"Andrea what on earth are you doing next to dog-eyes?!"
'SHE CALLED ME WHAT!!'
I couldn't fathom this insult— I've been insulted before, hundreds of thousands of times. Normally I don't care, but this… this is the last straw, I don't think I've had this much murderous intent in my life or felt this insecure about my eyes. Whilst I had my internal crisis, the dirty-blonde's gaze locked in on a girl, whose name I now know is Andrea, who was dedicating her whole focus to petting Corvus.
"Petting his familiar Liliana." Andrea indifferently answered— her demeanor returned to that of the 'Ice-Queen'. I didn't notice this as I was too busy processing 'Dog-Eyes'. The dirty-blonde whose name I now know to be Liliana's scowl deepened as she looked at Corvus— the little bastard mewled in joy as Andrea petted him.
She raised an eyebrow as she observed Corvus mumbling.
"His familiar…" Liliana's gaze averted to me, by then I had already got over my crisis and went back to being indifferent.
"Dog-eyes, how did you get him?" She spat bitterly.
Hearing that insult, I took a deep breath.
'Oh divine entities of heaven, hell, and in-between… please smite this woman. I will offer three limbs, Leon's bank account, and Corvus' tail in tribute.'
I then looked at her uninterestedly as I leant back in my seat.
"That doesn't concern you."
Liliana flinched as if I had slapped her in the face and started to overflow with rage as she stormed closer— her mana flaring as she grabbed me by the tie. I grit my teeth as I withstood the force of her mana— she glared at me with malice.
"What the fuck did you say you dog-eyed nameless! Doesn't concern me, I am the 2nd ranked first year, the princess of New Washington Awakened Academy and the Great Lorfresca Clan! I SAY WHAT CONCERNS ME!" She roared, her mana so thick it reverberated throughout the room— shaking the tables, the other students trying to maintain their glares at me whilst under the pressure. Andrea was unbothered as she petted Corvus without a care in the world.
Her mana thundered around me like a crashing tide. I blinked.
...Then scratched my nose.
The pressure of Liliana's mana was nothing like Leon's, Leon's would make my bones crack and make breathing difficult. This was just… someone pushing me down. It felt like nothing.
I'm being completely honest, whilst Liliana tried to assert her dominance— I was trying not to laugh. After she was done, I kept my indifferent gaze as I put my hands in mock-fear.
"Oh scary, shiver me fucking timbers! Oh my God you're a spoiled little princess who grew up with a fat golden spoon and has people licking your boots like they're thirsty. Oh no! Whatever will I do? Oh the Clan, the clan, the big scary Clan…"
My gaze goes serious as I bring my hand up to give her a wonderful middle finger.
"Oh go fuck yourselves like I could give a shit!" I spat.
"What… WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" She roared— it was like watching a computer glitch. A beautiful sight indeed.
BRRRRRINGGGG
The school bell rang, signalling the start of lessons.
I stood up— towering over her, I looked down at her literally and figuratively. Calmly, I grabbed her hand and swatted it off my tie.
"Oh boo hoo, cry about it…" I sneered.
Corvus, who had also become quite enraged from this confrontation, snarled at Liliana from my shoulder as I walked down the stairs to leave the classroom. Before I walked out the classroom, I spared a glance to Liliana as I saw her trying to process what just happened, staring incredulously at me. I opened my mouth to say something— instead I shook my head.
"Not even worth my damn time."
I left the classroom just like that.
***
Silence…
Liliana couldn't process the defiance that had taken place— she was 2nd ranked in the first-years, the 'Princess' of both the academy and the great Lorfresca Clan. The students in the class were befuddled too, no one had ever dared to defy any of the top 10 as they were powerful in many ways. Yet the 'Nameless' couldn't give a rat's ass about it.
Andrea on the other hand was quite upset at the fact that she couldn't pet Kerrigan's familiar anymore. She obviously hid it with a stoic expression that the 'Ice Queen' and the 'Regent' is meant to have.
The class burst into whispers and murmurs as they conversed about the unprecedented events which took place. Liliana glared at them— her eyes glinting with unshed tears. That was enough to silence them.
"That fucker is dead." Liliana indifferently spoke.
The malice dripped in her voice, she couldn't take the humiliation— it felt like he'd spat on her pretty face—and made her wear it like war paint.
Disgusting.
Her chest heaved. The silence suffocated her.
No one had ever done that to her.
