Chapter 78 Fully human now.

Chapter 78: Chapter 78 Fully human now.

30 MINUTES AFTER THE INCIDENT!!

Mrs. Danielle couldn’t speak.

She stood frozen, paralyzed after witnessing the brutal death of one of her students right before her eyes. The horrifying scene had shaken her to the core.

How could he have done something like that?

What was she supposed to do now?

More importantly, how was she going to calm the fear spreading across every student’s face?

Who was she kidding?

It wasn’t just worry anymore.

It was absolute panic.

Screams echoed throughout the cafeteria as students rushed around in terror. The fearful looks directed at her told her everything she needed to know.

They had completely lost faith in her.

Trying to reassure them now would only be empty words.

Nothing she said would make things better.

"So this is the so-called Chosen One I heard about?" Mr. Warwold mocked with a scoff. "Look around you. Total chaos... a student is dead... darkness has swallowed this academy, yet this is supposed to be the one who will save it?"

Mrs. Danielle clenched both fists until her nails dug into her palms.

She had no answer.

After all, those were the exact words from Susan’s vision.

Susan, one of the academy staff members, possessed prophetic abilities, and every single one of her visions had eventually come true.

Ignoring them would be foolish.

But this...

This was becoming far more disastrous than anyone had imagined.

Especially when the Emperor himself was expected to arrive tomorrow.

"Who told you about the Chosen One?" Danielle demanded. "You weren’t even present during the meeting. You refused to attend."

Mr. Warwold looked at her with eyes filled with pity.

Then he burst into loud laughter.

"Is that seriously what you’re worried about, Dean?" he sneered. "Shouldn’t you be thinking about what you’ll tell His Majesty tomorrow? At this rate, I doubt you’ll even live long enough to greet him."

The words pierced her pride.

She understood his hatred.

The position she currently held was the one he had always wanted.

The Emperor had chosen her over him.

Ever since then, he had refused to acknowledge her authority.

To him, it was an insult that a woman had been placed above a man like himself.

Still...

Danielle could only endure it.

Mr. Warwold wasn’t someone she could simply discipline.

He was one of the oldest and most dangerous sorcerers ever recorded in history.

Provoking him could easily become a death sentence.

Danielle’s gaze shifted toward Mr. Oliver before moving to Mr. Harold.

Which one of them had informed Warwold about the prophecy?

The thought lingered for only a second before she pushed it aside.

That wasn’t important anymore.

Taking a deep breath, she stepped toward the terrified students.

"Everyone... please calm down..."

No one listened.

Students continued rushing toward the cafeteria exits, desperate to escape.

Meanwhile, Sylvia remained on the floor.

She trembled violently, tears streaming down her face.

Her body was soaked in blood.

Several bones were obviously fractured, yet not a single person stopped to help.

It was as though she had already ceased to exist.

Everyone was only thinking about saving themselves.

Watching Danielle fail to control the crowd, Mr. Warwold smiled with satisfaction before walking closer.

"You see?" he mocked. "You’re useless, Mrs. Danielle. Imagine letting a powerless woman govern such a prestigious academy. I still wonder what the Emperor saw in you."

His poisonous words rooted her to the spot.

Several students heard him as they shoved past Danielle while fleeing.

Mr. Oliver had finally heard enough.

"Mr. Warwold," Oliver said calmly, "we both know you’re already old, so why don’t you stop trying to control everything and stick to medicine? Stay healthy. At your age, one wrong movement and you might crumble into dust."

The insult landed perfectly.

Mr. Warwold slowly turned toward him.

His expression darkened.

He felt even more humiliated because the one insulting him wasn’t another elder...

It was one of the academy’s newest teachers.

"How dare you!" he roared. "Do you know I can turn you into a cat... or even an ant... then crush you beneath my foot? Maybe then you’ll understand true stamina!"

Oliver merely rolled his eyes before walking past him toward Danielle.

"Stop arguing with him."

He faced Danielle directly.

"This is your academy."

"Your authority."

"So pull yourself together and fix this."

"No matter what he says, you’re still the only one capable of bringing this place back under control."

Around them, arguments continued breaking out among the students.

Anger was replacing fear.

Mr. Harold stepped forward.

"Look around you," he said loudly. "Do you honestly think Ashton is the problem?"

Silence slowly spread.

"He isn’t."

"The real problem is that we haven’t taught these students everything they need to survive."

"Our duty is to prepare them... to help them master their magic."

"But because disaster after disaster keeps striking this academy, we’ve failed."

"We all heard what Ashton said about Maria."

"What if... he was actually trying to protect everyone?"

Several students lowered their heads.

Mr. Warwold clicked his tongue.

