He had wished that his final blow would be successful, but even that eluded him. He had spotted a chance, a gap — only to fall short? It led him to question the purpose of all his training and battles. It forced him to reflect on the cause he had been so diligently preparing and fighting for. It felt as though all those bloody battles paled in comparison to the present moment.

As the situation became more strained, a student rushed over and prevented Zyair’s arm while glancing at him. Then, while fixing his gaze on the teacher, the student declared, “Your presence is not desired here. Depart before we compel you to do so.”

In the middle of the conflict between the two, Mr. Arcturus set out to find out who the student that stepped into the dispute. But in no time, his search for the student's identity proved brief; he found the student’s picture on the second page of his records. The student’s facial characteristics had a resemblance of that of a deer’s — quick and easy to spot. This was the same student who earlier got some water and splashed it on the teacher. Despite his deer-like appearance, he gave off a sharp vibe, much like a deer’s alertness while chewing cud. His looks, reminiscent of a reindeer, drew attention, particularly due to the intensity and focus of his gaze. His classmates’ gazes were now focused on him. However, in drawing the comparison to a reindeer, Mr. Arcturus observed that Idris Smythe, 15 years old, was missing the characteristic feature of antlers. This suggested that something was missing in him. Antlers on a deer signified a mature male deer, a symbol of spiritual dominance. Mr. Arcturus concluded that it was likely a sense of confidence that he didn’t possess.

Just as a deer’s antlers were a symbol of power, Idris’ look didn’t scream ‘strong’. But don’t let that fool you. Idris was tough, tougher than he looked. His strength wasn’t something you could see, like antlers on a deer. No, it was hidden deep within him. It was a kind of strength that didn’t need to show off, didn’t need to prove anything to anyone. It was there, steady and unyielding, making him stronger than anyone could have guessed. His real strength lay in his tenacity, his knack for sensing danger (as demonstrated recently when he diffused the situation by conversing with the teacher), and his unwavering determination to persevere regardless of the circumstances. That was where his true strength lay. Not in his physical appearance, but in his heart and soul. 

Mr. Arcturus had pieced together the puzzle. He was attempting to understand why a student had intervened to prevent Zyair’s aggressive behavior. This intervention didn’t necessarily imply that the student was acting out of kindness or was trying to avoid danger. There was another factor at play, perhaps the student was unaware of his own actions. His intentions were neither benevolent nor malicious. In a classroom seething with resentment and vengeance, would a student who was dousing the teacher with unclean water suddenly halt their actions? Maybe this was all part of a larger scheme. But that was no longer the case. Regardless of what it might be, Mr. Arcturus was still looking forward to getting to know more about them.

"Thanks for that song, Mr. Smythe. I really liked that version," the teacher quipped, grinning confidently as he stared at Idris.

Idris was suddenly thrown off balance, completely bewildered and at a loss about the topic at hand. 

Song? Version? What is he on about? 

Those words were thrown around, but they made no sense to Idris at first. However, as he pondered deeper into his thoughts, a frightening realization dawned upon him. He was the one who had the idea to transform the birthday song into a tormenting welcome song for the teacher.

How does this guy know I was the one behind that idea? 

Even though it seemed insignificant to an average person, this however sent a shiver down his spine. He could be bluffing, he could do that possibly to throw him off track. Surely, he couldn’t have known it was him, could he? But to think about it, he came back without any scratches or any dirt and he dodged Zyair’s blows and counterattacks. Idris couldn't just get the thought out of his mind, there’s a possibility this teacher might be a threat to them. He was unsure of his suspicions, and he didn’t really know who the teacher was. Resorting to such speculations would just be reasonable for him.

On the other hand, the students who were privy to their conversation were growing more and more disturbed by Mr. Arcturus’ presence. The fact that no one had leaked any information about what the teacher knew made his knowledge all the more unsettling. They started getting anxious and getting more aware of him.

Mr. Arcturus, acting like a kid, riled up the students by singing bits of a song, “Welcome to the class! Welcome to the class!” He was out to get a rise out of them and it worked. Some rolled up their eyes and some were sarcastically laughing. Everything he did got under their skin, making them even more ticked off.

Moments after enduring relentless teasing, Zyair’s patience finally snapped. With a swift, determined motion, he launched his fist forward, aiming directly at his teacher’s jaw. But, once again, the teacher effortlessly dodged the blow, as if it were a mere triviality. Zyair’s frustration surged, his nerves screaming at him to confront the teacher, to do whatever it took to hurt him.

