Unseat the Apha

Special skills

Another one called Anisha laughed, "What are you gonna do about it, huh? Hit me? You might have defeated us in the past but we wouldn't let you win this time."

Violet ignored them knowing it was all talk and no action.

"Oh look, she's ignoring us again," one of the girls, Marissa, drawled, her voice dripping with false pity. "Do you think she's too dumb to understand? Or just too scared?"

"Bet she's scared," another one chimed in. "She's probably shaking in her boots, thinking about all the d***s she might have to suck at Lunaris acdemy if she unluckily gets chosen."

The girls laughed once more.

Something inside Violet snapped. She lunged so quickly startling the girls and they stumbled back. Her heart hammered in her chest, her fists trembling at her sides. She could feel the fury burning through her, every word they had ever thrown at her fueling the fire. She wanted to hit her, to wipe that smug look off her face.

But before she could fulfill that urge, a teacher came into the room and said, "what is going on here?"

No one replied, however, the man could sense the tension in the air. Not to mention, Jasmine and her crew were notorious bullies in the school.

"Alright, that is it. I want all of you out of the class and headed home." he commanded them.

Violet was the first to move. With one last burning glare, she shoved her way past Jasmine and her lackeys. She wasn't going to waste her energy on them. It wasn't worth it.

Their school was a public one, which meant it had a huge population. Violet quickly lost herself in the crowd, hence her bullies would not find her to start trouble again.

Walking home, Violet let her eyes roam the destruction still lingering from the war. The humans might have won, but the damage was irreversible.

Buildings were left in ruins, streets cracked and scorched from explosions, and the air still carried a faint scent of ash and devastation. Two hundred years had passed since the final bombs of destruction fell, but the Earth had never fully healed.

It wasn't long before Violet reached the patch of land that housed a vast number of trailers. It was the only form of shelter for people like her. After the war, the poverty rate had skyrocketed,leaving only a privileged few able to afford a proper house, no matter how small.

Even the houses were guarded and isolated from the crumbling world outside.Her mother had always said they were lucky to have a trailer. She had bought it second-hand when a former tenant moved out, claiming she got it for a good deal.

The white trailer looked weathered, its paint peeling and faded and the inside was no better. The meager belongings they had were scattered across the tiny space, clothes draped over chairs, empty cans that had long since lost their contents, and cigarette butts littering the table. The ashtray overflowed with half-smoked cigarettes, a pungent smell hanging heavy in the air.

It wasn't the kind of place to raise a child, but it was better than sleeping in the streets, where the bigger predators of this new world waited. Crime was rampant now, though in the trailer park, it was mostly petty theft. At least here, Violet didn't have to worry about murder.

Nancy, her mother, was nowhere to be found when Violet arrived home. The silence wasn't unusual. Nancy was rarely home and, when she was, it wasn't like she cared to interact. She had made it clear over the years that she was no maternal figure. But Violet didn't push her luck—having a roof over her head was enough.

There was no food, as usual, and Violet didn't bother looking for any. Instead, she fished out the snack bar she had been saving and sat at the table, unwrapping it slowly as her gaze fell on the form she'd been given in class.

The Lunaris Academy application form stared back at her, demanding answers she wasn't sure she had. The only reason she was even considering filling it out was the slim chance that it might get her a scholarship to a university.

Right now, university education was a privilege only the elite could afford. If she somehow managed to get into Lunaris Academy and come out on top, she could escape this life. She could become someone different—someone who didn't have to live in a trailer and avoid eye contact with the wrong people.

As she chewed, she reached the question, "if you have any special skills, state them."

Violet paused, staring at the words thoughtfully. What special skills did she have? Surviving? Avoiding fights? Violet tapped her pen against the table, lost in thought, when the front door creaked open.

"Welcome home—" But the rest of her words trailed off as Nancy entered, a huge, burly guy following closely behind her. The sight of him made Violet's stomach churn.

She snapped.

"You promised me you'd take your business elsewhere," Violet said, her voice sharp with outrage. "Why is he here?" She pointed an accusing finger at the man, her face twisting in disgust.

Nancy rolled her eyes, shrugging off Violet's protest. "Promises don't put food on the table. I've got work to do."

Her gaze fell on the application form, and a laugh escaped her lips. "Is that a Lunaris Academy form? Good for you. Just try hard to get in, and your life will get better. If it gets harder to land a guy, remember what I taught you.

Met a man seduce him with your charm, and he'll be wrapped around your finger. Who knows, you two might just hit it off and create a magical future together, maybe even start a family. You'd be one lucky lady, Violet."The blood drained from Violet's face as her mother's words sunk in. Her stomach twisted, rage boiling beneath her skin, and her hands trembled. She had never felt so humiliated, so utterly exposed. Nancy didn't care. She never had.

Hot tears burned in Violet's eyes, but she refused to let them fall. "I should have known," she said, her voice thick with bitterness. "You were never one to keep your promises."

"Oh, please," Nancy scoffed, lighting a cigarette and taking a deep drag. "I'm doing what I can to survive. What I do is the reason you eat and go to school, so don't act so high and mighty. Now, if you don't mind, I need the trailer for a few hours." She smirked, her eyes glinting with mischief. "Unless, of course, you want to stay and learn a thing or two."