Breakfast was quickly forgotten the moment Rhea glanced at the notification flashing on her phone screen. Her eyes narrowed as she stared at the notification that popped up before she could take her leave.
Orientation has commenced in the auditorium– time adjusted overnight.
Of course it had– Rhea exhaled inwardly. She hadn't checked the Nova academy site or glanced at her updated timetable– not once since she arrived. Callista had told her all the critical updates would be posted there, but between unpacking and settling in, she hadn't found a moment to care.
With a quiet sigh, she slipped her phone back into her bag and turned toward the auditorium. The hum that had once lingered on her lips faded into silence as she followed the flow of students toward the auditorium, and the scrutinizing stares never seemed to drop.
It got to a point Rhea couldn't take it anymore, and she met their gazes head-on, her expression unreadable but edged with a challenge. It was almost as if she was asking 'well? Have you never seen someone walk before?' and her eyes narrowed ever so slightly.
That was all it took, and the students quickly averted their eyes, picking up their pace. They murmured amongst themselves as they hurried ahead, and Rhea could not give a fuck, even when she knew half of the conversation whispered was certainly about her. What she did for everyone to suddenly start gossiping about her, she didn't know, and neither has she even started.
When she made it to the auditorium, which looked like a massive conference hall rather than anything school-related, she halted at the entrance. Rows of cushions descended toward a stage lit by ceiling spotlights, and massive LED panels displayed: WELCOME TO NOVARION ACADEMY in full view.
"What the-" Rhea took a step forward, noticing the auditorium was completely empty. The entire hall was still, and not a single soul occupied the rows of seats or loitered near the stage. Confused as to what was really going on, she pulled out her phone and checked the notification again, her brows furrowing, and just as she expected, it clearly stated that orientation had already begun.
Was this a mistake? A prank? Was someone spreading false information? That couldn't be. If the message had gone out to everyone, the room wouldn't be this deserted. So why was she the only one here? Unless she was the only who got the notification? But how is that even possible?
Her instincts prickled, and since she didn't have a good feeling about what was going to happen if she lingered longer, she was already pivoting to leave when a voice rang out behind her.
"Is she the one?"
Rhea froze at the voice she guessed was certainly talking about her. She turned back slowly, and her gaze landed on five students who hadn't been there seconds ago. They stood casually inside the empty auditorium now, and there were three males with two females.
They were dressed in the Novarion uniform, but with slight, deliberate modifications that made their presence feel… elevated, if that made enough sense. Their posture exuded confidence, even entitlement, and their uniforms bore one unmissable detail; a golden crest pinned proudly to their lapels, and instantly, Rhea knew who they were.
"Are you… new students?" she asked cautiously, her smile gone. Her fingers tightened around her phone as she carried on. "I got a notification saying orientation started. I skipped breakfast to be here, but clearly, it's not happening, is it?"
One of the boys stepped forward. Tall, lean, and sharp-eyed, he studied her like one might examine a stray puzzle piece.
"We sent the notification," he said flatly, unapologetically. It was almost as if he was expecting her to feel honored to be in their midst. "If you received it, then you must be the girl Kael picked. His new toy, perhaps. Cause why else would he pick a newbie."
His eyes swept over her with thinly veiled disdain, and whether he was impressed or not, Rhea couldn't care one bit.
"I just don't get it," he said, his tone unmistakably sharp. "You don't look like you belong here– not with us. Can't believe he swapped out Cassandra for this thing. For someone who wears sunglasses during daytime. Seriously?"
The bitterness in his voice was undeniably palpable, and whatever this confrontation was about, it clearly ran deep
Rhea blinked slowly, unfazed by his temper, and she pondered on the name he mentioned. Cassandra meant nothing to her, but the name he mentioned before that did. Her mind flicked back to the guy she met at the pond– the one who'd mention Kael Millers. It was almost as if a trigger in her memory had been pulled, and she instantly recalled Callista had mentioned that name as well.
Was he the one pulling the strings?
"So what– you're saying I was tricked into coming here?" She asked, her eyes shifting from one face to the next among the five. "Well noted."
She then dropped her bag to the ground and crouched, unzipping a side pocket with deliberate slowness. "Also, I don't know who any of you are. And to be honest, I don't give a fuck either."
From the pocket, she pulled out the golden crest she'd kept tucked away. She handed it back to them, her expression unreadable.