 Surprisingly after aiming at the teacher, Zyair was able to successfully catch Mr. Arcturus with his fingers clenched around his throat. Despite not understanding how he accomplished it, Zyair’s speed allowed him to reach the teacher. Mr. Arcturus, while being on Zyair’s hold, thought that he had seen it coming but just intentionally allowed himself to be caught, perhaps to observe Zyair more closely, just to make sure. In exchange for that, Zyair’s grip tightened mercilessly, seeming to restrict Mr. Arcturus’ breath until the veins in Zyair’s arm appeared ready to burst. With his left hand, Zyair snatched the portfolio from the teacher and flung it away. 

“Can you utter a single word now?” Zyair sneered. “I bet you can’t.”

The teacher followed Zyair’s gaze to the portfolio that had been thrown on the ground. Although a hint of disappointment tugged at him—knowing how important that portfolio was for recognizing his students—his lips still curved into a wide smile. Despite the tension, he chose to forget about it and refused to be rattled by the confrontation. As he studied Zyair, he confirmed what he had suspected all along: Zyair had a weakness. After being certain about it, he turned his gaze at the students who watched them, he noticed their grins, as if they enjoyed watching their teacher being challenged by a fellow classmate. But when Zyair failed to budge him, they switched their allegiance, cheering for Zyair to end the confrontation swiftly and motivating him to overcome the teacher.

However, it did not seem to be the case. The teacher did not exhibit any signs of being close to death. In fact, he wasn’t choking; he simply allowed Zyair to proceed as he pleased. There was no evidence of pain; his veins remained hidden beneath the surface of his skin. His demeanor appeared untroubled, almost inexplicable.

"Is this guy a masochist?" Zyair wondered aloud. "What a creep." 

Simultaneously, he tightened his grip with both hands, fully intending to end the teacher's life without any hesitation.

"I'm no masochist, Zyair. Your grip lacks strength," Mr. Arcturus calmly countered. Despite the physical constriction around his throat, Mr. Arcturus maintained an air of boredom, which seemed to provoke Zyair due to his reputation as a troublemaker and menacing individual. The unflappable teacher’s calm demeanor appeared to bother Zyair, leading to a response driven by his toxic masculine ego.

Zyair was taken aback by the teacher's unexpected response. As fear gripped him, he thought about it and involuntarily loosened his grip. 

"Did he just read my mind? I didn't say that out loud, did I?" 

Zyair and Mr. Arcturus locked eyes, and that made Zyair feel an overwhelming sense of fear. It was as though he had glimpsed something in Mr. Arcturus’ eyes that's not normally seen in humans. It felt as if he peered directly into his soul, as though he had glimpsed the inner workings of his mind. The weight of inferiority pressed upon him. Within, a dormant monster lay in wait, biding its time for release. He was no mere human; he was more than that.

Zyair, overwhelmed by the situation, reached a breaking point. As he tightened his grip around Mr. Arcturus’s neck, he saw an opening—an opportunity to strike at Mr. Arcturus’ face. However, the teacher was one step ahead; he knew that’s what Zyair was going to do. Anticipating Zyair’s move, he swiftly intercepted Zyair’s arm, the very one that clung to his neck. In an astonishing display of strength and speed, Mr. Arcturus managed to separate Zyair’s hand from his throat.

The unpredictable speed of Mr. Arcturus caught Zyair off guard, leaving him momentarily blinded. Suddenly, Mr. Arcturus was beyond Zyair’s grasp, and panic surged through him. In that split second, Zyair feared for his life. There was something about Mr. Arcturus—a bit of intimidation and fear—that struck Zyair to his core. It was an unfamiliar sensation, one he had never felt before. Thankfully, he remained unscathed as Mr. Arcturus hadn’t harmed him physically nor did he do anything to hurt him. But the mere thought of what could have happened—had the teacher’s incredible speed and strength—sent a chill down Zyair’s spine. The teacher could be pissed off by now and Zyair just happened to be triggering it. Perhaps he had underestimated Mr. Arcturus, and now he wondered if he might have suffered serious injury from that swift maneuver. But looking at him now, the teacher remained remarkably composed and continued to smoke as though the powerful move he executed hadn’t even occurred.

Zyair was the only one who truly understood the impact of the teacher’s actions. Only Zyair knew what he had felt upon facing him. His classmates were just watching them but they had no idea what had just occurred. They didn't see Mr. Arcturus’ eyes nor did they feel any fear towards him. They're just annoyed and continuously throwing off daggers at him. However, what Zyair had recognized was that the teacher’s abilities could either pose a threat or be harmless. The thought had raised concerns, and Zyair hoped that these abilities would not be used for harmful purposes. Since he’s one mysterious man, Zyair decided he’d find every way possible to end him otherwise.