After Jack's public humiliation, things seemed to settle down. He no longer confronted Alex openly, and the camp slipped back into uneasy normalcy. To the first-years, it looked as if the storm had passed. But Alex knew better. Deep inside, he carried the gnawing certainty that Jack hadn't truly given up. The silence felt less like peace and more like the quiet before something worse.
'He's waiting, watching, and planning. I'd be a fool to relax,' Alex thought, keeping his guard up even as others exhaled in relief.
Since calm had returned, Blade gathered the first-years once again. His voice cut across the clearing with its usual authority.
"Listen up, everyone! Because of the… incident yesterday, the original test has been nullified. Today, it will be redone."
The first-years shifted uncomfortably, exchanging uncertain glances. Blade's gaze swept over them like a blade itself.
