Harem System in an Elite Academy

The week after the council's declaration passed quietly, almost suspiciously so. The tension that had clung to the academy halls had begun to loosen, replaced by laughter, light footsteps, and the faint buzz of students preparing for the weekend festival's closing event — the "Karaoke Encore."

It wasn't an official event; the council hadn't sanctioned it. It had started years ago as a rebellious late-night tradition — a handful of upperclassmen sneaking into the recreation hall after curfew to sing until dawn. Now, it was almost expected, a ritual that came after every major storm, as if the academy itself needed to breathe out the tension through melody and noise.

---

[Arios' POV]

Arios didn't plan on going.

He wasn't the type to enjoy crowds or loud music, and he had more than enough on his mind already — lingering questions about Chase, whispers about Regulus' return, and the strange quiet around Class D's upcoming field mission.

But Lucy had a way of convincing him.

"It's just one night," she'd said earlier that afternoon, standing in the doorway of his dorm with a hand on her hip. "You've been buried in books and mana forms for days. You need to see people again."

"I see people every day," Arios had replied without looking up from his notes.

"Seeing and socializing are two different things," she'd countered.

Then Liza had chimed in from behind her, grinning with that mischievous spark that usually meant trouble. "Besides, I already told Amelia we're going. If you don't show up, she's going to think you're avoiding her."

That had done it.

Now, several hours later, Arios found himself in the crowded recreation hall, surrounded by laughter, chatter, and the unmistakable hum of anticipation.

The stage was makeshift — a wooden platform built from training crates and light panels. The speakers were old, buzzing slightly when turned up too high. But none of that mattered.

Students were already gathering in clusters — upper-class duos, Class A's loud social group, a handful of instructors pretending not to supervise too closely. Someone had hung string lights across the ceiling, and it gave the entire hall a faint golden warmth.

Lucy waved from across the room. "Over here!"

He moved through the crowd, careful not to bump into anyone carrying drinks or snacks. Their little group had claimed a corner table near the stage — Lucy, Liza, and Amelia.

Amelia looked different tonight.

Her hair was tied back, not in her usual braid but loose, flowing down her shoulders in soft waves. She wore a simple white blouse and dark skirt, nothing extravagant, but somehow that made her stand out even more. She looked relaxed — or at least, trying to.

Liza leaned across the table with a grin. "He actually came. I thought we'd have to drag you here."

Arios shrugged. "Lucy's persistence is impressive."

Lucy smiled faintly. "It's called having social balance."

He sat beside them, letting the noise of the room fill the silence that followed. The first performance was already starting — two Class B students with decent voices but too much enthusiasm. The crowd clapped in rhythm, half-teasing, half-genuine.

For a while, Arios simply watched.

There was something grounding about it — students who were always competing, always comparing mana grades and combat scores, suddenly laughing at missed notes and out-of-tune choruses.

Even Amelia smiled softly when a nervous first-year accidentally forgot his lyrics halfway through and improvised the rest with made-up words.

---

[Liza's POV]

She leaned against the table, her chin resting on her palm as she scanned the growing list of names on the song queue. The karaoke terminal glowed faintly blue, cycling through song titles and request IDs.

"Next up," the announcer — some overly enthusiastic Class A student — called, "we have Lucy Calden and Liza Renhart with a duet!"

Liza's grin widened. "Well, that's our cue."

Lucy blinked. "Wait, *our* cue?"

Liza hopped to her feet, already pulling Lucy along. "You signed us up earlier," she said cheerfully, ignoring Lucy's protest. "Remember?"

"I don't— Liza, wait—"

The crowd cheered as the two climbed the platform. Liza grabbed one of the mics, giving Lucy the other, her grin only growing wider when she saw her friend's panicked face.

Arios leaned back in his chair, amused despite himself. Amelia chuckled quietly.

The song that started playing was old — one of those academy classics that half the students knew by heart. Lucy hesitated for a beat, but Liza was already singing, loud and completely off-pitch, drawing laughter from the crowd.

By the second verse, Lucy gave up resisting and joined in.

Her voice was clear, light, unexpectedly good. It cut through Liza's comedic chaos like a clean thread through tangled yarn. And by the time they reached the chorus, the entire hall was clapping along.

When it ended, the applause was loud and genuine. Liza bowed dramatically, while Lucy flushed red and hurried back to their table.

"You're a menace," Lucy muttered, grabbing her drink.

Liza laughed. "And you're welcome."

---

[Amelia's POV]

She hadn't sung in years.

