Chapter 113: Singled Out

"Long time no see, daughter," Ezabel greeted the moment Starlight stepped into the training hall.

A knowing smirk curved her lips as her sharp eyes settled on Starlight. The sight only made Starlight frown at her so-called academy mother.

Ezabel was dressed in a fitted black combat suit reinforced with silver protective plating at the shoulders and forearms, a high collar framing her sharp features. A dark academy combat jacket hung open over her uniform, and heavy training boots completed the intimidating look.

Every inch of her appearance screamed experienced fighter rather than teacher.

What was she even doing here dressed like that? Starlight found herself wondering as her eyes swept over Ezabel’s attire. And who the hell was she calling daughter? Starlight didn’t even understand why human students were assigned academy parents when they practically did nothing to guide or look after them. Take Ezabel, for instance. They had barely spoken since their first meeting during the academy entrance.

She still didn’t understand the purpose of academic parents. Or was her own just particularly terrible at the job, whatever that job was supposed to be?

So the combat coach is your academic mother?" Elle whispered, leaning in so close that her breath tickled Starlight’s ear. "Why do you always get the coolest things? Mine wasn’t half this beautiful or cool."

?"You can have her if you want, she’s practically useless to me," Starlight said under her breath.

Honestly she couldn’t believe the academy gave her the combat coach as an academic parent. Aren’t academy parents supposed to be from the upperclassmen, not staff? How would she even have time to help when she was busy running around to manage classes? And what was with her sudden change in demeanor? The last time they had spoken was when Starlight first arrived at the academy, and Ezabel had been anything but friendly. She had been completely uptight, coldly dishing out stern warnings and setting strict boundaries.

This sudden friendliness was unsettling.

Ezabel’s smirk widened as though she could practically read the numerous emotions flashing across Starlight’s face, completely unfazed by her obvious disliked glare.

"You’ve been causing quite the stir across the entire academy, haven’t you?" she said, her tone dripping with amusement as she folded her arms behind her back. "I guess you didn’t take my advice to keep your head down. Anyways, welcome to combat training. I have to admit, I was genuinely disappointed when you fainted yesterday before you could even step inside."

A ripple of quiet snickers broke out among the nearby students.

Starlight clenched her fists at her sides.

She had come to her conclusion far too quickly. Ezabel wasn’t being friendly at all. She was still the same aggravating woman from before, only now she was disguising her barbs behind smiles and amusement. And what had happened to her yesterday could barely even be called fainting.

To think the one person assigned to her as an academic mother would use that incident to publicly embarrass her in front of an entire class.

Yeah, she was useless.

Actually, useless was probably being generous.

"I was actually looking forward to training you myself," Ezabel continued, tilting her head. "I guess we still have plenty of time to fix that."

The way she said it sounded less like a teacher welcoming a student and more like a predator spotting fresh prey. Starlight simply stared back with an unbothered, flat expression, refusing to give her the reaction she was clearly fishing for.

Seriously, no amount of Apex earnings would be enough to make the shit she had to endure in this godforsaken academy worth it. She genuinely didn’t think she could have enough patience to deal with these werewolves much longer.

Whether they were teachers, students, or royalty, every single one of them seemed to take great pleasure in poking at her just to see her lose her shit. "Glad to know I was able to leave such a lasting impression," Starlight muttered dryly.

Still wearing that infuriating smirk, Ezabel gestured toward the training floor where the rest of the students had already gathered.

?"Enough standing around. Go ahead and join the others." Starlight rolled her eyes and walked past her without another word.

"Wow, I take back what I said," Elle muttered beside her, shuddering slightly as they moved away. "She is so not cool. She’s terrifying!"

The dramatic disappointment in her voice was enough to make Starlight’s lips twitch despite herself.

*****

The combat class began with the students lining up across the training hall while Ezabel stood before them, her arms folded behind her back as she explained what they would be doing. "The first part of the lesson will focus on basic conditioning," she announced, her commanding voice carrying across the entire room. "Everyone is expected to complete several laps around the training hall before moving on to stretches, balance exercises, and strength drills. Course material we would have covered yesterday if someone hadn’t disrupted the session." Her eyes briefly settled on Starlight, sharp and deliberate.

