The morning sun had already climbed high above Pyrelith Academy, casting long shadows across the courtyard where the first trials had taken place.
The hum of excitement from the noble-born students still lingered in the air. Some boasted about their successful flame conjuring, while others sneered at the commoners who had faltered.
Alex sat on the edge of the stone fountain at the courtyard's center, his small hands clenched tightly in his lap. He had not spoken since his humiliation.
The mocking laughter still echoed in his mind, louder than the crackling of the academy's torches.
He stared at his reflection in the water. His dark hair hung loosely over his forehead, barely covering the tips of his ears. No matter how hard he tried to hide them, he knew the nobles saw. To them, he wasn't just weak he was a half-blood, a stain.
I'll get stronger… I have to, he told himself. The System's faint message still lingered in his memory. Embers of Determination. That was his anchor. That was his reminder that even humiliation could be fuel.
"Oi!"
The shout snapped him out of his thoughts.
When Alex lifted his head, he saw three noble boys standing over him. The tallest of them wore a crimson tunic stitched with golden thread, his boots polished to a mirror shine. His hair was the pale silver of the elf race, his eyes sharp and cruel.
This was Serion Veythar the very same boy whose flames had dazzled the instructors earlier. His family was one of the academy's oldest noble houses, known for their mastery of fire magic. And from the smirk on his lips, Alex knew this encounter would not end well.
"Well, well," Serion drawled, folding his arms as he looked down at Alex. "If it isn't the half-blood candle. Tell me, did your little spark hide in fear? Or perhaps it never existed at all?"
The other two boys snickered. One was tall and broad, clearly human, with a sneer that stretched too wide. The other was smaller, but his eyes glittered with malice. They were lackeys, shadows clinging to Serion's flame.
Alex swallowed hard, his heart pounding. He wanted to retort, to defend himself. But the words caught in his throat. He lowered his gaze, refusing to give Serion the satisfaction of seeing his fear.
"Oh? Silent now?" Serion stepped closer, his polished boots clicking against the stone. "Pathetic. Do you even know why you were allowed in this academy? Surely not for talent. No, they probably let you in as charity. A pitiful orphan with no future. I suppose even trash needs a place to rot."
The boys laughed again. The sound was sharp, cruel, and far too loud.
Alex gritted his teeth. His small hands dug into the fabric of his tunic. Endure, he reminded himself. Captain Kaelen's words echoed in his mind. Endure, but do not break.
But endurance had limits.
Serion leaned down suddenly, his face inches from Alex's. His silver hair glimmered in the sunlight, his eyes like shards of ice. "Tell me, half-blood.
When your village burned, did you try to summon a flame? Did you stand there, waving your little hands, waiting for sparks that never came?"
The memory hit Alex like a blade. Elderleaf. His mother's final scream. Keal's desperate push. Lyanna's small hand slipping from his grasp. The crackle of fire devouring everything.
Something snapped.
Alex's fists clenched, and for a moment, he felt a heat rise in his chest. It wasn't fire not yet but it was something close, something raw.
"Don't," Alex whispered. His voice trembled, but the words carried weight.
Serion blinked, then smirked wider. "Don't? Oh, how frightening! The little half-blood dares to growl?" He straightened, glancing at his lackeys. "Did you hear that? Perhaps he thinks himself a wolf."
The lackeys laughed again, and one shoved Alex hard in the shoulder. He stumbled backward, nearly toppling into the fountain. The cold water splashed against his boots.
"Stand up," Serion ordered, his tone mocking. "Show me your pride. Or is it true what they say? That half-bloods are too weak to fight, too cowardly to resist?"
Alex's breaths came quicker. His chest rose and fell like a bellows. He could feel the eyes of other students on him. Some watched in silence, others whispered, none daring to intervene.
His humiliation burned hotter than the noon sun.
But then, faintly, the System chimed in his mind.
[New Sub-Quest: Stand Against Mockery.]
Objective: Resist Serion's humiliation without backing down.
Reward: +20 Willpower, +10 Strength.
Penalty: -10 Willpower if you yield.
Alex's heart pounded. This was his chance. The System wasn't asking him to win, only to stand.
Slowly, he straightened. His legs trembled, but he lifted his chin, meeting Serion's cold gaze.
"I may be weak now," Alex said, his voice steadier than before. "But I won't always be. You can laugh all you want. You can mock me. But one day… I'll surpass you."
The courtyard went silent.
For a heartbeat, even Serion looked stunned. Then he burst out laughing. The sound was sharp, cruel, echoing off the academy walls.
"You? Surpass me?" Serion sneered, his voice dripping with contempt. "A half-blood orphan dares to speak of surpassing me? Do you even hear yourself?"
His hand flared with fire. A ball of flame danced in his palm, its heat prickling against Alex's skin. The noble boy leaned closer, letting the flame hover dangerously near Alex's face. "Be careful, half-blood. Words can burn."
Alex's breath caught. His instincts screamed at him to retreat, to cower. But the System's quest glowed faintly in his mind, urging him forward. He stood his ground, his feet rooted to the stone.
"Do it, then," Alex whispered. "Burn me."
The words shocked even himself. They slipped from his lips before he could think, carried by something deeper than fear defiance.
Serion's eyes narrowed. For a moment, the flame flickered dangerously, as though he truly meant to sear Alex's skin. But then, with a flick of his wrist, he let the fire vanish.
"Not worth the effort," Serion muttered. He straightened, turning away with a dismissive wave. "Remember this, half-blood. You'll never rise beyond the ashes. You were born weak, and weak is all you'll ever be."
With that, he and his lackeys walked off, laughter trailing behind them like smoke.
Alex stood trembling, his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white. His chest heaved, but his eyes burned not with tears this time, but with something fiercer.
The System chimed.
[Sub-Quest Complete: Stand Against Mockery.]
Reward Granted: +20 Willpower, +10 Strength.
Hidden Bonus: Flame Affinity Progression +1%.
Alex exhaled shakily. The pain of humiliation was still raw, but something else had taken root within him. Strength. Willpower. Even if only by a fraction, he was growing.
He sat back down on the fountain's edge, his heart still racing. He could feel the stares of other students, some mocking, some curious, but he ignored them.
For the first time, he understood what the System meant by tests. It wasn't just about flames or swords. It was about spirit. About enduring. About refusing to yield even when crushed underfoot.
And as the sun blazed overhead, Alex made a silent vow.
They can mock me. They can laugh. But I will not stay weak. I'll climb, step by step, until the day I burn brighter than them all.