The Student Council, serving as the core body representing student interests at Glory Cael Magic Academy, possessed authority and resources far beyond those of ordinary clubs or interest groups.
Beyond its independent, solemn conference hall, spacious and orderly office areas, and a classical banquet hall dedicated to hosting official receptions and celebrations, the Student Council also boasted a fully equipped private training ground under its domain.
Located behind the Student Council building, this training ground was encircled by stone walls covered in ivy. Inside, composite stone slabs capable of enduring high-intensity magical impacts were laid out, dividing the space into several independent practice areas equipped with basic target dummies.
In terms of facilities, while it could not match the academy's massive public training grounds, it was more than enough to meet the practice needs for the vast majority of Mid-tier and High-tier magic.
However, unlike the other areas of the Student Council where people constantly came and went, this training ground was unusually quiet on ordinary days, with few council members ever stopping by to practice.
The reason was simple: it came down to the highest leader of the Student Council—Vivian.
Aside from processing mountain-like piles of official paperwork, attending demanding academy classes on time, and taking brief rests to fulfill basic physiological needs, Vivian devoted virtually all her remaining time to this training ground.
For ordinary Student Council members, merely sharing a room with this intimidating president to handle official business already brought an invisible pressure, requiring them to stay focused and efficient at every moment for fear of making even the slightest mistake.
Expect them to voluntarily enter the training ground where the president was present during their free time, practicing magic under her icy gaze?
That was practically a dual torment of mind and body.
Over time, this training ground—which was supposed to be open to all Student Council members—de facto became Vivian's personal training facility.
As a member who had been in the Student Council for a considerable time, Yelena was naturally well aware of this.
Thus, when she failed to find President Vivian in the Student Council office, she turned immediately without a second thought and walked briskly toward the training ground.
Her suspicion proved correct.
When Yelena gently pushed open the training ground's heavy oak side door and stepped into that vast, quiet space, what greeted her eyes was that familiar blue figure.
The illuminating magic array at the center of the training ground had been adjusted to a soft brightness suitable for personal practice, pouring down like cool, quiet moonlight.
Vivian was still dressed in her immaculately pressed academy uniform, draped with the silver-edged short cape that signified her status as president.
Her lake-blue hair was meticulously tied into a high ponytail that hung behind her back, swaying gently with her movements.
Her eyes were slightly closed as her hands slowly traced complex paths in front of her. Ice-blue sparks of mana, as if guided by an invisible hand, gathered from the surrounding air and condensed before her palms.
The air temperature plummeted visibly; fine ice crystals formed on her eyelashes and the tips of her hair, only to silently melt away under the oscillation of her mana.
She was attempting to cast a Mid-tier ice-attribute spell—【Ice Crystal Spike Array】.
This spell required precisely controlling mana in an extremely short window to condense several sharp ice crystals carrying piercing and frostbite effects, then triggering them to burst in an array formation to strike an area. Combining crowd control and lethality, it demanded extraordinarily high mana control, elemental shaping abilities, and mental focus from the caster.
Yelena held her breath and tread softly, not daring to disturb her, staying quietly in the shadows at the edge of the grounds to watch.
Vivian's casting process appeared smooth and steady, ice-blue mana leaping at her fingertips like a flowing cold spring.
However, right before the spell reached completion and just as the array of ice spikes was about to fully stabilize and shoot forth—
Buzz!
A faint yet clear ripple of Mana Disorder surged without warning from in front of Vivian.
Web-like cracks suddenly appeared across the surfaces of the ice spikes that had just taken shape, radiating a dangerous, cold gleam.
Immediately afterward, the magical structure forming the ice spikes seemed to lose a vital balance, beginning to vibrate violently.
Snap! Crack—!
A sequence of crisp shattering sounds echoed one after another.
Less than half a meter from Vivian's palms, the incomplete ice spike array suddenly collapsed, breaking into countless fine ice fragments. Like a miniature hailstorm, they clattered onto the stone floor below and melted rapidly, leaving behind only a small, damp patch.
The magic had failed.
Vivian slowly opened her eyes.
In her ice-blue eyes, there was no frustration, no anger, nor even much emotional fluctuation—only a bottomless calm.
She simply stood there in silence, gazing quietly at the rapidly disappearing wet stain on the floor and the lingering remnants of icy mana in the air, resembling a perfect ice sculpture.
Standing at the edge of the ground, Yelena looked at this scene and couldn't help softly sighing in her heart.
As a veteran member of the Student Council, she had witnessed similar scenes all too often.
At times, deep down, she actually felt quite a bit of sympathy for this Student Council President who seemed flawless in everyone else's eyes.
Because she knew better than anyone that Vivian Kahn had achieved her current status and strength through far more than just noble lineage or so-called talent.
