Transmigrated as the Villainess Princess - Chapter 238

Chapter 238: A New Direction (2)
The academy grounds buzzed with anticipation as students poured into the central plaza of the newly established Sirius Central Military Academy. A fusion of old imperial glory and futuristic advancement, the academy stood tall, a symbol of rebuilding and unity after years of chaos.

The grand spires shimmered under the sun, while banners bearing the sigils of different departments fluttered in the warm wind. The scent of metallic polish, energy fields, and excitement filled the air.

Ahcehera stood at the viewing deck on the upper level of the administration building, overlooking the plaza with quiet authority. Clad in a sleek uniform of midnight blue, her insignia gleamed on her shoulder, Director of the Combat Division, head instructor of the Mecha Warfare Class.

Her long coat trailed behind her as she moved, her presence both regal and formidable. Students looked up in awe, some whispering about her past victories, others wondering what it would be like to be in her class. But she paid them no mind.

Her mind was on the opening day of the intramurals, a week-long event that would challenge the physical and strategic capabilities of the entire student body. For many, this was a chance to prove themselves and earn scholarships or military placements. For her, it was about discipline, growth, and survival.

Every student had to form a team of seven. They would be dropped into the Forest of Ascension, a vast biome simulator within academy grounds, filled with test monsters, terrain traps, and other student teams lying in wait. Only those with sharp reflexes, coordination, and leadership would emerge victorious.

Ahcehera had personally overseen the simulation’s upgrade, making sure it was tougher than the years before. As students gathered in their departments, loud announcements echoed through the holographic boards above them, declaring the start of the intramural registration.

Excitement burst into the crowd like wildfire, and students dashed to sign up their teams. Professors and other directors mingled around, monitoring, advising, and preparing for the upcoming battles.

Ahcehera walked through the training grounds with measured steps, her eyes scanning the sea of students with quiet scrutiny. She gave brief nods of acknowledgment to some of the instructors and students she had trained, occasionally stopping to give pointers.

None of them noticed the silent figure among them, someone who stood on the periphery of the crowd, half cloaked in a thermal distortion field. Riezekiel Mors watched her from the edge of the plaza, his expression unreadable.

He had returned to Sirius not to disrupt her peace, but because something had pulled him back, something unresolved. And now, here he was, standing in the very academy that Ahcehera helped rebuild, observing the woman he once knew better than himself.

But the Ahcehera before him now was different. Her aura was colder, more restrained. Her movements held none of the firelight grace he once cherished. It was as if she had been reborn in silence, stripped of the magic and light that had once surrounded her.

He could feel no trace of their bond, not even a faint echo. The severance must have worked fully, and yet, she lived. That fact alone intrigued and disturbed him. No werewolf should have survived a bond severance, not without consequences. And yet, she stood there, whole, commanding, and powerful in another way.

Riezekiel blended into the crowd, masking his energy. He didn’t want her to see him. Not yet. His presence here wasn’t to rekindle what had been lost, he wasn’t sure if he even could, but to understand what had become of her.

She moved like someone who had shed her past self and stepped into a new skin, forged by pain and quiet endurance. As he stood there, watching her interact with the students and staff, he caught glimpses of warmth when she addressed younger cadets, her protective instinct shining through in those small moments.

One girl ran up to her and hugged her tightly. Ahcehera knelt down, smoothing the child’s hair before sending her off with an encouraging word and a soft smile. That must be Liliana, Riezekiel thought. The child Ahcehera had adopted.

She looked healthy, loved, and confident. In those moments, Riezekiel’s chest tightened, not with longing, but with a strange sorrow. He was witnessing a version of life he might have had, peaceful, purposeful, and distant from blood and war. But that path was no longer his.

He had chosen darkness, consumed it, and used it to build his power. And now, he bore the name Riezekiel Mors, not Rohzivaan, not the half-hearted young man who hesitated at every crossroad. As the registration drew to a close, the academy bell rang, signifying the end of the opening ceremony.

Students began to disperse to their quarters, while teachers discussed preparation logistics for the next day’s challenges. Ahcehera returned to the director’s hall, her datapad full of information. She never once sensed his presence. She was too focused, too deeply immersed in the duties that now defined her.

Riezekiel remained still, his eyes trailing her disappearing form. The crowd thinned out, but he did not leave. Not yet. Part of him wanted to approach her, just once, to ask how she had managed to survive without him, without the bond, without magic. But another part feared the answer.

Perhaps she had truly moved on. Perhaps her silence was her shield. As night fell, he walked through the empty halls of the outer academy, trailing his fingers across stone and steel. The echoes of student laughter faded, replaced by quiet hums of energy and distant drills.

He closed his eyes, breathing in the scent of metal, stone, and the lingering fragrance of memory. He would not interfere, not yet. But one day soon, when the time was right, he would step out of the shadows.

Not as the mate she had lost, but as the warrior he had become. Until then, he would watch and wait, knowing that Ahcehera had chosen a new direction, and he had yet to decide if his own path would run alongside hers or against it.