TRAPPED

ARIA

Everyone's focus shifts to my presence, waiting for me to take out the bracelet.

“What are you waiting for… Christmas?” Rizz scoffs, and everyone lets out a laugh.

“It seems you haven't heard me before.” He moves his face closer to mine, clenching his chiseled shaved jaws.

My fingers slowly slide the bracelet to the edge of my wrist while my mind is weaving a plan to get out of the situation.

“Jade bracelets are pretty rare nowadays.” He tilts his head, intimidating me with his ocean-blue eyes.

“It's special.” Words came out of my mouth.

“Special for you, not for us!” His piercing blue eyes can see right through me.

“You're wasting too much time!” He grabs my wrist.

“What are you doing?” My voice raises at him.

“Giving you a helping hand.” A devilish smirk comes across his face.

His grip on the edge of my wrist pulls down the bracelet to half of my palm.

Just when he is about to take it out through my fingers, my free hand shoves his chest, and he stumbles one foot away from me.

His gaze lands on his white shoes, then slowly looks up at my face. The push was light; no one else witnessed it, but Rizz felt it.

He narrows his eyes, furious.

I invited trouble on the very first day.

He steps forward, intending to question me.

Suddenly, a strong alarm echoes through the entire academy.

“Rizz, let's go!” Kelly grabs his left arm.

Passing me a death stare, he walks away with her.

“What's going on? I murmur, sliding up the bracelet to my wrist.

Chaos fills the academy. Everyone is running towards a particular wooden door.

Accidentally, a student bumps into me.

“Sorry!” He apologizes, fixing his glasses.

He turns around in a hurry, yet…

“Wait a minute!” My voice stops him from leaving.

“Where's everyone going?” I inquire.

“Jay Manchester got into a fight with another student. He's the academy's troublemaker.” The boy answers.

“We don't have time to stand here!” He clutches my wrist and drags me towards the wooden door.

The door opens to a basketball court. The students are gathered around the black seats to witness the aggressive fight between two students. One is standing without wounds, whereas the other is almost on the verge of losing consciousness.

“Why aren't they stopping them?” My voice whispers to the boy who dragged me here.

“No one messes with Jay Manchester!” He replies, anxious and scared.

In the middle of their fight, Rizz jumps into the court and shoves Jay with a strong force. My eyes can't see Jay's face, he is hiding beneath a black hoodie.

“ENOUGH!” Rizz groans angrily.

“Rizz and Jay are sworn enemies. The entire academy is divided into two teams. Students like us are on Rizz’s side, while all the troublemakers are on Jay's side.”

“Troublemakers?” My brows furrow.

“Students who never follow the rules and get into unnecessary fights. They never attend any classes and spend half of their time chilling on the rooftop. Typical bullies.” He explains in a malice tone.

“Why did you hit him?” Rizz questions Jay.

“He filed a complaint against us stating we smoke and drink on the rooftop.” Jay's husky voice travels to my ears, piquing my curiosity even more.

“Is it true?” Rizz turns his head to the other student.

He nods his head.

“I never get into unnecessary fights…unless someone provokes me.” Jay stretched his neck on either side.

Rizz clenches his fist tightly.

“The disciplinary committee decides what is allowed and not. Understand, buddy?” Rizz rests his palm on that student’s shoulder and mutters calmly.

The student gulps.

“I will take care of the complaint but you deserve a punishment for beating up another student. It is against the rules.” Rizz lands his gaze back to Jay.

“Your damn rules!” Jay looks up at the ceiling and a smirk on the corner of his lips reveals itself beneath the long hoodie.

“You’re suspended for a week.” Rizz announces the punishment.

Pushing Rizz's chest with his shoulder, he walks out of the basketball court without revealing his face.

“THE SHOW IS OVER!” Rizz groans, and all the students rush to the classes.

Upon stepping into the main hall, the boy guides me to the principal's office. He is kind enough to offer me help.

