The grand halls of Dawnspire Academy echoed with the quiet sounds of footsteps. Sunlight filtered through the towering stained glass windows, casting fragmented rainbows onto the polished marble floors. Asari's pale white hair, tied loosely at the back, swayed gently with each step, his expression unreadable as he walked through the corridor. The academy, vast and imposing, was not a place for someone like him. He didn't care for grandeur or fame. He had no intention of trying to fit in.
He was just passing through.
His thoughts were interrupted as he rounded a corner. A loud, mocking laugh echoed through the hallway. At first, he ignored it, but then his eyes caught sight of the group. Several large boys, perhaps 18 or 19 years old, were gathered around a girl in a wheelchair. She was a pale figure, her hands trembling as she attempted to control her wheelchair, but the boys' actions made it nearly impossible.
"Hahaha... How did someone like you even get into this academy?" one of the boys sneered. The others joined in with cruel laughter, as they continued to tamper with her wheelchair, pushing it back and forth.
The girl's face flushed with a mix of embarrassment and frustration. Asari's eyes narrowed slightly, but he didn't make a move. His gaze, cold and detached, simply lingered on the scene for a moment. He could have walked away. He could have ignored them as they no doubt expected, like everyone else probably would. But something about the situation didn't sit right with him.
"Ah... Childish," he muttered under his breath, the words barely audible.
But the hallway's acoustics ensured that the group of boys heard every word. One of them, a large figure with dark hair and a broad chest, whipped around to face him, his eyes flaring with anger. "You! What did you just say?" The boy barked, his voice filled with irritation.
Asari didn't flinch. He simply continued walking, his footsteps steady, as if the world around him held no power over him. His white hair swayed like a ghost, and his calm demeanor was almost unsettling. The boy's fury grew as he watched the new student ignore him completely.
"Hey!" the man snapped again, his tone harsh. "You think you can just walk away after talking like that?"
The other boys around him grinned, egging him on. Asari's gaze never shifted. His steps were calm and unhurried, his mind elsewhere.
He didn't even turn to acknowledge the boy.
"Is there a problem?" Asari asked, his voice quiet yet clear, carrying an air of indifference.
Caelus, the leader of the group, stepped forward. The weight of his size and anger seemed to fill the hallway, but Asari's cold gaze held steady. "You really don't know who I am, do you?" Caelus growled, his fists clenching at his sides. "I'm Caelus Rethar, heir to House Rethar. You better start showing some respect."
Asari's lips barely moved, his expression still unreadable. " I don't care who you are." His words were simple, direct, and without a hint of fear.
For a split second, Caelus froze, thrown off by the boy's calmness. Most people would have crumbled under his pressure by now. But this one? He was different.
A vein bulged on Caelus's forehead as he took another step forward. His anger was palpable, his voice rising in fury. "You think you can talk to me like that? Huh? Who do you think you are?"
Asari finally stopped walking and turned to face Caelus. His eyes, a piercing silver, locked onto the boy's with an intensity that made Caelus flinch.
"Is there a problem?" Asari repeated, his voice still calm, but now there was a trace of irritation in his tone. "I'm not here to make friends or enemies. I'm just passing through."
For a moment, the hallway seemed to hold its breath. Caelus stared at the boy, his rage clouding his thoughts. How could someone so young, someone who clearly didn't understand the rules of the academy, speak so confidently to him?
"You don't know who I am, do you?" Caelus demanded again, his voice thick with disbelief."I can ruin your life, you know."
Asari's lips curled into a faint, disinterested smile. "I'm sure you can. But that doesn't change anything."
The words hit Caelus like a slap. He was used to power, to respect. But this boy... he didn't even flinch. It was as if Caelus's anger meant nothing to him. Asari wasn't scared, and that unnerved him.
"Asari," the boy said, his tone casual but with a finality that suggested the conversation was over. "Asari le Dante."
"Le Dante...?" Caelus repeated, his brow furrowing in confusion. He had never heard of that name. It wasn't a name that struck fear or respect, but the way the boy carried it... Caelus couldn't shake the feeling that it meant something more.
Before Caelus could respond, Asari turned on his heel and continued walking, his pace never faltering. The group of boys stood frozen in place, their mouths agape, unsure of how to react.
"You think you can just walk away after that?" Caelus shouted, but his voice was weak, distant. The boy was already too far ahead, uninterested in their childish games.
Asari didn't care. He wasn't here to be part of their petty conflicts or their power plays. He had his own reasons for being at the academy, and they didn't involve anyone else's drama.
As he walked away, his eyes briefly flicked toward the girl in the wheelchair. She was still there, her hands shaking slightly, but her gaze was now fixed on him. She didn't say a word, but something in her eyes said enough. Gratitude. Silence.
Without a word, Asari nodded to her, his expression softening ever so slightly. And just like that, he disappeared down the hall, leaving the group of boys and their victim behind.