The lecture room fell into a rhythmic lull—the kind of quiet that wasn't peace but boredom camouflaged in order.
Professor Mark scrawled symbols across the floating mana-board with a glowing staff tip, his voice droning like a golem on low energy.
"Now, as I was saying—mana isn't just energy. It's intention. A pure extension of will through ether, shaped into form through spells or weapon infusions…"
Sayaka sat still, trying to focus.
She wasn't tired today.
She wasn't even distracted.
She was just—on guard.
Her senses had trained themselves to catch the smallest insults. The brush of a passing shoe under the desk. The whisper that pretended not to reach her ears. The passing notes that said her name followed by cruel comparisons.
It had become… routine.
She turned a page of her notebook slowly, almost like she could will herself into invisibility.
But then came the snickers.
"Hey Sayaka~ what kind of mana do you use again?" a girl whispered, voice honey-sweet but venom-laced.
"Air mana, right? Since you take up so much space?" another giggled.
Sayaka lowered her eyes.
Just keep quiet. Just survive.
But the whispers weren't enough today.
Today, they needed something more.
One of the girls behind her—Leira, a smug noble's daughter with a face as perfect as her cruelty—reached into her satchel, pulled out a small glass vial.
Inside, a putrid green liquid sloshed with a smell that even cork couldn't fully contain.
Stinkroot extract…? That stuff's used to drive away cave beasts. One drop stinks for hours.
The girl smirked and eyed Sayaka's back, raised the vial just enough to tilt it, and—
Snap.
In a blur that nobody saw—
The vial stopped mid-air. Inches above Sayaka's shoulder.
Time felt like it stuttered.
Leira blinked, confused. "Huh…?"
Sayaka felt… nothing.
Didn't even know what was about to happen.
A sudden flick of movement—so fast it was invisible.
SPLASH!
The liquid launched back—hitting Leira full on her uniform, drenching her in the stench she'd meant for someone else.
"GAH! What—what the hell?!" she shrieked.
The whole class turned.
Everyone stared.
Leira stood in frozen disbelief as the sharp, sour stink filled the room like rotting onions mixed with skunk.
The girls next to her recoiled.
"Ewww! Stay back!!"
"I—I don't know what happened!" she panicked, waving her arms, eyes darting around.
The teacher sighed, holding his nose. "What is that infernal stench?! Who brought Stinkroot into my classroom?!"
"I—I didn't mean to! I mean, someone—"
"Outside! Now!"
Leira scrambled out the door, red-faced and gagging, while the room exploded in whispers and muffled laughter.
Sayaka just blinked.
What happened…?
She felt a faint breeze pass her cheek—like someone had flicked the air beside her.
Her eyes drifted toward Vikran, who sat beside her—unmoving.
Expression unreadable.
He didn't look at her.
Didn't smirk.
Didn't gloat.
Just sat there, eyes back on the chalkboard as if nothing had happened.
But his right hand—the fingers were still slightly tensed, like they'd just flicked something away.
Sayaka narrowed her eyes.
Was that…? No. Impossible.
He didn't even know her.
But something deep inside whispered—That wasn't luck.
She turned her head slightly and mumbled under her breath, just barely audible to herself.
"…Thanks."
Vikran blinked, slightly.
Still didn't look at her.
But the corner of his mouth curved up for the tiniest fraction of a second—just enough for a flicker.
A shadow of a smile.