Not like that.
"Everyone who was present to witness that, speak nothing about it or I'll cut your tongues off myself." She coldly spat at the students around her who were all sharing her sentiments about Kerrigan.
They nodded reverently, a few sycophants going up a notch and stammering.
"Y-yes, Your Highness."
Liliana turned to face Andrea— Liliana blinked rapidly to avoid tears forming in her eyes to prevent whatever dignity she had left.
Liliana clenched her fists, nails biting into her palm. The class slowly emptied, yet she stood frozen, the humiliation still scalding her pride.
Andrea finally spoke, rising from her seat with mechanical grace— looking at Liliana, her head hung low, with indifference.
"I told you not to judge him from some rumors."
Liliana gasped as she turned her head sharply to meet Andrea's cold eyes.
"You're seriously taking his side?"
"What did you expect me to do— start coddling you like a sycophant?" Andrea's icy voice cutting deeper than any blade. "You pushed his buttons. He decided to return the favour. You just couldn't take the fact that he didn't back down like everyone else."
Liliana's breath hitched. For a moment— her tears almost spilled as if she was going to go on a frenzy.
Instead— she avoided Andrea's gaze like a plague.
"I should've killed him there and then."
"Yet you didn't."
The cracks on Liliana's pride began to splinter further but within her conscience there was a festering acknowledgement.
She scoffed as she moved a strand of loose hair behind her ear— muttering bitterly under her breath.
"I'm not going to class."
Andrea tilted her head in confusion— raising a brow "Where are you going then?"
Liliana turned, chin lifted. Her voice was sharp, but faintly shaken.
"My fiance."
Andrea blinked in confusion "Maximus?"
Liliana didn't respond—just walked away, her steps quick, heels clicking with practiced confidence. But her fists were still clenched.
***
I walked out of the classroom whilst rubbing the bridge of my nose.
Dealing with that cluster-fuck of a situation, was exhausting— I made my way through the interiors of the Academy for my first lesson. From my storage ring, I took out my timetable. I had an 'Advanced Analysis of Abyssal Life-Forms' in room A33.
I slipped the paper back into my storage ring and looked up— hordes of students rushing past like a damn stampede. I didn't know where to go so I did the only logical thing, run around until I saw a door engraved with 'A33'.
'Oh it's right here.'
After about 2 minutes of searching, I finally found it— without hesitating I pushed the door open entering my class. As soon as I entered— a voice filled with disdain spat at me.
"Late— sit down."
I look up to see a bespectacled man— young thirties, with hair in a neat comb over. I nod and mumble.
"My apologies professor."
He gave me a subtle sneer as I made my way.
Corvus already hid himself in my hair.
I went up the stairs to a seat at the back corner once again— trying to stay invisible in everyone's eyes. I sat in the cushioned seat and leaned back as I watched from above as if I was an overseer. As I glanced to my right— another boy sat there, sleeping with his head resting on his arms on the desk. I couldn't make out any features as he had a hoodie on.
He tilted his head, glancing at me up and down before nodding. I nodded back and he went back to sleep.
'Finally, a normal person!'
This guy didn't berate me, assert dominance or insult me. As I revelled in my small success of finding a normal person. A loud voice chirped from the classroom door.
"Sorry Professor Hartwell for being late!"
A boy with a calm, unbothered energy that made you either respect him or hate him. Dark skin, cornrows trailed his scalp in perfect symmetry, eyes like he could see your bluff before you even played it.
'Josiah'
A bitter memory resurfaced of him in my mind.
'The rumours were true, Mr.Horton did take in a nameless mutt, look at his eyes.'
Was what he said when I came for my meeting with Headmaster Cassius last week. Although I'm not the smartest tool in the shed— I can remember people well.
Grudges even better.
Don't blame me— I'm petty by nature.
I made it my sole mission to humiliate this guy one way or another in the future.
The professor, whose name I now know to be Professer Hartwell, his change in personality— fucking night and day. He greeted the motherfucker with a warm smile and a gentle voice.
"Oh Josiah, it's alright I won't mark you as late New Washington's Duke. I bet it was something important."
'I BEG YOUR FINEST PARDON?!'
Why did he mark me late then, I was barely 10 seconds late! This fucker was 3 minutes late!
"Thank you so much, Professor!" He chirped, as he hurried to his seat.
Until he stopped dead in his tracks when he noticed something— a certain someone.
