She didn't wait.
"You entered here with a set number of points."
Her tone didn't shift. No threat. No warning. Just a matter-of-fact.
"That's all you'll get from the university as new students."
A pause followed, long enough for the meaning to land.
"After that, you'll have to earn more."
No one made a sound. But something in the air shifted. Something in the way the students sat, in how their shoulders settled, how their backs straightened.
They were listening now, not out of politeness, but clarity.
"Some of you will rise," the Dean continued, "some will fall within days. Others will hover just above the floor, wondering why the climb stopped."
Her voice was steady. Almost casual.
"Those who last… they don't win because they're the most talented."
She took a few steps forward, back toward the center of the platform.
"They win because they adapt."
The silence that followed wasn't empty. It was heavy. Sharp.
"They suffer correctly."
