Eve shuffled nervously as his legs became jelly from how long he was standing and staring at the Sunford Academy, his severe anxiety made it hard for him to pass through the gates. He swallowed thickly but the lump in his throat made it hard for him. He clutched his bag's stripes tightly as people's stares poked holes in his head, making his legs wobble and a sense of unease wash over him. He didn't even dare to look up or take another step. He knows that if he dares to look up he'll meet the eyes of other humans who are definitely looking at his awkwardness with eyes full of judgement.
He sucked in his breath, knowing he looked like a mannequin due to how still he stood without moving. And everyone would have believed it if it hadn't been for his rich chocolate hair wriggling in the wind. He shook his head to clear his mind and pat talked to bolster his shaky confidence so he could at least make it to the gates of this hell called Academy without fainting or having a panic attack. He dreadfully examined his surroundings, a pitiful attempt to motivate himself to move.
However, as soon as his eyes met with other people, who he assumed must be the guardians, who were here to chuck away their troublesome kids, who couldn't control themselves from breaking laws and committing crimes, always giving their parents headaches and visits to police stations. His heart thundered in his ribcage, thumping so fast that he got scared that he'll have a heart attack at any second.
"Come on Eve." Eve flinched when his father put his arm around his shoulder causing Eve to shrink and look smaller. He wasn't small though, he was around 5'8 but the way he always has his guards up and made himself look bashful and small. He blenced and struggled more whenever he was in public and not on his comfy bed in his room.
"Sir, are you going to enter or not? The gates will be officially closed after six for this semester." The guard yelled, standing at the gate, waiting for them to enter. Eve and his father were the only ones left to enter.
Sunford academy is an all-boys boarding school Where rich parents tossed their rebellious kids who are too much to deal with. No matter how the outside world perceives them or makes assumptions about the school, the students are more complicated than they appear. Every student has a dark and tumultuous history and they've been prisoned here to create more history with their rowdy-ness.
They're not here to study or to build a career; instead, they're prisoners running from another prison that's a real big deal in the outside world. Running from their screwed up lives, they are now out to ruin others' lives. Which includes the teachers that are forced to work here with high pay. The teachers received ten times of normal schools.
Sunford, like any other school, accepts students after a thorough admissions process. It doesn't accept any mid-season students, so you gotta seize your place from the start of a new semester. It is located in an isolated place which is surrounded by thick green and dark forest, so it's not easy to escape this hell filled with demons in disguise.
"Yes, yes we were just about to enter."
Eve's father let out rapidly as he grabbed his wrist and started to bring him inside, the poor child heaved as he attempted to keep up with his father's pace. Oak's stomach tightened in anxiety as soon as he heard the obnoxious and unpleasant sound of the metal gate closing. He has, at last, entered the prison of hell, and now he is unable to flee from his faith.
Eve, the soon-to-be newbie, kept his head down as he struggled to match his father's long strides. He heard loud hootings and ecstatic cries filling the air, but he dared not look up. His father turned to face the boys playing basketball on the big and expansive court. He winced as he heard them screaming every possible curse in existence.
"Look, Eve. It's not that bad son, see everyone's having fun and you must too. Make a lot of new friends while you're here. And I hope your mother's anger cools down by then." his father said and Eve flinched at the mention of his mother.
They were about to enter the main school when they were stopped by someone. Sunford is a boarding school with approximately 1000 students and three main buildings with enormous playgrounds. It has every play court, stadiums, tracks etc. It also offers the facility of private swimming pool classes; all you have to do is pay to have them separately where no one can bother you.
"We'll escort him from here, you can hand his luggage to him. Thank you for accompanying him this far, he's now on his own." The principal smiled politely. No matter how hard Eve tried, the fear in his stomach just doesn't go away. "Please exchange your goodbyes."
"Yes, of course," The father hugged his son tightly as he worriedly pats Eve's back. He pulled back and was surprised at how Eve was not crying or throwing tantrums to take him back with him. He proudly ruffled his hair. "You take care of yourself, alright?"
