Becoming the Wind
Chapter 21 - 20 Possession

Chapter 21: Chapter 20 Possession

Sylphia stared at her first exam paper. Her eyes tried to read line by line, but the more she read, the blurrier the meaning became. The letters seemed to dance, and the meaning behind the sentences slowly vanished into the fog within her mind.

’Father... what should I do? I don’t understand any of this,’ she whispered in her mind, keeping her eyes fixed on the paper to avoid drawing the proctor’s attention.

’That’s normal, dear. These questions were actually made for the intermediate class, not for applicants like you.’

’How do you know that, Father?’

’Before, while I was away, I followed Elwenna’s proctor. She went to report to Professor Varneth—he’s the one behind this exam. Seems like Varneth doesn’t like Professor Sirton, who recommended you. So, he instructed Bernath, this exam’s proctor, to give you unreasonable questions just to bring you down.’

Sylphia snorted softly.

’No wonder the proctor’s face looks so annoying. Then what should I do, Father?’

’Don’t worry. I’ll take over.’

’Huh? How?’

’Just give me a moment.’

Reyhan drifted slightly away from Sylphia, the gentle current of his presence brushing through the room as he took a silent, steadying breath.

’Even though I said not to worry... I actually have no idea what the answers to these questions are either,’ he muttered, scratching a head that no longer had a physical form. ’System, you sure you can help, right?’

[Processing... Analyzing mental condition of target: Sylphia Astheris]

[Question identification: Level Intermediate Education — Elf Standard Curriculum]

[Solution available. Offering direct procedure.]

[Host may temporarily take over the target’s body with the following procedure:

1. Touch the target’s head for 10 seconds.

2. Target’s consciousness will be temporarily disabled.

3. Host will take over the target’s body, and the System will transmit data and answers directly to the central nervous system.]*

’You sure this is safe?’

[100% safe. No mental or spiritual damage.]

’Alright. I trust you.’

Reyhan returned to Sylphia.

’Father, are you ready now?’ asked Sylphia.

’Yes, don’t worry. I’ll touch your head for ten seconds. After that, you’ll fall asleep for a bit. When you wake up, everything will be done.’

’Are you sure, Father?’

’Absolutely sure.’

’...Alright.’

Reyhan gently placed his palm on Sylphia’s head.

[Initiating... Neural Sleep Trigger in 3... 2... 1...]

Sylphia’s body went limp. Her head dropped onto the desk with a loud thud.

THUMP!

Some participants turned reflexively, but couldn’t fully shift their gaze. The sensor rings on their fingers kept their focus locked on their exam papers, making their heads feel heavy if they tried looking elsewhere.

Bernath, sitting at the side of the room, smiled smugly.

’Kekeke... as expected. That girl gave up. Mission accomplished.’ He crossed his arms in a pompous manner. ’Just let her sleep. This is her last day at the academy.’

However... moments later, Sylphia’s body rose with swift, decisive movement.

The motion made Bernath leap from his seat with a loud crash that shattered the room’s silence.

"Wh-What the—?!"

Bernath instinctively covered his mouth with both hands, like a noblewoman spotting a rat beneath the dinner table. Some participants grew more curious and began to wonder.

’What was that just now?’

’Why did the proctor shout?’

’What’s going on?’

Yet none of them could find out more. The magic rings still restricted their vision.

Bernath, still covering his mouth, quickly straightened his posture. Not only did he feel embarrassed being seen by the students, but he also realized his assistants were staring at him from the sides of the room. His eyes met one of theirs.

"Ahem," he mumbled softly, masking his shame with a fake cough.

His assistants, understanding the signal, promptly looked away, pretending nothing had happened.

Bernath folded his arms, pretending to observe other examinees while glancing at Sylphia from the corner of his eye.

’What’s with that little girl? Did she suddenly get a pep talk from her parents... while she was asleep?’

Meanwhile, Reyhan, now in Sylphia’s body, remained silent.

’So this is what it feels like to possess a body... a bit strange. Maybe because it’s a little girl’s frame,’ he muttered, looking at the small hands, then moving her fingers.

