"Why did you lie to your father?"
The voice still echoed clearly in Liyn's mind.
"Hiding your Veyra level is a disgrace to our family."
Liyn lowered her head.
Just like that day.
Just like always.
She wanted to argue.
Wanted to say that she had never asked for that talent.
Never asked to be born into a world that judged people by their strength.
Never asked to carry all those expectations on her shoulders.
But in the end, not a single word managed to leave her lips.
Because deep down, Liyn knew.
Her father would never understand.
No one would.
"Father, I want to become a scientist."
It was a sentence she had never truly spoken aloud.
A dream she had kept locked away in her heart for years.
In this world, the strongest were regarded as leaders. Strength was valued more than beauty, charm, or even intelligence.
But Liyn had never cared about any of that.
She preferred books.
Theories.
The stars.
To her, understanding how the world worked was far more fascinating than becoming the strongest person in it.
And now...
She stood before Syntara Academy.
The place she least wanted to be.
The place that would change her entire life.
—
"A new student?"
"Seriously? In the second week of the semester?"
"And she's going straight into Class A?"
"Who is she?"
Whispers filled the classroom.
Syntara Class A, Grade 7, was the most prestigious class in the entire academy.
The best students.
The future leaders.
And now, a transfer student was about to join them.
The morning bell had only just stopped ringing when the classroom door opened.
A girl stepped inside.
Long black hair reaching her waist.
A uniform that still looked brand new.
And a calm expression that concealed a great deal of nervousness.
Dozens of eyes immediately turned toward her.
Liyn tried to ignore them.
But their gazes still felt heavy.
"Please introduce yourself."
Ms. Verra's voice came from the front of the room.
Liyn took a quiet breath.
Why am I here?
I already told them I'm not interested.
I've already hidden everything.
Wasn't that enough?
"My name is Yurelin Yurei."
Her voice was soft.
"You can call me Liyn."
The room fell silent for a moment.
Then the whispers returned.
"Yurei?"
"Isn't that a lower-class clan?"
"How did she get into Class A?"
"That's weird."
Liyn clenched the edge of her uniform.
Comments like those weren't unfamiliar to her.
She had heard them far too many times.
"Nice to meet you."
That was all she said.
Ms. Verra nodded.
"Alright. Please take the empty seat over there."
Liyn walked toward her desk.
The students' eyes followed her every step.
Some were curious.
Some looked down on her.
And some seemed openly displeased.
I hate introductions like this...
That was when someone tapped her shoulder.
"Hi!"
Liyn turned around.
A long-haired girl was smiling brightly at her.
"I'm Myra. Myra Storm."
Liyn froze for a second.
Storm?
Isn't that one of the greatest noble clans in Arkana?
Her eyes widened slightly.
But Myra simply laughed.
"Let's be friends."
There was no contempt.
No condescending look.
Just a sincere smile.
For the first time since entering the classroom, Liyn felt a little more at ease.
She accepted Myra's outstretched hand.
"Nice to meet you."
"Yosh! From today onward, we're friends!"
Liyn couldn't stop the small smile that appeared on her face.
Maybe...
Maybe this place won't be as bad as I imagined.
The day passed quickly.
Liyn tried her best to follow every lesson seriously.
Many subjects felt unfamiliar.
Many terms were completely new to her.
But she wrote everything down.
Learning had always been the thing she loved most.
Even so, her thoughts kept returning to the same thing.
Her dream.
Becoming a scientist.
Can I still pursue that dream?
Or did it end the moment I was forced to come here?
By late afternoon, the lessons finally ended.
Some students began packing up their books.
Others chatted with their friends.
Liyn gazed out the window.
And that was when she saw him.
A man standing alone in the distance.
Silver hair.
A black uniform.
His body leaned against the railing of the outer corridor.
His expression was blank.
Yet there was something about him that made Liyn unable to look away.
He looked as though he were holding something back.
Pain.
Anger.
Or perhaps both.
One hand supported his head.
The other gripped the railing so tightly that his knuckles had turned white.
Who is he?
Liyn didn't know.
But a strange feeling stirred inside her.
A feeling she couldn't explain.
Suddenly, the man bit his own lip.
Hard.
Too hard.
As if he were desperately trying to keep something from escaping.
Liyn held her breath.
For some reason, the sight sent a chill down her spine.
And then—
the man turned his head.
Directly toward her.
Liyn's heart stopped.
Their eyes met.
Blue eyes.
Sharp.
Deep.
And for a moment, Liyn felt as though every one of her secrets had been laid bare.
Her body froze.
She even forgot to blink.
Then something even stranger happened.
The man smiled.
A faint smile.
But it was not comforting at all.
It was the smile of someone who had just found something he had been searching for all along.
A cold sensation crawled down Liyn's back.
Who is he?
Why is he looking at me like that?
Liyn's heart began beating again.
Louder than ever before.
And for the first time since arriving at Syntara Academy...
she truly felt afraid.