I stood up slowly, feeling the flow of life returning to my limbs.
The cramps that had locked my muscles began to fade gradually, leaving behind a slight tingling that reminded me of the extent of the exhaustion I had endured.
I moved with steady steps toward the wooden table sitting in the corner of the room, and there, a pristine white paper lay as if it were waiting for me.
I reached out a hesitant hand, picked it up, and examined it with eyes worn out by fatigue before I began reading the words inscribed upon it.
"7:00 AM.. First Class"
The letters were rigid, devoid of any warmth. As I moved to the next line, I noticed a note written in a bold, striking hand:
"Go first to the Director's office to receive your class number."
I exhaled sharply, a feeling of resentment rising in my chest.
"Ah, that madman!"
I muttered indignantly Hadn't he been here just minutes ago?
Why didn't he tell me my class number then?
Why do they insist on painting everything with this shade of complexity?
I looked around; I didn't know the corridors of this cursed academy, so how was I to find my way to his office amidst this terrifying vastness?
"Damn him and his system,"
I said, feeling a tightness gripping my chest. My gaze shifted to fall upon the school uniform placed carefully nearby.
It was black, the color of a pitch-dark night.
I lifted it before my eyes, feeling the fabric of the jacket, which looked formal and majestic, adorned with delicate golden patterns that flowed like sunbeams.
My eyes caught a logo written in a shiny golden font that dazzled my sight:
"Zeus Academy.. Elite Reapers"
My pupils dilated, and my hand froze in place.
"Did they really put me in the Reapers wing?"
I whispered to myself in disbelief.
The highest elite.. the strongest here.. the place where no one enters unless they have been quenched with the water of power and death.
As I sank into my questions, my eyes fell on a small piece of cloth that made me smile with bitter irony.
I picked it up with my hand, as if I were holding something strange:
"Really? Or are they joking with me?"
It was a short skirt, provocatively short.
"Damn it! Why do we girls always have to wear these things?"
I tossed it aside in annoyance, only for my eyes to hit those black shoes with a slight high heel and matching socks.
My expression changed for a few seconds, and I nodded my head in silent admiration.
"Fine.. at least they have refined taste in shoes,"
I said, contemplating their shine, before sinking back into thought about what awaited me behind the doors of this dark wing.
I froze in place as if a bolt of lightning had struck me.
"Elite Reapers.. the strongest.."
The words repeated in my mind like a terrifying echo.
Damn! The necklace!
I rushed like one possessed toward the side of my bed, snatched that simple golden necklace with that dark black stone at its center—the only insulator between me and catastrophe.
My fingers trembled as I put it on, terror seeping into my marrow like icy needles.
Damn, without this necklace, I would undoubtedly destroy this place and everyone in it, and the great
"Zeus Academy"
would turn into a mere gray memory in the records of history.
I must take great care of it and hide it from all prying eyes, so that no one dares reach out for it.
As soon as the cold stone touched my skin, I felt a strange pulse; the stone began to glow dimly with a deep black color, and a sudden heat surged through my veins. It was a confusing feeling.
"A sense of belonging."
I smiled faintly amidst my tension; at least, I now possessed something that belonged to me alone in this strange world.
The train of my thoughts was cut by a soft, rhythmic knocking on the door.
My smile vanished, replaced by a look of confusion; who would come at this time, and to me specifically?
I headed toward the door cautiously, opening it slowly and carefully.
My gaze froze on a woman wearing the academy's official uniform.
As soon as she saw me, her face broke into a warm smile as she held up a food tray emanating delicious aromas.
"Forgive the intrusion, miss, but I received a report from the Director about your fatigue, so I brought you some food."
I blinked several times, trying to process this sudden kindness.
Her gentle words were not what I expected from "filthy sorcerers," as I thought them to be.
I stepped aside to let her in. She moved with dignity and placed the tray on the table, then turned to me to say in a tone of mild rebuke that was not devoid of affection:
"This is the last time I will bring food to your room. You must follow the class schedule and meal times precisely; everything here runs on a specific system."
I nodded to her with a stiff face, trying to maintain my cold mask. Before she left, she gave me a tender look that made my heart flutter:
"I hope you are well, and do not overexert yourself, beautiful one."
She closed the door behind her, and I remained standing in shock in the middle of the room.