Eve looked up at him and nervously nodded, forcing out a weak smile. His father smiled back and looked at the principal.
"Please take good care of him."
"We will for sure," The principal smiled as he made the promise.
Eve sighed after a few minutes of staring at his father's back, which was shrinking and shrinking until he was completely gone.
"Come on, kiddo, pick your luggage and follow me!" The principal exclaimed, making the boy jump at his tone. Eve followed the voice, and instead of a warm smile, his principal had a scowl on his face. "We don't have all day; it's almost dinner time, and I need to distribute curriculum copies to you guys; now, follow me."
Eve nodded and strained to pick up his heavy suitcases because they were too big for him to carry. When they finally arrived at the principal's office, Eve spotted many pairs of shoes.
"Stand in line with them "
Eve took a timid peek at his fellow inmates. He gulped as he attempted to read their expressions; he was successful with some students but failed with others. There were all kinds of emotions present there; some seemed unconcerned about being sent here, some appeared bored, and some appeared pleased with a wicked smirk on their lips. However, the majority of them appeared terrified and were about to piss their pants off like Eve.
He trudged carefully towards the line but managed to trip on his own legs and fell on his knees due to the attention he received as the last student who made everyone wait; he could feel everyone's eyes drilling holes into his head. Due to his severe anxiety, he couldn't handle so much attention at once, exposing his clumsy side on his first day.
"Tsk! Watch your steps kid." The principal groaned in annoyance.
He quickly picked up his bags that had slipped over his shoulder, his face flushed with embarrassment as he heard the snickers; some pitied him, but they were more concerned with themselves. He hurriedly joined the line, and the laughter ceased.
"This is the curriculum you'll need to follow; all of the rules and restrictions are also mentioned inside on page no. 3 that you must strictly adhere to." The principal glared at them all before walking over to hand them the copies. "I know you'll think of this as trash and probably tossed them in a corner without even opening it, but there are consequences of your every action, and believe me, you don't want to bear them," the principal said solemnly, and a calm silence fell over the room as he finished speaking.
Eve tried to hide his terrified expression, but his nerves made it impossible; he didn't even know about the consequences, but just thinking about them sent shivers down his spine, let alone experiencing them.
He was scared to death.
"I know you're not going to listen to me, but no fighting with other students, no drugs, no using any kind of weapon, and yes! your pens and compass are considered weapons in this school, so pull up that excuse," the principal warned, drawing a sigh from some of the delinquents as they rolled their eyes. "Aside from that, you'll be free to do whatever you want because, let's get one thing straight, your money overpowers every rule."
He turned around and handed each of them a piece of paper. "This is your room number and the names of your roommates; you've been paired with ideal candidates who have committed the same or similar crimes as you, so you'll be staying with them."
No one understood the logic behind this, it's like putting wild animals in one cage. However, everyone grimaced because nobody was looking forward to meeting their roommates. Especially Eve, whose eyes widened in panic, his conscience breaking down little by little.
Same crime as him. How is he going to survive his new roommate if he has committed the same offence as him?
He nervously fidgets his fingers around the paper in his hand, looking up with dreaded eyes he falls in surprise upon finding the principal specifically staring at him. He quickly and shamefully averted his eyes down again.
"Your batches will be given to you in a few days. You can take your leave now."
The students left the office one by one. As they make their way through the corridors, malicious, taunting eyes scoff at them. It appeared that the former students were letting the newcomers know who was in charge, and that their rebellious behaviour would not be tolerated here. They wanted to instil fear in them by staring with vicious eyes, and it was working. The newcomers shudder whenever a student passes them with a cruel grin on purpose to scare them.
Eve's heart skipped a beat when a student double his size walked past him, intentionally bumping his shoulder. He quietly apologised out of habit though it wasn't his fault. He looked up and was terrified to death.
"Watch your steps, little shit. Don't be so desperate, you just got here." He shamelessly remarks, a colour of humiliation washed over Eve while other students laughed hysterically.
