Behind Mira's perfect smile, there was something else.
Mira wasn't in love.
She'd never been.
William was just a means to an end, a stepping stone to greater things.
She knew exactly what he was: vain, cruel, shallow, and she accepted it, so long as it kept her at the top of the food chain.
Still, when she caught Elion watching them from afar today, something about the look in his eyes unsettled her.
It wasn't the usual fear or bitterness she expected. It was calm. Cold. Patient.
Almost like he was waiting.
Elion's gaze lingered on them for a moment longer.
He waited in class until most had left before rising from his seat.
He preferred the quiet.
"Time to get some lunch." He walked out of the classroom with light steps, his hands sinking into his pockets.
The hallways were filling fast, students spilling out in pairs and groups toward the cafeteria.
He blended in without effort, just another uniform among many. A few curious glances followed him.
The cafeteria occupied an entire wing of the academy, its vaulted ceiling lined with floating lights that cast a warm, golden hue over the rows of long tables.
The smell of cooked meat, herbs, and baked bread filled the air, rich enough to make even the most distracted student hungry.
Elion took his place in the short line, moving with practiced patience. When his turn came, he chose the simplest meal: a bowl of meat stew, a side of salad, a chunk of crusty bread, and a glass of ginger ale.
Nothing fancy, just warm, filling food.
He carried his tray to an empty table in the far corner, away from the noise.
The chatter of other students faded to a distant hum as he sat down.
The first spoonful of stew was rich and savory, the flavor grounding him more than he expected.
Peace.
It was a small thing, but it felt strange after months of torment.
Now that he had a way to get stronger. He didn't feel like he had a guillotine hanging over his head anymore.
Still, I really need some system points soon.
No system points meant no sudden power up.
Still, he found it quite surprising how calm he felt despite that.
Is this what they say about power: it corrupts and blinds you? I must make sure not to ever get complacent then.
Elion took slow bites, listening idly to the murmurs drifting from nearby tables. Most conversations weren't really worth listening to.
He heard rumors of the next field assignment, gossip about the upper-year duels, and speculation about who was dating whom.
Elion broke off a piece of bread and dipped it into the stew, eyes half-lidded, thoughts turning inward.
The faint ache in his body reminded him of how much he still had to grow, physically, mentally, and in power.
But he'd already taken the first step.
No one noticed the change, he thought.
Luckily for him, most people didn't even seem to notice the changes in him. But the truth was simple: no one had ever really looked at him before.
If anyone had truly been paying attention, they would have noticed that he was taller, the faint gleam in his eyes that hadn't been there before, the subtle tension in his shoulders, the confidence hidden in the way he breathed.
But they didn't.
Their minds dismissed the details before they could register.
And that suited Elion just fine.
He finished his meal quietly, draining the last of the ginger ale.
Then he stood, cleaned his tray, and left without a sound.
He still had to deal with William. Was he confident enough to deal with William?
No?
But he was no longer so weak that he wouldn't be able to do anything like before.
Fights were not permitted on the academy grounds unless you filed a duel, but there were many other ways for William to make his life hell.
They could still beat him up without using mana.
Of course, Elion was now confident enough not to be pushed around like before. Once he was done eating, he made his way back to his dorm.
I should put my plan into action soon.
His plan was simple.
Aria would be his first target.
The little minx had dared to be provocative around him; his charm had set things into motion, and the next thing.
Elion took out a piece of paper to write on and stretched his hand out as the glass vial filled with ordinary-looking ink flashed into his palm.
"I don't know if the effects will happen that same night or on a random day. System, how does this work?"
[The ink of yearning invokes these dreams as soon as the target falls asleep for the first time.]
[If the host wants the same effect for another day, you would have to write the target's name again.]
"That's understandable. Since the ink is infinite, there's no need for me to worry about running out. I can use it whenever."
He took the quill from his table and wrote the first name.
Aria.
And the second.
Mira.
Obviously, he was taking a risk by just placing Mira's name there, but he wanted to see what her reaction to seeing him tomorrow would be.
The idea was to see how the effect would differ if he used it on a random person or a person who hated him; would it change how they saw him?
And then with Aria, he would get an idea of the effect on someone he had had an interaction with before.
In Aria's case, she would probably come to the conclusion that her dream was due to the interaction in the morning, and if things went as he hoped, she would approach him the next day.