Minerva: "A curse… so brutal…"
At that moment, she noticed movement to her right.
Minerva: "…"
Someone else had stepped forward.
Noth Ferdi.
He crouched calmly on Roy's other side, observing the situation carefully.
Noth: "Don't fight the weight."
"The more you resist, the more your body tires."
Minerva jerked her head up toward him.
Minerva: "You…"
Noth wasn't even looking at her. His eyes were fixed on Roy.
Noth: "Your center of gravity has shifted."
"If you try to get up like before, you won't be able to."
Roy grimaced.
Roy: "Easy to say…"
Noth placed a hand flat on the floor next to Roy.
Noth: "Spread your legs slightly."
"Breathe."
"Let your body accept the new weight."
Minerva was surprised.
He didn't speak like someone who judged... but like someone who knew.
Minerva: *Why is he helping…?"
Roy followed the instructions, breathing slowly.
After a few seconds, his breathing stabilized somewhat.
Mariana watched the scene without intervening.
Mariana: "Good."
"You've just learned the first lesson of the Academy."
"Abilities are neither fair nor unfair."
"They are burdens to be tamed."
Minerva clenched her fists.
Minerva: "Isn't that… too cruel?"
Mariana looked at her.
Mariana: "Cruelty is part of this world."
"It's up to you whether you succumb to it… or overcome it."
Noth finally stood up.
Noth: "He'll adapt."
"His element is the wind."
"In time, he'll find his balance."
Roy stood up. her eyes on him, still half on the ground.
Roy: "...Thank you."
Noth simply nodded and returned to the crowd, as if nothing had happened.
Minerva stayed by Roy's side, helping him slowly to his feet.
Minerva: "We'll manage... okay? No matter the weight."
Roy offered a tired smile.
Roy: "Yeah... now I'd better get even stronger."
At the back of the arena, Minerva felt a growing unease within her.
If Roy had inherited such a heavy curse...
Then what awaited her?
A heavy silence fell over the arena.
Mariana consulted the list again, then raised her head.
Mariana: "Next..."
"Minerva Caesula."
The moment her name was spoken, Minerva felt her heart clench.
Her legs hesitated for a fraction of a second, then she took a deep breath and left the crowd.
Each step toward the crystal ball felt heavier than the last.
Roy watched her, still sitting on the ground, unable to stand fully, but his eyes were filled with worry.
Roy: "Please... make sure everything goes well..."
Minerva stopped in front of the purple sphere.
Its surface seemed darker than before, as if it were absorbing the light around it.
Minerva placed her hand on it.
The crystal reacted instantly.
But unlike the others, it didn't shine brightly.
FFFFFFFFffffffyyyyyyyyy
The light was unsteady, pulsating, almost sickly.
Red streaks mingled with the usual purple, like veins.
A shiver ran through Minerva.
Minerva: "It's... different..."
The magic quill came to life.
The letters appeared.
Mariana read.
Rank: Mediocre
A murmur of surprise rippled through the stands.
Student: "Mediocre?"
Student: "But she passed the test..."
Minerva felt her cheeks burn, but she gritted her teeth.
Mariana continued.
Element: None
This time, the murmur grew louder.
Roy: "None...?"
Frédéric frowned.
Frédéric: "Is that even possible...?"
Mariana paused very slightly before continuing.
Blessing or Curse: Curse of the Blood Crown
At these words, the air seemed to freeze.
Mariana: "Curse of the Blood Crown."
The quill wrote the description of its own accord.
Curse of the Blood Crown: The only way for you to become stronger is by consuming human flesh.
Minerva: "......"
Time stood still.
Breaths caught.
An absolute silence filled the arena, so profound that you could have heard a feather fall.
Minerva felt her vision flicker.
Minerva: "...What...?"
Her fingers were still trembling against the crystal.
Roy: "...Huh...?"
Frédérique instinctively put a hand to her mouth.
Frédéric: "This... this is a joke... right...?"
No one answered.
Horrified murmurs began to rise.
Student: "Human flesh...?"
Student: "That's monstrous..."
Student: "It's a forbidden curse..."
Minerva felt her stomach churn.
Minerva: "Eating... humans... to become stronger...?"
She abruptly pulled her hand away from the crystal, as if burned.
Minerva: "This... this isn't possible..."
Even Noth, usually impassive, had his eyes widen slightly.
Noth: "........"
His gaze was fixed on the sheet of paper, serious, almost troubled.
But he could know the truth thanks to his blessing.
Noth: "She doesn't have the aura of someone corrupt."
"She's not lying."
Frédérique clenched her fists.
Frédéric: "It's not fair... she's not like that..."
Nervous laughter suddenly erupted from the crowd.
Student: "Seriously?"
"A future man-eater?"
Student: "And with a mediocre rank, no less..."