The body felt foreign, but still manageable. He looked down, glancing at the exam paper on the desk. It was still open on the first question.

’So this is the test that’s troubling my daughter? Just watch... I’ll conquer all of these. Well... I mean, the System will.’

’System, let’s begin now.’

[Control mode activated.]

[Question analysis: complete. Transmitting answers through motor coordination.]

Sylphia’s small hands began to write fluently. Every movement was steady, precise, and swift, as if she knew exactly what she was doing.

Bernath couldn’t believe his eyes. The girl who had appeared to be asleep... was now writing at lightning speed. Her pencil danced across the paper without pause, as if she didn’t need to think at all.

’Is she just writing random answers? Maybe she’s rushing just to finish it,’ he thought suspiciously, frowning.

Curious, Bernath stood from his seat. He walked over slowly, pretending to monitor the examinees. Once he reached Sylphia’s desk, he stopped and carefully examined her paper.

His old eyes scanned each question the girl was answering. Her small handwriting was neat, and—what made him freeze—her answers... were correct.

’Impossible... this girl... is she possessed by a professor’s spirit? Or cursed by some ancient ruins?’ he panicked. But then shook his head. ’Nonsense. That’s absurd.’

His mind became more chaotic.

’If she answers all of them correctly... I might fail to bring her down. And if Varneth finds out I failed... I could be fired. Or worse, executed!’

Cold sweat began to form on his temples.

But when his eyes glanced toward the top right corner of the room, his breath eased a little. Hanging there was a Spirit Surveillance Crystal—shaped like a glowing red eye. It recorded everything during the exam. Like some kind of ancient CCTV in Worein.

’If I act now... everything will be recorded.’ Bernath gritted his teeth, trying to suppress his frustration.

He took a deep breath, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and returned to his seat.

’Let her be. Once it’s over... I’ll just alter her results. Easy.’

The exam continued. Five minutes passed. Eight. Ten. Then finally...

Fifteen minutes.

Sylphia—or rather, Reyhan in her body—stood up and calmly walked toward the proctor’s desk.

"I’m finished, sir."

The voice was clear and firm. Though soft like a child’s, there was a confident tone that momentarily froze the room.

The participants widened their eyes. An exam meant to last an hour... completed in fifteen minutes. And the one who finished it was a six-year-old girl. Even more shocking, the exam questions were meant for intermediate class.

Bernath stared at her, eyes wide. Even though he had witnessed it himself earlier, he still couldn’t believe it.

"Y-You... you’re finished?" he asked, his voice nearly choking.

The other participants couldn’t look, but they recognized Verin voice.

Yurelia smiled slightly from her seat, her eyes shining with admiration. ’That was amazing, Verin. But I won’t lose to you.’

Prince Daniel gave a slight smirk. ’That’s exactly how a girl who dares reject me should be.’

Velissa, on the other hand, clenched her fists until her knuckles turned white. ’Damn it... she beat me again! No... she must’ve guessed randomly. If I can get a perfect score, I’ll surpass her.’

Meanwhile, Reyhan—still inside his daughter’s body—stood firmly in front of the proctor’s desk. Before leaving, he looked at Bernath with a blank smile and said:

"Thank you, sir... for the very challenging questions."

Then, he casually raised his middle finger.

Bernath’s eyes bulged. His mouth slightly opened. His eyebrows rose slowly.

He stared at Sylphia’s tiny hand... then back at her innocent face. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. But he tried to stay calm.

"Uh... you’re welcome. But... what does that hand gesture mean?"

Sylphia—or rather, Reyhan—smiled sweetly.

’Yeah... of course people in this world wouldn’t know what this means.’

She lowered her hand gracefully.

"It means thank you, sir. That’s what my Father told me."

Bernath nodded slowly, accepting the explanation without suspicion.

"Oh... I see. Very well. You may leave now."

Sylphia bowed politely, then walked out with a light step.

From behind the door, her footsteps gradually faded. Yet the ripple she left in that exam room... would echo far longer than the time she spent completing the test.