The Hidden Heir At Valaris Academy

Chapter 5: Lecture Hall

A few students exchanged confused looks.

“Is he… a janitor?” someone muttered under their breath.

“What’s he doing here?” another whispered. “And why is he dressed like that?”

Eyes followed him from every corner of the room, some curious, some amused, and some openly judgmental. A few students stared with their mouths slightly open, unable to hide their shock.

Kael remained still for a moment, taking in the room calmly, unaffected by the attention, then he stepped forward.

A few boys near the front stood up almost at once. Chairs scraped loudly as they hurried toward him, curiosity and disbelief written all over their faces.

“Hey, who are you?” one demanded.

“Why are you in our class?” another asked quickly.

“And why didn’t you knock before coming in?” A third added, eyes scanning Kael from head to toe.

Questions came at him from every direction, overlapping, impatient, and sharp.

The rest of the class watched in silence, their attention fully locked on him now. Phones were forgotten, books lay untouched. Every eye waited for his response.

Kael didn’t step back; he adjusted the strap of his backpack slightly and spoke, his voice calm and clear.

“I’m Kael Danaru,” he said. “I’m a new student here. I just joined this class.”

For a second, the room froze.

Then—

“What?” several voices blurted out at once.

“Joined this class?” someone echoed in disbelief.

A wave of gasps spread across the room. Students looked at one another, eyebrows raised, some even shaking their heads as if they had misheard.

“No way,” a boy muttered.

“That can’t be right,” another whispered.

“Did he just say new student?”

The boys standing in front of Kael stared at him, stunned, while the rest of the class buzzed quietly with shock.

The shock quickly turned into noise.

“Who made you a student here?” one of the boys snapped.

“Are you joking?” another laughed harshly. “This isn’t some village school.”

“How did you even get an entry into Valaris?” someone else demanded. “Who let you in?”

Questions flew at Kael from every direction, voices overlapping, sharp and accusatory. Some students leaned forward in their seats; others stood, drawn in by the confrontation. The atmosphere thickened.

Kael listened without reacting.

When the noise died down just a little, he spoke calmly.

“Can I take my seat?”

He stepped forward, intending to move past them toward the empty desk near the middle row, but before he could pass, two of the boys shoved him back.

“Hey!” one barked. “Where do you think you’re going?”

“You’re not one of us,” the other added coldly. “You don’t belong here.”

Kael stumbled back a step, catching his balance easily, but the message was clear.

“Step outside,” one of them said, pointing toward the door. “You’re an intruder.”

The room fell into a tense silence. Soft laughter broke the silence.

A group of girls seated near the windows leaned toward one another, eyes sweeping over Kael from head to toe. Their voices were low, but not low enough.

“Look at his clothes,” one of them scoffed quietly, covering her mouth as she laughed.

“He looks so… off,” another said, wrinkling her nose. “Like he walked straight out of a farm.”

“Seriously,” a third added, glancing at his backpack. “That thing looks older than the classroom.”

A few more giggles followed.

“Does Valaris even allow that kind of dressing?” someone whispered mockingly.

“Maybe it’s some kind of prank,” another replied. “Or a charity case.”

Their eyes flicked back to Kael, curious and amused.

Kael looked at the boys blocking his path, his expression calm but questioning.

“What’s the problem?” he asked evenly. “The principal asked me to come, and Ms. Elara was to bring me here personally, but she had to attend to a call, so she asked me to come ahead. So what’s the issue?”

For a second, there was silence.

Then the boys at the front exchanged glances and burst out laughing.

“Did you hear this guy?” one of them scoffed. “He talks big.”

“The principal asked you to come?” another mocked. “How dare you lie so boldly?”

A third smirked. “You even know Ms. Elara’s name now? So that’s the trick, huh? Name-dropping staff to scare us?”

One of them glanced at his watch and clicked his tongue impatiently.

“Listen,” he said coldly, “you should hurry and leave. There’s not much time left before the Valaris Founders’ Week program begins. Don’t waste our time.”

He stepped forward and shoved Kael lightly in the chest.

“Yeah,” another added, pushing him again. “Get out before you embarrass yourself even more.”

Kael steadied himself, his jaw tightening slightly, but he still didn’t retaliate.

Just then, the classroom door opened. Every voice died instantly.

Students hurried back to their seats, heads turning in unison as a familiar figure stepped inside.

Elara Voss.

Her presence alone shifted the atmosphere. The boys who had been crowding Kael stiffened and stepped back at once. Elara’s eyes swept across the classroom.

Then they landed on Kael. He was still standing. Her brows knit together slightly as she took in the scene.

“Kael,” she said clearly, her voice calm, “Why are you still standing there?”

A ripple of shock spread through the room. She knows his name.

Whispers died in people’s throats as realization set in. The boys who had been mocking Kael stiffened, their confidence draining instantly. Ms. Elara hadn’t questioned him; she hadn’t asked who he was.

She had called him by name.

Elara stepped fully into the classroom, closing the door behind her. Her gaze swept calmly across the students before returning briefly to Kael.

Then she turned to the class.

“So,” she said evenly, “class, this is Kael Danaru. He’s your new classmate, and I hope you all cope with him.”

A soft smile touched her lips as she said it.

Wow!”

A few students shifted uncomfortably in their seats. Others stared at Kael with new expressions: confusion, disbelief, and a creeping unease. The boys who had pushed him avoided eye contact altogether, suddenly fascinated by their desks.

Kael remained quiet, his posture relaxed and his expression unreadable.

“How?” someone blurted from the back.

A few heads turned, voices growing bolder.

“Isn’t he an Ashlander?” A girl asked aloud, not even bothering to lower her voice.

“Yeah,” another chimed in with a scoff. “How can someone like him be our classmate?”