The observation balcony above the chamber stirred with voices.
Vivienne stood at the front, her arms folded, her expression unreadable. Her crimson hair shimmered faintly under the sterile light, her gaze locked firmly on Merlin.
Sophia exhaled beside her. "…He didn't strike her down."
Reinhardt's voice was low. "He could've. Easily. But he chose not to."
Vivienne's lips pressed into the faintest line, though whether it was irritation or pride, no one could tell. Her eyes lingered not on Elara, but on Merlin, as though weighing something in silence.
Behind them, Morgana leaned against the glass railing, her long black coat draped elegantly around her frame. Her crimson eyes glowed faintly, a predator's amusement dancing in their depths.
"…He hesitated," she said softly.
Sophia frowned. "That wasn't hesitation. That was mercy."
Morgana's lips curved. "Mercy… or attachment?"
The room fell quiet at that, but Morgana's smirk only deepened.
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Down below, the first-years began to gather, their exhaustion giving way to murmurs.
"He stood against all of us—"
The noise blurred, a swarm of disbelief and awe.
Merlin ignored it all. His focus stayed on the healers carrying Elara from the chamber. For a brief moment, her hand slipped limply from the stretcher, brushing against the air. His chest tightened before he even realized why.
Nathan's voice came rough, pulling him back. Merlin turned to find his friend standing unsteady, daggers broken at his waist. Nathan's face was pale, but his grin was crooked.
"She'll be fine. You… you saw how stubborn she is."
Merlin's gaze softened slightly. "…Yeah."
But the knot in his chest didn't ease.
Later, when the exam chamber emptied, Merlin found himself back in the academy halls. The sterile light felt too sharp after the desert's heat. His body, though uninjured, carried the ghost of exhaustion.
His footsteps echoed faintly on the polished stone as he walked behind the healers escorting Elara. They disappeared into the infirmary wing, doors swinging shut before he could follow.
Merlin stood there a moment longer, staring at the closed doors.
He reached up, touched his cheek again, the ghost of her blade's cut.
Her words echoed in his mind.
His lips curved, just faintly. "…You're dangerous, Elara."
From the shadows of the hall, Morgana watched him, her arms folded, her eyes glimmering with sharp amusement.
She didn't announce herself, didn't need to. She only whispered under her breath, a private remark no one else would ever hear.
The infirmary smelled faintly of clean linen and lavender oil, a small mercy against the sharp sting of sterilizing runes etched into the walls. The soft hum of mana-infused lamps cast a gentle glow across the room, steady and unwavering.
Merlin sat in a chair pulled too close to the bedside, elbows braced on his knees, golden eyes locked on Elara.
She lay beneath crisp white sheets, her silver hair spilling loose across the pillow, lashes trembling faintly with the rhythm of deep sleep. The healers had said she was only exhausted, her body stretched too far by the simulation's intensity. No broken bones. No lasting injuries. Just fatigue.
But still, Merlin hadn't moved since they brought her here.
His fingers tapped restlessly against his knee, the only crack in his composed posture. Every so often, he glanced at the faint line on his cheek where her blade had kissed him.
It didn't hurt. It wasn't even visible anymore. But he remembered the look in her eyes before she collapsed, fierce, unyielding, and just for him.
His throat tightened.
You nearly burned yourself out just to reach me.
A soft sound stirred the silence.
Her hand shifted against the sheets.
Merlin straightened instantly, leaning closer. "Elara?"
Her lashes fluttered once, then again. Slowly, her violet eyes blinked open, hazy but sharp enough to find him immediately.
"…Merlin." Her voice was faint, dry.
Relief surged through his chest so sharply it almost hurt. He let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "…You're awake."
She frowned faintly, gaze flicking around the infirmary before returning to him. "The battle… is over?"
"Over," he confirmed. His lips curved in a crooked smile. "You fought until you dropped. Impressive, if reckless."
Her brow arched, the faintest hint of challenge even as her voice remained weak. "And you didn't finish me. Why?"
Merlin's answer came quiet, steady. "Because you didn't need to lose for me to win."
The silence stretched between them, heavy but not uncomfortable. Her violet eyes searched his, sharp as always, but something softer lingered beneath the steel.
Finally, she let out a faint breath and turned her gaze toward the ceiling. "You're infuriating."
Merlin chuckled, low and rough. "So I've been told."
The door opened softly.
Victoria stepped inside, clutching a small bag against her side. Her auburn hair was tied back neatly, her eyes tired but warm. The moment she saw Elara awake, her expression softened with visible relief.
"Oh, thank the stars." She moved quickly to the bedside, setting the bag down. "The healers said it was just exhaustion, but seeing you like that…"
Elara blinked at her, surprised. "…You stayed?"
Victoria smiled faintly. "Merlin wouldn't leave. So neither did I."