His gaze darted at them, but he didn't dare to look anywhere near their faces. And he could see why they were described as criminals; they appeared perfectly capable of committing every crime. Dangerous, notorious, cruel, and eyes filled with remorse, ready to commit any crime against the law and human morals. As they stare at the newbies, their expressions reveal their amusement and shamelessness.
"Hey, Mark, don't be so rude to our precious newbie. Look how scared he looks." A petite body came to stand in front of Eve, devilish bold eyes scanned him from head to toe. "And he's kinda cute, I bet he will get the yellow batch." The boy seductively leaned in, "Do you probably..like it taking it from behind, we would love to welcome you into our gang."
Eve's heart hammered against his chest at his shameful remarks.
"Theo, you're not even above his shoulder; it'll be too difficult for you." Mark chuckled loudly, as if he was deliberately allowing the newcomers to hear him.
"Well, I'm a switch and I don't mind him fucking me when he's this cute." Theo innocently smiled at Eve, batting his eyes mischievously.
Eve did not wait for them to humiliate him any longer; instead, he stepped away from them and chose the speed. Running with his head hanging low, too stunned to have any thoughts. What kind of school is this and what kind of people are these? How could students say such despicable things? He thought in his head, the atmosphere was beyond his sanity.
As soon as he barged inside his dorm he hurled all his bags on the floor and shut the door, putting his head on it, chest heaving as his lungs desperately burned for air.
"God-fucking-damnit! Who in the fucking world wanted to die so early in the evening?!!"
Eve squirmed as his soul jumped out of his body, gaze shifting in the direction of the voice. His sapphire eyes were drawn to a naked upper body sprawled out on his stomach on one of the dorm beds. Each dorm room has two separate study desks, two beds, and a small attached kitchen for emergencies.
Eve watched as the naked boy raised his head and rubbed his eyes, grumbling.
He sat up in annoyance, feeling an overwhelming desire to beat the shit out of someone, and Eve was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
"Who are you?" he yelled, ignoring the fact that he wasn't wearing his shirt, which he had tossed somewhere before going to sleep.
Eve inhaled deeply, not wanting to offend his new roommate any further. This person appeared to be a thousand times scarier than those he encountered in the corridors. He swallowed heavily as he attempted to introduce himself, but all he could manage was to open and close his mouth.
'How the hell did I forget to introduce myself?' Eve cursed in his head, accusing the anxiety disorder that made him so devastated that he couldn't let out a single small noise.
"Did you lose all your communication skills?"
Eve nervously shakes his head.
"Then fucking say something!"
Eve jerked back violently at the words, his eyes welling up with tears at once. He was so worn out from everything-his new school, his parents, himself, even his life-that even a minor jolt could have caused him to collapse. He sniffled as he pondered why everyone was being so cruel to him.
"H-Hey, are you crying?" The naked boy frowned in panic as he noticed Eve's trembling body and soft sniffling sounds. He rushed out of his bed and stridden towards Eve with his long legs.
Seeing him getting near, Eve backed off. Because this student stood out from the rest. He is more bigger, stronger, and had a dark red rose tattooed on his right shoulder who's black petals end on his neck and collarbone. He is also taller, broader, and more muscular.
"I'm so sorry, kid; I was in a bad mood. I didn't mean to scare you." He shrieks and continues to rant while towering over Eve. He grabbed Eve's wrist and helped him get to his new bed in front of the other bed without stopping to think or giving the poor boy time to calm down because his frightening form wasn't helping it. Eve sat there and let out a tired sigh, he wanted to sleep so badly. "Are you feeling better now and I'm sorry again. Now can you tell me what's the matter?"
Eve looked at him with wet eyelashes and a red nose, and examined his face. And sure he appeared to be unaware that Eve would be staying in this room. He appeared to believe that this could never be the case. Eve still didn't feel comfortable speaking, so he turned his head and looked at his bags on the floor, and the boy followed his gaze.
"Are those yours?" He asked puzzledly. Eve didn't feel right about his question, it made his chest tight for some reason, and he sheepishly nodded.
