002

“Azxel. Come on, we have to go.”

Her voice was quiet but firm, carrying that weight he hated and exhaustion. He stayed where he was, staring at the floor, pretending not to hear.

She stepped closer, her hand brushing the back of his arm. “The car’s waiting. Remember, we need to get there. Hillcrest Academy.”

He looked up narrowing his eyes. “You’re really sending me away.”

“I… I don’t have a choice,” she said softly. “You’ve been out of control. This is for you, Azxel. Remember I said you need structure, guidance… and fresh start.”

He snorted, hollow. “A fresh start? Sounds more like a prison.”

She didn’t respond, she motioned for him to follow her. Reluctantly, he dragged his feet to the front door.

The drive was long and quiet. Azxel leaned back against the seat, crossing his arms and watching the familiar cityscape slip away behind them. The streets thinned, giving way to wide stretches of overgrown fields and quiet country roads. His mother stole occasional glances at him through the rearview mirror, her face tight with worry.

The first glimpse of Hillcrest appeared on the horizon. The place looked like any normal building will. The gates were tall, the buildings looked dark and disturbing, most especially the place was located at the outskirts of town, deeply located in an unknown place. The car slowed down taking the space at the packing lot.

Azxel stared at the academy, his heart thudding and his chest tight. He didn’t know what awaited him here, only that it would be different and that made a part of him… uneasy.

He let the folder on his lap slide slightly, his fingers brushing the name printed across the top of it. The name alone was annoying to him — Hillcrest Academy for Behavioral Rehabilitation.

A hollow chuckle escaped him. Change didn’t scare him. He had learned long ago to survive it. But the weight in his chest felt heavier than it should.

He could feel the eyes of the staff waiting by the entrance, standing straight with unreadable expressions.

Azxel stepped out of the car. His mother followed silently behind him.

The staff were waiting at the lobby. Their eyes were on him and he met each one with a steady stare.

“Azxel Ralph?” a woman said with a clipboard in hand. Her voice was sharp and stoic.

He didn’t answer, he kept looking at her, his jaw tightened by the way the woman called his dad's name.

His mother shifted beside him. “I’ll leave you here now,” she said quietly. “They’ll handle your registration and show you to your room.” She smiled at the unbothered teacher leaving them.

Azxel didn’t move nor speak but his heart raced of different emotions and thoughts. What if he murdered himself here? It was going to be fun, won't it?

The woman with the clipboard stepped closer staring at him steadily. “Follow me,” she said.

He waited a moment, then started walking behind her, his mother watching him leave with a faint, tired expression. As his back faded, she drove off.

The woman led him down the corridor until they reached a door. “This will be your room,” she said. “You’ll be sharing with another student. Get settled before orientation. Breakfast starts in thirty minutes. You'll get introduced to your sessions in thirty minutes.”

Azxel stepped inside. The room was small, just enough space for two beds, two desks and two closets. A single window let in pale light from outside.

One bed was neatly made, the other unoccupied but showing signs someone had lived there before. Azxel dropped his backpack on the floor and glanced around.

He didn’t unpack yet. He sat down staring at the empty space, thinking about the other student he would have to share it with.

After a few minutes, the door opened again.

A boy stepped in, carrying a backpack slung over one shoulder. He looked Azxel over quickly, his eyes filled with curiousity.

“Hey,” he said casually. “I went for a walk… didn’t expect to meet a new roommate.”

Azxel didn’t respond. He didn’t even look at him, keeping his gaze fixed on the floor.

The boy shifted, trying to break the tension. “I’m Jaelen. Looks like we’ll be sharing this place for a while.”

Azxel didn’t answer. He got up, walked over to his desk, and dropped his folder on it, marking his side of the room clearly.

Jaelen shrugged lightly, as if he was used to being ignored. “Don’t worry,” he said. “You’ll get used to me.”

The silence stretched. Jaelen leaned against his bed casually, letting Azxel have the space, understanding that this roommate wasn’t going to be friendly or easy.

After a few minutes, Jaelen finally spoke quietly.

“Come on,” he said, nodding toward the door. “It’s time for orientation.”

Azxel stood up silently and followed. He stayed a step behind Jaelen as they walked down the corridor. Jaelen didn’t push or try to make conversation, he just led the way.

The room for orientation was larger than Azxel expected. Students were already seated in rows, murmuring quietly among themselves. Staff took seats up at the front.

Azxel sat at the back, his arms crossed, his eyes cold as the instructor paced slowly in front of the room. Students shifted nervously, whispers dying under the weight of the staff’s presence.

“Listen carefully,” the instructor said loudly. “Hillcrest Academy has rules for a reason. Boundaries are not suggestions. Breaking them carries consequences, severe ones.”

Azxel didn’t react. He just stared letting the words roll over him without care.

The instructor paused, her eyes sweeping the students. “There is one student you will never, under any circumstances, provoke or approach. His name is Sky. Room 113. He is currently in isolation for punishment, due to the extreme danger he poses to others.”

A ripple went through the room. Some students fidgeted, others swallowed hard. Azxel leaned back slightly, his expression unreadable.

“He has a history of violent crimes,” the instructor continued. “Sky is dangerous, highly unpredictable, and has harmed both students and staff. Anyone who violates his isolation rules risks severe repercussions. Stay away. Stay out of his way. Understand?”

A few students nodded nervously. Jaelen, seated next to Azxel, barely flinched. He had heard it before.

Jaelen bent towards him carefully whispering. “You’ll want to listen to this one,” he said softly. “I mean Sky. The one the teacher just spoke about. His room number is 113 but he's locked in isolation center for now. You have to stay away from him.”

Azxel tilted his head slightly, uninterested.

Jaelen continued, with a low voice so that no staff could hear him talk. “He… he’s a murderer, I mean a brutal one. He killed a teacher last year, gouged out her eyes and did other things… worse things. He’s violent, calculated, and he doesn’t forgive. No one crosses his room number and walks away.”

Azxel was still unaffected and uninterested but the information piqued his interest.

“Seriously,” Jaelen said, leaning back in his chair, still calm, “stay out of his way. Don’t even make eye contact if you can help it. People have tried before… trust me, it didn’t end well. You don’t want that. Trust me.”

Azxel gave nothing.

Jaelen shrugged quietly. “Fine. It's your call. But if you run into him… don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Azxel stayed silent, eyes flicking to the floor. Sky. 113. Isolation. Murderer. Dangerous. Nothing fazed him outwardly, but the information settled somewhere in the back of his mind.

Azxel finally muttered, under his breath, barely audible: “I’ll keep that in mind.”

Jaelen smirked faintly, shrugging. “Good. Just… don’t test him. Trust me.”