Alina's jaw dropped, her eyes wide as her tears dried up. "Don't push it too far," she warned, trying to sound tough. Inside, though, she was thinking, We already backed down; what else does she want? Seraphina's gaze swept over them, her eyes cold despite the faint smile. "Too far? What about when you said all that nasty stuff? I didn't have anything to do with you. Yet you all decided to start something with me. If you're bold enough to dish it out, then be ready to deal with the consequences." "You..." The girls were dumbfounded. They never expected her actually to go through with it. Unfazed by their outrage, Seraphina raised a finger and started counting, "Three... Two..." Slap, slap, slap… The girls slapped themselves again. Seraphina didn't call them out on their apparent attempts to dodge. She thought, A bit of pain might not get through to you, but the humiliation? That'll stick.The entire class watched in silence, too stunned to speak. At last, someone broke the tension. "Seraphina, stop!" She looked over at the hero—Bryson Hoffman, the class rep. He was well-liked for his strong grades and respectable upbringing, though his family wasn't as influential as hers in Pyrin. "Stop?" she repeated, raising an eyebrow. Then she asked, "Where were you when they all ganged up on me? Funny how people get selective about what's fair." Bryson's expression turned stiff. "We're classmates. Don't you think this is a bit much?" Seraphina chuckled. "Too much? Do they care about our status as classmates when they insult and demean me? If they can behave disrespectfully, they shouldn't expect any in return." "You..." Bryson stammered, his face flushing with frustration.Seraphina added, "If you wouldn't want something done to you, don't do it to someone else. It's simple to seem righteous when you're not in the fight. Once you possess that level of patience, you can expect it from others. Until then, save your noble advice for yourself." "You, you..." Bryson tried to respond but couldn't find the words. Just then, Xavier rushed in, accompanied by another student. He froze, taking in the scene— Daxton and Juliette being helped up by classmates, desks scattered across the floor, and Alina and the other girls standing by with teary eyes. Slim yet poised, Seraphina stood at the center, radiating a calm and unwavering strength. Her delicate frame belied fragility; instead, she projected resilience and determination. Xavier scanned the scene, clearly surprised. "What's happening?" Feeling relieved at his presence, Alina didn't waste a second. "Mr. Donovan, Seraphina hit us! She just got here and disregarded all the rules—she attacked us all!"The others quickly added their accusations. "She threw Daxton to the floor!" "She slapped Juliette and tossed her like she was nothing!" Seraphina stood in silence, letting them pile on. "Seraphina, is this true?" Xavier turned to her, skeptical. He studied the quiet girl before him, struggling to picture her as the one behind all this. Seraphina's voice was calm and steady. "They're not wrong. I did throw Daxton Beckman down and slap Juliette Thorne." Then, gesturing toward Alina and her friends, she added, "As for the rest, I didn't lay a finger on them." Alina looked outraged. "Didn't touch us? Look at my face—it's red!" She pulled her hand away, showing her cheek. Xavier turned back to Seraphina, clearly expecting an explanation.Seraphina met Alina’s gaze directly, her tone cool and steady. "Weren't you all slapping yourselves? Don't put that on me."