The ride back to the Academy was quiet.
The hovercraft glided over the city, lights from the towering districts flashing against the windows, but inside—nothing. No chatter. No excitement. Just silence. That kind of silence that only came after something big. Something too real to put into words.
Class Zero sat together, all of them awake, all of them thinking. No one said it out loud, but they felt it. The shift. The world saw them now. And it wasn’t going to forget.
When the craft finally landed at the upper platform of the academy, the platform was already packed.
Instructors, admin staff, even a few students from other classes—all waiting. Most of them weren’t there to celebrate. They were there to see.
To see the ones who flipped the board.
The moment the doors opened, the welcome hit them like a wave.
Applause. Cameras flashing. Cheers. Some forced. Some genuine. Some a little too loud.
A couple students rushed up first—Class Three’s Lina and Jiho, tossing energy drinks at Silas and Evelyn.
"You guys killed it!" Jiho grinned.
"No lie, we thought you’d explode the arena," Lina added, laughing.
Silas chuckled, catching the drink. "Almost did."
Evelyn gave a small nod, smiling slightly.
Lucian walked ahead of them, quiet as always, not reacting to any of it.
But not everyone clapped.
Garrick stood near the corner. Alone.
Not smiling. Not cheering.
His eyes didn’t move from Lucian.
They didn’t blink either.
Jealousy crawled behind them. Heavy. Loud.
He clenched his jaw as Class Zero passed. Didn’t even try to hide the scowl.
He was supposed to be the top. He was supposed to lead the Academy’s rise. Not them. Not him.
Lucian didn’t glance his way. None of them did.
But Garrick’s fists were already curling at his sides.
Inside the main hall, things moved fast.
No speeches. No delay.
Garos had already summoned them to the central office wing. Athena walked them through the hall silently, past portraits of the past headmasters, past ancient symbols glowing faintly on the walls. Her expression didn’t change.
Reia stayed close to Lucian. Evelyn, Silas, and Vyn followed behind.
Once they reached the door, it opened automatically.
Garos was already standing by the window.
The door shut behind them, sealing with a hum.
They stood in front of his desk. No one sat.
The Dean turned around slowly, arms crossed.
Silas rubbed his neck. "A cool one, though."
Garos raised a brow. "The council is still calculating the damage costs. That wasn’t a duel. That was a collapse."
Lucian didn’t flinch. "You watched it."
"I know you’re strong."
Garos stepped closer now, voice even.
"But I also know you’re not done. Not yet. So why," he narrowed his eyes slightly, "are you asking to leave?"
"I’ve outgrown this place."
"No." Garos’ tone sharpened. "You’ve outpaced your peers. Not the Academy."
"This Academy won’t prepare me for what’s next."
Athena folded her arms. "You don’t know what’s next."
"I do," Lucian said quietly. "He was just the first."
Silas raised a brow. "You mean that stranger?"
Lucian gave a small nod.
Garos walked back to his chair and sat.
"I can’t stop you from walking out. You’re not under a binding contract. But if you leave now, you forfeit your title. Your academy certification. Your access to all elite facilities."
"I’m not interested in the paperwork."
Garos leaned forward.
"Well, I am. Because what you do outside these walls still reflects on these walls. And if I’m going to let one of my students go rogue, then it better be after he’s earned his stripes the right way."
Lucian stared at him for a long second.
"So what do you want?"
"I want you to graduate," Garos said. "Formally."
Lucian didn’t answer.
Athena tilted her head. "And if he refuses?"
"Then he doesn’t get the Academy’s mark. No history. No recognition. Just a trail of broken records and no context."
Reia stepped forward slightly. "That’s not fair."
"It’s necessary," Garos replied.
He turned his eyes back to Lucian.
"Then I’ll give you the only graduation test we reserve for monsters like you."
Garos stood again, now facing them directly.
"Clear an S-Rank Gate."
Vyn’s expression didn’t change, but Evelyn stepped back slightly.
Lucian was the only one who didn’t react.
"No help. No instructors. You can take your team if you want—but you clear it. Solo or squad, I don’t care. But if you want to walk out of here and still be a hunter... then you show me you’ve earned it."
Garos folded his arms.
"You think you’ve outgrown this place? Fine. Then show me that you’ve outgrown what this place trains you for."
Athena looked at him.
"Do we have a location?"
"Two gates just reached preliminary S-rank classification. One in the Blackridge zone. One in sector nine’s collapsed sector."
Lucian glanced toward her.
"You sure?" Athena asked.
Garos stepped back to the desk and tapped his console. "You’ll be briefed tomorrow. Coordinates will be uploaded to your personal terminal. You’ll have seventy-two hours to prepare."
"If you fail, you don’t just lose the title. You won’t be allowed to represent this Academy in any official hunter circle. I’ll blacklist your name myself."
Lucian didn’t flinch.
Class Zero turned and walked out.
Not until the hall was clear.
Then Silas let out a breath.
"Well... that escalated fast."
Evelyn looked at Lucian. "You’re really going to do it?"
Reia stepped beside him. "Then we’ll go too."
He paused. Looked at her.
Neither did the others.
Because they weren’t following him.
They were walking with him.
And in seventy-two hours?
They’d walk straight into hell.
And carve a path through it.