The afternoon sun punished the southern training field with an intensity that seemed determined to drain the last drop of willpower from my two only "disciples." Daniel was leaning on his knees, his breathing so loud it drowned out the sound of birds in the nearby trees, while Raymond was sitting on the packed earth, his academy tunic stained with dirt and sweat, looking like a defeated soldier in a war that had barely begun.

Three hours had already passed since we started that exhausting session. Three hours of repetitive movements, rude corrections, and a pace that no teacher in that institution would bother imposing on low-ranking students like us. To them, we were just extras destined to fill the background of classrooms; to me, they were investments that needed to bear fruit quickly.

I looked toward the horizon, where the academy’s towers cut into the blue sky. It had been exactly two hours since Aria had projected that scene from the Fou Holfort mansion into my mind. Rebeca had made her move. She hadn’t just confronted her parents; she had also ensured that the weight of her name was now, in some way, tied to mine. I could still feel the lingering image in my mind — the calculating coldness of her mother and Rebeca’s possessive impulsiveness.

"Shade... please..." Daniel gasped, trying to lift his head. "My legs... I can’t feel them anymore. We’ve already done that defense sequence fifty times. I can’t take it anymore."

"Fifty-two," I corrected, without moving a muscle. "And the fact that you can’t feel your legs is just your body trying to convince you to be mediocre. Ten minutes of break. It’s the last one before we finish."

Raymond let out a groan that mixed relief and agony, lying completely on his back on the ground. I stepped away a little, walking to the edge of the field where a stone water fountain offered lukewarm water that, at that moment, was the greatest luxury they could desire. While I drank, my eyes wandered to the paths leading back to the center of the academy.

That was when I noticed something different.

Normally, the southern field was ignored by everyone. But now, small groups of students — mostly mid-ranking nobles — were standing at the edges of the path, pretending to talk while frequently casting glances in my direction. The whispers were low, but their body language was obvious: shock, disbelief, and a venomous curiosity. They pointed, covered their mouths with their hands, and went back to whispering with feverish urgency.

(Aria, what’s happening?) I asked mentally, feeling the familiar vibration of the artificial intelligence connecting to my stream of consciousness. (How long have those idiots been there?)

(Master Shade, the rumors have started circulating aggressively in the last thirty minutes,) Aria’s voice resonated, as clear as if she were beside me. (Rebeca did not wait for the discretion her mother suggested. My monitoring protocols indicate that she activated her personal network of servants and informants inside the academy to leak the news of the engagement. She was quite specific in ensuring that the name "Shade of the Bartfort Barony" was mentioned as the only man capable of awakening her interest.)

I let out a short sigh, feeling the weight of that information. Rebeca was more impatient than I had predicted.

(So she already spread everything, huh?) I reflected, watching one of the students hurry away, probably to tell the news to another group. (In a way, the more this spreads, the faster doors will open for me. But I expected to have at least one more day of anonymity before becoming the main target of envy from the entire noble wing. She marked her territory with fire.)

(An efficient tactic of possession, Master,) Aria commented pragmatically. (By making the engagement a public and almost official rumor, she removes any room for maneuver from the princes to try to "rescue" her from a considered inferior match. She has put them in a diplomatic dead end.)

"Shade?" Raymond called, sitting up with difficulty. "Why is everyone looking over here? Is there something on my face? Or have they finally realized you’re a training maniac?"

"Ignore them," I replied, returning to the center of the field. "What they think doesn’t matter now. What matters is that training is over for today. You two are a mess, but at least you’re a more resistant mess than you were yesterday."

I helped Daniel stand up while Raymond cleaned himself as best he could. The tension in the air was palpable as we walked back toward the main area of the academy. As we advanced, silence spread through the groups of students we passed. It was as if I carried a different aura; the invisible "mob" was now the center of a political whirlwind that none of them could process.

When we approached the main entrance, where visitor carriages usually parked under the watch of the honor guards, I saw a structure I would recognize anywhere. A black and gold carriage bearing the Bartfort Barony crest was parked there. It looked out of place — too luxurious for a family drowning in debt, visual proof of the futility of those who prefer to keep up appearances rather than have food on the table.

My stomach twisted with pure disdain.

The carriage door opened and Baroness Bartfort, my mother, stepped down with the help of a footman. She was wearing a heavy silk travel outfit with lace that must have cost months of taxes from our estate. Beside her, keeping her head lowered in perfect submission, was Lila. The sight of Lila triggered an echo of memories in my mind — the smell of the servants’ quarters, the heat of her skin, and the way she always seemed to know what I wanted before I even spoke.

"Shade! My dear son!" the Baroness exclaimed as soon as she saw me, her voice laden with a performative sweetness aimed at reaching the ears of any noble nearby. She walked toward me with open arms, the excessive jasmine fragrance hitting me before she even got close.

