That morning, the sophomores were instructed to begin warming up with a round of jogging and morning squats in preparation for the day’s scheduled activity, all set to begin promptly by six in the morning. This kind of training was standard practice, designed specifically to build up endurance and stamina ahead of the regular school day. It genuinely benefited the overall health and well being of every student involved.

The school compound stretched out impressively wide and spacious, more than large enough to comfortably accommodate this kind of physical training. The grounds themselves felt almost like a natural environment tailored perfectly for exactly this sort of workout.

Mark pushed forward, jogging steadily despite the burning strain building across his endurance. Every muscle in his body screamed in protest at the continued effort, his breathing coming out labored and ragged, his clothes clinging tightly to his frame from profuse sweat.

At one point, his legs suddenly buckled beneath him, and he collapsed hard onto the ground with a sharp, cracking thud. Still, the expression on his face read more relieved than genuinely hurt. All he really needed was a short moment to recover before pushing forward again.

He had watched Hermione train through warmups like this several times before, and she was consistently outstanding, performing like a true ace. Her stamina and resilience seemed nearly limitless, more than enough to keep her going far longer than most, and he felt a quiet twinge of envy at just how far ahead of him she truly was, enough to push him into setting his own personal goals in comparison to hers.

Still, this drive came from genuine conviction and resilience, not some blind desire to simply outdo her or claim empty victory for its own sake. A long, heavy breath escaped his mouth as he exhaled through the searing ache spreading across his muscles, forcing himself back onto his feet to continue.

Roman snickered at the sight, pointing directly at Mark, prompting several others nearby to join in the laughter. Somehow, he carried a fair amount of influence over how his peers reacted to situations like this, and that reach only fed his own sense of importance further.

"Oh, would you look at how gross and disgusting he already looks, and it hasn’t even been that long," Mia scowled, visibly disgusted. Something about his sweaty, exhausted state genuinely turned her stomach.

"I guess that kind of thing just runs in his whole family’s genes!" Max cackled loudly, falling backward onto the grass, still laughing hard. Kai simply shot Mark a dismissive glance before settling down himself, recovering from a full hour of continuous jogging.

"Nice one, fair point," another student agreed, laughing along. "I say we start calling him Uncle Sweater, or maybe Sweaty Pants!"

Waves of laughter rippled through the surrounding students, several genuinely finding the whole exchange amusing, even absurd.

Others continued their own jogging pace, though several slowed noticeably just to catch more of the unfolding mockery. They always seemed to enjoy this kind of verbal sport, harsh or not, especially when it wasn’t aimed at them directly, but rather at the one person who always seemed to attract it like a magnet.

"Hey, where’s your little Phoenix princess at? She’s probably not even thinking about you right now!" Victor called out mockingly, the words reaching Mark’s ears like the sharp sting of a bee. He ignored the comment, though the bitterness lingered regardless. He was genuinely growing tired of this constant, reckless torment, and his patience for tolerating it was wearing thin.

It seemed that no matter how much stronger or more accomplished he became as a summoner, none of it would stop the way he was already perceived by the wider student body, forever cast as some kind of oddity, an outcast among his peers.

"All of you need to watch your mouths, especially you, Mia! You should be ashamed of yourselves! Do any of you even know what he’s already been through this morning? Instead of talking trash about him, you should be commending his effort. He and Hermione have been out here training since three hours before the rest of you even showed up, and he’s still moving, while most of you barely started and are already standing around, running your mouths like you own the place."

The instructor shook his head, clear disapproval written across his face. Mia’s eyes flashed toward him with cold disdain before she looked away without a word, a silence somehow heavier than anything she could have said in response.

At that, several students glanced between themselves and Mark, who remained steady on the track, still pacing his jog despite the visible strain wearing on his body. A deep, bone level ache had settled into his muscles by now, but he gritted his teeth and pushed forward regardless.

Jack’s eyes widened slightly as the weight of Mark’s continued movement finally registered with him, confirming the instructor’s words were true. He really had been out here since three in the morning, and he was still upright, still moving.

