"Against the Heavens: The Villain's Return"

The laughter spread like wildfire. At first, it was just a few chuckles, muffled behind hands. Then the restraint broke, and the entire hall shook with waves of unrestrained amusement.

Students doubled over, slapping their knees, clutching their stomachs. Some fell against their desks, tears forming at the corners of their eyes as they howled.

"Pfft—hahaha!"

"Oh gods, it's true!"

"The fart king himself! Legendary indeed!"

Each word, each mocking echo, felt like a dagger stabbing into Alex's chest. His face turned crimson, his hands trembling at his sides.

He wanted to scream, to deny, to shout that it wasn't true, but the noise of the crowd drowned him out completely. Their voices merged into a storm of ridicule, and all he could do was stand frozen in the center of it.

His body screamed to run, but his legs refused to move. His mind begged for escape, but no path appeared before him. The laughter wrapped around him like chains, dragging him deeper into humiliation.

Why… why me? Alex thought desperately, his heart pounding like a drum of doom. Why does it always have to be me?

And in the corner of his mind, that intuition whispered again—not warning this time, but confirming. This is fate. You cannot escape.

Across the hall, Leo watched the scene unfold with calm detachment. His smirk had softened into something serene, almost gentle, as though he were a saint watching over the chaos with quiet acceptance. He made no move to join in the laughter. He did not mock. He simply observed.

Inside his mind, his thoughts flowed like silk.

Yes… yes, this is how it should be. A little spotlight, a little stage. My dear Alex, now the whole world has seen you. They know your name, they will remember your face. Perhaps not for the reason you wished, but recognition nonetheless. Consider it a gift from me, a humble act of charity.

Leo exhaled softly, the corners of his lips lifting in satisfaction.

I am truly a kind person.

He turned then, his back straight, his steps unhurried. While Alex drowned in a sea of mockery, Leo walked away with tranquil poise, as if untouched by the noise. His cloak swayed with each step, a picture of composure. He didn't need to look back. He didn't need to add another word. The seed had been planted, and its roots would dig deep into Alex's heart.

The laughter continued to roar behind him, echoing through the halls. Some students clutched their stomachs, others fell against the walls gasping for breath, their faces flushed from how hard they laughed. Even those who had tried to hold it in finally gave up, succumbing to the absurdity of the title—"legendary fart king."

Alex, however, could barely breathe. His chest tightened, his vision blurred. He could hear his heartbeat in his ears, loud and frantic, drowning out all reason. He felt his legs quiver beneath him, his body threatening to collapse.

No more. I can't take any more…

But still the laughter came, wave after merciless wave.

At last, when Leo's figure disappeared from the hall, Alex's trembling hands clenched into fists. His lips pressed together, his eyes stung with unfallen tears. His humiliation burned hotter than fire, searing into his very soul.

And beneath that fire, something else stirred. A quiet, dangerous spark.

One day… I'll make him pay.

But for now, Alex stood alone amidst the storm of ridicule, his body locked between shame and fury, while the hall continued to echo with laughter.

The hall was buzzing with idle chatter, the atmosphere filled with the usual hum of students gathering before the day's lessons. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary until Leo, standing there with an expression that could only be described as mischievous elegance, suddenly let out a clear and deliberate call.

"Alex!"

That single name, spoken in such a casual yet commanding tone, carried through the air like a pebble dropped into still water, sending ripples across the entire hall. Heads turned. Conversations died mid-sentence. In an instant, the hum of chatter was replaced with a tense silence, as though the very walls of the academy leaned forward to listen.

Every eye shifted in unison, searching, scanning, trying to locate the figure behind that name. And then—like prey caught in a hunter's spotlight—Alex froze.

The heat of countless stares fell upon him all at once. His heart skipped. His skin prickled. This was not the spotlight he had ever wished for. No, this was the exact opposite. Alex's body stiffened under the collective gaze of his peers, and he felt as though invisible shackles bound his limbs, dragging him deeper into the unwanted attention.

Inside his chest, a bad premonition stirred, a quiet storm brewing in the pit of his stomach. It wasn't just nervousness. It wasn't just embarrassment. It was something more primal, more instinctual. Alex's pulse thudded in his ears as if warning him—danger, trouble, humiliation—something terrible was approaching, and there would be no escape.

Leo, of course, stood at ease. His lips curved upward into a faint, playful smirk, his golden eyes gleaming with amusement at the sight before him. He tilted his head slightly, as though admiring his own handiwork, and within the silence of his mind, his thoughts flowed freely.

