The observation started the very next morning.A senior instructor named Voss appeared at Erix’s first class. He was a tall man with grey hair and a calm face that never smiled. He did not speak to Erix. He only sat at the back of the room and wrote notes on a small tablet whenever Erix moved.The same thing happened in the second class. And the third.By lunchtime every student knew Erix was being watched. Whispers followed him through the hallways. Some students stepped away when he passed. Others stared like he might explode.Ren made sure to walk by with his C-rank friends and say, loud enough for people to hear, “Careful. The unstable one is here.”Erix kept his eyes forward and did not answer.In the storage building that afternoon the mood was heavier than usual.“They’re not just watching your power,” Lira said. She had checked the academy rules. “Observation status means they can call you for sudden tests. They can limit your jobs. They can even freeze your points if they dec