Mia raised an eyebrow at the controlled precision in his movements, though the thought of Hermione having spent all that time out here with him earlier twisted something uncomfortable in her chest, her jaw tightening involuntarily. Jack caught the shift and tried to ease her mood, only to receive a sharp elbow to the ribs that sent him stumbling backward.

A faint smile crossed his lips regardless, careful not to let it show too openly. ’I love it. Hit me again, you savage little princess.’

Kai’s eyes narrowed slightly as he watched Mark finally collapse, sprawling out across the grassy field with an expression of pure relief. He tilted his gaze upward toward the still darkened morning sky, closing his eyes calmly.

***

Later that day, Mark stepped into the classroom just as the student ahead of him slipped and fell, another slimy trap set across the floor. He already had a fairly good idea of exactly who the intended target had been, catching sight of Jack’s carefully feigned innocence as he drummed his fingers idly against the edge of his desk.

Shaking his head, Mark carefully stepped around the slime trap, genuinely baffled that anyone would think he’d be foolish enough to fall for the exact same trick twice in a row. It left him quietly disappointed in the kind of people who assumed that little of him, since underestimating an opponent like that was usually the very thing that led to their own downfall.

But just as he moved to sit down, he grimaced sharply, spotting a thick smear of green goo already leaking across his seat. His jaw tightened as he turned toward Jack, who wore an obvious smirk while seated beside Mia. Their eyes locked for a long, tense moment, and the message passed between them clearly.

"Jack, this is the first and last time I’m letting this slide," Mark said, his eyes flashing sharply as he pulled out his handkerchief to wipe down the ruined seat.

"Oh, shut up, brat. What are you gonna do, run and report it to your girlfriend?" Jack sneered, eyes sharp with mockery. Mia glanced toward him, visibly impressed by the jab.

Heat rushed to Mark’s face at the comment, the words landing harder than he expected.

At that, much of the classroom erupted into mocking laughter, whispers, and murmured jokes, several students gesturing openly in his direction. This growing boldness in mocking and cornering him had clearly become something of a trend now, and it was already taking a visible toll.

"Everyone, stop it right now!" Hermione’s voice cut sharply through the room, drawing the class’s full attention toward the doorway, where she had apparently been standing unnoticed for some time.

A heavy silence settled over the room like the calm before a storm, every set of eyes turning toward her, save for the belated, delayed pop of a bubble gum bursting from Candy Girl’s mouth.

Jack felt a sudden flicker of paranoia. Had she been standing there the whole time, close enough to hear what he’d said? If so, he was about to find himself in serious trouble for joking so carelessly about their supposed relationship.

Hermione’s gaze swept sharply across the slime trap before moving methodically over the rest of the class, missing nothing. She shook her head the moment her eyes landed on Jack and Victor, both seated on either side of Mia.

The silence she commanded carried more genuine weight than anything even a teacher could have summoned, a clear, unmistakable display of her authority, not just from her family’s status, but from her own personal strength and unwavering will to maintain order.

She walked calmly toward her seat beside Mark, stopping him gently from finishing the job of cleaning the mess himself with his handkerchief. Her sharp glare landed squarely on Jack, who visibly stiffened under it.

"You slimy little snail, clean up the mess you made," she said, her tone casual, yet unmistakably firm.

Jack gritted his teeth, still clinging to a shred of smugness, though for some reason his body trembled slightly beyond his own control, some deep instinct clearly warning him against defiance. Mia shot him a hard, pointed look, but her own subordinate had already risen to his feet, handkerchief in hand, moving to comply.

Several students stared in stunned disbelief at the surreal scene unfolding before them, watching as Jack quietly wiped down Mark’s seat like some obedient servant. He likely understood full well the trouble this would cause him with his own reputation later, but in that moment, there was little choice left but to obey the Phoenix princess standing before him.

Kai watched the absurdity of the whole scene play out, letting out a soft, amused chuckle at the random thought crossing his mind. With power like hers, she could easily surpass plenty of people, Mia included, and it seemed increasingly likely she wouldn’t just become a future queen within her own family’s clan, but quite possibly across the entire school as well.

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