"You dropped this in my dorm, so I'm returning it back." The group stared, visibly stunned as she stepped forward to place the crest into the guy's hand. "I have a better idea. You can give it back to… this Cassandra you mentioned. It makes not even a little difference to me, I'm sorry if you were expecting something else."
From the look on her face, it was pretty obvious her apology was sarcastic, and that only grated on their nerves. She was really returning what majority, or at least 90% of the students would die to have in this academy. They refused to believe it, even when the crest was right in their grasp as proof of her disinterest.
Rhea continued, "Just– let's not do this again, alright? I skipped breakfast thanks to this nonsense and fifty percent of my mood was destroyed. I don't want your crest, and I'm not interested in whatever drama you people have going on. Count me out of it, okay?"
Rhea didn't give them a chance to retort before she turned on her heel, which was nothing short of a slap to their faces, and this time, she made sure she was out of that door. Not only was she hungry, but she was angry now too.
Fuck them. Fuck the students. Fuck their stupid ranks. Fuck this School and fuck even the universe too.
—--
While the classroom buzzed with quiet activity, Elira sat hunched over her desk, her eyes scanning the text in front of her. Since the days she spent in the hospital, she hadn't been able to keep up with her reading, and now the pressure was mounting.
With the current grading system, every point mattered, and falling behind wasn't an option she could afford. If she didn't outperform the majority of her classmates, her scores would plummet, and that was the last thing she needed.
Determined, she buried herself in the pages, her lips slightly parted in concentration. The peacefulness she was starting to get accustomed to was soon interrupted when the sudden swipe of her books off the table shattered her focus.
Her body stiffened, and she prayed deep down in the depths of her heart that it wasn't who she thought it was.
Of course, luck wasn't on her side, cause the moment she raised her gaze, standing before her was no one other than Nesta Hinderman. A wave of cold washed over her as if all the blood had drained from her face. Her breath hitched, and flanking beside Nesta were her ever-present companions.
Around them, the room shifted. Her classmates leaned forward or subtly turned their heads away, instinctively distancing themselves from the brewing company. No one wanted to be involved. They knew better than to mess with Nesta and her fellow squads.
"N….Nesta?" Elira's voice cracked under the weight of fear, and all three of them wore smirks that only spelled trouble.
"I see you survived," Nesta said coolly, her gaze dropping to the metal braces strapped around Elira's legs. Her lips curled at the sight, and it wasn't out of sympathy, but satisfaction. "Aren't you poor? How did a charity case like you manage something so expensive? Hm? Tell me, Elira— who paid for your shiny little legs? Got yourself a sugar daddy?"
Immediately, Elira shook her head, her heart pounding in her chest, her pulse hammering in her ears. She was nothing but a prey surrounded by three predators, and her eyes burned with tears cause she was certain, more than certain that they wouldn't leave her alone unless they satisfied their sadistic urges.
"And here we were thinking you were just a pathetic little virgin who cares only about her grades and books," Stacy uttered with a condescending smirk. "Those braces must've cost more than your entire bloodline. Did you visit the doctor? When did he say you'd be able to walk again, hm? Did he mention that even the disabled can still have their legs spread wide and fucked senselessly to get paid? Is that how you were able to pay for your treatment? Or is becoming a whore your last option now, our sweet Elira?"
Elira flinched like she'd been struck, and her knuckles turned white.
"We haven't come here to hurt you," Nesta cooed, feigning innocence upon noticing the tears swimming in her eyes. "We were actually being thoughtful. We noticed you didn't show up for breakfast. So, we brought it to you."
With a predators grace, she slid onto Elira's desk and signaled lazily over her shoulder. Her other companion, Mirene, stepped forward with a tray, and the food was covered. Whatever was on that plate, Elira knew it wasn't meant to nourish her but to only humiliate her further.
"Thjnk of it as an apology," Nesta said sweetly, her smile insincere and sharp. "For everything we did to you. You can accept it, or we can show you—"
Before Nesta could speak further, another voice interrupted them, slicing through the venomous atmosphere like a blade.
"I believe that's my seat." Rhea's voice caught Elira's attention. She looked up and spotted Rhea standing at the front of the class, calm and unbothered as usual. Every eye in the room snapped to her, and confusion, mixed with disbelief rippled through the air.
Elira looked up, her vision blurred by unshed tears, and she clung to that voice like a lifeline.
"Rhea."