My dear protagonist, Alex… look at you trembling under the weight of their stares. Don't you understand? I am giving you what you need, not what you want. The spotlight you've been denied, the recognition you lack—today, I shall grant it to you. You will remember this act of kindness in the future. And when that day comes, I will accept your gratitude with magnanimity. Such a generous soul I am, truly.

The corner of Leo's mouth lifted higher at his own inner monologue. To anyone watching, it looked like a casual smirk. But in reality, it was the quiet satisfaction of a puppeteer pulling strings only he could see.

Alex, meanwhile, felt his throat tighten. He could already sense the storm before it struck. A part of him wanted to deny it, to dismiss the warning bells ringing in his heart, but he couldn't. His very instincts—the passive ability etched into his being as though by fate—refused to be ignored. It was the protagonist's intuition, a natural sense for danger, and right now, it screamed at him louder than ever.

Something's wrong. Something's coming. I need to leave—now.

Alex's eyes darted nervously. His body leaned ever so slightly, inching toward the edge of the hall, as though he could slip away unseen. His movements were quiet, careful, the way a rabbit might sneak away when the hawk's shadow loomed overhead. But before he could take a full step, Leo's voice rang out once more, sharper, clearer, impossible to ignore.

"Well played yesterday at the tournament, Alex."

The words, deliberately spoken in a tone just loud enough for everyone to hear, cut through the silence like a blade.

Alex froze again, his face draining of color. His breath hitched. His eyes widened with horror. No… no, no, no… why would he bring that up?

And just as the dread began to crush him, it happened.

From somewhere within the crowd, a loud voice pierced through the tension, unrestrained and brutally honest.

"Is it the famous legendary fart king?!"

The words echoed through the hall like thunder. For a second, there was stunned silence, a collective pause as the entire crowd processed what had just been said. And then—like water bursting from a dam—the laughter erupted.

The laughter didn't fade quickly. It clung to the air like smoke, seeping into every corner of the hall. Even when the volume lowered, it returned in sudden bursts—snickers from the back, whispers from the side, mocking coughs that carried his new title.

Alex could hear every sound.

His fists trembled at his sides, nails digging into his palms until they left crescent-shaped marks. His head hung low, but not low enough to hide the burning red of his cheeks. His chest rose and fell rapidly, each breath sharp and shallow.

Why… why won't they stop?

Every second felt like a century. The humiliation didn't just burn his skin—it carved itself into his soul. He could almost see it: the looks on their faces, the sneers, the pointing fingers that would follow him long after this day ended. He would forever be remembered not for his talents, not for any strength or ability… but for this.

"The fart king…" someone muttered, and a fresh ripple of laughter spread.

Alex bit his lip until he tasted blood. His vision blurred, not from tears he allowed to fall, but from tears he refused to let escape. He would not give them the satisfaction of seeing him cry.

But no matter how much he tried to swallow the pain, it boiled inside him like molten iron.

Leo… it's him. It has to be him.

The memory replayed in his mind—Leo's calm smile, his gentle eyes, the way he had said the words not in malice but with a tranquil kindness, as though offering a gift. That expression haunted Alex more than the laughter itself.

He wasn't mocking me. He wasn't joking. He just… said it, and everyone believed him. They laughed because he said it. He turned them all against me without lifting a finger.

The realization cut deep. It wasn't just the humiliation—it was the powerlessness. Leo hadn't shouted, hadn't ridiculed, hadn't even stayed to watch. He had simply spoken, and the world bent to him.

Alex's teeth ground together.

He thinks he's above me. He thinks he can control everything. Just standing there, saying whatever he pleases, while everyone follows like sheep. And I—

His fists shook harder.

I can't let this end here.

The anger surged through him, raw and bitter. For the first time in his life, his humiliation transformed into fuel. The image of Leo's back walking away, calm and untouchable, burned itself into Alex's mind. That back… that serenity… that untouchable air.

It mocked him more than any laughter.

One day, I'll wipe that look off your face. One day, you won't be calm. You'll know what it feels like to stand where I'm standing now. I swear it.

The laughter slowly began to settle as the teacher finally barked at the class to quiet down, but the echoes would never leave Alex's ears. He could feel it already—the whispers would follow him into the corridors, the smirks would greet him tomorrow, and the name would cling to him like a shadow.

But alongside that shadow, a fire now burned.

I'll become stronger. I'll rise higher. Higher than anyone expects. And when that day comes, Leo… you'll regret ever crossing me.

His breath steadied, though his body still trembled. His humiliation had not lessened—it remained, heavy and suffocating—but beneath it, his resolve took root.

Alex slowly lifted his head. His eyes, still stung with shame, now glimmered with something else—an ember of defiance.

The storm of laughter had broken him down. But in its ruins, something dangerous was born.

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End of Chapter

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