In shadow and light: waltz of souls

Leticia walked down the corridor of the Academy, heading to a classroom for the next lecture, but every step echoed with whispered comments from those around her.

"Bastard."

"Look who they've let in now."

"What a disgrace to the nobility."

Leticia clenched her fists, nails digging into her palms. She pretended not to hear, but with each step, the words grew louder, as though directed squarely at her.

When she entered the classroom, several students laughed, openly displaying their contempt.

"Oh, so they're letting bastards study with us now?" a tall blond boy drawled.

Leticia spun around, her red eyes flashing with anger.

"What did you say?" she asked icily.

"Oh, nothing," he replied with a sneer. "I'm just amazed at how low the Academy has sunk, letting someone like you set foot among us."

Laughter rippled through the room, and her heartbeat quickened. She couldn't stay silent.

"I have as much right to be here as you do!" Leticia shot back, voice tense. "Or do you think knowledge belongs only to those with the 'right' pedigree?"

"Knowledge is for the deserving," he said, mocking her. "And you…you're nothing but a stain on your family's reputation."

Before Leticia could answer, a heavy silence fell over the classroom. Standing in the doorway was the Crown Prince, Leonardo de Asterian, heir to the Asterian Empire.

Tall, with golden eyes and light hair, he exuded an impeccable aura of self-assurance. His imposing bearing and upright posture bespoke a man accustomed to power—forthright, just, and ambitious, renowned for both his analytical mind and resolute character. Kind to his friends, but merciless to anyone who posed a threat to the Empire.

His gaze focused squarely on Leticia.

"What's going on here?" he asked, voice level but laced with a cool severity.

The students quickly looked away, though a few smirked.

"We were just discussing whether this Academy is really suitable for bastards," the blond boy said, visibly confident under the prince's presence.

Leticia expected the Crown Prince to intervene. She expected him to put the students in their place.

He didn't.

"I suppose they have a right to wonder," the prince said calmly, turning to Leticia.

Her breath caught in her throat.

"What…?" she managed, voice quieter than she intended.

"The shadow magic you wield," he went on. "Its history is steeped in blood and treachery. For centuries, it has been used by plotters, assassins—by those who hide their true faces. Your lineage and your power only confirm that. How can you demand respect if you wield a magic that noble houses have safeguarded themselves against for generations?"

His words struck harder than any taunt from the other students. She struggled to form a response, only managing to clench her jaw in silence.

The prince's cold confidence was clear in his eyes. He had already made up his mind.

"Watch yourself, Leticia Murray," he said, turning on his heel to leave the room.

The murmuring in the classroom intensified, but Leticia heard none of it. Anger, injustice, and helplessness churned inside her chest.

She took a step back, then another. Without another word, she left the room—leaving behind those who had decided she would never be their equal.