Her position as Representative was something she had built brick by brick through diligence and effort far surpassing that of ordinary people.
Her schedule was precise down to the minute, her training intensity intimidated even many male students of her grade, and her self-discipline was stiflingly strict.
Yet certain chasms seemed impossible to cross through diligence and effort alone.
Just like this moment.
Vivian's level had long reached LV34.
Across the entire second-year level—and even among a portion of third-year students—this was already top-tier.
Reasonably speaking, with her level and unremitting practice, the proficiency of Mid-tier magic like 【Ice Crystal Spike Array】 should have naturally reached LV3 long ago.
But reality dictated that no matter how hard she studied or how much extra time she spent analyzing magic principles, she simply could not overcome this hurdle.
The bottleneck representing proficiency improvement stood before her like an invisible wall, unyielding and indifferent.
What a stark contrast this was to her younger sister, who had reached LV20 shortly after enrolling and effortlessly upgraded her Supreme-tier fire spell 【Flame Burst】 from LV1 to LV2 【Molten Burst】.
One poured out every ounce of effort, taking agonizingly slow steps.
The other handled it with effortless ease, making rapid strides.
The gap in talent echoed silently through the empty training ground like a cold sneer.
Yelena gave a light shake of her head, forcing herself to dismiss these overly presumptuous thoughts.
She knew very well that given her standing and capability, what she could do for the president was extremely limited.
The greatest support she could offer was perhaps cheering silently for the president's hard work from behind, and completing every assignment handed to her as efficiently as possible without adding extra trouble.
At that thought, Yelena drew a deep breath, tidied her hair and uniform which had grown slightly rumpled from jogging over, composed a serious expression, and stepped toward Vivian, who remained silent at the center of the field.
“P-President.”
Yelena stopped a few paces away from Vivian and bowed respectfully.
Hearing the voice, Vivian slowly turned around. Her ice-blue eyes landed on Yelena, and she gave a slight nod, inviting her to speak.
Her expression had already reverted to its usual state, as though the failure moments ago had never taken place.
“It's about the handling report for the student dispute in the Central Courtyard this afternoon.”
Yelena pulled out her small notebook and began presenting her report in a clear, organized manner.
After finishing her report, Yelena hesitated briefly before voluntarily adding:
“Um... President, Student Greg Sass entrusted me to report on his behalf because... well, he had some urgent private matters to attend to.”
“However, he acted very professionally while dealing with the dispute today. He cited the relevant regulations, maintained an impartial attitude, and showed no favoritism toward the party's noble status. I feel like... he might actually be taking his work as a Disciplinary Committee member seriously.”
She did her best to speak positively on Greg's behalf, hoping to alter whatever terrible impression the president might harbor toward this former shame of the academy.
Hearing Yelena's report and additional comments, an imperceptible trace of surprise flickered across Vivian's ice-blue eyes.
“Greg Sass... is actually fulfilling his duties seriously?”
This caught her completely off guard.
In her mind, Greg Sass and words like "serious" or "responsible" were parallel lines that could never cross.
His joining the Disciplinary Committee struck her as nothing more than another eccentric prank by Headmistress Olivia.
She had even prepared herself to expel him from the Student Council the moment she received a report about him neglecting his duties.
Yet now, she was hearing such praise from the consistently honest Yelena?
Vivian sank into brief silence, her ice-blue eyes lowering slightly as if lost in thought.
“Could it really be that being banished by his family and losing all backing made him finally realize the harshness of reality, prompting him... to change?”
The moment that thought surfaced, countless memories involuntarily flashed before Vivian's eyes.
The blond boy from her childhood who always led her, walking ahead of her...
The older youth whose eyes gradually grew frivolous, who always pushed her away whenever she asked to practice magic together...
Expectations dashed time after time, trust betrayed again and again, dignity shamed over and over by that name...
An icy chill, like the hardest layer of frost, instantly blanketed the faint ripple that had just risen in her eyes once more.
Regardless of whether he truly wants to change...
That absurd engagement between us and that unpleasant past should have ended completely long ago.
Now, he is a student of the academy and a temporary Disciplinary Committee member, while I am the Student Council President. Nothing more.
Vivian lifted her eyes, her gaze restoring its absolute clarity and calm. She nodded at Yelena, her voice flat and even:
“Mhm, I understand. Your report was very clear. Thank you for your hard work, Yelena. You may head back to rest.”
“Yes, President.”
Yelena let out a breath of relief, bowed once more, and quietly retreated from the training ground.
The heavy oak door clicked shut gently behind her, shutting out the inside from the world outside.
Inside the training ground, Vivian was left alone once more amidst an icy silence.
Standing in place, her ice-blue eyes gazed out the window at the dimming daylight. Only after a long while did she whisper in a voice audible to no one but herself:
“Regardless... the relationship between us... has long been over.”
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