"I am Alex Drakethorne," Alex replied.
"Do not lie to me. Tell me who you are if you do not want to be punished," the old man said, his breath close to Alex's face as he placed a heavy hand on Alex's shoulder. The warning in his eyes was clear, making Alex's heart pound.
A crushing weight pressed down on Alex, his shoulder aching under the man's iron grip. His knees threatened to buckle, and his vision blurred at the edges. Desperate, he seized the old man's hand with both of his own, his breath coming in shallow gasps.
"I am Alex Drakethorne, heir to the Drakethorne Grand Ducal House. Let go of my shoulder immediately!" he shouted, his voice cracked, but there was enough strength in his voice to make the whole crowd silent. Although he was struggling, he refused to let his weakness show. The old man's pressure was immense, but Alex would not fall so easily. All eyes were fixed on them.
The old man continued to stare at Alex. Slowly, he released his grip. Alex let go of his hand. Tension lingered in the air between them. The old man stared into Alex's eyes, searching for something that did not make sense. It must have been a shock to see the son of a grand duke at level one.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity to Alex, the old man shook his head, dismissing a troubling thought. "You may proceed to the written exam," he said. His voice was thin and weak. It was as if he had lost his strength after witnessing something unbelievable.
Alex nodded and descended the raised platform. The noise of the crowd returned, slowly gnawing at him.
"Did you see how he talked back to the old man?" a voice rang out, sharp and mocking.
"There's no way he's really level one." Another voice jeered. It was dripping with disbelief and scorn.
Alex tuned out the voices, not wanting to hear any more of their nonsense. He had already seen enough, and any more would only hurt him further.
While still descending the stairs, Alex glanced at Thalia. Her face was expressionless, a stark contrast to before. Earlier, her eyes had been filled with curiosity and excitement. Now her already cold white eyes seemed even colder. She crossed her arms over her chest. She looked at him as if he were a thug who had cheated others.
This hurt Alex deeply, though he had felt irritated by her before; he did not like the look she was giving him now. Distracted, he bumped into someone on the stairs. The boy he collided with looked annoyed.
Alex had planned to join Thalia and wait for her turn before the written exam, but now he reluctantly turned away as he reached the ground. He started walking toward the academy, where the others who had already tested their level had gone. Alex felt the scrutinizing gazes of others as he moved through the crowd. Some people snickered at him, while others tried to suppress their laughter.
Alex had lost his smile on the platform. He had been excited when he first entered through the gate, but now his face was sullen, his lips turned down as he slowly made his way out of the crowd. Their constant taunting and laughter only made it even worse. He knew being level one would not be taken well, and it was proving true. He slapped both cheeks to focus on what lay ahead. He could see, through his side-eye, them murmuring more about his action. He dismissed them as there was more to be done than to worry about the past.
The old man continued to watch Alex's sullen figure as he walked toward the academy. His form grew smaller as he moved farther from the platform. The old man looked around at the crowd. He could tell the boy would have a hard time in this academy. He doubted Alex would even make it past the entrance. The old man shook his head and turned his attention back to his duties. It was not his responsibility to care for everyone.
***
In a room illuminated by a glowing screen, the entire scene of Alex stepping onto the platform to reveal his level played out. The screen showed him being scrutinized and mocked by the others.
Shane and Sera sat frozen in their seats, their faces filled with anger at the children for being so cruel and blatant in spreading rumors.
"I knew this was a bad idea. We should never have allowed Alex to take the entrance exam. This will only get worse," Sera said as she gazed at her husband, her voice thick with regret. Her azure eyes filled with tension, and worry creased her forehead.
"I know, but one day we had to," Shane replied, staring at the screen. His body was tense, his hands resting on his legs. So much anger welled up inside him that he wanted to go there immediately and bring his son back.
Ariana, seated between them, had lost all color from her face. She was saddened by her brother's humiliation, her eyes filling with tears. Seeing her parents' distress only made her feel worse. She felt small and powerless to help. But she refused to cry, as that would only make her parents even more worried. She clenched her fist tight, jaw tight as she refused to let even a drop of her tears fall down.
Cassian felt his heart filled with regret for telling Ariana that everything would be okay. He glanced at her and wished he had not spoken. He saw tears welling up in her eyes, threatening to fall.
But what shocked him more was his own daughter Thalia's expression. Her face was cold, and he could almost feel the chill radiating from her. He felt he had failed as a father by not teaching her that level and power are not everything. Growing up in the grand ducal house had only made it worse. He had always encouraged her to grow stronger, but had forgotten to teach her that weakness is not something to despise.
Cassian glanced at his brother Malrec, who slouched on the sofa, seemingly unbothered by anything. Cassian sighed and turned back to the screen as his daughter's turn arrived.
***
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