I didn’t return the hug. I simply stopped, feeling the sweat from training cool on my skin.

"What are you doing here, Mother? The academy is not a place for social visits without notice," I said coldly.

She stopped, her smile faltering for a microsecond before she recomposed herself. She cast a quick glance at Daniel and Raymond, who bowed awkwardly and stepped away to give us privacy. Lila remained two steps away, her eyes fixed on the ground, but I noticed the slight tremor in her hands.

"What’s the problem with a mother visiting her own son? I missed you so much, and the news of your victory in the arena reached the barony," she said, lowering her voice to a more intimate and dangerous tone. "Although I expected you to use this sudden fame for something more productive than... well, training in the mud."

"Spare me the theater," I replied, crossing my arms. "You came here because you’re out of money or because you found someone else to try to sell me to. But I regret to inform you that you wasted your time."

She arched an eyebrow, her eyes shining with the greed that was her true essence. "Wasted my time? What are you talking about, Shade?"

I took a deep breath, feeling the anticipated pleasure of destroying her plans. "I’ve already made my own arrangements. I’m engaged, Mother. An official and irrevocable commitment to the heiress of the Fou Holfort house. Rebeca and I have already settled the terms."

The silence that followed was absolute. The "loving mother" mask of the Baroness didn’t just falter; it completely melted away. Her eyes widened, her mouth opened in a small ’o’ of pure shock, and for a moment she seemed to have forgotten how to breathe. In the background, I saw Lila slightly raise her gaze, a mix of surprise and something that looked like pain crossing her face.

"Fou... Holfort?" the Baroness whispered, her voice rising an octave. "The family of bankers and royal advisors? Rebeca Fou Holfort? Are you telling me that... a Bartfort managed to hook the biggest fortune in the academy?"

"Don’t treat me like I’m a fishing prize," I shot back. "It’s a mutually beneficial agreement."

Suddenly, her expression changed again. Surprise was replaced by hysterical and greedy joy. She started laughing softly, nervously clapping her hands. "My God... this changes everything! The debts, the castle, the influence at court... if we have the Holfort name tied to ours, no one will be able to demand anything from us anymore! Shade, you’re a genius! I always knew you had a hidden talent for politics!"

It was disgusting. She was already wanting to spend money that wasn’t even hers. She approached, trying to touch my arm, but I stepped back. My gaze shifted to Lila, who remained in absolute silence. She was the reminder of a life I was leaving behind, but one that the System seemed unwilling to let me forget.

It was exactly at that moment that the air around me seemed to vibrate with a disturbing frequency.

A system window appeared before my eyes, but it wasn’t the soft blue tone. It was a visceral, pulsing red, like an open wound in reality.

[SYSTEM ALERT: DAILY MISSION GENERATED]

I felt my muscles stiffen.

[OBJECTIVE: CONSUMMATE RELATIONSHIP WITH TARGET LILA]

[CONDITION: RECONQUEST OF BOND AND SUBMISSION]

[REWARD: 1,000 VP (VITAL POINTS) + PASSIVE ABILITY UNLOCKED]

I was about to question the System mentally when the second notification appeared, making my blood run cold.

[PUNISHMENT FOR ACTIVATING HIGH-RISK MISSION: ALL ACTIVE USER ABILITIES ARE TEMPORARILY BLOCKED]

[STATUS: TIME STOP – BLOCKED]

[STATUS: TIME STOP NIGHTMARE ECHO – BLOCKED]

[STATUS: BEAST GAZE – BLOCKED]

[STATUS: BEAST SCENT – BLOCKED]

[STATUS: MANA MANIPULATION / POINT DISTRIBUTION – BLOCKED]

A chill ran down my spine. I looked at the list of abilities in my mental menu and all the icons were dead gray, wrapped in red chains. I was no longer the "cheater" who could stop time to solve his problems. I was just Shade — a tired, sweaty noble, surrounded by gossiping students, watched by a greedy mother, and with a mission that required discretion I could no longer magically guarantee.

(Aria? What does this mean?) I called, but her response was muffled by static noise. The System had isolated my connection to her to ensure I completed the mission "the hard way."

I was alone. Without powers. With a sex mission that needed to be fulfilled now, at the risk of losing the only thing that kept me on top: my abilities.

I looked at Lila. She was still there, waiting for orders, a chess piece that the System had just turned into a minefield board. My mother continued babbling about the luxury the Holfort name would bring, oblivious to the fact that her son was one step away from a system collapse or a total high-risk move.

"Lila," I called, my voice sounding hoarser than I intended.

She raised her eyes, and at that moment, without my detection abilities, I had to trust my most basic instinct. There was fire there, hidden beneath the servant’s mask.

The game had changed. I no longer had control over time, but I still had control over the narrative. And I needed to get Lila out of there now, before the Baroness decided that I should accompany her to the carriage to discuss "finances."