The naked boy ponders for some time, lost in his own thoughts, his broad shoulders and hard muscles on display. After some time, he smiled widely.
"This is the new semester, right? Are you a newbie? Where's your batch, show me?"
His smile was confident, like a beam of sunlight flickered across his face. A warm and pleasantly bright dimple forms on his cheeks which calms down Eve a little, not feeling much scared near this boy now, he lets his guards down a little.
"Yes," Eve let out softly, innocently looking up at him. "B-Batch?"
"Oh, how could you possibly have any? You've just arrived." River clarified. "My name is River, by the way."
River shuffled his shirt which he picked up from the floor. He extended it in the air and showed Eve a simple red batch that was attached just above the pocket and resembled more like a sparkling red stone. "Everyone is required to wear them; the batches represent the kind of crime committed by each student or who are the big dogs you should never go near." Eve nods in understanding. "Your rank and position in this school will be determined by your batch, much like a ranking system. The higher your rank, the more power you possess."
River mischievously smiled and leaned into Eve, causing him to panic and pull his head back.
"You understand why your roommate was chosen in advance and why you were given this dorm?" River narrows his eyes across the room and Eve shakes his head apprehensively. "I knew it!"
River leaped enthusiastically, frightening the poor boy with his sudden outburst. Eve squinted his eyes and whimpered in pain as River jumped and sat by his side and squeezed both of his arms.
River observed the terrifying face in front of him with narrowed eyes.
"I can't believe, a small squirming vulnerable thing is going to stay here." River rambled, Eve didn't understand anything and looked confused even more. "You look like you could be a perfect Luna though."
"Lu-what?" Eve asked, jerking unstoppable to break from his grip but the latter was totally oblivious to his pain.
"Luna," River said but Eve still frowned his brows and scrunched his nose in confusion. He ruffled Eve's hair because he finds the new human adorable.
"Have you ever read one of those cliché werewolf stories featuring the Alpha, the baddest and most powerful of them all? who was destined to find his mate. After they mate, she becomes Luna, and the two of them go on to rule the entire pack. You are a he instead of a she, but I suppose that's not the issue." He continued babbling nonsense, misinterpreting Eve's wincing in pain as confusion, and rolled his eyes. "You must have read them, come on. You appear to be a nerd who spends his entire time reading grim fairy tales in his cocoon. Nerds are destined to do that shit."
"Have y-you read t-them?" Eve asked, a little offended.
"I have, my sister used to make me read them for her before going to bed." River sighed and let out strongly. "However, I'm not a nerd."
'Hypocrite' Eve muttered under his breath. Putting his full force he freed himself.
"What did you say?" River asked in suspicion.
Eve stumbled on his words, "When will I be able to get my batch?"
River evilly smiled and plopped back on the bed and started at the ceiling. "Already desperate to get into power, aren't we luna? But it's not your fault, a little taste of power and you would be deep in the venom of tasting it again and again until you become too addicted."
Eve ignored his psychology class and corrected him.
"My name is Eve."
With his honey-brown eyes, River returned his gaze to Eve. "Nice name, however, I've already chosen you as my luna, so I'm going to call you that." He stands up abruptly and looks seriously at Eve. His constant mood swings and bouncing around reminded him of monkeys, but he didn't say anything.
"I'll keep an eye out for you; just let me know if anything happens to you. I will beat the shit out of anyone for you, except for those you know who are out of my reach." River had promised him reliability.
Eve subtly let out a soft smile at his generosity. He reasoned that perhaps his new roommate wasn't all that bad and he was just overly afraid. River returned the smile and ruffled his hair, which made the newbie's cheeks warm up.
A bell's sound interrupted them. River laughed as Eve flinched in response to the sudden loud noise.
"It's time to eat. Come on, I'll have to explain the rules and share more information about the batches and ranks after dinner." River grabs his wrist and lifts him up. "But first and foremost, I need to tell you about your Alpha."
"A-Alpha?" Eve gulped perplexedly.