Several students glanced in Starlight’s direction but Starlight merely stared straight ahead, her face completely unbothered as if the jab had nothing to do with her. She really didn’t know why Ezabel was (finish) but she wasn’t about to give her the satisfaction of knowing her words had gotten under her skin.

?"Because of yesterday’s delay, we will also be squeezing in footwork and defensive movements," Ezabel continued smoothly. "That will be followed by partner exercises where you will practice blocking, dodging, and countering controlled strikes."

?A collective groan echoed from the students at the mention of the doubled workload.

Ezabel clapped her hands sharply, silencing the complaints. "Less complaining, and Save your energy for the training. Ten laps around the hall, then stretches. Anyone who falls behind will run an additional five."

The groans immediately turned into reluctant murmurs as the students spread out across the training floor. At Ezabel’s signal, they took off, the training hall quickly filling with the rhythmic thud of boots against the padded floor, the steady sound of breathing, and the occasional complaint from students already struggling to keep pace. Fortunately for Starlight, neither Otto nor the Crown Twins were present in the training hall for this session, giving her a rare moment to focus on the task at hand without their suffocating presence. She simply followed the instructions, completing every exercise without complaint and keeping her attention on the training. She wasn’t particularly interested in impressing anyone, but she certainly wasn’t going to give her so-called academy mother the satisfaction of seeing her struggle.

Soon enough, it quickly became obvious to everyone in the room that Ezabel was deliberately singling Starlight out. The instructor systematically increased the difficulty of every exercise assigned to her, giving her heavier gear, adding extra repetitions, shortening her recovery intervals, and increasing the intensity of each drill. Whenever the rest of the class was given a moment to catch their breath, Starlight was sent straight into another exercise. Yet instead of struggling under the pressure, she completed every task with flawless execution and surprising ease. She handled the escalating strain effortlessly, moving with terrifying fluidity, perfect balance, and not the slightest sign of fatigue.

She moved like a seasoned professional who had spent years conditioning her body under extreme conditions for years.

Ezabel, however, seemed determined to see how far she could push her. While the rest of the students slumped onto the benches to drink water and catch their breath, she pointed toward the weighted sprint track. "Ten more laps, Miss Dawson. Your posture on that last set of balance drills lacked proper tension. Repeat it from the beginning."

?Several students blinked in total disbelief. Starlight had already completed the entire circuit three times in perfect form, far outpacing everyone else, and a few were even starting to look at her with genuine sympathy.

Wasn’t this getting a little ridiculous?

"If your foundation isn’t perfect, you will crumble in a real fight, and that isn’t acceptable," Ezabel added dryly. "You’ll repeat the exercise until you get it right. Now stop stalling and begin."

Elle exchanged a furious glance with Ariel, who was sitting beside Chloe on one of the training mats. If anyone in the room needed a break, it should have been Starlight. She had been doing everything right and was the only one in the entire room who had completed every routine with no mistakes while maintaining perfect form. Not only that, she had done them faster than most of the class while carrying extra weight.

So why did it feel like she was being punished?

It was completely unfair.

?Even Chloe looked confused, frowning as she watched the exchange.

Meanwhile, Starlight merely nodded, her face utterly expressionless, and turned toward the weighted sprint track once again. Without a single complaint, she started running.

By the time she finished the ten extra laps, the other students were fully rested and watching her in stunned silence as she crossed the finish line and came to a stop.

A thin sheen of sweat covered her skin, and her breathing had finally become noticeably heavier, but she remained standing tall, refusing to show any real sign of exhaustion.

For a moment, even Ezabel seemed at a loss for something to criticize. Then, much to everyone’s surprise, she gave a small nod. "Not bad, Miss Dawson. You actually managed to keep up."

That was the first praise she had given Starlight since combat class started, even though it somehow sounded more like an insult than a compliment. Starlight didn’t bother responding. She simply walked over to an empty bench and sat down, resting her forearms on her knees while drawing in slow, controlled breaths.

But Ezabel didn’t give her much time to recover like the rest of the class.

She clapped her hands together, the loud, sharp crack ringing through the quiet hall.

"Alright, break time is over! Everyone line up!" Ezabel barked, her voice carrying effortlessly across the room. "We have no time to waste, and we need to finish today’s combat drills before the next class bell rings! Move it!"