Despite Eleonora’s declaration, the teacher didn’t take his eyes off the teleportation device on the table.

  It seemed he had taken her statement as a joke.

  Valentina, who was behind Eleonora, didn’t know what to do.

  Keeping her classmates in line was a thousand times easier than dealing with the problem caused by that being who had possessed her friend’s body.

  Besides, dealing with teachers was always a hassle, so, trying to take the initiative before Eleonora could spout another absurd remark, Valentina stepped forward.

  In a somewhat hesitant voice, she began, though her words came out with more caution than she intended.

  “Teacher…” she began, her tone betraying a slight tremor. “What my friend meant was, would it be possible for you to let us take a quick look at the teleportation device?”

  The teacher, letting out a sigh, looked up at Valentina. His expression was serious and somewhat skeptical.

  “Tomorrow we’ll use it to head to the next destination. If we tamper with it now, it could be dangerous,” he replied in a firm, almost curt tone.

  Then, as if his answer were final, he turned his attention back to the device.

  Normally, at this point, Valentina would have backed off, but…

  Glancing sideways at Eleonora, she swallowed hard before saying:

  “I understand your point, teacher. But… maybe tomorrow you could allow us to examine it before everyone else uses it.”

  It was an odd request, but considering all the efforts she’d made these past few days to prevent her class from doing something crazy, Valentina hoped the teacher would at least agree to that.

  The teacher frowned and crossed his arms, deep in thought.

  After a brief silence, he let out another sigh.

  “Maybe… but I promise nothing,” he finally said, his voice a bit more relaxed, though not by much.

  This response disappointed Valentina a little, since, honestly, it hadn’t been easy at all to keep the entire class in line—especially as more and more of them were at odds with the teacher.

  Although a good portion of the class had cooperated to stop the previous threat, some had refused to obey; as a result, the class was increasingly divided, which weakened her influence.

  ‘Well… at least you’ll be happy with that, right?’ Valentina thought, believing that her efforts would convince Eleonora to back down, but…

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  To her surprise, Eleonora wore an expression of utter discontent.

  In fact, she even looked quite upset.

  “You’re not convincing me,” Eleonora suddenly declared in a clear, determined voice. She glared at the teacher with an intensity that almost burned, as if she couldn’t wait any longer. “I want to touch that device right now—with my own hands.”

  The teacher looked at her, frowning.

  It was obvious that Eleonora’s request had thrown him off, since normally no student would behave that way with a teacher.

  In an impatient tone, the teacher asked:

  “And you are…? What’s your name?”

  Without the slightest hint of doubt or hesitation, Eleonora replied coldly:

  “Camila.”

  The teacher stared at Eleonora for a few more seconds and then, as if a light had suddenly flicked on in his mind, he recalled something crucial.

  His eyes narrowed and, in a harsh tone, he commented:

  “Camila, did you forget that you dropped the Kluir when we arrived? Not only did you drop it, but you did it with your own hands. Do you know what that meant? The artifact suffered minor fractures because of it.”

  ‘Oh… so the teleportation device is called Kluir, what a strange name!’ Eleonora immediately thought.

  As he spoke, the teacher advanced toward Eleonora with heavy steps, his boots echoing on the stone floor.

  When he reached her, he leaned in slightly and, with his steely, penetrating grey eyes, stared her down.

  “Are you really going to keep insisting on holding onto the Kluir after what happened?” he asked in a deep, almost mocking tone.

  Eleonora didn’t hesitate for a second. Her answer was curt—like a blow on the table.

  “Yes.”

  There wasn’t an ounce of doubt in her tone.

  The teacher let out a dry laugh, devoid of humor, and shook his head as he watched her, a mixture of disbelief and admiration painted on his face.

  Had this student gone crazy?

  “I don’t know whether to call you foolish or incredibly bold,” he murmured in a mocking whisper, looking Eleonora up and down before stepping back.

  But before he could continue, something shifted in his expression.

  His eyes drifted to the figure beside Eleonora: the girl with white hair and golden eyes.

  How had he not noticed she was there before?

  The girl’s presence was unsettling, as if her energetic aura was strong enough to make anyone who got too close stagger.

  And curiously… judging by her expression, she seemed upset.

  Slightly surprised by the girl’s sudden appearance, the teacher watched her in silence for a few seconds before asking with obvious curiosity:

  “Where did that girl come from? I don’t recall seeing her before.”

  Before Valentina could open her mouth to intervene, Eleonora interrupted her.

  Her tone was direct, defiant, and carried a calmness uncharacteristic of a student.

  “If you want to know that, you’ll have to hand me the Kluir.”

  Eleonora stared intently at the teacher, even though he was taking her lightly.

  The teacher raised an eyebrow, his gaze darkening with irritation.

  “Enough,” he said in a lower, serious tone, clearly fed up with Eleonora’s persistence. “Stop being so annoying about it. I’m not handing it over to you.”

  Valentina, intent on preventing the situation from escalating, took a deep breath and decided to intervene to calm things down.

  “Please, teacher, this isn’t necessary,” she said, her voice softened by the weariness of the conversation. Her gaze focused on Eleonora, who now seemed unwilling to budge an inch. “She…”

  ‘What can I say to calm the situation?!’ Valentina thought, upset, as she couldn’t come up with anything.

  Noticing Valentina’s attempt to ease the tension, Eleonora smiled slightly. She looked the teacher straight in the eye, refusing to back down even an inch.

  “And if not?” she asked mockingly.

  ‘Why is she doing this…?’ Alexia wondered, confused, unable to understand Eleonora’s actions.

  The teacher watched Eleonora for a few more seconds and, seeing that her defiant attitude persisted, ran his hand over his face, clearly frustrated.

  “It seems today’s youth just doesn’t know when to stop…” he murmured, more to himself than to anyone else, as he stepped back.

  “Please, let’s not complicate things any further,” Valentina whispered to Eleonora, her eyes pleading for understanding.