Natasha The ballroom was like yin and yang, but with a color theme of black and beige. I walked in nervous, unsure of what to expect, as the warning from my principal lingered in my head. Students of the Dark Realm Royal Academy were dressed in black, while our rivals wore beige, giving the hall a striking aesthetic. I settled into a quiet spot, looking around, aware that this spot was part of the party ground but not where everyone wanted to be. Barely anybody could see me, but I could see everyone. Nobody really wanted to see me anyways, as the party was more like a crowd of strangers waiting for the arrival of their bus at the bus stop. They barely smiled at each other, and when they passed by each other, it was either a sudden COVID-safe distance practice or a shove by the shoulder to start trouble. It started to seem like there was unity when the principal of the rival academy walked in. All heads started to turn towards the same direction. Barely interested in the speech, I s

Thirty minutes ago. Natasha My feet pounded against the polished floor, the thud echoing in the empty hallway. Every muscle in my body tensed with the memory of Kai's unnecessarily angry face and his infuriating secrecy. The way he'd tried to control me, just like back then… Worse still, I hadn't even forgiven him for the underground room’s incident. The measly fire he'd conjured. It was a fear tied to the darkness of the past, the memory of a thousand tiny tortures that still made my blood run hot. I couldn't believe I had ever trusted him. The fear I felt during the punishment wasn't just because of the flames. It was more complicated than that. Lost in my rage, I didn't see the hulking figure stagger out from the shadows until it was almost too late. It towered over me, its eyes burning with a malevolent fire. My breath caught in my throat. Consumed by anger, I was ready to take on anyone or anything. I posed for a fight, my fists clenched and my heart

Natasha Days passed by quickly. I was gradually easing into the environment despite the weirdness of certain things. Sir Aaron was my new buddy if I were to give our friendship a tag. He was one of the very few people that hanging around felt natural. He was easy to talk to and be around and despite how subtle our friendship was, we didn't escape the claws and grips of girls who went out of their ways to craft lies and spread dirty rumors about what the both of us did together. “Pay them no heed,” He had said one morning and patted my head in a manner he must have thought endearing but it only ruined my hair even further. I wanted to ignore them, or at least tried to ignore the rumors for as long as possible until the one that actually broke the camel's back sprung forth. They went as far as saying I was dating Sir Aaron and possibly getting down ‘on my knees’ to maintain his attention. The fuck-? It wasn't until the stupid rumor was forcefully toned down, did I have the coura

Natasha I was angry and I stormed off all the way to the dormitory. I didn't like the Academy’s training, and now, I really disliked Xavier. He was always too disconcerting and condescending. Couldn't he give corrections without condemning? Who the fuck did he think he was? At that moment, I just wanted to get away. I truly needed some sleep, one which I knew I wasn't going to get. The insomnia was becoming worse. And so were the voices in my head. At the rate things were moving, I might really go mad. I needed to get my hands on my draught. It had been on my mind for so long now, but I didn't know where I would get it from. I couldn't ask anyone, for the fear that it might be used against me. I went to the training today because I thought it would be different. But I was so wrong. Damned Xavier. I doubled my pace. I'd just lock myself in my room, lay on my bed, while I counted another failed attempt at trying to get some rest. I reached my quarters and did just that. But I

NatashaI sat in the cafeteria all alone, watching everyone around. My classmates, teachers, and even students from other classes. I sat down with my plate in front of me. A plate of dumplings and spaghetti. I twirled the wormlike food on my fork and watched it mold into a ball, before slowly placing it in my mouth. I held it on my tongue and savored the taste. Although it didn't hold a candle to the meals I usually had back at Gavemorth, it was still decent enough.But I almost choked when I suddenly spotted Calise...I reached for my water bottle and chugged it down to clear my throat. I frowned and wiped my mouth with a napkin as I saw her from across the room, her eyes searching. Her hands held a tray with a plate of saucy beef and a milk carton.She walked past several free tables and straight through the cafeteria. She brushed past everyone, and maneuvered like she was walking on wheels. The hat she wore on her head rested there like an insignia of he