The hall still bore the marks of the recent battle; dust swirled, and the cracked edge of the floor bore witness to the severity of Saruto's ordeal. As he lay on the floor, the principal approached, extended his hand, and helped him to his feet.
Saruto rose, bowed respectfully to the principal, and left the floor to return to his class. The moment he stepped out, he was greeted by the other heirs, who congratulated him on passing the test. Then, Star and Emilia stepped forward and embraced him. "Congratulations on passing the test and returning to us safe and sound," they said simultaneously.
Saruto returned the embrace, patted them on the head, and said, "Now let's return to class."
Everyone went back to their classrooms to complete the remaining lessons for the day. Although the atmosphere appeared normal, glances still stole at Saruto from time to time. The energy surrounding him had become calmer, more measured… but it still held something terrifying beneath.
Even the teacher noticed this, but said nothing. At the end of class, the school day was declared over, and the students began heading to their rooms.
The corridor leading to the rooms was lit with a soft golden light, reflecting the tranquility of the evening. Saruto and Lucian walked side by side, their demeanor different this time—not competitive or hostile as before, but a mixture of calm and curiosity. Lucian looked at him with a smile and said, "Honestly, you tied with the Academy Director. You've changed a lot, man."
Saruto replied softly, gazing at the sky through the side window, "We tied because we didn't use our full power. He wanted to test my control over the Dark Power."
Lucian laughed. "So, if you had both used your full power, who would have won the fight?"
Saruto answered with a half-smile, "I don't know, because I couldn't gauge the Director's full power. But what I do know is that if the Director had used his true power against me, he would have crushed me at the start of the fight."
Lucian was taken aback by Saruto's words. "Is he really that powerful?"
"Yes," Saruto replied, adding to himself, "Because he was one of the Dark Generals."
They reached their shared room, and fatigue began to creep in after a long day of mental and physical exertion. "We have formal training tomorrow in the upper training hall, right?" Lucian asked.
"Yes," Saruto replied, taking off his black jacket and placing it on a chair. "The director said it's a new stage in the training. They might test our energy affinity or teach us a new skill."
They both stretched out on their beds, and Lucian said sleepily, closing his eyes, "Whatever the training is tomorrow, don't be late. I don't want to start without you, understand?"
Saruto chuckled softly and said before closing his eyes, "I won't be late… I promise."
The next morning dawned peacefully. Sunlight filtered through the curtains, illuminating their faces. Lucien opened his eyes first. He saw Saruto standing in front of the mirror, dressed in his black training uniform, his hair swaying in the breeze coming through the window. "You've been up since dawn, haven't you?" Lucien sighed.
"Yes, you lazybones," Saruto replied with a faint smile. "Get up and get ready. We have an important training session today."
A few minutes later, the two of them left the dormitory together, heading towards the central training hall where all the heirs gathered.
The atmosphere in the hall was electric. Today wasn't just any training session… it was the day each heir's progress would be tested.
Saruto stood beside Lucien, the air around him pulsating with the dark aura that had become a part of him. Lucien looked up at him and said with a hint of challenge and a smile, "Let's see who comes out on top today."
"Well, let the best one win," Saruto replied, raising an eyebrow slightly. "Although I'm sure I will."
At that moment, the hall door opened, and Director Regan entered, accompanied by Teacher Erin, the sound of their footsteps announcing the beginning of a new test for the heirs.