She'd always liked music — quiet, private songs she'd hum when no one was around. But since her suspension, since the whispers and the way people had started looking at her, she hadn't dared to.

It wasn't fear of embarrassment. It was fear of being *seen.*

She glanced at Arios. He looked relaxed, focused on the stage where another group was performing. He laughed quietly when one of them hit a terrible note. It was a rare sound — small, but real.

For some reason, that made her chest tighten a little.

She looked down at the queue terminal, fingers hovering over the touchscreen. There was a moment's hesitation — and then she typed in her name.

When her name flashed on the list, Lucy blinked. "Wait, Amelia— you signed up?"

Liza's grin returned instantly. "No way. You? This I *have* to see."

Amelia smiled faintly. "It's been a while."

---

[Arios' POV]

When the announcer called her name, the hall fell into a hush that surprised even him.

"Next up— Amelia Varnes."

She walked toward the stage slowly, not shyly, but with quiet steadiness. The kind that came from someone who'd already faced much worse than stage fright.

The lights dimmed slightly. The intro started — a slow piano melody, soft and wistful.

Arios didn't recognize the song. It wasn't popular. But when she began to sing, the room changed.

Her voice was… clear. Pure. Not overly trained, not professional, but deeply honest. The kind of sound that pulled attention without demanding it.

The first few lines were low, steady. Then the melody lifted, and her tone rose with it — trembling slightly at first, then settling into something stronger.

The lyrics spoke of second chances. Of being lost, then seen again. Of silence breaking into sound.

Arios watched her quietly, unmoving. Even Liza stopped joking, eyes wide. Lucy had her hands clasped under her chin, visibly moved.

By the chorus, the entire hall was silent. The laughter, the chatter, even the background noise of moving chairs — gone.

There was just her voice.

When she reached the final line — *"And if they ever doubt me again, I'll still sing"* — the hall erupted in applause.

Not polite applause. Real, heavy applause. The kind that echoed off the walls and refused to die down.

Amelia lowered the mic slightly, her lips curving into a small, uncertain smile. She bowed once, then hurried offstage.

Liza whistled. "Okay, I did *not* expect that."

Lucy's eyes were bright. "That was beautiful."

Arios said nothing for a long moment, then nodded once. "It was."

Amelia sat down quietly, her face still a little flushed. "I haven't done that in a long time."

"You should," Lucy said softly. "You really should."

---

[Later That Night — Group POV]

The karaoke event stretched on past midnight. Songs blurred together — duets, solo performances, even a few drunken instructor renditions that had everyone laughing.

But Amelia's song lingered.

When they finally left the hall, the air outside was cool, touched by the faint scent of rain. Street lanterns cast soft circles of gold on the cobblestones.

They walked together — Lucy humming softly, Liza complaining about her throat hurting from too much yelling, Amelia quiet beside them, and Arios a few steps behind.

"See?" Lucy said, looking over her shoulder. "A night like this was *good* for everyone."

Liza stretched her arms. "Especially for my future singing career."

"Future tone-deaf disaster," Lucy corrected.

Arios almost smiled. "You're both impossible."

Amelia chuckled quietly. "Maybe that's what makes it fun."

They stopped at the crossroad where the dorm paths split. The girls turned toward their side, while Arios headed the other way.

Amelia paused, then said softly, "Arios."

He turned.

"Thank you. For everything."

There was no specific meaning in the words, but he understood anyway.

He nodded. "You did well tonight."

She smiled faintly. "Feels strange, hearing that again."

Then she joined the others, disappearing down the lantern-lit path.

---

[Arios' POV — Epilogue Moment]

Back in his dorm, the quiet returned — the kind of silence that followed laughter, not replaced it.

He sat at his desk again, same as every night, the faint hum of mana threads in the background. But his mind wasn't on training.

He thought of Amelia's voice — how it had cut through the noise and settled into something peaceful.

There was something about it — not power, not perfection — but conviction. The same conviction she'd shown when she refused to give up on clearing her name.

It reminded him why he fought in the first place.

Not for recognition. Not for revenge. But for the right to *breathe* freely in a world that always seemed to be choking on expectation.

He leaned back in his chair, eyes drifting toward the moon outside his window.

Somewhere out there, the others were probably still talking, laughing about off-key duets and improvised lyrics.

He allowed himself one quiet smile.

Maybe, just maybe, peace didn't always come from winning battles.

Sometimes, it came from the sound of a song sung honestly — a moment of truth disguised as melody.