Page 12

Disgust twisted low in Violet's belly, a sickening churn that made her want to throw up. She'd seen a lot in her old school, but this was on another level of twisted. Her anger zeroed in on one particular comment, the idiot who had moaned about not getting a peek under her clothes.

Her skin crawled. She noted his username with icy precision, already plotting a way to track him down. When she did, he would regret the day his mother hadn't used protection; his existence was a mistake she intended to fix.

For a moment, Violet wondered if Mary had been right when she'd warned her to keep her head down and avoid drawing attention.

Maybe this place wasn't a real school after all, but some warped social experiment or a rehabilitation center for budding psychopaths, where scholarship kids were just thrown in as entertainment.

The thought felt wild, but here... maybe it wasn't so far-fetched.

Regardless, there was no going back now. She'd have to ride out this storm that was Lunaris Academy.

Without a word, she snatched Lila's phone right out of her hand.

"Hey!" Lila shouted, trying to grab it back. Violet blocked her with her body and furiously swiped at the screen, her fingers clumsy but determined.

"What on earth are you even trying to do?" Lila demanded.

"Trying to delete the video!" Violet hissed, her frustration mounting. She wasn't tech-savvy, but she was determined to figure it out.

"You can't!" Lila cried out. "Even if you delete it from my feed, it's already gone viral all over Moonsphere."

Deep down, Violet knew it was too late. But she'd hoped, against all odds, that she could still undo the damage. It was a fool's hope, she realized bitterly.

Violet ran a hand through her hair with an annoyed groan before tossing the phone back to Lila, who caught it swiftly. Lila pouted as she cradled the device, petting it as though it were a wounded pet Violet had manhandled.

"Is this school really like this?" Violet burst out. "Just preying on people's weaknesses and mindlessly worshiping jerks like Griffin?"

Daisy's expression turned serious, and she warned, "Careful about badmouthing the cardinal alphas. The walls have ears here, and you don't want to find yourself in more trouble than you bargained for."

"And she's not even grateful," Ivy sneered from her bed, disdain dripping from her voice.

Anger flashed in Violet's eyes. She stomped over to Ivy, getting right in her face.

"Well, excuse me for not being grateful to be choked by some entitled asshole.

Though, it sounds like you'd enjoy that kind of foreplay.

Too bad you didn't get lucky enough to take my place," she shot back, her voice laced with venom.

Ivy's blue eyes darkened, and her jaw clenched, but instead of lashing out with another insult, she simply muttered, "You don't get it, do you?"

"What's there to get?" Violet shot back, her patience wearing thin.

Ivy smirked. "Great. You're dense," she retorted, unkindly.

Violet's hands clenched, and her teeth bared in a silent warning. She had a lifetime of anger and violence to draw on if this stuck-up girl kept pushing her. But before she could react, Lila quickly slid between them, looping an arm around Violet's shoulders.

Violet wasn't fond of Lila's overly familiar touch, but she had to admit it cooled her anger by a degree. Lila gave Ivy a chastising look before turning to Violet with a bright smile.

"What Ivy's trying to say—if she could speak nicely for once—is that you've broken a school record."

Violet narrowed her eyes, not buying it. "What in the world are you talking about?"

"Okay, sit down, and I'll explain," Lila said, tugging Violet toward her bed. Violet followed, feeling almost robotic as she sank onto the mattress. She noticed Daisy shifting closer, her curiosity piqued, hinting that whatever Lila was about to say was bound to be interesting.

Lila stretched her hand, "your phone." she demanded.

Though distrust was clear in Violet's eyes, she still handed her phone to Lila, albeit reluctantly.

Lila took it and began typing, explaining, "I'm sure Mary mentioned that Lunaris has a points system for academic ranking.

Well, socially, it's the same amongst the students.

We have our own hierarchy. And logically speaking, as the last student to enroll here, you should be at the bottom as the omega, the runt of the pack.

But here you are..." She shoved the phone back at Violet.

Violet took it, baffled. On the screen was a ranking feed with her name, her picture—how did they even get a recent photo?

