Harlan swallowed hard, realizing far too late that he had said the wrong thing. The silence in the room stretched, thick and suffocating. Alex’s sharp gaze made several students flinch. "It doesn’t matter," he said, his tone cold and unwavering. "But I will make sure you all understand what unity means, what respect is, and what discipline truly entails." With that, he turned back toward the stone platform, sweeping his eyes over the assembled students. "It seems a single punishment isn’t enough to instill a proper sense of discipline. So, from now on, we’ll be implementing a ‘continuous punishment system.’”
A murmur of confusion rippled through the crowd. The students who had been standing looked at each other, uneasy. Alex, sensing their lack of understanding, explained in a calm but firm voice. "If someone breaks the rules for the first time, they will do 50 push-ups. If a person accumulates two infractions, I will take it as a failure of their entire year group to guide them properly. In that case, everyone in that year will be punished. "And if a student violates discipline three times, I will consider it a failure of their entire gender to hold their peers accountable. At that point, the whole school will take responsibility for correcting them.”
A collective shiver ran through the younger students. Some felt their legs go weak as they processed the implication. If one person messed up, an entire year level would be punished? Worse, if it happened three times, the entire school? The three students who had just been disciplined turned pale. When they looked at their classmates, they could see the resentment in their eyes. "What are you waiting for?" Alex’s voice cut through the tension like a knife. "All second, third, and fourth years—get ready for push-ups. If there’s not enough space on the steps, find an open area."
His tone left no room for negotiation. The students hesitated for only a moment before scattering across the open spaces. Then, one by one, they dropped to the ground and began. Under Alex’s unyielding supervision, the third years forced their way through 50 push-ups, their arms shaking, sweat dripping from their brows. Due to the sheer number of students being punished, the stone platform, the open space in front of the steps, and even the gaps between tables were all filled with people. Those who had managed to avoid punishment stood in awkward silence, watching their classmates struggle.
Even those who had never broken a single rule found the experience unsettling. Many of the students being punished were girls, and for some of them, 50 push-ups might as well have been 500. Whimpers of pain filled the air, bodies trembled, and sweat pooled beneath their hands.
The unsettling sight of so many students suffering together sent a wave of unease through those watching. Finally, the ordeal ended. The punished students staggered to their feet, drenched in sweat, panting for breath. As for the three repeat offenders, though they had grown somewhat accustomed to physical discipline from their frequent punishments, the psychological weight of being responsible for an entire year’s suffering was far heavier.
Alex's gaze was as sharp as ever as he addressed the crowd. "This concludes today’s punishment for breaking discipline. Let this be a lesson to all of you. If you break the rules again, the consequences will escalate. And for the rest of you—remember, it is also your responsibility to help your peers uphold discipline."
The punished students exhaled in relief, though their classmates' expressions were harder to read. Some were angry, others sympathetic. But before anyone could dwell too long, Alex dropped another bombshell. "While the day’s disciplinary matters have been settled, there is still another issue. This time, concerning the exam."
The murmurs started before he even finished his sentence. "I am very disappointed to announce that someone was caught cheating during this month’s exam."
Instantly, the common room erupted. Cheating? In an exam that determined house rankings? Who would be foolish enough to do such a thing?Harlan Crestmoor felt his stomach drop. A wave of cold rushed up from his feet, leaving him frozen in place.
Slowly, he raised his head toward the stone platform, only to find Alex looking directly at him. His heart skipped a beat. He knew. The clever little tricks that had served him so well, the methods he’d been so proud of—it was all worthless. The Prefect had seen through everything. "Harlan Crestmoor," Alex called out, his voice eerily calm. "Do you have anything to say? Perhaps an excuse?"
The common room fell silent. Every head turned toward Harlan. His fellow third-years stared in shock, some whispering amongst themselves, others simply frozen in disbelief. Even Victor, who had always been friendly with Harlan, looked stunned. Harlan’s body trembled as he forced himself to stand. His lips felt dry, his throat tight. "I… I’m sorry, Prefect," he stammered. "I admit it. I was just afraid. I struggle with so many subjects, and I didn’t want to drag my year down."
Alex’s expression remained unreadable. "So you decided to trample on the honor of your house? To spit on the hard work of every student who studied honestly?"
Harlan’s legs nearly buckled under him. "I’m sorry," he whispered, his voice hoarse. "I disgraced my house, and my fellow third years. If you’re going to punish someone, punish me alone."
The memory of the earlier punishment still burned in everyone’s minds, and Harlan knew that if Alex decided to enforce collective punishment for this, he’d never be able to face his classmates again. But Alex didn’t even blink. "It’s not cowardly to take responsibility for your actions. But do you think my rules are so easily dismissed?"
Harlan could barely breathe. "Your cheating has given you results that do not reflect your actual ability," Alex declared. "Therefore, all of your exam scores will be reset to zero. Do you accept this punishment?"
"I accept," Harlan said, his face deathly pale. The weight of being publicly shamed in front of everyone felt worse than a death sentence, but he had no room to argue.
Alex, his expression unmoving, continued, "And since you belong to the third-years, they’ll also share in the consequences of your actions. All grades and honors of the third-year class will be wiped clean—including those from your first year. This includes all personal honors and rankings, even your grade leader, Victor." His voice remained eerily calm. "Harlan, do you accept? Victor, do you have any objections?"
A stunned silence followed. Harlan felt like he'd been struck by lightning. His mind went blank as the full weight of the punishment sank in. His lips trembled as he turned his head, his eyes darting to his classmates and then to Victor.