—Punishment wears a collar called discipline, and Lukas was tugging it tight.
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Heinrich Von Falken University – IT Department, 3rd Semester Classroom
10:06 AM | When the backbenchers are dragged into the spotlight
The class had barely recovered from the electric buzz left behind by Henry's impromptu lecture when Professor Lukas Richard stood tall, straightening the cuffs of his shirt, eyes scanning the rows with that same silent dominance.He closed the laptop gently.Looked directly at Henry and his gang.
"From today onward…"His voice echoed like a verdict."You five will sit in the first row. Every single class. Without fail."A ripple of gasps and murmurs followed.The backbenchers' sanctuary had been shattered.Henry's head snapped up. "Seriously?"Lukas didn't flinch. "Yes. Seriously." "But sir—" Felix protested, "we have, like, a history with that bench—"
"And now you'll rewrite it."Timo groaned. "Front row is like… academic exile for us."
Jonas muttered, "This is public execution."
Max looked like he might faint on the spot.
Lukas didn't bother responding to their mutters. He waited, calm, unbothered—until they moved. "I'm not continuing the lecture until you all move to the first bench."
The entire class turned as one, watching with wide grins as the legendary Henry Vinson and his notorious gang dragged themselves from the back row to the front—like royalty forced to march through a village street in shackles.Felix flopped down on the edge seat dramatically. "I feel naked here. Everyone's staring."Timo leaned forward, elbows on the desk. "I swear the board looks scarier from this close."Henry remained still for a moment before sitting—head high, gaze locked with Lukas for a heartbeat as if to say: This won't break me.Lukas gave no reaction.Instead, he walked to the whiteboard and picked up the marker.
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Squeak. Squeak. Squeak.
Lines of questions bloomed onto the board like challenges laid out in blood.Network protocol case studies. Encryption algorithm flaws. Real-world logic gate circuits. A packet dissection.Ten rapid-fire application-based problems.The class murmured. It was heavy.Even the nerds in the front corners began scribbling instantly, sweat beading.
Then Lukas stepped back and said:"Ten minutes. Solve as many as you can. When I say stop, you'll bring them up to me one by one and explain your answers."Felix's jaw dropped. "WHAT?!" "Yes, Mr. Arendt," Lukas replied, casually, "you'll be explaining them, too."Henry leaned back in the chair, lips twitching. "Looks like the front row came with fire.""No," Lukas said coolly, checking his watch."The fire's still coming. Clock starts—now."
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Chaos on paper.Pens scratched furiously. Henry leaned in, flipping to a fresh page, eyes scanning the questions. This wasn't new to him—he thrived under pressure, and somewhere deep down, he liked the tension of competition.He started solving, mind sharp, movements precise.Beside him, Timo was muttering formulas under his breath.Felix was doodling circles, erasing, redoing.Jonas worked silently.Max looked ready to call emergency services.Lukas watched from behind his desk, his gaze unwavering—not just at the answers they were writing, but at how they handled the pressure.This wasn't about marks.
This was a study of how much they could bend before they broke.
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Ten minutes. Done. "Stop. Bring them here."
The gang stood, Henry leading. As they walked to Lukas's desk, the class stared—some in pity, others in amusement.One by one, they placed their papers down.
Lukas read each.He didn't nod.Didn't smile.
Didn't praise.He simply placed each paper aside, then looked at Henry last.
Their eyes locked. "You solved all ten."
Henry nodded once, smugly. "I always do."
Lukas leaned forward just slightly. "Then let's raise the bar tomorrow."Henry's smirk twitched.Not gone.But shaken.
—When silence settles over the loudest voices, the room listens harder.
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Heinrich Von Falken University – Outside IT Block
12:10 PM | After Class, Before the Truth
The classroom door slammed shut behind Professor Lukas Richard like a final gavel in court. The moment his footsteps faded down the corridor, an exhale swept through the entire room like the windows had been thrown open.Felix dropped his pen dramatically. "Someone bring holy water. We just survived the longest one-hour psychological war of our lives."Timo clutched his chest. "Bro, my brain is still vibrating."Max wiped his forehead."I didn't even write all ten… and I think I forgot my own name during question six."Jonas, as usual, just shrugged. But even he looked like he'd been caught in a mental monsoon.
The gang leaned back in their chairs, eyes drifting toward the door where Lukas had disappeared seconds ago, as if making sure he wasn't still lurking in the hallway with another pop quiz grenade. "What even is this?" Felix groaned. "He made us sit in the front row like we're teachers' pets. Is this military school now?"Timo turned to Henry, his voice quieter, more serious now. "Dude. I'm not trying to start drama—but… are you and this Lukas guy hiding some old feud or what? 'Cause it's not just teaching. That man looks at you like he's got unfinished business carved into his soul."The others quieted.
Even the rest of the class was peeking over their shoulders now, eyes wide, phones tucked away. The loudest group in the college—Henry and his gang—was suddenly the most silent, the most obedient, and everyone noticed.Henry, still sitting forward in his chair, didn't speak right away. His knuckles drummed lightly on the desk, eyes fixed on the front board where Lukas had written the quiz earlier.Then, finally—he answered. Voice low. Flat."I know him from childhood."They all waited for more. The air hung heavy with unfinished sentences.
"But not like this."He didn't say anything else.The gang shared confused glances, but no one dared to press further. Something about the tone in Henry's voice wasn't defensive… it was unsettled.Timo raised a brow. "You mean like… he was your friend?"
Henry scoffed faintly. Not at the question. At the memories it triggered. "He wasn't just my friend," he muttered, getting up and slinging his bag over his shoulder. "He was… someone else. Back then."He didn't look at them as he walked toward the door. "Now? I don't even recognize him."The classroom went quiet.Even the gossip-hungry students paused as Henry Vinson—the king of rebellion, the untouchable heir, the center of every whisper—walked out silently.And the students who once feared him?
They leaned back, smirking. "Looks like the golden boy finally met his match," someone whispered."Lukas Richard's got him tamed," another chuckled.The old Henry—the firecracker, the flirt, the rule-breaker—had gone quiet.And silence in a place that used to echo with his voice?
That was louder than any scream.