Sera

Sera pov

“Yo, Seth! You ready to get wrecked by Virelade’s finest?” Luca called out as I stepped into the huge classroom, his grin way too confident for my nerves.

I forced a smile, another day at a new school gotta play it cool.

Luca leaned against the door like he owned the place. “Don’t sweat it, man. Just act like you’ve been here forever. Fake it ‘til you make it, right?”

“Yeah, sure,” I mumbled, clutching my backpack tighter. He didn't even realized how that sentence made me feel.

Absolutely horror!

Then I felt someone chill standing next to me. It was River, the dude who looked like he didn’t have a care in the world with dark curls and easy smile, that made you think maybe this place wasn’t all bad.

“Tough day?” he asked, his eyes flicking to my bag.

“You could say that,” I muttered.

River shrugged. “Don’t freak out. We’ve all been the new guy.”

Before I could relax, Alexander Voss slipped past us, with no hello, no nothing just that icy stare he always has. Dude looked like he wanted to be anywhere but here, and definitely didn’t want to talk to me.

“Great,” I whispered to River. “I’m officially the freak.”

River just laughed. “That’s Voss, don't worry. He's russian royalty, basically doesn’t do small talk.”

Just then, Kael walked in like he owned the whole damn school. The room went dead silent no one even breathed without his permission.

He didn’t say a word but the way he looked at everyone made me want to disappear.

Kael sat right up front, like he was king of the jungle.

The teacher started blabbing about some something, but I was stuck staring at Kael instead. There was just something about him. Like he could see right through me or maybe just everyone.

Lunch break came and if you ask me what did the teacher taught,then I wouldn't have any answer. Because I was busy figuring out kael or maybe oogling him for the entire lecture.

during break, Luca came over, still smirking. “Yo, Seth, you’re doing better than I thought. Even Kael doesn’t look like he wants to throw you out the window.”

I rolled my eyes. “I’m just trying not to die.”

Before I could say more, Alexander passed by, shooting me a quick glare like I’d just insulted his mom or something.

“Don’t mind him,” River said. “He hates literally everyone probably thinking about his next insult.”

“Cool,” I muttered.

The day ended with the big assembly. Everyone was packed into this huge hall that looked more like a palace than a school.

Then Kael got up on stage and the whole room shut up instantly.

His voice was low and sharp as he started his speech.

“Virelade isn’t just some fancy school. It’s a battlefield you’re here because you earned it or because your family bought you a ticket. It doesn’t matter but if you want to survive here, you prove yourself every damn day.”

I swear, the whole room was hanging on his every word. Not just because he was the leader, but because you could feel something real in his voice like power and control mixed with a dare.

For a second, I forgot I was supposed to be Seth, the new guy trying not to get noticed.

I was just... hooked.