đź“–CHAPTER 1: THE GIRL WHO DIDN'T BOW
The gates of The School of Peace were not meant to be crossed by just anyone.
Tall. Black. Silent.
They stood like a warning to the world once you entered, you either became powerful… or you broke.
Emily Carter didn’t look like someone who would break.
She stepped out of the car slowly, her boots hitting the ground with quiet confidence. Her uniform was slightly different from the others still carrying the mark of her former school. The School of Wisdom.
The enemy.
And everyone here knew it.
Whispers started immediately.
“That’s her…”
“The one who attacked her trainer…”
“Why would Master Dave accept someone like her?”
Emily heard every word.
She just didn’t care.
Her eyes lifted, scanning the massive compound in front of her. Students were training across the field fighting, sparring, bleeding. No laughter. No softness. Just discipline… and fear.
Good.
That’s exactly the kind of place she needed.
“New student.”
The voice came from behind smooth, sharp, and commanding.
Emily turned.
Sofia.
Tall. Beautiful. Dangerous.
There was something about her presence that made others step back without thinking. Her eyes slowly moved over Emily, judging… calculating.
“So,” Sofia said, folding her arms, “you’re the problem child we’ve been hearing about.”
Emily tilted her head slightly. “And you must be the one in charge of barking orders.”
A few nearby students gasped.
Sofia didn’t.
She smiled.
But it wasn’t a kind smile.
“You’ve got a mouth,” she said softly, stepping closer. “Let’s see if you can survive long enough to keep using it.”
Emily didn’t step back.
Didn’t flinch.
Instead, she leaned in just a little. “I didn’t come here to survive.”
A pause.
Then
“I came to win.”
For the first time, Sofia’s expression flickered.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
High above them, behind the tinted glass of a private chamber, someone had been watching the entire exchange.
Dave.
Master of the School of Peace.
Mafia lord.
And a man who feared nothing.
He stood still, his eyes locked on the girl below.
Emily.
There was something about her…
Something different.
Everyone who came into his world had one thing in common they feared him.
But her?
She hadn’t even asked about him.
Hadn’t looked up.
Hadn’t cared.
A slow smirk formed on his lips.
“Finally,” he murmured to himself.
“Something interesting.”
Behind him, Sofia entered the room without knocking.
She always did.
“You called for me, Master?” she asked, her voice softer now—completely different from the one she used outside.
Dave didn’t turn.
His gaze was still on Emily.
“No.”
Sofia paused.
That was new.
Her eyes followed his line of sight… and landed on the girl standing in the courtyard.
Emily.
Something tightened in her chest.
“Then why is she here?” Sofia asked carefully. “She’s from the School of Wisdom. She’s dangerous.”
Dave finally turned, his expression unreadable.
“That’s exactly why she’s here.”
Sofia stepped closer. “You don’t trust easily. Why trust her?”
“I don’t,” Dave replied calmly.
“Then?”
A small pause.
Then he said
“I want to see how far she can go before she breaks.”
Down below, Emily suddenly looked up.
For a brief second, her eyes met the dark glass window.
And somehow…
It felt like she could see him.
Dave’s smirk deepened.
“Oh,” he whispered.
“This one won’t break easily.”
