The Prison Of Elegance

The Confrontation

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Second Class - The Confrontation

As I stepped into the classroom for my second lecture of the day, the heavy, sardonic voice of Miss Beacon hit me like a slap in the face.

“Have your seats, students,” she said, her tone oozing disdain as she strutted toward the desk at the front of the room, heels clicking sharply against the floor. Her hawk-like eyes scanned the class, always searching for someone to mock, to belittle. And today, her target was obvious.

Her gaze settled on me.

She tilted her head slightly, a cold, mocking smile tugging at her lips. “And who do we have here?” she said loudly, theatrically, making sure the whole class turned to look at me. “I can see the paupers are dreaming big. Hahaha! Miss Aurora, what do you think?”

My heart skipped a beat. The room went uncomfortably quiet except for a few snickers from the back. I clenched the strap of my bag tighter and swallowed the lump rising in my throat.

“Me? I don’t know, Miss Beacon,” I said softly, trying to keep my voice even. My words barely rose above a whisper, but they hung in the charged silence.

Miss Beacon’s grin widened, her eyes sparkling with malicious glee. “So you’re now a wanna-be freak? So shameless,” she scoffed. “I mean, look at you. New clothes? Makeup? Designer heels? Oh wow, then I see you finally heeded my advice.” She raised an eyebrow mockingly. “So tell us, who are you milking all these from?”

Gasps and murmurs rippled through the classroom. The humiliation burned hot on my cheeks, but I stood there, my fists trembling by my sides. I opened my mouth to speak, but her sharp voice cut through again like a whip.

“Oh no, don’t bother lying,” she sneered. “We all know girls like you don’t just wake up pretty and privileged overnight.”

“I didn’t do anything wrong,” I managed to say, fighting the sting in my eyes.

Miss Beacon’s expression hardened. Her tone was now clipped, cruel. “Miss Aurora, you better have your seat and stop exchanging words with me. What, you think you’ve grown wings now?”

“No, ma’am,” I replied, my voice thin and fragile, like paper on fire.

Suddenly, the classroom door creaked open.

A tall figure stepped in. Silence fell instantly, tension evaporating like mist in sunlight.

It was the Vice Chancellor.

Her mere presence commanded authority. She walked in with grace, dressed in an impeccably tailored navy-blue suit, her posture straight, every step deliberate. Her piercing eyes scanned the room with calm precision.

Miss Beacon stiffened. Gone was the haughty air and sarcastic smirk. She straightened her back, quickly plastering a smile on her face.

“Oh! Vice Chancellor Harland,” she said with forced cheer. “What a wonderful surprise! To what do we owe this visit?”

The vice chancellor didn’t return her smile. Instead, her gaze swept the room once more before settling… on me. Her eyes lingered, quiet and unreadable.

“I’ve been informed that we have a very important student in our midst,” she said, her voice smooth but laced with steel.

Miss Beacon blinked. “That’s impossible,” she scoffed with a nervous chuckle. “There’s no new student here. They’re all the same… usual lot.”

“Oh?” the Vice Chancellor’s voice remained even. “Really? She goes by the name Miss Aurora.”

Miss Beacon’s smile faltered, then dropped completely. “Miss Aurora?” she repeated in disbelief, her eyes narrowing. “She’s just… a regular student. There’s nothing special to write home about when it comes to her.”

The vice chancellor’s expression didn’t change, but her voice dropped just slightly—low, deliberate, and powerful. “Miss Aurora.”

I froze. My pulse thundered in my ears. Slowly, shakily, I raised my hand. “That’s me,” I said, my voice barely audible.

Miss Beacon scowled, her lip curling in contempt. “Stand up, Miss Aurora,” she barked. “Show some respect.”

But before I could move, the Vice Chancellor raised a hand.

“No, she doesn’t need to stand,” she said gently. “Sit down, Miss Aurora. I hope you are comfortable. I came to check up on you.”

I blinked, stunned. Check up on me?

“I… I’m okay, ma’am,” I said, my voice trembling.

She nodded once, then gave the room a final glance before turning on her heel and leaving as gracefully as she came. The silence lingered for several moments before Miss Beacon turned back to the board, clearly seething beneath her composed mask.

The rest of the class passed in a haze. I could feel the weight of curious stares, could hear the low hum of whispers—my classmates speculating, guessing, wondering who I really was. My hands stayed clenched in my lap. I couldn’t focus on the lesson.

Why had the Vice Chancellor come just to check on me? What did she know? What had she heard? Her words looped in my mind, filling me with questions I had no answers to.

After Class – The Truth Comes Out

When the class finally ended, I rushed out of the building, desperate for air. My thoughts were spinning in every direction, and there was only one person I needed to talk to—Tyra.

I spotted her by the library entrance, standing beneath the cherry blossom tree we used to sit under between classes. Her face was creased with worry, her arms folded tightly across her chest.

The moment she saw me, her eyes widened, and she ran to me.

“Aurora!” she exclaimed, pulling me into a tight hug. “Where have you been? I was worried sick! You didn’t come home last night. I called and texted a hundred times!”

I felt a rush of guilt. “I’m sorry, Tyra. I should’ve called…”

“What happened? Where were you?” she asked, stepping back to look at me, eyes scanning my face and outfit. “And… what’s going on? Are you okay? You look… different. Like—expensive.”

I took a deep breath and looked at her seriously. “It’s a long story, Tyra.”

“I have all day for you,” she said immediately, grabbing my hand. “Tell me everything.”

We sat down on the library steps, and I began to recount what had happened—how I was followed after my shift at the café, how I was taken to the mysterious mansion, how I met Rose, and how Master Geo had provided everything.

“I was… kidn*pped,” I said softly.

Tyra’s eyes widened in horror. “kidn*pped?! Aurora, are you okay? Did they hurt you? Did they—”

“Tyra! One question at a time,” I said with a small laugh, trying to keep the panic in her eyes from overwhelming me.

She grabbed my hands. “Start from the beginning. Every detail. I need to know what happened. And this Master Geo… is he dangerous?”

I hesitated. “I… I don’t know yet.”

But even as I spoke, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this was only the beginning of something much bigger—something mysterious, maybe even dangerous. And yet, a strange part of me was drawn to it… to him.

Tyra tightened her grip on my hands. “No matter what this is, I’m with you. Always.”

I smiled, a little more at ease. “Thanks, Tyra. I think I’m going to need you more than ever.”

As we sat there under the pink blossoms, the wind picked up, rustling the leaves, whispering secrets. Somewhere in the distance, I knew eyes were still watching me. But I wasn’t alone.

And I was no longer just “the freak” on campus.

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