Stripped Before the Hearing
Stripped of his rank before the academy hearing, Lian finds a faint but real way to make the damaged advantage leave visible proof. Tess gives him the missing link: a transfer log tying the ledger, a death report, and academy custody together. Racing the countdown, Lian forces open a sealed archive ring in front of witnesses, pulls out a torn ledger page, and confirms the evidence points to a cover-up involving the academy and his family. The win is immediate—but the same power leaves a traceable mark, turning his first proof into a target on his back as the alarm begins to rise.