...
After the welcome speech, everyone was escorted to their rooms, a total of five students per room. Each room would hold two guys and three girls.
Although the academy didn't encourage friendships, they weren't so heartless as to make the children socially deprived and wouldn't be able to mingle with the opposite gender. Wren and the pretty blonde, Kinrara, were taken to their room, which resembled a military barracks. The walls were painted a dull gray, and the floors were made of cold, hard concrete.
The beds were neatly arranged, with each one having a small nightstand beside it. A large poster of a former great student hung on the wall, his stern face gazing down at the students. In the corner of the room, a small desk held a computer terminal, its screen glowing with a soft blue light.
The room was also equipped with a surveillance camera, its lens peeking out from behind a two-way mirror. The camera was small and discreet, but Wren's keen eyes spotted it easily. "Ah, great," Kinrara said, rolling her eyes. "Just what we need. Big Brother watching our every move."
As the students settled into their new surroundings, the tension in the room was palpable. Wren and Kinrara exchanged a wary glance, both sensing the unease that hung in the air.
The blonde boy, Kai, seemed to be simmering with anger, his eyes flashing with hostility as he argued with Kinrara. "Why did you not take my cam, Kinrara?" Kai complained, running his hand through his hair. "You think I didn't take it? Those men searched my bags and took it. They were so secretive," Kinrara stated, sighing exasperatedly.
The brown-haired girl, who had been watching the exchange with interest, spoke up. "You two should stop whining before they hear you. From the looks of things, this surveillance camera isn't as simple as it looks."
She nodded towards the camera, her eyes narrowing slightly. Kai's face twisted in annoyance. "Mine your business, four eyes," he snapped, turning to his sister. "If anything happens to my cam, I won't spare you."
Kinrara rolled her eyes. "You're not exactly in a position to be making threats, Kai." Wren watched the exchange with a mixture of curiosity and wariness. She didn't know what to make of her new roommates, but she was determined to keep her guard up.
As Kai turned his attention to Wren, his expression changed from anger to amusement. "What are you looking at, Hazel eyes? Fallen for me or what?" he joked, his eyes glinting with mischief. Wren snickered, rolling her eyes.
"You dream," she replied, starting to go through her stuffs. But Kai's attention didn't stray far from Wren. He noticed her teddy bear and couldn't resist making a comment.
"Hazel eyes has a teddy bear, how cute. The cushions would make a ball," he said, his eyes fixed on the bear. Wren's expression turned cold. "You dare, dummy," she warned, her voice low and even. Kai's eyes flashed with anger, and he approached Wren, his face twisted in rage.
"What did you just say?" he growled, his voice menacing. Wren stood her ground, her eyes locked on Kai's. "You heard me right, or do you have problems with your hearing?" she replied, her voice steady. The air was electric with tension as Kai's anger boiled over. He pinched Wren's skin hard, making her cry out in pain.
Then, in a move that made Wren's heart sink, he tore her teddy bear into shreds with his bare hands. "This would show you stupid, no one messes with Kai Blackwood, no one," he sneered, his face twisted in contempt. But Wren was not one to back down.
With a fierce cry, she launched herself at Kai, kicking him hard and making him stumble backwards. His head hit the wall with a loud thud, and he slumped to the ground, bleeding. The room was silent, the only sound the heavy breathing of the two combatants.
Kinrara stepped forward, concern etched on her face, but the brown-haired girl held her back. "Let them fight," the girl said, her voice firm. "It's better to know who's the strongest in the room." As the fight continued, the room became more tense, the air thick with anticipation. Would Wren be able to stand up to Kai, or would she crumble under his aggression? Just as it seemed like the fight was going to escalate further,
the doors burst open, and a tall, imposing man with a thick beard stared at the two children with a stern and blank expression. His eyes, a piercing brown, seemed to bore into their very souls, making Wren and Kai feel like they were in grave danger.
Anger was written all over his face, his eyebrows furrowed and his jaw clenched. He approached the two children, his massive hands closing around their necks like vice grips.
"Boss wants to see you both," he growled, his voice hoarse and deep, like the rumble of thunder on a stormy night.
His breath hit them with its foulness, causing them to cringe their faces in disgust. The stench of stale cigarettes and last night's whiskey wafted from his direction, making Wren's stomach turn.
The other students cowered when the man stared at them, hiding behind their beds in fear. They peeked out from behind their makeshift shelters, their eyes wide with terror. The man's gaze swept the room, his eyes lingering on each student before moving on. He seemed to take pleasure in their fear, his expression unyielding.
The man took Wren and Kai away, slamming the door hard behind him. The sound echoed down the hallway, making Wren jump. She felt uncomfortable, her heart racing with anxiety as she struggled to keep up with the man's long strides. Her feet felt like lead weights, heavy and uncoordinated. When she slightly moved, the burly man stared at her with anger, his eyes flashing with warning. She decided it was only going to make things worse by squirming, so she forced herself to remain still.
As they walked, Wren had thoughts of what was going to happen, and each thought was more horrible than the last. She imagined being punished, tortured, or even worse. The uncertainty was suffocating, making her feel like she was going to pass out. Her mind was a jumble of worst-case scenarios, each one more terrifying than the last. She tried to push the thoughts away, but they lingered, festering in the back of her mind like an open wound.
Finally, they arrived at a large dungeon, which had a pungent smell of blood and sweat. The air was thick with the stench of decay, and Wren could feel the weight of the darkness bearing down on her. The walls seemed to close in around her, making her feel claustrophobic. The man's grip on her neck tightened, and she felt like she was being dragged into a nightmare from which she might never awaken.
The burly man pushed them forward, forcing them to enter the dungeon. Wren's eyes adjusted slowly to the dim light, and she saw a figure sitting on a throne-like chair, shrouded in shadows. The figure's presence seemed to fill the room, exuding an aura of power and menace. Wren could feel the figure's gaze on her, making her skin crawl.
"Welcome, Wren and Kai," the figure said, its voice low and menacing. "I've heard a lot about you both. You're quite the fighters, aren't you?" The figure leaned forward, its face still hidden in the shadows. "Let's see how you fare in here." The voice was like a cold breeze on a winter night, sending shivers down Wren's spine.
The figure's words hung in the air, heavy with implication. Wren's heart sank, her worst fears confirmed. She knew she was in grave danger, and she didn't know if she would make it out alive. Kai, on the other hand, seemed undaunted, his eyes flashing with defiance. "Bring it on," he sneered, his voice dripping with arrogance. Wren shot him a look, wondering if he was crazy. Didn't he realize the danger they were in?