The soft light of dawn filtered through the curtains as Caden stirred from his uneasy sleep. His body felt stiff, his mind heavy with thoughts from the previous day. Darren’s challenge, Finn’s enigmatic behavior, and the countless stares from the other students—all of it weighed on him like a mantle he never asked for. 
Caden rubbed his eyes and sat up, the cold stone of the academy room floor biting at his feet as he swung his legs over the edge of the bed. The silence in his room contrasted sharply with the noise that had been buzzing in his head since his arrival. He wasn’t sure what was worse: the expectations of greatness or the whispers of doubt.
A knock on the door broke the stillness, and before Caden could answer, the door creaked open. Lira strolled in, a mischievous grin on her face.
“You’re becoming quite the early riser, aren’t you?” she said, eyeing his half-awake state.
Caden sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “I’m beginning to think sleep is overrated.”
Lira smirked, leaning against the doorframe. “You might be right. With all the attention on you, I’m surprised you’re still managing to keep your head on straight.”
Caden glanced at her, his eyes narrowing slightly. “Did you come here just to remind me of that?”
Lira laughed, her arms crossed over her chest. “No, actually. I came to drag you to breakfast before your fan club forms a mob outside.”
Caden groaned inwardly. “I don’t have a fan club.”
“Not yet,” she teased. “But give it time. A Vernhart with magical talent? That’s enough to get people talking for weeks.”
He shook his head, trying to push away the irritation rising in his chest. He didn’t want to be the center of attention. All he wanted was to get stronger, to finally stand on equal footing with his brothers and break free from their shadow. But at every turn, it seemed like the world was more interested in his name than in who he was.
“Let’s just go,” he muttered, rising to his feet and grabbing his academy robes. He pulled them over his shoulders, feeling the familiar weight of the fabric settle over him like armor. 
As they walked through the corridors toward the dining hall, Caden couldn’t help but notice the way students’ eyes followed him, whispers trailing in his wake. Some were impressed, others skeptical, and a few clearly jealous. His jaw tightened as he forced himself to ignore them, focusing instead on the soft echoes of his footsteps.
Lira nudged him lightly. “You know, you could always try smiling. Might make you seem less… intimidating.”
“I’m not trying to be intimidating,” Caden replied, his voice flat.
“You’re not trying to do a lot of things, but it’s happening anyway,” Lira said with a shrug. “Just a friendly tip. People are already building their own image of who you are. If you don’t give them anything to work with, they’ll fill in the blanks themselves.”
Caden remained silent, though her words struck deeper than he cared to admit. He had always let others define him—his family, his brothers, the people of his estate. Here, at the academy, he had a chance to be more than just the youngest son of a duke. Yet somehow, even here, the weight of expectation pressed down on him.
The dining hall buzzed with activity when they arrived. Students sat in groups, talking and laughing over plates of food. Caden spotted Darren at a table with several other Ventus students, his sharp eyes narrowing as they passed. Caden ignored him, instead following Lira to a quieter corner where the atmosphere was more relaxed.
“I heard about what happened yesterday,” a voice interrupted as they sat down. It was Milo, a fellow Ventus student who had always seemed approachable, with his easy smile and relaxed demeanor. He slid into the seat next to them, balancing a plate piled high with food. “You and Darren almost tore the courtyard apart, huh?”
Caden shot Lira a glare, but she held up her hands defensively. “Wasn’t me.”
“It’s not as dramatic as everyone’s making it out to be,” Caden muttered, reaching for his own plate.
Milo grinned. “I don’t know. It sounded pretty intense. Darren’s been on edge ever since.”
“That’s his problem,” Caden said tersely. “Not mine.”
Milo raised an eyebrow, his smile fading slightly as he studied Caden’s face. “You seem pretty on edge yourself.”
Caden paused, his hand hovering over his plate. Milo’s words hit harder than he expected, and for a brief moment, the tension in his chest flared up again. He wasn’t usually this short with people—at least, not before arriving at the academy. But here, everything seemed different. The pressure, the eyes constantly watching him, it was all starting to weigh him down.
