That night, a loud knock echoed through my room, making me freeze. My body instinctively curled up, and I pulled the blanket over myself, trembling as the pounding on the door grew louder and more impatient.
“What in the world are you doing in there, Ella? Can’t you hear me knocking? Do you want me to bust the door down or what?”
The voice on the other side was sharp and familiar, and it made my stomach drop. It was her—Miss Kayla. The woman who had forced me into stalking Mr. Leon. She used to cling to Miss Charlotte like a parasite, sucking up to her when she still had power. But when Miss Charlotte lost her status, Miss Kayla turned on her, bullying her relentlessly. Now she had me under her thumb too.
I couldn’t bring myself to open the door, not even for someone else. My body was shaking, paralyzed by fear. I didn’t want to deal with this right now. I just wanted to hide.
“Open the door, Ella,” Miss Kayla’s voice dripped with threat. “If you don’t, I’ll call my servants to kick it down. And you know what that means, right?”
“W-What is it, Miss Kayla?” I asked, my voice barely steady.
“How long were you planning to keep me standing out here?” she spat.
I swung the door open fully and stepped aside to let her in. The second she walked in, her face twisted in disgust.
“Ugh. This place is so cramped! How can you even live like this?” she scoffed, clearly irritated by the lack of space.
“I-I’m sorry,” I mumbled, lowering my head, feeling the weight of her judgment.
Life in the bronze class meant the bare minimum—a bed, a tiny kitchen jammed into the same room, and a small, cramped area that was supposed to pass for a living room. It wasn’t much, but it was all we had. And of course, it wasn’t enough for someone like her.
“Anyway, give me the report.”
I froze. Should I really tell her what I saw behind the gym? Miss Charlotte and Mr. Leon… having sex? No way. I couldn’t. The thought of revealing that made my stomach twist. If I told her, something bad—no, something really bad—would happen. I could feel it.
But if I didn’t say anything, I had nothing to report.
“Ella, don’t tell me you didn’t see anything?” Kayla’s voice sliced through the air like a blade, sharp and venomous. “You’ve been ignoring all my texts, and now that I’m here in person, you have nothing for me?!”
“I-I’m sorry! But Mr. Leon’s getting suspicious of me. I think he’s already noticed I’ve been watching him.”
“Tsk!” She spat like I’d personally insulted her. “You’re so fucking useless! What good is that shitty skill if you can’t even use it properly? It’s no wonder you’re stuck at the bottom of the rankings—incompetent and fucking worthless!”
Her words hit like blows, but I couldn’t argue. My skill, ‘Stalker,’ really was a curse more than a blessing. I could only silence my footsteps—sneak up on people without them hearing me. But if they had sharp enough senses or were suspicious enough, they’d still notice me. That’s it. That’s all it did. It wasn’t enough.
“Get back out there and find something for me, Ella,” Kayla hissed, her voice cold as ice. “And if you don’t, you know damn well what’s gonna happen.”
“Y-Yes…” I barely managed to stammer out the words, feeling the weight of her threat sink into my bones.
Without even sitting down or pretending to care, Kayla turned and stormed out of my cramped room. The second the door clicked shut, I rushed to lock it, my heart hammering in my chest. I slumped against the door, then dragged myself back to bed, curling into the covers as if they could protect me from what was coming.
***
Charlotte’s POV
Kayla, once one of my closest allies—always clinging to my side like a parasite—stomped back into the dorm with a disgusted scowl plastered across her face. Her nose wrinkled in contempt the moment her eyes landed on me. The hostility in the air was suffocating, but I didn’t hesitate. I walked right up to her.
“Kayla,” I called.
Her eyes flashed with fury. “Why the fuck are you using my name?” she snapped. “Didn’t I tell you not to show your pathetic face in front of me again? Haven’t you figured out yet where you fucking stand?”
Her growl was meant to intimidate, but it barely fazed me. Why did I ever let her treat me like this? Why did I allow this girl to slap me, to bully me when I had every right to put her in her place? Even now, with my status gone, she wasn’t as powerful as she thought.
“What’s with that look? You want me to remind you of your place again?” Kayla’s voice dripped with malice, her eyes gleaming with superiority as if she still had control. But I wasn’t in the mood to play games anymore.
“I’m not here for that, Kayla,” I replied coldly. “I just need to know something. You know Ella, don’t you? You’ve got her running errands for you like a lackey. I want to know where her room is.”
Her expression twisted, a sneer pulling at the corner of her lips. “Tsk! I told you not to call me by my name!” She snapped, her hand flying toward my face in a slap. But before she could land the hit, I caught her wrist mid-air, twisting it sharply.
“I’m getting real tired of your attitude, Kayla.” My voice was sharp as I glared down at her. “I actually thought you’d make a good friend at some point. But it turns out clinging onto people like a parasite is the only thing you’re good at.”
Her eyes widened, and she stammered, “U-Unhand me! What the hell are you doing?! You’re nothing now!”
“The academy doesn’t care about status here,” I said, twisting her wrist even harder, making her wince. “So even if I break your arm, no one’s going to punish me for hurting a noble like you. At worst, I’ll just be sent to the disciplinary office. But you? You’ll be walking around with a broken wrist. So, I don’t mind taking that risk.”
“W-Wait! If you do this, my father won’t let you get away with it!” she pleaded, panic creeping into her voice.
“I’ve got a backer stronger than your father could ever dream of.” My voice dripped with confidence as I leaned in closer. Leonamon’s power dwarfs her entire family. Leon could crush you like he crushed me. “So, I’m not afraid to hurt you if it means getting what I want.”
