Chapter 12: Evaluation
For Mike, becoming a spirit caster wasn't just about achieving his personal dreams—it was his chance to pull his family from the depths of financial struggle and give them a future they desperately needed.
He placed his hand on the Orb, and for a moment, every where went still.
Then.
The Orb shimmered with a faint silver light, a final, flickering heartbeat of energy—then dimmed into stillness, its glow extinguished like a dying star.
All eyes turned to Mike, whose heart gave a faint, uneasy tremor. This was definitely not a good sign. A low murmur rippled through the classroom as confusion filled the air, no one quite understood what they had just witnessed.
"Pathetic." Lillian spoke with a firm, unwavering voice, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. If there was one thing she despised more than anything else in the world, it was weakness—and she could smell it in the air surrounding Mike.
"E-rank Spirit Caster." Leon let out a heavy sigh—it was far from the outcome they'd anticipated.
According to the principal's convictions, these individuals were supposed to possess hidden potential. But Mike... Mike was proving to be an entirely different case.
"How.." Mike's eyes flew open in disbelief, the final spark of hope extinguishing into the void. His one chance—his only chance—to lift his family from the weight of their financial struggles had slipped through his fingers once again, vanishing into darkness.
As he returned to his seat, all eyes settled on him, some filled with pity, most with happiness that it wasn't them that turned out like him.
"Mike..." Peters whispered as Mason strode past. He stayed silent, teeth clenched, fighting to bury the storm of rage and sorrow churning inside him. They couldn't possibly understand? How could they? They had no idea what his family went through each passing day because he always covered it up with a smile.