Chapter 17
Chapter 17
Ezra sat quietly in the far corner of the cafeteria, chewing on a piece of roasted chicken. The juicy, smoky flavor filled his mouth, but his focus wasn’t on the food.
His eyes were on someone else.
Xavier Quinn.
The boy sat alone at a table near the center, hunched slightly, expression blank. His plate of food—half-touched. Roasted meat, mana rice, vegetable soup... untouched by appetite.
But it wasn’t the food that made Ezra frown.
It was the mockery.
"Heh, look over there," one boy whispered loudly, leaning over his tray. "Ain’t that the genius Xavier Quinn? The B-rank core prodigy?"
His friend let out a theatrical laugh. "Genius? You mean Has-Been Quinn? The guy who got folded in half by Daelen Voncrest in one move? The same guy whose ex is now walking around clinging to Daelen’s arm?"
Another chimed in, smirking as he tossed a grape at Xavier’s plate.
"Didn’t he fail every theory paper too? Even a commoner could score higher—oh wait, he is one."