The academy wasn't whispering anymore.
It was staring at Kalen.
He felt this the moment he stepped out of the Sovereign Wing.
Eyes were following him like shadows that were stuck to his back.
Students stopped talking in the middle of their conversations.
Nobles looked at him with a narrow gaze.
Some students looked curious about him.
Others looked hostile.
"That's annoying," Lyra muttered inside his head.
"As Expected," Asha'Kareth replied.
Nyxara's voice came softer. "They're sizing you up."
Kalen kept walking without showing a hint of emotion towards them.
But on the Inside, the system was reacting faintly.
It was like the system was reacting to all the attention or feeding on it.
He entered the main hall and that's when everything stopped.
This didn't happen gradually but rather instantly.
This was because someone else had entered the hall.
Someone wearing a white uniform with a silver crest on it.
With presence that was as sharp as a blade.
The crowd parted without being told.
"She's here…"
"The Council President…" everyone murmured.
Kalen didn't need to ask who this person was.
He already knew who she was.
She walked forward with absolute control.
Every step she took was precise.
Every movement she made was calculated.
Her eyes landed on Kalen and didn't leave him.
Her name was Lucienne Vale.
She was the Student Council President.
A Triple Echo user. At the top of the academy.
Now standing directly in front of Kalen.
"So," she said calmly, "you're the anomaly."
Kalen met her gaze. "And you're staring."
A few nearby students gasped.
"Ohhh I like this already." Lyra laughed.
Lucienne's expression didn't change.
But something behind her eyes shifted; it was interest.
"You broke an Awakening crystal," she said. "That alone should be impossible."
"Maybe it was defective." Kalen shrugged.
There was silence for a moment.
Then Lucienne smiled faintly; it was a dangerous one.
"You'll attend a council evaluation," she said. "Mandatory."
"Or what happens?" Kalen questioned.
"Or we assume you're a threat." Her gaze sharpened.
Nyxara's presence tightened. "She wants control."
Asha'Kareth responded instantly. "She will not have it here."
Kalen tilted his head.
"I'll pass."
The temperature in the hall dropped.
Lucienne stepped closer to Kalen, close enough that only he could hear her next words.
"You don't get to refuse."
Kalen didn't move.
"Watch me."
For a split second there was a surge of pressure.
It was invisible. It was crushing.
This was Lucienne's authority. It hit Kalen directly. Then it collapsed.
The system popped up.
[AUTHORITY REVERSAL ACTIVATED]
Lucienne's eyes widened, just slightly.
"Interesting." she said.
Kalen smirked faintly. "Try again."
Lucienne stepped back. studying Kalen intensely.
She wasn't looking at him as a student but as a variable.
"A duel," she said.
The room exploded into whispers as people started talking about the duel.
"You'll prove your value publicly."
Kalen paused for a moment. Then said "Fine."
Lyra grinned. "Now it's getting fun."