would feel it to be unreasonable. So I would consider this a mercy and do what is required, if you think there is still something left to gain. Don't waste this opportunity."

The class was graveyard silent.

"And if any of you want to continue to discuss about power..." Magnus paused to look over the students, "I am the teacher with the most power in this academy. If you want to talk about a problem--come see me in my office."

Without another word, he turned and left the room leaving the door swinging behind him.

The moment he exited, the classroom erupted into a fit of nervous whispers.

Finn looked completely drained. He turned to Leon with wet eyes, and hugged him tightly. "Bro... you're my last chance. I can't get expelled..."

Leon choked a bit under the embrace. "If you kill me with your hug, how am I supposed to help you?" he managed.

Finn quickly released the embrace, laughing nervously. "I'm so sorry, bro. I'm just... freaking out. What the hell are we going to do?!"

Fanny slammed her fist on the desk across the room.

"Who died and made him king, right!?" she growled, lips trembling in anger.

Isla, who had been silent, finally spoke up.

"You guys really don't know, do you?"

Leon, Finn and Fanny turned at her, confused.

"What do you mean?" Leon said through his furrowed brows.

Isla looked around, then leaned in and lowered her voice. "Have you guys ever seen the principal of this place?"

Leon shook his head. "Now that you mention it... no. I even sometimes question who the principal is." 

Finn nodded. "Yeah, even at the Awakening Ceremony- that crazy accident happened- and yet, no principal. 

Fanny mumbled, "Now that I am thinking about it, it looks like Magnus Sir does everything...."

"Exactly", Isla said. "Because Magnus Sir is the son of the principal." 

Their jaws fell.

"What?" Leon whispered, eyes wide. 

"Seriously?" Finn said. 

"Yes," Isla said. "They don't tell students personal information like that. They keep it private."

Leon inched closer. "But if his dad is the principal... then why do we never see him?"

Isla paused. "I don't really know. But I have heard... something bad happened to him around five years ago. No one has spoken to him since. Not even Magnus Sir."

"What?" Fanny said, in disbelief. "You can go five years without speaking to your dad?"

Isla nodded, "After the incident the principal just... disappeared. No one knows where he is. Not even his own son." 

A chill settled over the room after her words. The mystery was thick in the air, like fog. 

Finn whispered, "If he's the principal, he must be powerful..."

"What're you talking about?" Isla shrugged. "Maybe. But no one knows what he could do—or can do."

Suddenly, a loud voice broke over the announcement speakers. "Finn and Fanny – to Magnus Sir's office right away."

Finn's face turned ghost white. "Wh-What?! What does he want us for? Is he going to... expel us?!" They rolled into tears in his eyes when he turned to Leon, quickly giving him a hug again. "Help me, buddy. I don't want to get expelled..."