Minerva felt the stares pierce her like blades.
Then, suddenly—
The crystal ball vibrated again.
Louder.
The enchanted quill resumed writing.
Mariana frowned.
Mariana: "...It's not over."
A second line appeared on the page.
Personal Ability: Queen of Butterflies
A stunned silence followed.
Mariana read.
Butterfly Queen: You can use all the abilities of all the butterflies in the world.
A moment passed.
Then…
Several people: "HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!"
Laughter erupted.
Student: "BUTTERFLIES?"
"SERIOUSLY?"
Student: "THEY'RE JUST FLYING INSECTS!"
Student: "EVEN WITH THAT, SHE'S WORTHLESS."
Minerva clenched her fists until they hurt.
Minerva: "Insects…?"
"Butterflies."
Roy tried to get up, furious.
Roy: "Shut up…!"
"You don't know anything!"
Frédérique nodded briskly.
Frédérique: "Yeah!"
"Personal abilities are unpredictable!"
Noth, however, wasn't laughing.
He was watching Minerva intently.
Noth: "All the butterflies in the world..."
His expression darkened.
Noth: "They're fragile... but incredibly numerous."
"And some are deadly."
Minerva, for her part, barely heard the mocking remarks anymore.
Her mind was fixated on a single word.
Minerva: "Human flesh..."
She slowly raised her head.
Her eyes were moist, but determined.
Minerva: "I will not become a monster."
Even though the world had just condemned her, she inwardly refused this curse.
Mariana observed Minerva for a long time, then declared in a firm voice:
Mariana: "The results are final."
"From today onward, you will all bear the weight of your abilities."
She paused.
Mariana: "I'm sorry, but it's not possible to change it."
"Now, next..."
One hour later:
Finally, the revealing trial ended.
The 150 remaining students were gathered in the center of the arena.
No more names were called.
No more fates would be revealed today.
Mariana raised her hand to command silence.
Mariana: "The selection is over."
"You have all been accepted into the Knights' Academy."
A murmur of relief rippled through part of the crowd.
Others, however, remained frozen, still shaken by what they had just witnessed.
Minerva stood slightly apart, her arms pressed tightly to her chest.
She could feel it.
The stares.
Some students were staring at her suspiciously, even with barely concealed fear.
Student: "It's her... the girl with the curse..."
Student: "The one who has to eat human flesh..."
Minerva lowered her eyes.
Minerva: "As if I chose her..."
Others weren't afraid.
They were laughing.
A low, cruel laugh.
Student: "Seriously... the Butterfly Queen?"
Student: "Insects."
"What's she going to attack us with, colorful wings?"
A group snickered openly, without even trying to hide it.
Minerva felt her throat tighten.
Roy, still weakened by his curse, noticed the stares and the whispers.
He gritted his teeth, furious.
Roy: "They have some nerve..."
Even Frederic, who had only spoken briefly to Minerva during the race, was angry at this lack of seriousness.
Frédérique instinctively positioned herself near Minerva.
Frédérique: "Hey... don't pay any attention to them."
"They speak without thinking."
Minerva nodded slightly, without replying.
She didn't have the strength.
A few steps away, Noth silently observed the scene.
He noticed the distance that had formed around Minerva, like an invisible circle.
Noth: "Fear... and contempt."
"Classic."
He looked away, lost in thought.
Mariana spoke again.
Mariana: "From today onward, you are students of the Academy."
"Your abilities will be studied, trained... and judged."
She paused.
Mariana: "Never forget this: It is not your powers that define who you are... but the choices you make with them."
Minerva raised her head slightly.
Minerva: "The choices…"
Despite the whispers, despite the jeers, one thing was clear.
She had been accepted.
She was still there.
Minerva: ".............."
But deep down, Minerva already sensed that her path at the Academy would not only be difficult.
It would be lonely.
And dangerous.
The rest of the day unfolded in a palpable mixture of curiosity and tension.
The students were guided through the streets and courtyards of the Academy to familiarize themselves with the facilities.
Every cobblestone alley, every open square, every building was meticulously presented:
- The training rooms
- The libraries
- The weapons workshops
- The kitchens
- And above all, the dormitories that would be their refuge for four full years, except during summer vacation.
Mariana and several staff members supervised the group, answering questions and correcting the students' mistakes.
Whispers and discussions filled the air.
Some students were still discussing the crystal's revelations, while others were simply focused on the Academy's layout.
Minerva walked alongside Roy and Frédérique.
She carefully observed each building, but her thoughts kept returning to her curse and her unique ability.
Roy: "Well… I still find it hard to believe that all this is going to become our daily life."
"Four years here, running, training… and surviving other people's stares."
Minerva nodded gently.
Minerva: "We'll have to learn to live with it… no matter what other people think."
Chapter 10: Human flesh
The End