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By the fountain between two worlds

Penulis: Whizcasky
last update Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-08-20 05:25:04
The night was cooler than usual, the fountain glowing under the campus lights. Aalia stood there, clutching her sketchbook, trying to breathe like Jeffrey’s words hadn’t just clawed their way under her skin.

Then Collins showed up.

Not by accident—you could tell by the way his steps slowed as soon as he spotted her. He looked tired, sweat still clinging to his shirt from training, but his eyes… his eyes were sharp, restless, like he hadn’t figured out how to calm himself since the performance ended.

“You shouldn’t be out here this late,” she said quietly.

“You shouldn’t either,” he shot back, but softer.

Silence stretched between them, filled only by the sound of the water trickling from the fountain.

Finally, Aalia sighed. “You saw him.”

“I saw him,” Collins said flatly.

“And?”

He looked away, jaw tight. “He’s good. Too good.”

She blinked, surprised by his honesty.

Collins stuffed his hands into his pockets, kicking lightly at the ground. “I don’t know what annoys me more—t
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  • Royalty College    The spiral

    Aaliah didn’t sleep.She lay awake in the dark, the ruined emerald dress folded in the corner, Jeffrey’s jacket draped across the chair like an accusation. She should’ve tossed it out, should’ve thrown it at his smug face when he walked away.But she hadn’t.Every time she closed her eyes, the moment replayed—his hand sliding up her arm, his breath warm against her cheek, the inevitability of his lips nearing hers. And the worst part? For one breath, one heartbeat, she hadn’t moved.She’d wanted it.Her chest squeezed, shame burning her skin. What would Collins think if he knew?But Collins wasn’t here. He hadn’t messaged in days. No calls, no notes. Just absence. She told herself he was training, working, building himself up for State. But the silence hurt more than she wanted to admit.She buried her face into her pillow, tears soaking the fabric. She hated Jeffrey. She hated Vanessa. She hated herself most of all.Morning came cruel and loud.The whispers started the second she ste

  • Royalty College    Collapse

    By the fourth day, Collins’s body had stopped feeling like his own.His arms no longer bent the way they should. His ribs ached like splintered glass each time he breathed. His knuckles were raw and swollen beneath cracked wraps, blood crusting where the skin had torn. Even his thoughts moved slowly now, thick and sluggish, as if exhaustion had seeped into his brain.But when the whistle shrieked, he still forced himself upright.He didn’t know how. Maybe it was pride. Maybe it was stubbornness. Maybe it was just that quitting would hurt worse than anything the trainers could throw at him.Around him, boys groaned, dragging themselves into the yard, their faces as pale and battered as his own. The dirt was stained with sweat and blood, the cold air biting through their thin clothes.The head trainer paced in front of them, eyes sweeping over the broken line of bodies.“Three days, and most of you are already corpses,” he barked. “That’s fine. We don’t need corpses—we need predators.”

  • Royalty College    The wrong shoulder

    Aaliah told herself she wasn’t going to answer him.Jeffrey’s message sat on her phone screen like a trap: “Saw what happened. Don’t let them break you. Meet me after class?”She should’ve ignored it. She should’ve stayed in the bathroom stall, where she’d been hiding since the showcase ended, tears soaking the ruined emerald fabric in her arms. She should’ve gone home, locked herself in her room, and stitched until her fingers bled, determined to prove everyone wrong.But when the final bell rang and footsteps faded down the hall, leaving the building in uneasy silence, her phone buzzed again.“I’m waiting outside the studio.”Her heart squeezed painfully. She didn’t want him. She wanted Collins.But Collins wasn’t here. And Jeffrey… Jeffrey was.Her legs moved before her mind caught up, carrying her out the door.He was there, exactly where he said he’d be, leaning casually against the wall. His posture was effortless, like he had all the time in the world, but his eyes sharpened th

  • Royalty College    Humiliation in the spotlight

    The fashion studio buzzed with energy. Racks of clothes lined the walls, sketchpads scattered across tables, and the faint hum of sewing machines filled the air. Today wasn’t just another workshop—today was a showcase.Each student had to present a design-in-progress to the faculty. It wasn’t final, but it was a chance to prove they deserved the stage when State came.Aaliah’s hands shook slightly as she adjusted the emerald dress on the mannequin. She’d worked through nights for this, pouring every ounce of herself into the details—the embroidery, the silhouette, the elegance that made it hers.She took a deep breath. This is it. This is mine.But in the corner of the room, Vanessa watched with a smile too sharp to be friendly.The presentations began. One by one, students brought their designs forward, teachers scribbling notes, murmuring critiques.When Aaliah’s name was called, her heart skipped. She wheeled her mannequin to the front, the emerald fabric catching the light, glowin

  • Royalty College    The breaking Point

    By day three, Collins wasn’t sure where he ended and the pain began.His body was stiff, his ribs bruised, his arms heavy as stone. Sleep came in jagged fragments, haunted by phantom fists and the sound of whistles. He ate in silence with the other boys, food tasteless, his stomach too knotted to care.But today, something shifted.The trainers didn’t call for drills. No laps, no sparring, no sweat-soaked punishment.Instead, they herded the fighters into a separate hall—concrete walls, dim lights, and no windows. The air was damp, heavy with mildew. They were told to sit. And then… nothing.No instructions. No noise. Just silence.At first, Collins thought it was a break. A reprieve.But after an hour, the silence became unbearable. Every shuffle of boots, every cough echoed too loudly, feeding the restless itch in his chest. He shifted, but the trainer’s glare pinned him back down.“Bored?” the man finally sneered. “Good. That’s the point. Out there, in the ring, you’ll wait. You’ll

  • Royalty College    Breaking Them down

    The whistle came before dawn again.Collins’s body lurched awake, but his mind lagged behind. He’d only managed scraps of sleep, drifting in and out, every breath jagged from bruised ribs. His arms ached like lead, and when he sat up, he almost collapsed back onto the cot.“Up! Outside!” a trainer roared, boots pounding against the floorboards of the barracks.The fighters groaned, some dragging themselves out of bed, others still too sore to move. One boy didn’t rise at all. A trainer kicked his cot, hard. “Out or gone.”Collins forced his legs to move. His body didn’t want to obey, but he gritted his teeth and shoved himself to standing.The air outside was freezing, the gravel biting through his thin shoes. Breath fogged in the dark as the fighters lined up, shivering.The head trainer paced in front of them, eyes like knives. “Yesterday broke your bodies. Today we break your minds. State isn’t won with fists—it’s won with will. And most of you don’t have it.”His words echoed.Col

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