Silence.

  For a moment, nobody moved.

  The students. The instructors. The academy staff.

  All of them were frozen—staring at him.

  Batman.

  He stood in the center of the underground chamber, the shadows twisting subtly at his feet.

  He could feel their gazes. The fear. The curiosity. The disbelief.

  > They don’t understand what happened.

  Hell, he barely understood it himself.

  But one thing was certain—he had changed.

  ---

  The First One to Speak Was Gigachad.

  The massive student, built like a tank, took a step forward. His usual cocky smirk was nowhere to be seen.

  > “Yo. What the hell was that?”

  His voice was quieter than usual.

  Batman didn’t answer.

  Because he didn’t know what to say.

  How do you expin the Abyss?

  How do you expin that he had walked through a void of absolute nothingness, faced himself, and returned?

  How do you expin that the shadows at his feet now felt like an extension of his own body?

  You don’t.

  ---

  [The Instructors Were Already Moving]

  Up on the observation balcony, the head instructor gave a sharp nod.

  Instantly, figures in bck uniforms leapt down into the chamber.

  Elite Enforcers.

  The Academy’s private disciplinary force.

  Batman sighed.

  > Of course they’d react like this.

  After all—he had done something no one else had.

  And that meant one thing.

  They were going to take him in for questioning.

  ---

  "Cadet Batman. You will come with us."

  The lead enforcer spoke, his voice cold and formal.

  Batman gnced at Deku and Jessa.

  They looked worried.

  > Tch. No choice then.

  Batman nodded and raised his hands.

  > "Fine. Let’s go."

  He didn’t resist as they escorted him out of the trial chamber.

  Behind him, he could hear the whispers growing louder.

  The Academy had taken notice.

  And this was just the beginning. ---