CHAPTER 83: EXAM DAY 3

Environmental sciences tested Yu Xi’s grasp of Orion Drift’s ecosystems, the fragile balance of psi-rich flora and fauna. He moved through the questions as though the planets themselves whispered their secrets directly into his mind.

Each scenario unfolded with clarity—how the luminous vines of Virelia responded to aura surges, how the crystalline predators of the Drift adapted to psychic resonance. His answers flowed with precision, his understanding seamless.

Finally came the aura regulation trials. The pod shifted into simulation mode, its walls glowing as stress scenarios projected around him. Designed to destabilize even the strongest candidates, the simulations pressed against his psyche with relentless force.

Yu Xi’s aura flared, then steadied, his control absolute. Emotional resilience, suppression of erratic surges. He endured each test with calm precision, as if the storm inside him had already been mastered long ago.

Hours passed unnoticed. The first exam began in the pale light of morning, and the last concluded after midday. When the pod finally released him, Yu Xi stepped into the corridor, the hum of other pods still echoing behind him. His expression remained unreadable, but inside he knew he had aced it.

He walked past cadets and candidates, many complaining bitterly about the difficulty of the exams. Yu Xi found a quiet corner within the student leisure hall.

Sitting down, he let the silence settle around him, waiting for the simulator exams to begin. For the first time that day, he allowed himself a breath of ease.

He opened his packet of snacks and ate it in silence. Suddenly, a shadow fell across the table. Someone dropped heavily into the chair opposite him. Yu Xi looked up, his eyes narrowing slightly as he recognised the person. It was the rude young man from earlier, the one who had shoved past him without apologising.

There were dozens of empty seats scattered across the hall, yet he had chosen to sit directly across from him.

"Hey," the young man said, leaning forward with a smirk. "What’s your name?"

Yu Xi didn’t reply. He continued eating, his expression unreadable, as though the words had never reached him.

The young man sneered, irritation flashing in his eyes. He kicked the table sharply, the sound jolting nearby candidates. "Did you hear me?"

Yu Xi’s gaze flicked to him once, cold and dismissive, before he got up to leave.

Unused to being ignored, the young man snapped. His voice turned aggressive, sharp enough to cut through the chatter around them. "Where do you think you are going?"

The hall grew quieter, eyes turning toward the confrontation, tension thickening in the air. He reached out and grabbed Yu Xi’s arm.

Yu Xi’s reaction was instant. He hated being touched by unfamiliar hands, and his body moved without thinking. His movements were fluid, precise and instinctive. In a single motion, he twisted the young man’s arm behind his back and slammed his face against the table with a resounding thud.

The hall went silent. Startled gasps echoed as heads turned, the chatter dying into a tense hush.

The young man struggled, rage twisting his features. "Let me go! Do you know who my father is?"

Yu Xi’s voice was low, steady, dangerous. "I don’t give a damn who birthed you. Are you going to leave me alone?"

Foaming at the mouth, veins bulging at his neck, the young man tried to free himself. Yu Xi pressed him down harder, pinning him with effortless strength, his grip unyielding.

"I said are you going to leave me alone?" Yu Xi repeated, his tone sharp as steel.

The young man’s eyes darted around the hall, desperate. Dozens of cadets and candidates were staring, whispers rising like smoke, curling through the silence.

Some looked horrified, others impressed, but none dared intervene.

Yu Xi’s gaze remained cold, unwavering, as the weight of his presence pressed down harder than his grip.

Humiliation burned hotter than Vigil’s rage, searing through his chest like fire. His pride cracked under the weight of Yu Xi’s effortless dominance. "Yes," he spat through clenched teeth. "Let go."

Yu Xi released him without hesitation, picked up his snack packet, and walked away without a backward glance. His stride was calm, his aura steady, untouched by the storm he had left behind.

Vigil straightened his clothes, his face flushed crimson. He turned on the crowd, his voice trembling with fury. "What are you looking at?"

The hall erupted in murmurs. Candidates exchanged glances, some amused, others wary, but none dared speak aloud.

Yu Xi was already gone, his presence fading into the corridors of the Academy, leaving Vigil to stew in his humiliation.

His name was Vigil Kael-Ren, the son of Senator Kael-Ren. Who in Virelia didn’t know his name? His lineage was power, his father’s influence undeniable. And yet this brat, this nobody, had dared to attack him in front of witnesses.

"Fuck," Vigil swore under his breath, fists clenching. He wouldn’t let this humiliation go. His pride demanded retribution. That guy had to be dealt with, and Vigil intended to make sure it happened immediately.

Yu Xi had no idea who he had offended earlier, not that he cared. The thought barely lingered in his mind as he sat beneath the towering crystal arches, the afternoon light scattering across the marble floor in fractured brilliance.

His gaze drifted upward, but his thoughts wandered elsewhere, toward Jian Ci. Yu Xi wondered what he was doing now. Was he training, cooking up a feast, or perhaps playing one of his games with that mischievous grin on his face? A quiet ache pressed against Yu Xi’s chest.

He wished he had his communicator back, just for a moment, so he could tell Jian Ci how the exams had gone. But the device was locked away, and he wouldn’t see it again until later.

An hour passed in silence, the Academy’s hum surrounding him like a distant tide. Finally, Yu Xi rose, his stride steady as he made his way to the simulator wing.

The private locker room was cool and sterile, lined with rows of gear compartments.