In Zeta class, Prof. Crumpet was handing out graded student tests from the latest pop quiz. The bell rang, marking the end of the class, and prompting the professor to ask students that haven't received their tests to stay behind.

Nevertheless, Elena tried to slip away anyway.

"Miss Petrova," he called after her before she could make her escape. "I don't remember handing you your test."

Elena turned back reluctantly, rolling her eyes at the professor's sharp eyes. "We already know my result. You can just toss it into the bin."

"You can wait a moment. I need to speak with you."

The guy who had his test handed last left the classroom, leaving only the professor, Elena and Maya.

"Miss Watergate," the professor focused his attention on Maya, placing a piece of paper in front of her and tapping on it with his long finger. "I understand you're overworked, but I expected more from you. Your grades have been steadily declining."

It was C-. No wonder he was disappointed. The student who had topped the class during midterms was now producing such results.

Maya held Professor Crumpet in high regard. He was one of the few teachers who genuinely cared about his students. No other professor was as keen on understanding their students and tailoring their expectations accordingly. His passion for his subjects was evident in his lectures, and he always encouraged students to seek his help.

Something about him reminded Maya of her father. Perhaps it was his faint British accent, reminiscent of her father's when he would return from business trips to the UK.

Her parents used to live in England, long before she was born. Maybe it was her unexplored roots that made her have a soft spot for accents. Although Prof. Crumpet was much younger than her father. Despite the grey that streaked his hair, he might not even be past thirty.

Prof. Crumpet's tests consist of two parts: a tricky set of multiple-choice questions and a few optional explanatory questions to demonstrate your understanding of the subject. Although you couldn't achieve the highest grade without completing additional questions, it was also difficult to fail. This grading model and point system were unique to him at the academy.

"I'm sorry, professor. I'll work harder," Maya promised, hiding her own disappointment.

"I know you are a good student. Your decline worries me. If you're having troubles outside school that are keeping your attention, my doors are always open for students thirsty for knowledge."

Maya nodded at his offer, not wishing to confirm or deny her struggles.

"Here," he pointed at one of the additional questions. "This is something I would expect Ula to write, not you."

Maya felt embarrassed. It was likely something Ula had written, and she had merely reiterated it when Leo read it to her. She hadn't been fully focused on this test the previous day, as her argument with Elena was still fresh in her mind.

"I haven't prepared well for this exam, but I promise to do better on the next one."

"You better. I don't want the top student to write nonsense like this."

Maya took a deep breath to relax as the professor moved on toward Elena. Her test must've purposely been saved for last. Prolonging her packing, Maya perked up her ears.

"Miss Petrova," he said, handing her the paper. "Can you tell me what's wrong with this test?"

Elena glanced at the paper and back at him. "Everything, apparently." Only she dared to display such open boredom in front of teachers. "You've proved your point, professor. Can I go now?"

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"Not just yet," he confronted her. "Do you know what the odds are of scoring zero points on a multiple-choice test like this?"

"I thought you were teaching History, not Statistics," Elena said derisively.

"There's a reason I insist on every student filling in all multiple-choice questions, even if it is just guessing. Do you know what that may be?"

"Horror vacui?" Elena suggested snarky.

"It's because I don't like my students to fail. And I give them a chance to collect some points, even if it is by pure luck."

"You see, I'm not that bright, so I'm hoping there's a point you are getting at, professor. Are you trying to brag about how kind and admirable you are?"

"No. Miss Petrova, I am trying to paint you a picture of how impossible the odds are that you picked every single wrong answer on this sheet going by pure chance."

Maya admired how patient he was with her, ignoring her rude and disrespectful tone.

"I get it. I'm stupid," Elena was annoyed he was dragging this out.

"On the contrary," he said, crossing his arms. "I believe you knew every single correct answer and purposely chose wrong."

At that, Elena let out a choked laugh. Maya raised her eyebrows, both at Elena's behaviour and the point the professor was trying to make.

"I believe you have a bit too much free time on your hands if you are looking this much into student answers, professor." Although she was still laughing, it didn't show that she was very amused.

"I simply can't find another explanation than you doing this deliberately." Even though he must've felt discomfort suggesting that a notoriously bad student was secretly very smart, he was still convinced in his beliefs.

"Can't I just be stupid?" Elena sighed.

"You would have scored the highest in class. I'm tempted to give you that grade. Miss Petrova, it baffles me why you would do something like this."

"Let me just stop you there before your wild imagination paints me as some sort of a prodigy. There's a simple explanation. I'll tell you what happened." Elena glanced at Maya's way, then took a deep breath before continuing. "Have you ever heard of miracles?"

"It certainly is a miracle I didn't expect."

"Well, I didn't feel like studying, so all I did was pray to the Lord of Light for a miracle. But it seems our Lord has twisted humour and the idea of a miracle," Elena tossed her test, letting it slip on the nearby desk. "And you should stop obsessing over your female students… It looks bad," she added before leaving the classroom unexcused.

The professor sighed and left as well.

Left alone, Maya stared at the closed door through which Elena had exited, her mind spinning. She had always known Elena could be oddly sharp at times, but to intentionally fail a test to hide her intelligence was beyond her understanding.

Although Elena blamed the gods for giving her a 'reverse miracle,' Maya's intuition suggested the professor was on the right track. The realization struck Maya that this whole time, she might have been severely underestimating Elena simply because she outwardly appeared rather dull.

In her defence, many points signalled that Elena wasn't very smart: hints about a lack of prior formal education, her interrupting people talking because she couldn't follow, her reckless, unthoughtful behaviour, her disinterest in engaging in anything remotely mentally demanding, and her creating troubles for herself wherever she went were all red flags.

However, Elena also had the tenacity to win any argument, devising quick and effective solutions to many problems, stunning people with her illogical points that would somehow prove right, quick wit, and that damned self-assurance no one could replicate.

Thinking back to it, Elena was the first one to figure out Maya could communicate with the dead. She also figured out magic all on her own before anyone else. Although she would appear not to pay attention, she could recall surprising details about minor things. She also put thought into a strategy for becoming a hunter while it was still a viable option.

The more she pondered, the more certain she became. The only lingering question was: why did she hide it? Why willingly face ridicule and underestimation? The answer might lie in convenience—after all, people expected far less from those they deemed ignorant, and Elena's laziness knew no bounds.

At the mere prospect of Elena being her opponent in the field of intellect, Maya suddenly felt a competitive spirit.

Her declining grades were alarming. With limited study time and unable to depend on Leo during exams, she needed to tutor him and study together so he could better judge the accuracy of answers he read to her.

At some point, she began to consider the two of them as a single mind. If Leo was always there anyway, there was no reason to burden herself with knowing everything. It was no longer cheating but cooperation.

To avoid Elena in the halls, she retreated to the bathroom. Staring at her tired eyes in the mirror, she thought she was alone. The sound of sobs from the stalls proved otherwise.

A girl was crying.

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