"She can’t solve anything."

"We all know that’s the truth."

"Things have only gotten worse under her leadership."

Oliver finally lost his patience.

"Oh, would you shut the hell up?"

His pheromones exploded through the room.

The pressure alone forced Mr. Warwold’s mouth shut.

For the first time since the argument began...

Silence.

Oliver gently guided Danielle forward.

"Go."

"I know you can do this."

Those simple words lifted some of the weight crushing her heart.

A small grateful smile appeared on Danielle’s face.

She stepped forward.

Then stomped her foot against the floor.

BOOM!!

"We’ve had enough!"

Her voice thundered across the cafeteria.

"I know you’re frightened."

"I know today has been terrifying."

"But all of you will remain silent and listen to me."

Immediately...

The entire hall fell quiet.

Not a single voice remained.

Nearby, Lamia was drinking bottle after bottle of water while struggling to recover.

His breathing remained uneven.

"Take it easy, Lamia," Rose said softly while patting his back.

She handed him another bottle.

He emptied it almost instantly.

"You pushed yourself too far."

"As a witch, you should know better."

"Nature always demands something in return."

"The more you take..."

"The harsher it collects its payment."

"We’re still mortals."

"So don’t throw your life away."

Lamia slowly nodded.

His body still felt unbelievably heavy.

"How do you think Ashton is doing?" he suddenly asked.

"Shouldn’t we go check on him?"

He attempted to stand.

Rose immediately forced him back into his chair.

"Sit."

"What you did nearly killed you."

"Recover first before you think about anyone else."

Lamia sighed.

As he looked up...

His eyes met Oliver’s.

The older man’s face was filled with worry.

Rose noticed the exchange immediately.

Her eyes narrowed.

"Why is he looking at you like that?"

"Are you two close?"

Lamia quickly looked away.

"No."

"I barely know him."

"He’s just worried about a student."

It was a lie.

A necessary one.

Rose could never find out about his connection with Oliver.

Not yet.

What they planned to do was far too dangerous.

Dragging her into it would only get her killed.

Meanwhile, Danielle looked across the silent cafeteria.

"I’m sorry..."

"We lost one of our students today."

Her eyes drifted toward the place where the corpse had fallen.

The body had already been removed.

Only the pool of blood remained.

"We all could have died."

"But one of our own saved every single one of us."

She raised her hand.

"That student..."

"...is Lamia."

Every eye in the cafeteria immediately turned toward him.

Murmurs spread throughout the crowd.

Some students even began clapping softly.

They knew it was because of Lamia’s sacrifice that they were still breathing.

"So what I’m trying to say..."

"...is that we must study harder."

"We must take battle magic seriously."

"Look at what Lamia accomplished."

"I’m certain most of you couldn’t have done what he did."

Before she could continue...

A weak yet furious voice interrupted.

"Excuse me, Dean."

Everyone turned.

Sylvia slowly pushed herself up despite the blood covering her body.

"Are you blind?"

"Can’t you see what happened to me?"

"Isn’t all of this Ashton’s fault?"

"So why aren’t you expelling him?"

She pointed toward Danielle.

"And don’t lecture us about battle magic."

"If this academy wasn’t constantly under attack..."

"If this place actually protected us like it’s supposed to..."

"...then maybe we would’ve learned enough to defend ourselves."

"We aren’t the problem."

"You are."

"Your incompetence is."

The cafeteria exploded.

"Resign!"

"Resign!"

"Resign!"

"We don’t need you anymore!"

Their voices echoed like thunder.

Danielle’s expression gradually fell apart.

She was losing them again.

Then...

Another voice spoke.

A single sentence.

Cold.

Emotionless.

Yet powerful enough to freeze the entire cafeteria.

"Didn’t we all lose our memories and powers inside that lodge?"

"And weren’t several students killed by those monsters?"

"So why wasn’t that handled?"

Instantly...

Silence.

An icy chill swept through the hall.

Everyone slowly turned toward the owner of the voice.

The moment they saw him...

Their breathing nearly stopped.

Lamia’s face darkened.

He finally had a clear look at him.

No disguise.

No concealment.

His face was completely exposed now.

Which meant only one thing.

He had fully become mortal.

"Shit..." Lamia muttered.

Rose immediately looked toward him.

"What is it?"

Lamia swallowed hard.

"Rose..."

"That’s him."

"The person who tried to take Ashton away by force."

"I think..."

"...he’s completely human now."

"And..."

"...he’s the one using Philip’s face."

Rose’s eyes widened.

Her jaw nearly dropped.

Another Alpha...

Another terrifying Alpha...

Had entered the picture.

And the battle surrounding Noah had just become even more dangerous.