The sun had barely climbed over the horizon when Alex stepped into the school grounds the next morning, but already a hush had settled over the halls.
He noticed it instantly.
Students who had been chatting in loud clusters a moment ago quieted the second he passed by. Conversations dropped off. Heads turned subtly, some not so subtly, to watch him. Some eyes widened. Others narrowed. But nearly all of them shared the same unspoken question:
Was it true?
Word had spread like wildfire.
Everyone had heard the story , how the new guy had faced Valen in a hallway showdown, stood tall against a mana blade, and walked away without a scratch. Some said it was a bluff. Others claimed he had used forbidden magic. A few even whispered he wasn't a normal elf at all, maybe he was a high-ranking spy from another realm, or a warrior wearing a disguise.
Whatever the truth was, one thing was clear: Alex had suddenly become the talk of the academy.