—and a large number twenty beside her profile.

She lifted her head to find her roommates watching her with eyes wide with anticipation as if she were supposed to be awestruck or dropping to her knees in gratitude.

Violet remained unfazed, raising an eyebrow as she asked coolly, "This is what all the buzz is about?"

What followed was a chorus of disappointed groans. Lila actually facepalmed, Daisy buried her face in her pillow as though dying of secondhand embarrassment, while Ivy snorted, her expression clearly saying, Told you so.

However, Lila was not the one to give up and before Violet could even register, the girl snatched the phone from her grip with a bit more force than necessary, eyes gleaming with both annoyance and determination. Determination to make her see things from her view.

She held the phone up, gesturing at the screen as though presenting some grand revelation.

"This, Violet, is the Lunaboard," Lila declared now, her voice bubbling with excitement.

"It's the ranking system for the females here, and it's huge.

It's ranked by votes and are determined by a mix of factors, popularity, background, abilities, academic performance, you name it.

Every student here lives by this ranking. "

She tapped the screen, her face animated as she explained each detail.

"And here you are, at number twenty, on your very first day after just one encounter with Griffin!

" She shook her head in disbelief, her awe barely contained.

"Do you even realize how impossible this is?

No one has ever shot up the ranks this fast. Ever! "

Violet looked at the screen, still unimpressed, but Lila's excitement didn't falter.

"Your name's going to make it into the Lunarecord!

You're making history!" she added, as if she were personally handing Violet a crown.

Meanwhile, Daisy watched in awe from her bed, while Ivy gave a begrudging expression.

While Lila was still riding high on excitement, Violet raised her hand to get her attention. "Quick question, though. So, what exactly do I get for making it to, uh... number twenty?"

"What does everyone here want most?" Lila asked, her eyes gleaming.

"Money?" Violet guessed with a smirk. She was nearly broke, and if this ranking system could somehow get her cash, she'd be all in.

Daisy chimed in with a somber expression, "Power. He who wields power rules all."

Violet snorted. "With great power comes great responsibility, which honestly, I don't have the patience or stamina for either. Hence if that's all, I'm sorely disappointed."

"A chance to mingle with the elites," Ivy said at last, her eyes gleaming with envy. Violet could practically see the longing, the torture on Ivy's face, as if she'd kill for a chance to be in her shoes.

"The elites?" Violet let out a mocking laugh.. "Please don't tell me you mean those pompous, aristocratic snobs who make up half this school."

Ivy glared so fiercely that, had she been able to shoot fire from her eyes, Violet would have been incinerated on the spot.

"As someone at the top of the hierarchy, you have the privilege of associating with the Cardinal Alphas."

"The Cardinal Alphas?" Violet asked, her curiosity piqued.

"The Terror Four," Daisy answered with a wry smile. "You've met one already,Griffin Hale."

"Oh, hell no," Violet's expression turned sour. "That's not happening. I'll pass."

Ivy sat up sharply, staring at her as if she'd committed a crime. "You'd reject an opportunity to mingle with a cardinal alpha? That's a chance most of us would kill for!"

"Then why don't you go mingle with them if you're so desperate?" Violet snapped.

"Because we can't! Ivy hissed, rising to her feet until they were standing nose-to-nose. She gestured toward Lila and Daisy, who had both gone silent, watching the confrontation. "Only those ranked between first and twentieth are even visible to them. For the rest of us, it's as if we don't exist."

Violet shook her head, exasperated. "Then forget about them and focus on your education. Isn't that why you're here? What's so special about the Terror Four that everyone's losing their minds? Heck, even their title screams trouble."

Silence fell, thick and suffocating. The room vibrated with tension until Ivy broke it with a sharp, hollow laugh that echoed off the walls, sending shivers down their spines.

"Who said they aren't special?" Ivy whispered, her eyes like shards of ice. "What other alphas have you seen possess the godly powers they do?"

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You can check out what Violet's room looks like in the comment section.