I walked through the silent corridors of the male wing, feeling the icy night air enter my lungs. The weight of the adrenaline still hadn’t fully subsided, and the sensation of power flowing through my veins was almost addictive. Every step I took on the polished marble floor seemed to echo the new reality I was building. I was no longer the extra destined to be trampled by the princes of this kingdom. Now, I was the owner of the board.

I crossed the inner courtyard, where the shadows of the trees looked like outstretched claws under the light of the mana lamps. My thoughts returned to Rebeca. The way she had surrendered, the mix of terror and desire in her eyes when time stopped... all of that was just the beginning. The engagement to a high-lineage Fou Holfort would give me the political shield I needed to operate in the shadows. And the Airship? That would be my final trump card. No one would expect a "mob" to have control over technology that would make the royal engineers cry with envy.

I opened the dormitory door carefully, but the slight creak was enough to immediately draw attention inside. The room was dimly lit, with only a small floating sphere of light hovering over the central table. The smell of sweat and cheap snacks that Raymond used to smuggle from the kitchen permeated the environment.

"You finally showed up, Shade! I thought the princes had kidnapped you for a dark rematch!"

Raymond was sitting on the edge of his bed, with a grin from ear to ear. Daniel was right beside him, polishing what looked like a worn training dagger. They looked radiant, as if they had just won a bet.

"I was just clearing my mind after everything that happened in the arena," I replied, walking to my bed and throwing my tunic over the back of the chair. "What’s got you two so excited at this hour?"

Daniel let out a muffled laugh, barely able to contain his excitement.

"You’re not going to believe it, man! While you were out there being a lone hero, we made some real progress. We found Lucia and Clara, those two girls from the Barony of Selas, in the late-night refectory. We talked for almost an hour, Shade! They didn’t laugh at us once. In fact, Lucia even asked if I could help her with magical theory exercises tomorrow."

"It’s true," Raymond interrupted, gesturing with his hands. "For the first time in months, I didn’t feel like a ghost in this place. I think your performance in the arena changed the way people look at our group. They’re starting to realize that ’mobs’ have value."

I observed the two of them in silence for a moment. They were happy about having managed a basic conversation with low-ranking girls. For them, that was the pinnacle of social life in the academy. Part of me felt a slight envy for their simplicity, but the bigger part only saw the abyss that now separated us.

While they celebrated a conversation in the refectory, I was coming from a garden where I had stopped time to claim one of the most influential and arrogant noblewomen in the kingdom. While they sought crumbs of attention, I was preparing a millennial Airship to shift the balance of power in the world. The contrast was almost comical.

"I’m happy for you," I said, forcing a half-smile as I sat down to untie my boots. "But don’t let it go to your heads. The attention we’re getting now is a double-edged sword. If you want to keep talking to girls like Lucia and Clara, you’ll need more than just courage to strike up a conversation."

Daniel stopped polishing the dagger and looked at me with curiosity.

"What do you mean by that?"

"The annual aptitude exam is coming," I continued, my voice taking on a more serious tone. "The academy won’t tolerate common students humiliating the elite for long. The princes and their followers will try to crush us in the physical and combat tests to restore the natural order of things. If you continue at this level of skill, you’ll be easy targets."

Raymond deflated a little, the smile disappearing.

"You’re right... I can barely maintain a mana shield for ten seconds."

I approached them, feeling the authority that the system and my recent victories had given me. I needed them to level up. If I was going to be the leader, my followers couldn’t just be dead weight.

"Starting tomorrow, you’re going to train with me. It won’t be the academy’s basic training. I’ll show you how to optimize mana flow and how to fight efficiently against stronger opponents. If you want to stay by my side, you need to stop being extras. The world is changing, and the weak will be the first to be discarded."

Daniel nodded vigorously, his eyes shining with new determination.

"We’ll do whatever it takes, Shade. We don’t want to fall behind."

"Good," I replied, standing up and heading to my bed. "Now turn off that light and try to sleep. Tomorrow will be a long day. I have to sort out the details of my engagement to Rebeca Fou Holfort and start the preparations."

The silence that followed was absolute. Daniel and Raymond froze, processing what I had just said with the same casualness as someone commenting on the weather.

"Engagement?" Raymond choked. "With the Ravenfall? The one who tried to humiliate you in front of everyone?"

Daniel said nothing. He just remained silent, trying to process what he had just heard.

I was already lying down, pulling the heavy curtains around my bed to create my private sanctuary.

"Tomorrow you’ll know what you need to know. For now, just know that the game has changed."

I closed the curtains and the outside world disappeared. In the total darkness of my cubicle, the bluish glow of the system illuminated my peripheral vision.

[System: Mental integrity stable]

[Current Balance: 16,100 VP]

The feeling of security those numbers brought warmed me. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, focusing on the consciousness that resided in the depths of my mind. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

(Aria, are you there?), I called mentally. (I need a full report. What did the system sensors pick up about the movements of Marie, my mother, and my brothers?)

I waited for the cold, mechanical voice of the millennial artificial intelligence. The room outside was silent, but inside my head, the war was only just beginning. I had the points, I had the pieces, and now I had the political support of a Ravenfall. Marie thought she was the villain of this story, but she was about to discover that in my world, "mobs" don’t just survive — they conquer.

Aria’s voice finally resonated, clear as crystal, bringing the information that could destroy or save. The board was set.

"It would be a pleasure, Master Shade. Processing data..."