Her hand brushed over the papers she carried, the pages crisp and filled with neat lines of ink.
"This academy is a place of learning, yes. But it is also a place of power, where names, families, and influence matter. You must tread carefully, or you will be crushed by forces larger than you."
Kael lowered his gaze. He wanted to argue, to insist that speaking the truth should be enough—but deep down, he knew she was right.
"…Thank you, Professor Sylvia," he said at last.
She gave a faint smile, though it carried a touch of weariness.
"Do not thank me yet. My belief in you does not erase the suspicion of others. What lies ahead will test you more than today's accusations."
Her eyes lingered on him a moment longer, as if to measure his resolve, then she straightened and gestured toward the door.
"Come. We've taken enough of the morning already. The students are waiting, and it's not good for their mentor to keep them too long."