“I just… I’m not used to this,” Caden admitted, lowering his hand. “The attention. The expectations. It’s like everyone’s already decided who I’m supposed to be, and I haven’t even had a chance to figure that out for myself.”
Milo leaned back in his chair, his expression thoughtful. “Yeah, I get that. People tend to put others in boxes. Especially when you come from a family like yours. But here’s the thing—you don’t have to stay in that box. You can be whoever you want to be.”
Caden blinked, surprised by Milo’s insight. He had expected the usual pleasantries or shallow reassurances, but Milo’s words carried weight. 
“I’ve tried to be more,” Caden said quietly. “But no matter what I do, I’m still ‘Vernhart.’ The youngest son of a duke, the weak one, the one who’s supposed to just stay in line.”
Lira, who had been listening quietly, finally spoke up. “Then prove them wrong.”
Caden turned to her, his brow furrowing. “What?”
“Prove them wrong,” she repeated, her green eyes intense. “You keep saying that people see you a certain way, but the only way you’ll ever change that is by showing them who you really are. Not just with magic, but with everything. Make them see you, not the family name.”
Caden clenched his fists, the weight of her words sinking in. She was right. As much as he hated the attention, as much as he despised the assumptions people made about him, the only way to escape it was to carve out his own path. He had come to the academy for a reason, and it wasn’t just to be another Vernhart.
It was to become more than that.
Just as Caden was about to respond, a shadow fell over the table. He looked up to see Darren standing there, his arms crossed, an all-too-familiar sneer on his face.
“Vernhart,” Darren said coldly, “we need to talk.”
Lira tensed, but Caden met Darren’s gaze without flinching. “What do you want?”
Darren’s eyes flickered with barely contained anger. “You think you can just walk into this academy and act like you own the place? Like you’re better than everyone else?”
“I never said I was better than anyone,” Caden replied evenly.
“No, but you act like it,” Darren snapped. “You think because you’re some duke’s son with a bit of magical talent, that you can waltz in here and show us all up? This isn’t your estate, Vernhart. Here, power is everything. And you—” Darren jabbed a finger at Caden’s chest. “—are not as strong as you think you are.”
The air between them seemed to crackle with tension, and several students nearby began to watch with growing interest. Caden’s heart pounded in his chest, but he forced himself to remain calm. Darren was trying to provoke him, trying to bait him into a fight.
“I don’t need to prove myself to you, Darren,” Caden said, his voice steady but firm.
Darren’s sneer deepened. “That’s what I thought. Coward.”
Caden’s jaw clenched. “I’m not a coward.”
“Then prove it,” Darren growled, his eyes narrowing. “Face me in a duel. No holds barred. Let’s see how powerful the great Vernhart really is.”
The challenge hung in the air like a dark cloud, and Caden felt the eyes of the entire dining hall on him. He could feel the pressure building, the weight of expectations closing in around him once again. Darren was giving him an out—a chance to show everyone what he was capable of.
But was this what he wanted? To fight just because someone challenged him? To be dragged into a pointless contest of pride?
Lira’s words echoed in his mind. *Prove them wrong.*
Caden took a deep breath, meeting Darren’s gaze with unwavering resolve. “No.”
The word stunned the room into silence. Darren blinked, taken aback. “What?”
“I said no,” Caden repeated, his voice calm but firm. “I don’t need to fight you to prove anything. Not to you, not to anyone. If you want to settle your insecurities, that’s your problem. But I’m not playing your game.”
For a moment, Darren stood frozen, disbelief and rage flickering across his face. Then, with a snarl of frustration, he turned and stormed out of the hall, leaving a trail of shocked whispers in his wake.
Caden exhaled slowly, feeling the tension in his chest begin to ease. He hadn’t
 given in. He hadn’t let Darren drag him down. And for the first time in a long time, he felt a flicker of control over his own destiny.
Milo grinned, leaning back in his chair. “Well, that was unexpected.”
Lira smiled approvingly. “Told you. You don’t need to play by anyone’s rules but your own.”
Caden nodded, a small but determined smile tugging at his lips. For the first time, he was starting to believe it.