Chapter 5 5:

Six months ago.

"It was my birthday." Eighteen years of life, and yet, as I sat alone in the back of the lecture hall at St.Jude's College, the day felt indistinguishable from any other. There was no cake, no presents, no streamers, and certainly no joyous chorus of "Happy Birthday." I had no one to celebrate with since I lost my parents, and truth be told, I had convinced myself that I didn't care. Caring required hope, and hope was a luxury I couldn't afford.

My head was buried in a textbook, my eyes scanning the same paragraph for the tenth time, trying to lose myself in the safety of academic words. The silence of the empty classroom was my only companion until the sharp click of heels against the tiled floor shattered it.

I didn't need to look up to know who it was. The rhythm of the walk was Sereia, Allysia's shadow.

"Aurora," her voice called out, sweet enough to coat poison.

I sighed, closing my book slowly. "Sereia."

"Allysia is waiting for you in the garden," she said, leaning against the doorframe with a smirk playing on her lips. "She asked me to come and get you."

A knot of anxiety tightened in my stomach. Allysia, the daughter of the Principal and the queen bee of St. Jude's, didn't just "ask" to see me. Her summons was rarely benevolent. But refusal wasn't an option.

We both knew what she was capable of. She could make my life a living hell with a simple snap of her fingers, and I was already hanging on by a thread.

Without much thought, because thinking would only lead to the worst. I stood to my feet.

"Alright," I said, grabbing my bag. "I'm coming."

I started to walk past her, heading for the door, but Sereia stepped in my path, blocking my exit. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a strip of black cloth.

"Use this to blindfold yourself," she commanded, holding it out to me.

I frowned, taking a step back.

"What? Why?"

"You know Allysia," Sereia replied, her tone dropping the fake sweetness. "She asked you to blindfold yourself before you come with me to the school garden. She wants it to be a surprise. Are you really going to disobey her before we even get there?"

I looked at the cloth, then at Sereia's expectant face. The power dynamic was clear. I was a pauper in their kingdom. If I wanted to avoid a scene right here in the hallway, I had to play along.

"Fine," I muttered.

I took the rough fabric from her hand and tied it around my eyes, plunging my world into darkness. Instantly, my other senses heightened.

"Good girl," she said. "Now, hold my arm."

I felt her hand grip my waist not to steady me, but to steer me like a piece of luggage. She led me out of the classroom, down the hallway, and through the heavy exit doors. The air shifted, becoming warmer and humid. We were heading toward the school garden, a secluded area usually reserved for faculty or the elite students.

We walked for what felt like an eternity, my footsteps unsure on the uneven pavement. I had no choice but to trust Sereia, which was a terrifying thought in itself.

"Stop," she said suddenly.

I froze. "Are we there?"

She didn't answer. Instead, I felt her fingers fumbling with the knot at the back of my head. A moment later, the blindfold fell away.

I blinked rapidly, my eyes stinging as they adjusted to the bright afternoon sunlight. Colors swam in my vision greens of the hedges, reds of the roses, and the blur of faces standing before me.

"Surprise!"

The shout was deafening, synchronized, and jarring. My sight finally cleared, and the blur resolved into a crowd. It was my classmates, the popular clique, and at the center of it all, Allysia. She stood with her arms folded across her chest. She was smiling, but it was the kind of smile a predator gives its prey before the pouncing. A balloon popped somewhere to my left, sending confetti raining down on my hair. I stood there, stunned, my heart hammering against my ribs. For a few fleeting seconds, I allowed myself to feel something other than dread. I looked around at the smiling faces.

Was this real? Had they actually done something nice for me?

Allysia stepped forward, parting the crowd like the Red Sea.

"Surprise, for the second time!" she announced, clapping her hands together. The rest of the students joined in, a polite, rhythmic applause that echoed in the enclosed garden.

"Aurora," she said, her voice dripping with mock affection. "Today is your birthday. Since you're all alone and have no friends, we, the generous students of St. Jude's, decided to prepare a little surprise for you, girl. And you have to accept it.

"It would be rude not to."

I looked at her, searching for a trace of malice and finding none. For a moment, the impossible happened. I thought she meant it. I thought that, despite our history, despite the way she usually treated the lower-class students like me, she had decided to be decent. Maybe people could change.

"Thank you," I whispered, offering a hesitant smile. "This is... unexpected."

She giggled, a high-pitched sound that set my nerves on edge. "Oh, save the gratitude for the main event."

She turned and gestured to Dominic, who had been standing silently in the back. He grunted and stepped forward, holding something large and flat covered in a wrapping sheet. Allysia snatched it from him and held it up against her chest, her eyes gleaming with excitement.

"Here, take a look at what I got for you," she said.

I smiled, lifting my head to read whatever message she had written. My heart was actually swelling, just a little. Maybe it was a voucher. Maybe it was a gift card for the bookstore. Something that would help me.

"The sheet fell away."

And my heart stopped.

The board was large, painted in bright, garish colors. In big, bold letters, written with a permanent marker that looked suspiciously like red paint, it read:

"FEMALE COLLEGE STUDENT SEEKING ONE DAY BOYFRIEND. MUST BE DESPERATE."

"I froze."

The blood drained from my face so fast I felt dizzy. I stared at the words, my brain refusing to process them. Slowly, I dragged my gaze away from the board and back to Allysia. She was still wearing that smile, wide and cruel, her eyes dancing with amusement.

"Then, the laughter started."

It began with Sereia, a snort that she couldn't hold back. Then Dominic joined in. Within seconds, the entire garden erupted in raucous laughter. They were pointing at me, laughing at my expression, laughing at the sign, laughing at me.

"You know what, Allysia?" I said, my voice shaking with a mix of humiliation and rising anger. "I know we haven't been on good terms. But for once, I thought you were a changed person. I thought maybe you had a heart. I guess I was wrong. You are never the person I imagined you to be. I was always wrong."

I turned on my feet, my vision blurring with tears of shame. I just wanted to leave. I wanted to run away and hide.

But I didn't get far. A hand gripped my arm, yanking me back. Sereia.

"How rude," Sereia hissed in my ear. "Trying to leave without even saying thank you for the gift."

"Or maybe I forgot," Dominic chimed in, stepping into my path to block me again. "You've always been that scared cat, haven't you? Running away with your tail between your legs."

"Scared cat... scared cat... scared cat..."