Chapter 3
I opened the door, half expecting one of his little lapdogs, and I wasn't disappointed. A tall guy with greasy blond hair and a nose that looked like it had been broken one too many times stood there, smirking like he'd just delivered a death sentence.
"Well?" he said, looking me up and down like I was something stuck to his shoe. "Move it. Don't keep Dante waiting."
I stared at him for a moment, silent. In Lucian's memories, this guy's name was Mace, Dante's second favorite mutt.
"Well, I need to take a shower. The blood sticking on my skin feels too uncomfortable, and as you can see, I already took off my shirt." I said casually, looking up at him blankly.
Mace blinked, clearly thrown off, he must have expected a different response. "You think Dante's gonna wait for you to—"
"Dante can wait," I cut in, my tone flat but laced with just enough bite to make him shut his mouth mid-word. "Or maybe you should run back and tell him his errand boy failed to drag me in right away. I'm sure he'll reward you for that."
"Are you insane? What the hell do you—"
I looked up at him, the expression on my face gone. I only had five percent of my powers left, but that five percent was enough to ruin this brat, I was already pissed as it was, he really needed to guard his tongue before i lost it.
"Leave, I'll come after I take a shower." I said coldly, glaring at him. I could clearly see he was taken by surprise due to the sudden shift in my expression, something he never expected he'd see from Lucian, or maybe my demonic aura was what scared him away, because he suddenly nodded like an obedient lab rat.
"Alright, I'll report back to Dante." With that, he turned around and left. I exhaled, closing the door and heading straight for the bathroom.
Showering took about ten minutes, I changed into fresh clothes which were the academy's uniform, then headed straight for the training hall where Dante always waited for Lucian. The same spot where Lucian had been beaten to a pulp so many times.
The hall was filled with students, clearly waiting for the drama that was about to play out. I looked around, scanning each of their faces, most of them had that mocking expression on their faces which I hated the most. Memories flashed in my head, me in the past, getting stoned at, people gathered around me watching and laughing.
And then Lucian's memories also flashed in my head, him getting kicked at, beaten, laughed at, mocked. We were a lot similar, the only difference was that he remained a coward even till death, and for me, I chose to rise up and become the oppressor instead of remaining the oppressed.
"You're taking a lot of time to get here, want me to have you dragged over here?" Dante's voice cut through my thoughts sharply, his tone was cold, mocking, and it made my blood boil. What gave him the damn write to talk down to me.
I looked up at him, and there he was...seated on the bleachers, several of his minions standing around and behind him. He sat like he owned the place, like he was the king here.
My lips curled slightly, how would it feel to get humiliated publicly by the one person he always looked down on. I was more than eager to find out.
Without saying anything, I walked forward. I could feel all their eyes digging through my flesh. I stood still once I got to the bleachers, my hands clasped behind my back.
"Mace here told me how boldly you acted today. I guess you've grown some back bone huh." Dante asked with a smirk, pointing to Mace who lay unconscious and bloodied on the floor just beside where I stood.
That was how Dante rolled, he never forgave, he never gave excuses for failure, And was more than happy to deal with anyone who messed up, in his own fucked up ways. He loved power and control, just like I did. The only difference between us was that he loved messing with the weak, while I loved messing with the strong.
I didn't give a damn about weak brats, I only compete with the strong, I only crushed the strong, all for one reason, to reach the top.
I remained quiet, not answering his question. I didn't like talking too much, and no way was I bringing myself down to exchange words with such an inferior being.
The smirk on Dante's face twitched at my silence, like he couldn't decide if I was ignoring him out of stupidity or audacity.
"Cat got your tongue?" he leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on his knees. "Or did Mace knock your brain loose before he came running to me?"
I didn't reply, my cold eyes remained fixed on him as I looked up.
Dante's smirk widened again, but this time it didn't quite reach his eyes. "You've changed, Lucian," he said, almost testing the words. "Usually, you'd be shaking right about now. Maybe even on your knees, begging me not to break your ribs again."
A few chuckles erupted from the bleachers. I let them laugh. Fucking pathetic people feeding his ego. They were all starting to piss me off
"You talk too much," I said flatly.
The laughter died faster than it started. Dante's expression hardened, his face turning blank as he stared at me like I'd just committed an abomination. His minions straightened, ready to pounce at the smallest signal.
"You want to say that again?" Dante asked, his voice dropping in a cold dare.
"I said," I took a step closer to him, "you talk too much. If you're going to try and make a point, then make it. Otherwise, you're just wasting my time."
It was like I'd slapped him without lifting a hand. The crowd's silence was deafening now, every pair of eyes darting between us like they couldn't believe what they'd just heard.