The boys' dormitory of Ashfall Academy stretched like a royal corridor—polished marble pillars, deep scarlet carpets, and framed portraits of past prodigies watching from the walls. Students hurried back and forth with luggage, laughter, and loud chatter, filling the hallway with the restless pulse of a new school year.
Fletcher walked in silence, lost in thought.
Eli finally broke it.
"Alright," he said with a playful grin, "who're you thinking about?"
Fletcher blinked. "What?"
"You've been zoning out for ten minutes straight," Eli continued, leaning closer. "Don't tell me you're fantasizing about the princess again. I can practically see you imagining how soft her royal breasts are. You cunning fox."
Fletcher scoffed. "Get lost. It's nothing like that."
"Oh, please." Eli rolled his eyes dramatically. "Anyway—big news. A pop star is joining this year. This semester is going to be wild. Can you imagine the almighty Ji Ace sitting right next to us?" His grin twisted into something mischievous.
"I don't care," Fletcher replied with a smirk. "And I don't even know who that is."
Before Eli could answer, loud voices erupted further down the hall.
Eli groaned. "That's Hunter again… I swear this guy lives for drama." He turned away. "Well, it's not our—"
"No," Fletcher interrupted, his expression tightening. "Let's check it out."
"Dude, stop trying to stand out. Trouble follows you like a curse."
"Shut up and move." Fletcher jogged forward, and Eli—resigned—followed.
*********
A crowd had formed.
Hunter—towering and broad—had Malik pinned against the wall, his shadow swallowing the smaller boy.
"Well, well," Hunter sneered, "look who crawled back to Ashfall. The little Indian brat."
Malik swallowed hard. "Hunter, I'm not afraid of you. I just… I just want a fresh start this year. Leave me alone. And I'm not Indian—my name is Malik. I'm Paki—"
Hunter slapped him before he could finish. Malik's glasses flew across the floor, sliding to a stop at Fletcher's shoes.
"Ain't nobody asked for a whole essay, Indian boy," mocked another boy—lanky, pale, with dark eyebags and a twisted grin. He laughed hysterically. "Let me finish him, Bam Bam," Hunter growled.
Hunter shoved him aside and raised his hand to strike again—
But Fletcher's grip stopped it cold.
"That's enough, cowboy," he said calmly.
The hallway broke into gasps and scattered laughter. Eli dragged a hand down his face. "Fletcher… why?"
Before Hunter could retaliate, a thunderous voice rolled down the hall.
"That is enough. Back to your rooms."
A tall African boy—Daren Okoro—approached, towering even over Hunter, his presence heavy with authority.
Hunter stiffened, then scoffed. "Tch. Whatever. I'll deal with you later, black boy." He shoved past the crowd, Bam Bam trailing behind.
Daren stopped in front of Fletcher.
"What's your name, new guy?" he asked, extending a large, steady hand.
"Troy Fletcher," he answered, shaking it—trying not to show surprise at the strength in Daren's grip.
"I'm Daren Okoro," he said with a slight smile. "Leader of the boys' dormitory and Class Representative of 1A. Try not to get into trouble on your first day."
"No promises—but I'll try," Fletcher replied with a half-smile.
"Good." Daren nodded and walked off.
"Alright!" Eli clapped. "Can we go to our room before you get us expelled?"
*******
Elsewhere in the academy, a girl jolted awake with a sharp gasp.
Her nightmare lingered vividly.
A dim room. Blood everywhere.
Bodies on the floor.
A boy running—shot before reaching the door.
She had been hiding in a cramped cupboard, trembling uncontrollably, muffling her sobs.
Then she heard the woman's voice.
"Is that the last one?"
A tall woman stood over the fallen boy, a black tactical coat draped around her. A dragon tattoo curled across her neck like a living shadow.
Slowly, the woman turned.
"There you are."
Her voice echoed like poison.
The girl screamed—
And woke up.
Breathing hard. Sweat on her skin. Tears burning in her eyes.
"Damn it… this nightmare again," she whispered.
Moonlight spilled into the dorm room, revealing an Asian girl with soft pink hair falling loosely around her shoulders, dressed in a simple nightgown. Her expression, however, was anything but soft—her eyes were cold, focused, burning with hatred.
She rose from her bed, gripping her sheets tightly.
"Now that I'm in Ashfall…" she whispered, biting her lower lip until it almost bled, "I will find you."
A dark shadow crossed her expression.
"And when I do…"
Her voice dropped into a dangerous calm.
"…I'll kill you."
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