Chapter 29 - Slave Mark
The nobles' expressions changed instantly. Despair washed over them like a relentless wave. They all knew what was coming. Jayce wasn't lying, and that certainty hit them with the force of a death sentence. This wasn't new to them. Since they set foot in the academy, their parents had warned them of the risk: losing didn't just mean defeat—it meant slavery. Even so, they never believed it could truly happen. The gap between both groups was a chasm, and none of them had prepared to fall into it.
Some collapsed to their knees, trembling. Others cried out, tears streaming down cheeks stained with sweat and fear. Pleas filled the air:
—My parents will pay! I swear! Please don't do this!
—Please! Have mercy! I'm the son of the Duke of Redvale! He won't allow this!
—I don't want to be a slave! I don't want to...!
The hall, once filled with pride and arrogance, transformed into a purgatory of wails and heartbreaking screams. The fear was so thick it felt almost tangible. One noble clutched his head, rocking back and forth like a lost child, mumbling nonsense. Another pissed himself without even realizing it, paralyzed by panic.
Jayce said nothing for several seconds. His face remained serene, unmoved. But William, watching him, understood something that had puzzled him since they met. It wasn't contempt in Jayce's eyes. It wasn't hatred, nor superiority. It was disinterest. A complete void. As if nothing happening before him was worth his attention. He didn't just ignore the commoners—he ignored the nobles too. It was as if everyone was equally insignificant to him.
Finally, Jayce broke the silence:
—Your parents won't lift a single finger for you —he said calmly, as if speaking about the weather—. They've already been informed. There was no attempt at negotiation. Not a single one. And no, it's not because they're cruel... they simply don't dare to offend someone they shouldn't. From this moment on, your lives no longer belong to you.