Why are some people here treating me with kindness? Am I not just "scum," as they previously labeled me?
I sighed deeply while massaging my head, which was now throbbing with pain from too much thinking.
It seems I must re-evaluate these people.
I turned toward the tray; the scent rising from it was enough to make me forget all my worries for a second.
"At least, something to renew my energy,"
I muttered as I sat down.
But, before I touched the food, the image of the church jumped into my mind..
Mother Joanna.. and the small faces of the children.
How are they now? Are they okay? I wish I could share this luxurious food with them, which they don't even dream of.
I sighed with a sadness that shrouded my heart, then began to eat.
The taste was beyond imagination, an explosion of flavors that made my pupils widen with an admiration I could not hide.
I began to devour what was on the tray greedily, as if drawing strength from every bite to face the unknown tomorrow.
As soon as I finished devouring the last bite, I headed toward the only other door in the room: the bathroom.
I longed for a warm wash to restore the pulse to my exhausted body and renew my fading strength.
I adjusted the water temperature and felt it flowing over my skin like a warm embrace I had long missed.
I closed my eyes as I washed carefully, trying hard to wash away the filth of those black days I spent locked in the cursed laboratories, surrounded by the faces of mad scientists who never knew mercy.
Upon finishing, I wrapped a pristine towel around my body and another over my head to dry my wet hair.
But suddenly, my body stiffened, and a sudden coldness swept over me:
"Damn.. I don't have clothes!"
I put my hand on my waist and began to pace in annoyance, the curses increasing in my mind.
"What do I do now?"
I remembered that I had brought a small bag containing some essentials and necessary underwear.
While I was floundering in my confusion, my eyes fell on the massive wooden wardrobe in the corner of the room.
I furrowed my brows in mockery and muttered:
"What's the use of an empty wardrobe?"
But a flash of hope shone in my mind; perhaps they had put my bag inside it.
I rushed toward it and threw the doors open at once, and here was the shock that silenced my tongue.
Not only was my worn-out bag there, but the wardrobe was stuffed with luxurious clothes, a collection of delicate underwear, an elegant box of cosmetics, and perfume bottles that looked expensive.
In short, the wardrobe was the embodiment of every girl's dream.
The thing that made me freeze in place was that every piece was exactly my size, brand new, and carried its original brand labels.
I noticed my small bag at the bottom, looking like a strange guest amidst this luxury.
My smile widened for a second:
"Is today my lucky day.. or has the time for my funeral arrived?"
Then my features froze when the image of that arrogant Director, Vasilios, jumped into my mind.
Could it be that he did this? I reached out for one of the perfume bottles, removed its cap, and inhaled its scent, then gave a sharp, mocking laugh:
"Curse him! Does he even have refined taste in perfumes?"
The clothes were all attractive, oozing both femininity and strength at once.
I wondered bitterly:
"Could this be a 'token of apology' for what he did?"
If he thinks so, he is a great fool. These silks will not erase the memories of the long torture in which I faced death for endless hours under their gaze.
I put the perfume bottle back in its place, and a wicked, confident smile appeared on my lips.
"No matter.. there is no harm in enjoying all this luxury. I have been deprived of basic rights for years, and it is time to take what I deserve."
I put on a piece of those new clothes that slid onto my body with a provocative softness, then threw myself onto the plush bed.
It was comfortable to the point where it made the bones relax against their will.
I closed my eyes while trying to gather my scattered thoughts; tomorrow a long and unknown day awaits me, and I don't have the slightest idea about their rules or their sickly educational system.
"How will these lessons be?"
I wondered mockingly as darkness teased my eyelids. Are they just boring lectures about their stupid magic and their history full of nonsense and the usual "blah blah"?
Or does the matter exceed that to bloody fights, training rounds, suicidal missions, and competitions to prove who is the most evil?
Damn, I know nothing about this "Academy of Villains" except that it will try to tame me.
"I was ready to face an army, but I wasn't ready to face the temptation of this cursed pillow.. Curse you, Vasilios, even your bed is a lethal weapon!"
I continued my internal grumbling and sharp mockery of Vasilios and his system, but my exhausted body betrayed my stubbornness;
in moments, I surrendered to the seduction of sleep and drifted off without realizing it, drowning in the silence of the room that precedes the morning storm.