“I am Ezek Winslet.” He introduces himself as we reach the door of the office.

“I am Hailey Randle.” My lips reply.

He nods his head, smiling.

Ezek appears to be the only innocent student in the entire academy. He is good-looking but a bit doleful. His brown hair and light brown eyes are a match with each other, and he has a habit of fixing his glasses.

“Why’s everyone afraid of Jay?” I ask.

Ezek moves closer to me.

“Jonathan Manchester, Jay's father, is Alpha's close friend.” He whispers into my ear.

My eyes widen slightly.

“You don't know this? This is not a secret in the pack.” Ezek murmur.

“Ehm…I never paid attention to these things.”

Ezek rolls his bottom lip, believing my lie.

“See you later.” Saying that, my feet step into the principal's office.

The principal is a woman in her forties. Blonde short hair falling to her shoulders and light makeup hiding wrinkles on her face. Amina Waldorf.

“Have a seat, dear.” She speaks, soft and polite.

I perch on the red cushion chair while she is sitting on a black queen-sized throne across the table.

“Victor Randle did a great job. That lonely man should have adopted you a long time ago.”

My lips force a smile.

“Anyway, the school year just started, so no worries, darling.” She is sweet but my gut feeling tells me otherwise.

Her fingers press a small red button under the table, and her assistant strides inside.

“Yes, Madam?” A man in his sixties.

“This is Hailey’s admission file. Keep it well in the documents room.” She extends her hand toward the man.

The man grabs my file and leaves the office.

“Your classes are starting tomorrow. Go to your dorm and take a rest.” She crosses her fingers on the table.

I get up from the chair and quietly step out of the cabin, closing the door behind me. My gaze glances at the documents room right next to the office.

It's my first goal.

On the other hand, There's a paper pasted on the notice board outside the principal's office with dorm numbers for new admissions.

Mine was 214.

A green garden beside a beautiful lake is separating the dorm from the academy. A wooden bridge is built on the lake to reach the dorm building.

The dorm building is antique, polished with the charm of history. Long hallways and more than a thousand rooms.

My room is on the second floor.

Stepping into my room, my gaze notices a pink suitcase next to the bed. Victor had bought girly dresses for me and sent them to the dorm one day earlier.

“That old brat. Pink, seriously?”

The room is cozy. There isn't much, a bed, a wooden wardrobe, an antique clock on the wall, and a huge glass window on the wall next to the bed.

Victor told me to steal admission documents and send them to him. We couldn't wait for long. I wait for the sky to turn completely dark...to make my first move.

As the clock points at 12, I change into my hunter's uniform, A black tight jumpsuit with black boots.

My plan is simple…Sneak into the documents room and steal all the copies of the male admissions. Victor promised to meet me outside the gate at 2 am. He will send the copies to Toby, his nephew, to verify everyone's background information.

We couldn't wait long because Amina is planning to redesign the documents room in a few days...which means she will shift the files to her private safe.

My feet sneak out of the window and head straight to the academy. The entire surrounding is enveloped with silence, not a single soul outside.

The rule of the disciplinary committee states that no one should step out after 11 pm.

I am breaking their first rule!!!

Upon reaching the front part of the academy, my eyes notice the door is locked.

I pull out a small pin from my hair and push it inside the lock. The door unlocks with a clicking sound, and my feet slowly enter the main hall.

Surprisingly, there's no security.

Sneaking through the darkness, my steps approach the documents room. I use the same pin method and unlock the door. There are tons of admission files.

According to the rumors, Alpha's son was enrolled in the year 2025. My feet walk over to the shelf of that year. The files resemble thick brown books.

I touch a file on the shelf, and a loud siren reverberates through the walls of the academy.

“What's going on?” My eyes glance around.

“SOMEONE BROKE INTO THE ACADEMY!” Someone shouts from outside.

As the sound of several boots approaching the documents room reaches my ears, the file slips from the grip of my hands and drops to the floor.