'Is he looking at ME?!'
As soon as Josiah noticed my relaxed figure in the back-corner of the lecture hall of a classroom— he smirked.
"Is that Nameless— sorry Kerrigan right?"
I furrowed my brows when this bastard put the spotlight on me once again— seriously I was trying my best to stay low but these fuckers really don't like me for some reason.
Within a second, everyone's gazes snapped at me, even Professor Hartwell who looked at me with a scowl. What did I even do to him?
"..."
I didn't reply back to Josiah as I just sat there— gazing at him uninterestedly, not a hint of emotion on my pale face.
Josiah's eyebrow twitched for only a moment, the professor bellowed from the front; a voice filled with disgust.
"Child— reply to Duke Josiah Adeyemi of Magnolias' question this instant, he outranks you ten-fold."
I blinked slowly at Professor Hartwell, deadpan. Monotonously answering.
"Professor, respectfully, he doesn't outrank me ten-fold— my rank is to be determined after the New Year's ranking tournament."
Instantly everyone's gazes hardened as if I had cussed out their families. I could feel shock, hate and prejudice boiling in their gazes. All except Josiah— who kept his infuriating smile, smiling wider after my rebuttal.
The kid who sat to my right glanced at me with a bewildered gaze— a smile creeping his lips. He had hazelnut eyes and a light tan on his skin.
He mumbled quietly so that only I could hear.
"Crazy bugger."
'Ah, he's Australian.'
He had a thick Aussie accent. I glanced at him as he laid his head on his arms again but looking at the scene below us.
I was starting to like this guy.
Professor Hartwell looked ready to rupture a vein. His face had gone full tomato. As he was about to explode— Josiah beat him to it, but he didn't explode. There was a flicker in Josiah's eyes—barely there, but I caught it. Not anger. Not smugness. Something colder. Cautious.
Turning his head to face the professor.
"It's alright professor, there's nothing wrong with what he said."
I tilted my head in confusion, Liliana fucking exploded when I talked back to her. He's definitely planning something.
"Professor, is it alright if me and my friends sit next to him— he's only joined so he won't know about what we covered. Just to help him."
'LIES' A disembodied voice whispered in my mind.
I was already suspicious that he was planning something— Whisper of Verity just affirmed it.
Professor Hartwell's rage simmered— glancing from me to his star student.
"Yes, Duke Adeyemi, you can." He huffed exasperatedly.
"Make sure he learns." he added spitefully.
'Yeah fuck you too teach!'
Josiah's smile widened revealing a set of pearly-white teeth— with a brisk pace he walked up the steps to the back row. Planting himself besides me— to my disdain, it took everything in me not to audibly sigh.
Soon two other students followed him— assumedly his 'friends' he spoke about. One was quite tall and had a burly build— very, I could see the outline of his quads. The other was shorter but had an athletic build, he had that cocky smirk anyone would hate.
These two then planted themselves next to Josiah.
I bit my lip in frustration— my day was already a dumpster fire, now gasoline was added to the mix.
This was the first lesson.
"If certain guests are done making a spectacle this morning, maybe we can begin." Professor Hartwell bitterly spat.
The lesson's topic was about the Blood-trees in the blood forest.
"Blood-trees are scavengers and necrophiles— they feed off the corpses of any life-forms, fusing it to their structure…"
I already knew the lesson content. Horrid memories resurfaced in my mind— when I killed Corvus' mother, technically ended her suffering. The way it grabbed her corpse, mangling it— bones snapping.
Unbeknownst to me— my hands were trembling, a lot.I hadn't realized how deeply Point Zero had buried itself in me—until my hands began to tremble, unbidden, just at the sound of a name. PTSD was hitting me full-swing.
The sound of snapping bones echoed in my ears again, like they had that day—wet, crunching, final. My hands wouldn't stop shaking. My body remembered what my mind tried to forget.
Josiah didn't fail to notice.
Audible enough for me to hear, he remarked snarkily to his friends.
"Look at our little Nameless here— shaking like the mutt he is at a tree."
His friends quietly chuckled.
I didn't care at all what they thought. What I went through was real.
If they went through what I did— they wouldn't be breathing.
Professor Hartwell then faced the rows of students.
"Can anyone describe the process at which a Blood-Tree fuses with its sustenance?"
Josiah shot his hand up— almost yelling.
"Kerrigan wants to!"
I kissed my lips— I really want to kill this guy.