Lahat ng Kabanata ng Exhaustion Scapegoat: 100x Exam Eve Rebound: Kabanata 1 - Kabanata 10

"Lavender Lyon, you're on your last chance. If you can't fix your habit of sleeping in class and can't reach the admission cutoff score for second-tier colleges in the upcoming mock exam, we will have no choice but to make you repeat a year. "You'll also have to return the 50-thousand-dollar scholarship that we awarded you for being the top scorer in the high school entrance exam," said Elton Sanford, the Dean of Studies, in a grave voice.I nodded numbly as I clutched the official notice stating that I might have to repeat my senior year and return my scholarship. With my head hung low, I walked out of the office.The phone in my pocket vibrated. I swiped to answer and heard Mom's stern voice, barely holding back her suppressed fury.She scolded, "The dean just called us! You've humiliated your father and me, Lavender! How did we end up with such a useless daughter? You're absolutely hopeless! If you end up having to pay back the full amount of your scholarship, you figure it out

The next day, I said I needed to go home to take care of some school withdrawal procedures.Sylvia didn't suspect a thing. She even thoughtfully helped me pack my luggage.She reminded kindly, "Be careful on the road, Lav. Come back as soon as you're done, okay?""Yeah." I nodded, looking at her pretentious smiling face and feeling nothing but ice-cold hatred inside.I didn't go home. Instead, I called my grandmother and told her about my suspicions. She told me to go to the mystic arts street in an old neighborhood to seek help from her fellow junior practitioner.Kylian Slade held a magnifying glass and carefully examined the rune symbols I had drawn."Where did you see this, Lavender?" he asked solemnly with a very grave expression."It was on a friend's protective charm," I lied.Kylian shook his head and said, "This is no protective charm! This is a very malicious transfer spell. It is also known as 'the misfortune substitute.' It can transfer one person's bad luck, illnes

On the night before the SATs, Sylvia and I booked a room at a hotel near the exam venue.She sat at the desk, and the lamplight stretched her shadow long behind her. She was full of confidence as she prepared for a final sprint before the actual exam. To her, the exam that determined countless people's fates was nothing more than something that was already in her grasp.Now and then, she turned to glance at me.I lay on the bed with the blanket over my head and lay completely still. It seemed as if I were already fast asleep.She let out a contemptuous laugh and turned back to continue studying. After all, a piece of trash that had already been drained of all its value wasn't worth any more of her attention. All she needed to do was to maintain her best condition and welcome her victory tomorrow.Meanwhile, my despair and constant sleeping were the perfect supplement to her energy.When it was midnight, I could feel that invisible pulling force becoming stronger than ever before.

An ambulance took Sylvia away. She was diagnosed with acute shock, accompanied by a high fever and severe neurasthenia. The doctor said it was caused by long-term fatigue and excessive mental stress. So, she had to be hospitalized immediately and put on a long-term recovery plan.The exam in which she had been so certain she would come out on top ended dramatically for her.The lovesick Jeffrey even gave up taking the exam and went to the hospital to care for her.I finished my test paper quickly and left the exam hall early.The sunlight was just right that day. It felt warm but not scorching against my skin. I took a deep breath and found that the air no longer carried that suffocating exhaustion.Back at the hotel, I took out the notice stating I might be repeating the year from the depths of my backpack. I stared at my name on it for a moment. Then, I smiled lightly and tore it into pieces.The scraps of paper fluttered down like snowflakes into the trash can.The Lavender

Sylvia stayed in the hospital for half a month. Her condition was terrible. Although she had been saved and was recovering from going into severe shock, it seemed like all of her life force had been drained away. The whole ordeal had left her extremely weak.She remained lethargic and groggy every day, unable to muster interest in anything. In fact, she was worse off than I had been because I had passively endured the siphoning of my energy. She, however, suffered the full backlash of actively draining me. So, it was far more severe for her.The doctor said she needed long-term rest. Not to mention the SATs, even repeating a year would be difficult for her to sustain. Her parents completed the required procedures for a leave of absence and took her home.Jeffrey fell into a state of despair and stayed by her hospital bed all day. However, Sylvia showed only impatience and disgust toward him.Having lost all the positive energy and qualities that she had stolen from me, she also