The sun was starting to rise when Dan came into the classroom for the first time since he got back. The room was pretty big, with lots of seats in semi-circle rows facing a small platform where the teachers stood.
Dan picked a seat in the third row, near the edge, and sat down without saying a word. There wasn't anyone else around. He took out a little notebook and put it on the table, then leaned back in his chair, waiting for the lesson to start.
The students started to trickle in one by one. Some greeted each other, while others gave him a quick glance. Whispers began to spread through the seats like wind through an open window.
"He's Dan Noctain."
"The one who survived the creature of the void? He doesn't look that strong..."
"Maybe he survived by luck, who knows?"
"Is that possible?! "The creature was fighting the director himself. How'd he manage to survive?"
Dan let out a sigh, looked down at the notebook in front of him, and muttered to himself:
Guys... I can hear you, you know that, right?
He didn't even have to look at them to know they were talking about him. The words were clear, and the curiosity in their eyes was undeniable.
But all that stopped suddenly when the door to the hall opened with a distinctive sound.
A tall, thin man entered, wearing a dark suit with meticulous care and thin-rimmed glasses that glinted in the light from the windows. His steps were quiet, but he walked with complete confidence, as if everyone in the hall owed him respect in advance.
He paused at the edge of the podium, looked around, and then said in a deep, measured voice:
"Good morning, students."
Everyone fell silent.
"For those who don't know me, I'm Professor Hawkins. I teach skills, and today we'll pick up where we left off."
He picked up a small piece of paper from the podium, then put it down again and looked at the rows of students:
"Let's start with a simple question... Who can explain to me what skills are?"
People started to raise their hands one after the other. Among them, Dan saw Elena's hand rise confidently, along with a number of other students who seemed eager to answer.
But the professor didn't choose any of them.
Instead, he looked directly at Dan.
"Dan Noctain... We'd love to hear from you. What are skills?"
Dan stopped for a second. He hadn't expected to be singled out in the first minute of class, especially by a professor he had never met before.
He lifted his head slowly, looked into the professor's intense eyes, and then said in a calm voice, but with a hint of caution:
Skills are special abilities used to direct energy, whether elemental or physical. Some are acquired through training and perseverance, while others appear spontaneously when the user reaches a certain level of power or maturity. They can be offensive, defensive, or supportive, and how well they work depends on the person using them and how well they suit their nature.
There was a short pause, only interrupted by the sound of the students breathing eagerly.
Then Professor Hawkins said, nodding slowly:
"An accurate answer..."
He didn't explain what he was expecting, but he jumped right into the lesson, like he was just trying to test Dan.
At this point, the class took a more serious turn, and the professor began to explain the types of skills, how they are classified according to their degree of mastery, and their rarity.
As for Dan, he kept listening to the lesson, trying to focus on the different types of skills, but he kept hearing whispers from the past.
Professor Hawkins had started to explain the difference between innate and acquired skills when a voice from the back row cut in. The voice was sharp and clear enough to interrupt the professor's flow:
"That's all well and good, but... I don't think it's always the best idea to exaggerate how important skills are."
Some heads turned. The voice wasn't a stranger to everyone.
The professor said calmly:
"Do you have any objections, Mr. Ziegler?"
The young man who spoke smiled. He had blond hair and garnet-colored eyes, and he had a kind of natural arrogance in the way he spoke and sat. He was decked out in the academy uniform with the gold rank insignia.
""It's not an objection, sir. Just an observation. Some people have rare skills, but that doesn't mean they're worthy of them."
He looked straight at Dan, and there was no friendliness in his gaze.
"Sometimes... things are exaggerated just because someone survived death, or because their name is associated with a sensational incident."
Everyone fell silent, and the tension in the air was almost tangible.
Dan stayed seated but slowly lifted his eyes and met Zephyr's gaze.
"Do you want to say something to me directly?" Dan said in a low but clear tone.
Ziegler replied with a cold smile:
"Not really. I just don't like to see the academy turn into a rumor mill... or a bunch of made-up stories."
Professor Hawkins spoke up, his voice firm:
"That's enough. This is a theory class, not a place for personal debates. If you want to prove yourselves, do it in the next practical class."
Ziegler turned his face toward the professor and said in a tone that seemed to show he was obeying:
"As you wish, Professor."
But before things calmed down again, he muttered quietly enough for everyone to hear:
"I'll make everyone see the difference between someone who made himself... and someone who was made for show."
Dan just kept listening to the class until it ended.