Fifteen minutes after the Class Selection Exam officially ended...
Lyralei's eyes opened slowly, her vision blurry at first, like looking through frosted glass. The ceiling above her was white—sterile, medical white—with soft glowing runes embedded in the panels that pulsed gently with healing magic.
She blinked a few times, and reality came back into focus.
She was lying in a medical bay bed, covered by a thin white sheet. Her body felt... weird. Not in pain, exactly, but hollow. Like someone had scooped out her insides and replaced them with something lighter, weaker.
She was wearing a medical gown—one of those terrible hospital dresses that tied in the back..
A nurse standing beside her bed suddenly let out a small gasp, her cheeks turning bright red.
"W-wow, that was quick!" the nurse stammered, her hands fluttering nervously. "I just finished changing you after... after bringing you in, and you're already awake!"
The nurse's gaze kept falling on Lyralei's face—specifically, her eyes. Those striking black eyes that seemed to absorb light rather than reflect it. Then she'd look away, then look back again, like she couldn't help herself.
"I-I'm sorry!" the nurse blurted out, bowing her head quickly. "I had no ill intentions or anything weird when I changed your clothes! It was purely professional! Completely professional! I swear on my medical license!"
Lyralei sat up slowly, her movements careful and controlled despite the weakness in her limbs. She reached back and gathered her long black hair—and began tying it back into her usual high ponytail with practiced, efficient motions.
Her black eyes shifted to the nurse's badge and name tag as she worked.
Nurse Riye
Then Lyralei's gaze moved back to Nurse Riye's face.
The nurse's blush deepened under that gaze, spreading from her cheeks down to her neck. "Hey! Just because you're very pretty doesn't mean I go around stripping people for fun!" The words came out in a rush, defensive and flustered. "Your clothes had too many holes and you were a bloody mess, so I had to—"
She covered her face with her hands. "Ah, just kill me.
Lyralei sighed, the sound carrying more exhaustion than annoyance.
"Just leave," she said flatly. "You're making this worse."
"Right! Yes! Leaving now!" Nurse Riye bowed deeply—nearly ninety degrees—and practically stumbled backward toward the door. Before she left, she pointed frantically toward a chair where a fresh academy uniform had been neatly folded. "Your clothes are there! The clean ones! Sorry again! Have a good recovery!"
Then she was gone, the door closing with a soft click that echoed in the suddenly quiet room.
Lyralei changed into the fresh uniform slowly, her movements more deliberate than usual. Her body wasn't responding quite right—everything felt slightly delayed, like there was a disconnect between her brain giving commands and her muscles executing them.
As she buttoned up the blue academy jacket, her eyes fell on the armband lying on top of the uniform.
C-Class (Combat)
Heat crawled up her neck to her face, an unfamiliar sensation that she immediately tried to suppress. Lowest tier. It was going to be embarrassing for a while—she knew that. People would look at her differently. Question her abilities. Whisper behind her back.
But honestly? That wasn't her real concern.
She squeezed her fist, feeling the strange resistance in her muscles.
I'll make S-Class by year's end anyway.
That was just a fact. She'd done harder things before.
The real problem was the backlash.
Backlash from not meeting the requirements for the Heart Duel, huh?
it felt like she was moving with boulders tied to her body. Every step took conscious effort. Every movement was sluggish, like wading through water.
And if she was feeling this bad? Draekon was probably suffering ten times worse.
After all, he was the one who initiated the Heart Duel in the first place. The penalty for failing to meet the requirements fell heaviest on the challenger.
She exhaled slowly, steadying herself. I need to be alone. Think this through. Process everything that happened.
She finished dressing and stared at the C-Class armband for another moment before sliding it onto her sleeve.
The fabric felt heavier than it should.
Her room. That's where she'd go. Lock the door, sit in silence, and calm her nerves. Figure out her next move.
Except when she stepped out of the medical bay, two familiar faces were already waiting for her.
Lilly stood with her arms crossed, pink hair catching the light from the overhead lamps, black eyes staring at Lyralei with that confident, unwavering intensity she always carried. Behind her, Vera shifted nervously, her green hair slightly disheveled and her freckled face creased with concern.
Lyralei's gaze dropped to their armbands.
A-Class. A-Class.
That's a fine grade, she thought, though there was no bitterness in it.
Vera immediately stepped forward, her voice gentle but worried. "Are you okay? I heard you had to face Lady Aurora of all people—"
"I'm fine," Lyralei cut her off, her tone clipped. "I just need time alone."
Lilly hummed thoughtfully, her expression unreadable. "Yeah, but you need to visit Prince Agni first. He's in critical condition in the medical bay."
Lyralei scoffed before she could stop herself. "I don't have time for that lazy shit-stain."
Both Lilly and Vera tensed immediately, their postures shifting.
Vera bowed quickly, her voice taking on that frantic, appeasing tone. "Yes, alright, I understand, but—" She swallowed hard. "I heard he fought Senior Raul. The professors had to intervene. And he actually managed to land a Chain Strike!"
Lyralei froze mid-step.
What?
"A Chain Strike?" The words came out quieter than she intended, almost disbelieving.
"Wow," she muttered, more to herself than anyone else. "Today's just filled with surprises."
She turned to Lilly, who was grinning now, clearly enjoying the look on Lyralei's face.
"Yep," Lilly confirmed, nodding. "Though you'll have to wait till I get the full information. More importantly—all the heirs are waiting for you. There are instructions regarding this situation, and..." Her grin faded slightly. "There's another conflict involving Prince Cassius."
Lyralei's expression sharpened. "What conflict?"
"Whisper Jr. attempted to kill him during the selection exam," Lilly said, her voice dropping lower. "Unprovoked, apparently."
Lyralei went completely still, her mind racing.
That doesn't make sense.
As far as she knew, Whisper Jr wasn't the type to start fights. He was calculated, controlled—someone who only acted when there was a clear reason. And more importantly, both Whisper and his mother, Professor Whisper Nightshade, weren't from any royal family. They were commoners who'd been elevated to positions of power purely through merit and the Majesty's personal support.
Which meant their position was always precarious.
When Professor Nightshade had been appointed to the academy, there'd been outrage from the Moon Empire and other realms . Accusations of the Majesty trying to influence the academy's operations through planted loyalists. It had been a political nightmare that still hadn't fully settled.
And now this?
This practically seals the deal. She'll be fired. Maybe worse.
"How did Agni end up in the medical bay?" Lyralei asked, her voice measured.
"He fought Senior Raul," Lilly repeated. "From the Moon Empire."
Lyralei blinked. Moon Empire.
Her skin tensed… like steel cables…before snapping like a dry twig..
"Alright," she said after a moment. "I understand."
Lilly tilted her head, confused. "Huh? That's it?"
Lyralei turned to Vera, her expression hardening into something cold and commanding—the face she wore when she was done playing around.
"Vera. Go to Ignatia and tell her she's taking over command for this week. If anyone asks about me, tell them I have other things to attend to." She paused. "Are the Royal Practitioners coming?"
Vera nodded quickly. "They've been informed."
"Good." Lyralei turned to Lilly. "Come to my room. I need you to look at the map I took from Agni and get it checked. I want to know everything—what route he took, how he got here, every single detail. As soon as you can."
Lilly's grin returned, sharper now. "Sure."
In the end, Lyralei couldn't find herself delaying this anymore.
Call it selfishness. Call it immaturity. Call it whatever.
She knew—even if she hadn't experienced a complete awakening during the exam, even if she'd been placed in C-Class, even if her body felt like it was moving through molasses—this experience had been more than enough to open her eyes.