The morning sun burned gently through the clouds as Class S assembled on the academy's open training grounds. The air buzzed with chatter, footsteps, and the faint hum of mana trails from students preparing for their morning drills.
Milly her hair glinting silver-white under the light stood at the front, whistle hanging loosely from her lips.
"Alright," she called out, voice calm but firm. "Same routine as yesterday. Ten laps around the field no slacking."
The students groaned in unison, but they started running. Their strides kicked up dust and energy alike.
Milly watched silently for a while, her golden eyes scanning their movements form, posture, speed. Her gaze softened a little. They're improving…
But then she stopped.
Her hand dropped to her side. Her breath caught mid-exhale.
The world around her went quiet.
At first, it was just a flicker like losing focus for a second but then everything faded entirely. The voices, the wind, the sound of feet striking earth… all gone.
Her eyes dimmed into a lifeless blankness. She didn't even blink.
"Miss Mila?" one of the students slowed down, noticing her still figure.
No answer.
"Miss Mila!" another called, running closer.
Still nothing.
Her students stopped running altogether, forming a small circle around her. Fear crept into their voices.
"She's… she's not moving!"
"She's breathing, right?"
"What's happening to her?"
They shook her shoulders gently no response. Her body was upright but motionless, her gaze fixed somewhere far beyond what anyone else could see.
One student sprinted off toward the nearest teacher's quarters. "I'll get help!"
The rest stayed near her, trying everything calling her name, waving hands in front of her face, even channeling a faint healing spell but it was useless.
Her blank eyes reflected nothing no light, no recognition.
For several long minutes, she remained that way, frozen in time, trapped in silence.
Then, somewhere deep within her mind, a faint echo stirred.
A whisper soft, distant, and chillingly familiar:
"You can't run from yourself forever, Milly…"
Her fingers twitched ever so slightly.
The students didn't notice, only growing more panicked as footsteps echoed from afar other teachers rushing over.
"Hang on, Miss Mila!" one shouted as they approached.
But she still didn't move.