As finals concluded, the comprehensive results were handed to students on report cards. It contained their grades, overall evaluation and list of merit points. As she was making her way back to her room, Maya looked at her report proudly. Although her grades didn't all feel like a result of her hard work, the digit indicating merit points did.

Maya had a whopping 36 merit points.

Considering merit points weren't easily rewarded and she didn't join any academy clubs, the number was quite satisfactory, placing her at the high end of freshmen students.

And then there was Elena. As a staple, Elena didn't show up to pick up her results, so Maya ended up with the task of delivering them to her. It gave Maya a chance to take a peek.

Seeing Elena's report card, Maya now knew the public post on the notice board from the midterms was a lie. This report was more detailed and specified the reason behind each merit point. However, Elena's one was quite long with a specific trend:

misconduct: - 1 merit points misconduct: - 1 merit points misconduct: - 1 merit points misconduct: - 2 merit points misconduct: - 1 merit points

And so it stretched for pages, earning Elena a total of 14 merit points after it was all subtracted.

Perhaps they didn't count the negative points on the public notice because most of the negative merit point earns you a punishment chip, and punishment chips mean an hour of unpaid labour at any job where the employer was willing to give you a stamp. However, hours of your designated part-time job do not count toward this unless you work overtime.

It meant they were reversible, and fulfilling them earned you back your lost merit point.

The fact that an average initiated student who passed all their first-trimester exams would have more merit points than Elena spoke volumes. It was even worse when you did the math and came to a sad realization.

The contribution to the magical beast incident earned each of them 10 points. Elena, as the Harvester, gained 20 points for the Harvesting ceremony. Additionally, she could easily rack up academic points if she weren't so stubborn. In total, she would have considerably more points than Maya herself if she just cleared her pending punishment tokens.

Maya worried Elena's results were bad enough for being sent away, but there was no way they would do that to the Harvester. Right?

Nevertheless, in the days that followed, Elena became the school's sensation, frequently asked to demonstrate her newfound abilities through bending tricks that she now executed with seamless ease. Even an invitation from the Temples sent by Lady Kiana arrived, wishing for an audience with Elena, which, of course, Elena declined. The priestess must not be aware of how futile it was to try to recruit sacrilegious Elena.

However, Maya couldn't help but notice a shift in Elena's behaviour. After her selection as the Harvester, she began to exhibit an intense hyper-vigilance that seemed to amplify significantly following the ritual.

The same was true today. As Maya returned to their room, she found Elena attempting to barricade the big window at the end of their room.

"What on earth are you doing, Elena?" Maya asked, her concern for her friend growing.

"The window is a liability, Maya. It can't be closed properly, and it's a jumping distance from the wall. We need to do something," Elena rambled, her words tumbling out in a rush.

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Maya was taken aback by Elena's heightened paranoia. "Elena, that's absurd. As long as we don't leave the plank there, nobody can enter. You need to relax. You're acting hysterical," Maya reasoned, trying to infuse calm into the tense situation.

"I am telling you, Maya. I tested it."

"Tested what?"

"I jumped to the wall. It's doable. Anyone can make it."

"Elena, are you out of your mind?! You could've seriously injured yourself," Maya exclaimed, her concern deepening. "Why would you even attempt such a thing?"

"To see if it was possible. And, Maya… IT IS!" Elena's words were punctuated by frantic gestures as she continued her futile attempt to block the window with a plank that was too long to fit into the window niche.

"Elena, you need to calm down. We're safe within the Walls," Maya stated, her hand gently resting on Elena's shoulder in an attempt to soothe her friend's fears.

"I…I don't feel safe…" Elena's voice was barely a whisper, her admission chilling in its quiet desperation.

The irony of their swapped roles wasn't lost on Maya. It was just a few months ago when she was the one consumed with panic and fearing every shadow, while Elena would dismiss her worries with a scoff. Now, the tables had turned.

Despite her efforts to soothe Elena, Maya realized that her actions were hardly making an impact. She made the decision to let her be and contacted Keith. Elena's boyfriend was a dependable ally and the only one who could calm her down during these episodes.

Responding promptly, Keith arrived and took Elena to dinner to take her mind off her mounting apprehensions. Elena talked about Keith as if there was no love between them, but he was still the only one who could put her mind at peace during these episodes. Elena didn't want to admit it, but it was clear how much he meant to her.

Left alone in the room, Maya turned to Leo, her only companion.

"You will alert us if any danger approaches, won't you?" she questioned, seeking reassurance.

"Absolutely, I'm on constant watch, around the clock," Leo confidently affirmed.

But then, suddenly, he vanished right before her eyes.

A wave of panic surged through her. Leo had never done such a thing before — leaving without a word.

"Leo? Leo! LEO!" Maya cried out, spinning around the room in desperation, her hand tightly clutching her necklace. However, Leo wouldn't reappear. What was he doing?

Maya continued to call out for him repeatedly with no response. As she stood in overbearing silence, the realization that her pleas were in vain began to sink in, stirring up a whirlwind of fear and anxiety within her.

The void left by Leo's absence was more pronounced than she had expected. His constant presence had become a source of comfort to her. His quips would lighten the mood, and his concern would reassure her. Now, with him suddenly gone, she felt adrift.

After a significant passage of time, Leo reappeared in the midst of an unrelated sentence. "…but my mom always used to say, those were free samples."

Maya stared at him in stunned disbelief. She had no idea what he was talking about and was deeply concerned for him. "Leo… Where did you disappear to? You were gone for hours."

"I was? I thought I was here the whole time," he responded, visibly surprised. Something was definitely amiss.

"I beg you, don't ever disappear like that again," Maya pleaded, feeling helpless.

He saw worries written all over her. "I…I'll try not to," he promised, although he seemed unsure of how to fulfil that promise.

Maya embraced him, and they remained in the comforting silence for a while. With her anchor safely in her arms, Maya's thoughts returned to Elena. Naturally, as they grew closer, the stress that was getting to Elena was reflected on Maya.

'Can thrice be a coincidence?' Maya thought back to the source of Elena's concern. 'But if she was so paranoid, why did she go through with it?'

Noticing that, yet again, Elena had forgotten her phone that lay on her bed, Maya sighed. "I hope Elena will be alright. Perhaps the school dance will distract her from her paranoia."

"I wasn't aware you were going," Leo said.

"We're all attending. We agreed to go to the dance and exchange gifts later. I think a little fun is what we need right now," Maya suggested, hoping for some respite from their troubles.

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