"Pffft."
The class burst into laughter after recovering from the initial shock of her question. Disbelief turned to mutters and snickering, whispers slicing through the air like sharp daggers.
Even the teacher glanced at Mira with a pitiful look, the kind that said you couldn't even afford your school fees, and you're asking for a form that costs double that? His silence was louder than words. He didn't answer her question. Instead, he calmly picked up his books and began walking out of the classroom, completely ignoring her as if she hadn't said anything.
But Mira? Mira didn't flinch.
Let them stare. Let them whisper and laugh and mock. She didn't care.
She cleared her throat again.
And just like that, with her voice clear and unwavering, she repeated her question.
The room erupted.
They now believed she was either completely mad or simply foolish. The teacher paused, looking at her with an expression that said at least I tried to help you, then reluctantly turned around to explain.
He began walking them through the process of how to apply. It was an online form—accessible only through your mobile phone. You had to create an account on the Lycanridge portal, fill out your personal data, upload all required credentials and supporting documents, and finally submit it online. Simple. But definitely not cheap.
Mira nodded along and muttered a polite, "Thank you, sir."
The teacher, curious, asked, "So... you really want to apply?"
She replied without hesitation, "Yeah. I do."
A loud cackle tore through the back of the class.
Then a girl's voice followed, thick with sarcasm and cruelty, "Haa! I'm sure you're daft."
The rest of the class erupted again.
"You couldn't afford your school fees—you barely manage to pay each term—and now you want to apply for Lycanridge?! Hah!" she sneered. "The application form alone is double the school fees you struggle to afford. Not to talk of Lycanridge's actual tuition fee."
She rolled her eyes dramatically, then added with a smirk, tapping her chin like she was thinking deeply, "Maybe you can afford it... if your mum agrees to sleep with every man in this town."
The class exploded into full-blown laughter. Even some of the quiet students let out low chuckles.
But Mira?
She just shrugged. Cool. Unbothered. Dangerous.
"If you say so," she said, her voice flat and bored. "We'll see who has the last laugh."
Then she turned back to what she was doing like nothing had happened.
The girl's face twisted. Offended. Humiliated. She began rising from her seat to confront Mira directly, but the teacher, catching on fast, stepped in before things could explode.
He raised a calming hand. "Enough. That's enough."
The class reluctantly settled. The rest of the lesson passed in a dragging blur of whispers and side-eyes, but Mira didn't care. She sat through it all, enduring the boredom until the final bell rang.
And the moment it did, she was the first to leave.
When she arrived home, the house was quiet. Empty. Her mother and brother weren't around.
Good.
She slumped on the couch with a sigh of relief, pulling her phone from her bag. If they'd been home, there was no way she'd be able to do what she was about to do. They would've bombarded her with insults, locked the phone, and made sure she didn't dare apply.
But they weren't here.
And she had a mission.
Her fingers moved quickly, pulling up the online application portal the teacher had described. Step by step, she followed the process. She filled in her name, age, former school, uploaded the documents she had, and scrolled through the form, until—
Payment.
Her finger froze.
The price stared back at her.
Double her current school fees. And more.
No wonder they'd laughed. No wonder they'd mocked. The numbers were painful to look at. This wasn't a form fee—it was a warning to the poor to stay away.
Left to her, she'd never have dreamt of doing this.
But this wasn't about dreams. This was a deal.
She reached into her bag again and pulled out something sleek and sharp.
A black card.
The same black card that man—Dray—had given her. The one who made the deal. The one who promised to cover all expenses related to the application.
"Only what's necessary," he had told her. "Don't push it."
That man... he was cold. Shrewd. Dangerous.
There was something darker behind his smile. Something twisted hiding beneath his offer.
He was using her.
And she knew it.
But he'd regret ever choosing her.
He'd see that she wasn't some weak desperate girl. She'd make him wish he'd picked someone else.
A small smirk curled on her lips as the transaction processed.
Payment successful.
The form unlocked instantly, and Mira could now access the full application.
Her eyes scanned the fields quickly—her name, address, phone number, prior academic records. Then came the last part.
Three reasons why you want to attend Lycanridge Academy.
Mira chuckled.
What if I don't want to attend?
What if I just want to screw over the people who think they're using me?
They told her to apply.
They didn't say she had to get accepted.
And she certainly had no intention of playing along—at least not for them.
Mira began inputting her details, her fingers typing fast, her eyes burning with quiet fury.
They'd regret making this deal with her.