The Original Author's Perspective

Chapter 21 - 21: Breaking the Cycle

The evaluation passed without incident, but I couldn't shake the feeling that something had changed. Ilya, Reynard, and the others in our group no longer looked at me with the same casual disregard. Now, there was something else in their eyes—recognition, perhaps. Or fear.

The following days were marked by a subtle shift in the academy's mood. The hierarchy, so clearly defined before, had begun to fracture. Whispers of rebellion, of students questioning the system, spread like wildfire through the halls.

I couldn't help but wonder if I was the catalyst. After all, I had been the one to break the rules, to challenge the way things had always been done. But it wasn't my intention to incite chaos. I was just trying to get by.

But now, it seemed that chaos was coming for me, whether I wanted it or not.