Leo’s face was unreadable, the kind of expressionless mask that could confuse anyone. A single thought echoed in his mind 'Man... why does the castle feel so far away tonight?'

  Eventually, he reached the castle, stumbled into his bedroom, and collapsed onto his bed the moment he was within reach. He lay there, motionless and silent, paralyzed by sheer exhaustion. He stared at the ceiling for a moment before his eyelids finally grew too heavy to hold open.

  The next day, he walked through the plaza halls, passing several classrooms before reaching his own. He pushed open the door and stepped inside. The four students were already there, back in their uniforms. As soon as Leo saw them, he offered a small smile and closed his eyes. 'Alright, let’s begin.'

  The day passed, then the next, and the next. Days blurred into a repetitive cycle. Every time Leo entered or left the room, the students faces remained expressionless.

  It felt as if they were being forced to relearn things they had mastered years ago. The only things that changed were the dates on the calendar; everything else remained static. Leo kept coming, but he never saw their reactions shift from boredom to joy. He didn't even realize how much time had slipped away.

  One evening at dusk, as the students were heading home, Leo walked out of the classroom. 'They still haven't changed their expressions, he thought. Maybe I should just stop worrying about it—'

  He stopped short. Gabriel was standing at the end of the hall, staring out of a large window. The corridor was empty; the other students and teachers had already departed. Leo walked over and stood beside him.

  Without turning, Gabriel asked, "So, how is your class going? Have you actually managed to teach them anything?"

  "Yeah, I have," Leo replied.

  A smirk appeared on Gabriel’s face as he turned around. "Oh? And what exactly did you teach them?"

  "I’ve completed six chapters so far," Leo said confidently. "I taught them mana conversion, aura instability, and—"

  "Wait!" Gabriel interrupted. "Aren't those the exact things they already know?"

  Before Leo could respond, Gabriel lunged forward, grabbed him by the collar, and slammed him against the wall. "So, you’ve just been wasting your time, my time, and their time by repeating lessons they mastered long ago?"

  Leo’s eyes widened. He hadn't realized how Gabriel had reached that conclusion so quickly. He tried to clear up the misunderstanding, but the words died in his throat. Gabriel leaned in, his voice a cold whisper against Leo's ear. "You have until next week to prove your worth as a teacher. Otherwise, I’ll fire you."

  He released Leo’s collar and stepped back. As he began to walk away, Leo’s mind raced. 'What the heck? I was teaching them everything I knew! How am I supposed to give them more?'

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  Gabriel stopped after a few paces. Without looking back, he said, "I’ll give you a hint, Leo. You’re inexperienced, which is why you haven't noticed those kids are dying of repetition."

  With those words, Gabriel vanished down the hall, leaving Leo in the silence. Leo stood frozen, his mouth slightly open. The realization hit him like a physical blow. 'Oh shit! I knew it!'

  Back in his castle room, bathed in moonlight, Leo lay on his bed with his shoes kicked off. He pressed his palm against his forehead, replaying everything. 'I see... so that’s why those teachers were laughing. They were wondering how long I'd last before getting fired like everyone else.' He thought about the "prodigies" label. He thought about their hollow eyes. His hand slowly slid down his face until his eyes peeked through his fingers. 'So that's the game, huh?'

  The next morning, Leo entered the classroom. The four students sat in their usual spots. "Good morning, sir," they said in unison, though their voices lacked any expectation of excitement.

  As Leo approached the board, Xylo reached for the magic textbook.

  "Hey," Leo said, "I don't need the book today."

  Xylo paused, confused, but nodded and pulled his hand back.

  "I’m going to ask you all a question," Leo said, looking at Xylo first. "Let's start with you. Xylo, what are your skills?"

  Xylo’s eyes widened. For the first time, the atmosphere felt different. He smiled. "My primary skill is Foresight."

  "What does it do?" Leo asked.

  "It lets me see my entire surroundings for five seconds," Xylo explained. "Even if I’m looking at you, I can see everything behind me."

  Leo’s eyebrows shot up. "Dang! That’s incredibly useful. And your secondary?"

  "It’s called Thunderclap," Xylo said, his excitement dimming slightly. "It lets me run at incredible speeds, but I can't use it to its full potential."

  "Why not? It sounds great," Leo said.

  Lilian chimed in, "Because he has to clap someone's hand to activate it!"

  Leo’s face dropped into a look of pure exhaustion, a long, tired groan escaping his lips. "What the hell do you mean by that?"

  Xylo sighed. "I want to be a Royal Knight, and I need to be stronger. Thunderclap is fast, but if I have to keep stopping to clap hands, how am I supposed to fight?"

  Leo nodded slowly. "I see. And you, Garen? What’s your skill?"

  Garen, in his usual moody tone, muttered, "Just fire."

  "Only fire?" Leo asked. Garen simply nodded.

  Leo turned to Lilian. "And you?"

  "Oh, me? My skills are amazing!" she bragged. "I'm strong enough to beat anyone here, though I don't want to be a knight or anything boring like that." She began a long, rambling speech about her own greatness while Amy put her face in her hands, shaking her head.

  Leo eventually cleared his throat. "Miss Lilian... the skills?"

  "Right! My primary skill lets me sense people within a fifty-kilometer radius. My secondary lets me craft anything in the world I want, but..." she looked disappointed, "...I have to know exactly how the item is built. If I don't understand the components, I can't make it."

  Leo nodded. "And Amy? What about you?"

  Amy jumped, suddenly flustered at being the center of attention. "Oh! Um... my primary skill lets me heal wounds. There are some things I can't fix yet, but I'm practicing."

  "And your secondary?"

  Amy looked a little frightened. "I can speak with beings that human eyes can't perceive."

  "You mean ghosts and spirits?" Leo asked.

  She nodded timidly. "Ye—yeah."

  Leo went silent, processing the information. 'These kids have incredible skills—some I've never even heard of.' He looked at Lilian and Xylo chatting, Amy watching them nervously, and Garen sitting with his arms crossed, pretending not to care.

  Leo grinned. "Alright, class. Follow me."

  "Huh?" Xylo, Lilian, and Amy blurted out in shock.

  Leo didn't explain. He simply walked out the door.

  "Wait, are we actually going outside?" Xylo asked, looking at Lilian. She just shook her head, just as confused as he was. "I think so!"