Two days ago…
***
Ella’s POV
I finally went back to school after being absent for two days. I’d received a letter warning me that any more absences could lead to repercussions, and I really didn’t want to find out what those were. That’s why I decided to show up, even though I was still scared of going outside.
Even though the thought of running into Mr. Leon terrified me, I convinced myself to step out. He was only a first-year, so I figured the chances of running into him were slim since the first-year and second-year buildings were pretty far apart. But thinking like that? Yeah, that was just the naive part of me.
I moved cautiously, hugging the walls, my eyes darting around corners and peeking down the corridors, trying to ensure I wouldn’t accidentally cross paths with him.
“Why are you hiding?”
“Eeeeek!”
I jumped, my heart slamming against my ribcage. He was right behind me?! I hadn’t even heard him. How did he always know where I was? I could silence my footsteps thanks to my skill, Stalker, and my presence was practically a whisper in the wind. It’s a mystery how he always managed to find me.
“W-What are you doing here? T-This is the second-year building…” I stammered, the words tumbling out clumsily.
“What? It’s not like first-years aren’t allowed here, right?” he replied casually.
Of course, he was right. There wasn’t any rule against students going into other year’s buildings. But with my nerves on edge, I blurted out the first thing that came to mind, desperate to keep some distance between us.
“Why are you hiding there?” he asked.
I wanted to tell him the truth—that I was hiding from him. But the words caught in my throat, swallowed by my fear. I didn’t have the guts to admit it.
“I heard from Charlotte that you’ve been bullied into stalking me by a woman named Kayla. Is that true?”
Miss Charlotte told him that? Of course, she would, considering whatever relationship she had with Mr. Leon. I swallowed hard and nodded, feeling like my secrets had been stripped bare.
“I see. That must have been hard for you, huh…” Mr. Leon murmured, and there was a strange softness in his eyes, like he was actually trying to understand me. Those eyes, so gentle, had a pull that made it hard to look away.
“Y-Yeah…” I mumbled, my voice barely a whisper as I stared down at the floor.
“Do you want to get back at them?” he asked, and I felt a shiver run through me.
I swallowed, feeling my mouth go dry. “R-Revenge?”
“Nah, it’s not as simple as revenge. It’s more like making them realize their mistakes, making them understand that bullying someone like you is wrong,” he explained.
“W-What do you mean?” I asked, but before he could answer, the bell rang, its shrill sound cutting through the tension between us.
“We’ll talk about this later. In the student council office. If you want to do this, come. If not, then don’t. The choice is yours.”
With that, Mr. Leon turned his back to me and walked away, leaving me with more questions than answers.
Revenge? No, it wasn’t about revenge. He wanted to make the bullies stop because they’d realize it was wrong to target me. But how could he pull that off? How would he get Miss Kayla to let go of her control over me? A part of me doubted him, yet curiosity and desperation gnawed at my insides.
And that’s how I found myself standing in front of the student council office door, my pulse quickening.
I hovered outside, my hand trembling as it hung over the door. I couldn’t even understand why I’d come, why I was even considering letting him into my mess. Because deep down, I still didn’t trust him. But since I’d dragged myself here, maybe it wouldn’t hurt to at least hear him out. Maybe this would be the first step to breaking free from Kayla’s hold.
Yet, just as I was about to knock, an icy doubt froze me in place. What if Mr. Leon was just looking to wrap another chain around my neck? What if I just ended up becoming another puppet, dancing to someone else’s tune? Would I spend my whole life being someone’s submissive little pet? The thought made me sick. How could I ever break free from this?
My hand dropped to my side, heavy with hesitation. This was pointless. There was no breaking the cycle. I’d just end up as Mr. Leon’s lackey—or maybe even worse. Yet, even as my thoughts screamed no, a wave of regret washed over me, deep and bitter. It felt like I was standing at the edge of something, some kind of escape. Even though my mind was rejecting it, my hand still raised, almost on its own, and I knocked on the door.
Knock, knock, knock.
The sound echoed through the empty corridor, bouncing back at me like a taunt. Footsteps approached from the other side, and the door swung open.
“Yes?”
Standing there was the Student Council President, Miss Artemis. Her long blonde hair shimmered, and her green eyes seemed to pierce right through me. She was gorgeous, effortlessly radiant. Unlike me.
“Uh, um…” My voice wavered as I struggled to speak.
Why was the President here? Where was Mr. Leon? Had I walked right into some kind of trap?
“N-Nothing. I’m sorry,” I stammered, my resolve crumbling as I turned to leave.
“Wait. You’re Ella, right?” said the President, her voice softening. “We’ve been expecting you. Come on in.”
She grabbed my wrist and pulled me inside. And there, waiting in the room, were three other women—Princess Titania of Bethlan, Princess Trill of the Beast Race, and Professor Gabrielle. All of them were stunning, poised, and way out of my league. What were they doing here?
“Now then, shall we begin?” Miss Titania’s voice was cool, her eyes scanning me like I was some sort of experiment laid out before her.