Merlin rubbed the back of his neck, suddenly awkward. "…You didn't have to—"
His sister cut him off with a look that brooked no argument. "Don't start. You'd have done the same for Merlin."
He sighed, defeated, and leaned back in his chair.
Later, when Victoria finally left to fetch food, the quiet returned. Elara shifted slightly, turning her head to look at him again.
Merlin blinked. "Different?"
Her gaze sharpened, though her voice remained soft. "When you fight. When you look at people. Even when you look at me. It's not like the others."
Merlin's chest tightened, but he forced his voice steady. "…Maybe I've seen too much."
Her lips curved faintlyc not a smile, but something close. "Or maybe you feel too much."
He looked away, throat tight. He didn't know how to answer that.
The door creaked again.
This time, Vivienne entered, her crimson hair gleaming under the light, her expression cool but unreadable. She carried a clipboard loosely in one hand, though she wasn't even pretending to look at it.
Her eyes flicked between Merlin and Elara. "…So. You're both still alive."
Merlin raised an eyebrow. "Sound disappointed."
Her lips twitched, almost but not quite a smirk. "Hardly. But you caused a stir, Everhart. Half the class is still whispering about it."
Elara exhaled softly. "Let them whisper."
Vivienne's gaze lingered a moment longer before she turned sharply, leaving the clipboard on the counter. "…Rest while you can. The exams are done for now."
Much later, when Elara finally drifted back into sleep, Merlin stayed. His head rested against the back of the chair, his eyes heavy, but his hand lingered against the side of her bed. Not touching. Just close.
Close enough to remind himself that she was there. That she was real.
Above, on the highest balcony of the academy, Morgana stood beneath the stars. Her eyes glowed faintly, reflecting the constellations.
Her lips curved in a slow, knowing smile.
"…Attachment indeed."
The air in the auditorium was heavy with expectation. Hundreds of first-years filled the seats, uniforms neat but restless, conversations hushed into quick bursts of speculation.
Sunlight streamed through high-arched windows, painting long shafts of gold across the polished floor.
Merlin sat near the center of the hall, Elara to his right, Nathan to his left. His muscles still carried the dull ache of strain, though his body had already recovered faster than the healers predicted.
Elara's violet eyes were steady as ever, though her pale cheeks betrayed the exhaustion still clinging to her.
He glanced once toward her. She caught it, but didn't look away.
The room hushed as the tall doors at the front opened.
Vivienne strode in first, crimson cloak trailing behind her, her posture strict as a drawn blade. Reinhardt followed, his heavy boots thudding against the stone, the air around him charged with quiet authority. Last came Sophia, spectacles gleaming, holding a stack of parchment that radiated the faint shimmer of grading runes.
They took their places at the front dais.
Vivienne's gaze swept across the students, sharp and unwavering. When she spoke, her voice cut clean through the silence.
"The final examinations have concluded. All practical and theoretical assessments have been recorded and measured. Today, you receive your standings."
A ripple of murmurs spread through the hall.
Sophia stepped forward, unrolling the parchment. The runes glowed faintly as her voice carried clear and precise.
"First-year academy rankings, class one."
The names began, starting from the lower tiers. One by one, students leaned forward, some sighing in relief, others slumping in disappointment.
Merlin barely heard the early results. His mind was still on the battlefield, on the way Elara's blade had cut toward him, on the burning in Nathan's eyes, on the stunned silence when he finally unleashed his strength.
He tuned back in when Sophia's tone sharpened. "…and now, the top ten."
The hall leaned forward as one.
"Tenth place: Ethan Crowell."
A murmur rose, Ethan exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair, muttering under his breath.
"Ninth place: Liliana Astralis."
She smiled faintly, blue eyes flashing with quiet pride.
"Eighth place: Seraphina Alden."
Her silver gaze was steady, expression calm, as if she had expected no less.
"Seventh place: Adrian Kain."
He grinned, clapping Nathan's shoulder despite his own placement.
"Sixth place: Dorian Graves."
The white-haired boy inclined his head slightly, crimson eyes unreadable.
Sophia's voice carried on.
"Fourth place: Elara Vaelith."
A subtle shift of the room. Dozens of eyes darted toward her silver hair, her violet eyes. Elara didn't move, didn't flinch. She simply sat tall, as though nothing could touch her.
Merlin's chest tightened.
"Third place: Nathaniel Varen."
Nathan let out a breath, shoulders sagging in relief before he caught himself, straightening with a proud grin.
The silence in the hall thickened. Everyone knew who remained.
Sophia's gaze flicked to Reinhardt, who gave a slight nod. She looked back to the parchment.
Confused murmurs exploded.
Sophia raised her voice, cutting through them. "By unanimous decision of the instructors, no student could be placed second this year. The gap between the highest-ranked student and the rest of the class was too significant to justify."
The room went utterly silent.
Vivienne stepped forward, her crimson eyes landing on Merlin.
"First place: Merlin Everhart."