Simone stood at the grand entrance of the Imperial Academy, a place he once called his home. The towering stone walls loomed before him, just as imposing as they had been when he was a commoner student. His chest tightened as he looked up at the familiar structure. It was a place full of memories—both warm and painful—yet now, standing as the Crown Prince, he could feel nothing but cold detachment. The academy that had once shaped him into something he never wanted to become was now a distant, almost foreign place.
The Emperor had forced him to stay away from the academy for months, declaring that his powers were far too dangerous to be left unchecked. Instead, he had been subjected to grueling, unyielding training under his father's watchful eyes. It had been a brutal, lonely existence, but Simone had emerged stronger than ever. His powers now radiated from him with an intensity that left even the Emperor cautious.
Today, however, was a different kind of obligation. The academy was holding its graduation ceremony for the outgoing class of students, and the official officiator of the event had to be either the Emperor or the Crown Prince. The Emperor was busy with another matter, leaving Simone to take his place.
Simone's presence was announced as he entered the main hall, and the air seemed to shift. It was as if the entire academy held its breath. The students, the teachers, and the administration all turned to see the Crown Prince standing at the door, his dark eyes scanning the room with cold precision. His usual stoic expression remained unchanged, but there was an undeniable aura of power surrounding him, making the atmosphere tense and suffocating. Even without exerting any force, his mere presence seemed to lower the temperature, as if the very air itself was responding to him.
Elliot, one of Simone's old friends from the commoner scholarship program, stood near the back of the room. His face was pale as he caught sight of Simone. He had heard rumors about the Crown Prince's transformation, but seeing it in person was something else entirely. Gone was the shy, overweight boy he had once befriended. In his place stood someone entirely different—cold, distant, and undeniably terrifying. Elliot swallowed hard, but as their eyes met, Simone offered him a small, polite smile, though it lacked the warmth it once had. His voice, when he spoke, was just as polite and controlled as ever.
"Elliot," Simone greeted softly, his words laced with an eerie calmness. "It's been a while."
Elliot's breath caught in his throat. He opened his mouth to respond but found himself unable to speak. The change in Simone was too much for him to process. The boy who had once struggled to fit in was now an imposing figure of power, far beyond anything he had ever imagined. Yet, despite the fear that gripped him, Simone remained composed and courteous.
"Your Highness," one of the academy's administrators said, bowing deeply before Simone. "Thank you for coming. We are honored to have you officiate today's ceremony."
Simone nodded, acknowledging the formalities, before stepping forward. The room was thick with the weight of his presence, and even the most experienced teachers seemed unnerved by his mere proximity. His once familiar professors looked at him with a mixture of awe and confusion, unable to reconcile the boy they once knew with the Crown Prince standing before them.
Simone could hear their thoughts, of course. Every thought, every whispered speculation, echoed clearly in his mind. "Is this really him? The boy we once taught?" "What happened to him?" "He's not the same person anymore…"
The whispers stung, but Simone did nothing to acknowledge them. He had long since learned to shut out the noise. His thoughts were his own now, and nothing could shake him from the path he had chosen.
As the ceremony proceeded, Simone officiated the graduation with cold efficiency, signing documents and offering brief, formal congratulations to the students. The academy administration, while deeply respectful, could hardly hide their nervousness. They all knew what Simone had become, and they feared the power that now radiated from him.
But it wasn't just the academy's staff that was shaken. The students, particularly the ones who had once known Simone as a fellow student, exchanged uneasy glances. They couldn't quite understand what had happened to him. How had the once timid boy become this… this monster?
When Simone turned to the students, his eyes meeting those of his old classmates, there was no recognition in his expression—only cold detachment. He could hear everything they thought, their confusion, their unease, their fears. But he said nothing. His gaze lingered only for a moment before he moved on, completing the formalities with practiced precision.
When the ceremony concluded, the academy's hallways were filled with hushed murmurs. Simone made his way toward the exit, his path straight and unyielding. The temperature of the room had dropped, and many of the students and staff were struggling to breathe, feeling as though the very air around them had thickened. The suffocating weight of his presence lingered long after he had left.
Elliot, still standing at the back of the room, watched Simone leave, his heart heavy with confusion. The boy he had known had vanished, replaced by someone far more dangerous, far more distant. He didn't know whether to feel pity or fear for Simone. What had the Emperor done to him? What had he become?
In the distance, Simone's figure grew smaller, retreating back into the shadows of the empire. No one could stop him now—not his father, not his siblings, not even the academy. He had surpassed them all, and the world was now his to control.
Simone didn't look back, but in the deepest recesses of his mind, he could hear their thoughts—the questions, the doubts. He had become something no one understood, something they all feared. And yet, he felt nothing.
Not anymore.