Audrex Academy was not just a school.
It was the place where the Audrex Empire decided who mattered and who did not.
In this empire, no one was born equal. From the moment a child awakened their rank, their future was sealed. Power was not something you worked for. It was something that judged you.
There were five ranks.
Rank S stood at the top.
Rank A followed.
Rank B came next.
Rank C after them.
And at the bottom were Rank D and Rank E.
Rank D and E were called Omegas.
Omegas had no powers. They could not heal. They could not defend themselves. They existed only to serve the higher ranks. They were not allowed to question orders. They were not allowed to dream of a different life.
Audrex Academy was built to protect this system.
The academy was divided into two buildings.
The West Wing was for the elites:- Rank C, B, A, and S.
The East Wing was for the Omegas :- Rank D and E.
There was a strict rule that every student knew.
Omegas were forbidden from entering the West Wing during the day.
The only time they were allowed inside was from 1:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m.
During those hours, the Omegas cleaned.
They scrubbed floors, washed walls, emptied trash, and erased every trace of the elites' presence. By sunrise, they were expected to disappear.
From 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., the academy belonged to the elites.
During those hours, Omegas were not supposed to exist.
Erin was Rank E.
He had learned the rules before he learned how to write his name.
He learned that he was nothing.
He learned that he was replaceable.
He learned that silence was the only way to survive.
Erin felt the stares every time he stepped into the halls. He could not do anything about it because this was part of his life. They laughed at him, covered their noses when he passed, and rejected anything he touched. Some students refused to sit on chairs he had cleaned. Others wiped their hands after brushing past him.
Because of that, Erin wore gloves and leather guards on his legs, even in the heat. It was easier than hearing their voices.
At home, there was no safety either.
His father was dead.
His mother had remarried a drunk who rarely came home but caused trouble whenever he did.
Erin stayed quiet and kept his head down, because being noticed only brought pain.
At Audrex Academy, each Omega was assigned to serve a specific elite group.
Erin was assigned to Elite X.
Elite X ruled the school.
They were led by Alpha Zion, one of the only three Rank S in the entire city. He was the son of the President of the Audrex Empire and the leader of the elite pack. His authority was not questioned. His word was law.
There were only three Rank S in the city.
Zion.
Zion's father, the President.
And another Alpha locked in a high-security prison.
Everyone else, no matter how powerful, still bowed to Zion.
Elite X included Zion, Olivia, and their inner circle. They decided who was popular, who was punished, and who disappeared.
Erin cleaned their rooms.
Picked up after their parties.
Stood in silence while they laughed.
He was not a student to them.
He was a tool.
Olivia, the leader of her own squad within Elite X, was Rank C but treated like royalty. She was half human, half werewolf, and had magnetic powers. She could pull objects and even bind bodies together.
She fit the empire's beauty standard. Because of that, she had influence no one questioned.
Alpha Zion was obsessed with her. He had been for years.
Everyone knew Olivia was his mate.
Everyone knew she used that truth to control him.
And everyone knew Zion would destroy anyone who got in her way.
Erin knew all of this.
He knew the rules.
He knew the dangers.
He knew he was not meant to stand near power.
But fate did not care about rules.