We all turned our heads toward the one who spoke. It was terrifying, like the voice didn't belong to a normal human. His voice was so loud. If I were the one he shouted at, I probably would have cried already. He was like a dragon breathing fire, but without the fire.
"Sarina! Stop it!" Abby whispered into my ear.
I was confused about what she meant by "stop it" because I wasn't doing anything. I was just looking at the man and the two Betas who were fighting.
"YOU TWO, GO TO MS. WALES. NOW!"
The man said, and the two girls immediately ran out of the cafeteria. So they were cowards after all, so brave starting a fight inside the cafeteria.
I was still staring at the man when I noticed his gaze turn toward me. My heart immediately panicked, and I didn't know what to do. I looked at Aoife and Dio to see if they would do something or if they even noticed that the man was staring at me.
"Uh oh... the dragon is here," Aoife said as her eyes moved back and forth between Dio and Abby.
"Uhmm... w-why is he staring at m-me?" I asked them, stuttering, but before they could answer, the man had already walked toward us. He stopped in front of the table, right in front of me, so I quickly avoided his gaze and lowered my head. This is so embarrassing! Who is this guy? He's scary.
"Move."
I didn't know if he was telling me to move or the person beside me who was frozen, staring at the man standing in front of us.
I was about to stand up, but Yve stood first and moved to sit beside Aoife and Dio. The man I didn't know sat beside me. Who is this guy? Is he an Alpha too? Why does Aoife seem so unbothered by the man who just sat at our table?
"CAN YOU PLEASE SHUT YOUR MIND?"
I flinched because of the man's shout beside me. That was too much, he was right next to me.
"Sorry, I didn't know how to control this," I said because I didn't know what else to say to him. If I talked back, I might just get erased from the world of Aetherion.
"How did you become an Alpha if you don't know how to control it?!" he asked irritably, and I couldn't speak. Even I don't know how I became an Alpha, how I got these abilities and powers.
"Chill, bro. That's Sarina, and she's just new. You know it takes time to control our abilities," Dio defended me.
The man didn't reply and simply closed his eyes. He looked extremely tired even though it was only midday. Who even is this gu-
"Loving the view?"
I immediately looked away and distracted myself by looking around. Gosh, Calista! How embarrassing. What did you do? Why did you look at him? And how did he even know that I was looking at him?
"Atticus, Ms. Rea said that the history class is about to start in twenty minutes. Let's go, I don't want to be late to her boring quizzes," Abby said as she quickly packed her things.
Wait! I haven't even eaten lunch yet. I'm already hungry, and class is starting right away. This guy is really something.
And wait.... Atticus? Is this the one they were talking about? The living dragon in the Alpha dorm?
"I heard all of that, Ms. Vespera," Atticus said coldly. Gosh! I forgot that he can hear what my mind is saying. I guess I shouldn't think inside my head anymore.
They packed their things and immediately stood up, walking toward the afternoon class. They said our class now is History Class.
"Wait," I said in panic. They stopped, except for Atticus.
"Is there a problem, Sarina?" Yve asked.
"Uhh... I haven't changed into my uniform yet. I think I'll just follow you later. I'll go change first."
"Yeah, I think you should change because Ms. Rea doesn't want students who are not wearing uniforms in her class, even if you're just a new student,"
Dio said, nodding. Aoife was already holding a book, probably Abby's book from earlier. It looks like she's rushing already reviewing for the quiz.
"Uhm... you guys have a quiz, right? What about me? I didn't review anything because I'm just new. How would I kno-"
"Don't worry. Ms. Rea is not strict about that. She will understand," Abby said as she walked toward the hallway.
"Go change now, Sarina. You still have fifteen minutes."
I nodded and immediately ran toward the dorm. Even though it was far, I forced myself to run faster because I didn't want to be late for my first class. When I arrived at the dorm, I immediately went to my room. I opened the uniform that Ms. Wales gave me earlier at the registrar. I put it on, and when I was done, I looked at myself in the mirror.
I stared at my uniform neatly I am wearing in front of me. It was made of deep, dark fabric, smooth to the touch, with fine gold lining tracing the edges of the sleeves and collar. The emblem of the academy was stitched on the chest, glowing faintly under the light, as if it carried its own quiet power. When I held it in my hands, it felt heavier than ordinary clothes, like it carried responsibility along with it. I fixed myself, put a little.... lipstick, makeup, powder, and I arranged my hair just like I always do.
When I checked the time, I realized I still had five minutes left. It should have been enough, yet a strange uneasiness crept into my chest. I reached for the door, ready to leave the room and rush to class, my hand already on the handle. Before I could take a single step, a cold black hand with long, jagged nails suddenly clamped around my arm. Its grip was unnaturally strong, freezing my body in place as fear rushed through my veins.
Slowly, I turned my head. Standing behind me was a woman, or at least something that once looked like one. A thick, dark aura surrounded her, swirling like living shadows, suffocating the air around us. Her skin was dark and cracked like a witch, her eyes hollow and dark red, as if all light had been drained from them.
Her mouth stretched into an unnatural smile, too wide, too wrong, and when she leaned closer, the cold grew heavier, pressing against my chest until it was hard to breathe. Every instinct in my body screamed danger, and I knew, without a doubt, that this was not a being from Aetherion.
