Episode2
1360 Words
LENORA~~~~
By dawn, Denzel had already forged the documents. A new identity. A new name.
Leo.
The word felt sharp on my tongue, like a blade meant to cut away everything I used to be. No princess. No heir. No Lenora. Just Leo, a wiry trainee nobody would bother to look at twice.
Denzel did a good job with my hair, chopping it off and leaving me with wavy short hair that fell just to the center of my forehead.
The Academy gates loomed ahead as the SUV slowed to a crawl. I pressed my face to the tinted glass, heart hammering. Wolfheights Academy wasn’t a school. It was a fortress. Steel and stone rose high into the fog, banners of silver and blue snapping in the wind. Wolves in uniform jogged across the grounds, their dedication radiating in every step. This was a place built to break boys into Alphas.
And I was walking in as a fraud just to hide away from my uncle and a stupid contract.
“Last chance,” Denzel said from behind the wheel. His voice was quiet, but his eyes flicked to me with something unreadable—fear, maybe, or something heavier. “Once we cross this gate, there’s no undoing it.”
I pulled the hood lower over my cropped hair. “That’s the point.”
He swallowed, then smirked faintly, though it didn’t reach his eyes. “Alright then, Leo.”
The guards stopped us at the iron gates, sharp eyes scanning. Denzel presented the documents with practiced ease, and after a tense silence, the barrier opened with a groan. Just like that, my new life began.
Inside, the academy buzzed like a hive. Uniforms in black and gold. Young men sparring in the yard, wolves snapping in the distance, instructors barking orders like drill sergeants.
“Leave your bag. They'll have someone bring it to you,” Denzel said as we stepped down.
The registrar’s office was crowded with recruits. My false papers slid across the desk without question, the clerk stamping them with a bored thump. My stomach unclenched only when he shoved them back and muttered, “Dorm assignment. Room 307. Report to your mentor after orientation.”
Room 307.
Denzel stiffened beside me. “Wait—he’s being placed with—”
“Next!” the clerk barked.
I didn’t have time to ask what he meant before Denzel grabbed my arm, steering me out of the building. “Leo, listen to me. I don't think we should proceed with this. It's about to be a disaster,”
“Why? Because of my dorm?” I whispered.
“No. Yes. Because of who is in it.”
I sighed, and for a second doubt paved its way into my heart. We'd already come this far, quitting at this stage isn't an option I would like to consider.
“We're going through with this plan. Whoever stays there is no god,” I dared, folding my papers into my file. Denzel still looked bothered. He took my file from me and gestured to the chairs in the hallway.
“Fine. Wait here, I'll be back,”
I waited until he was out of sight before heading down the hallway, following the map the clerk had given me for directions. Other people had a tour guide assigned to them, but I didn't, probably because my arrival wasn't accounted for.
The dormitory was a tall, stone-walled tower with rows of narrow windows. Boys lounged at the steps, laughter and jabs flying. Some glanced at me, but only briefly. Thin, wiry Leo wasn’t worth noticing. That was good.
The doors were numbered accordingly and each floor painted differently. I arrived at room 307 on level four but suddenly froze at the door.
Should I proceed?
Or turn around?
My indecision paled my movement for a moment until a bell rang. I snapped out of my thoughts and pushed the door open.
“Holy…fuck!” A boy groaned, hurriedly sending his d**k which was seven meters down the throat of the girl kneeling before him. “What the hell!”
“I'm sorry,”
The girl quickly wiped her mouth, grabbed a hood jacket and draped it over her shoulder. “Thought you said you stay alone!” She yelled and stormed out.
Chills sank into my bones, spreading across my body as the silence in the room stretched.
The boy had his back on me, with sweat trickling down in beads. From the way he breathed, it felt easy to assume he was angry.
And he was.
He looked over his shoulder, “Who are you? And what are you doing in my room?” He asked.
“Leo. My name's Leo,” I whispered. “I was assigned to this room. Room 307. If it's your room too, then I'm guessing we're…”
“Don't say it!” He ordered, facing me. His eyes went down to my knees, and back to my head. The way he scanned me made my heart race. What if he discovers?
A name was inscribed on the wall behind him–Bellamy.
“I didn't ask for a roommate. The school knows better than to assign one to my room,”
“Why? Aren't we all students?” The words left my mouth unexpectedly. His eyes widened in shock, dropping back to my feet as he nodded in awe.
“Leo, right?”
“Yes. Nice to meet you, Bellamy,” I responded.
“Go back to the authorities and tell them you hate your room. They'll assign you to somewhere better,”
“I think I like it here,” I forced a smile and took my first, careful step forward. The up bed wasn't occupied, and the down one looked like it had a lot going on. That's probably his.
His smirk deepened, dimples flashing. “Leo, huh? Well, Leo—if you’re living under my roof, there are rules. My rules.” He pushed off the frame and stalked closer, the air heavy with pine and smoke. My heart slammed against my ribs, but I met his gaze head-on, because submission was not in my blood.
“Rule number one: Don't touch my bed, my belongings, or me. Rule number two: Always be up before me, tidy the room and don't do anything else before me. That includes bathing, eating, sleeping. And rule number three—Do not mention to anyone that we're roommates,”
I didn't utter a word until he was done, then I pointed out the fault in his rules.
“You can't tell me not to touch your things and yet expect me to tidy the room,”
His lips parted like he was about to say something when a knock on our door interrupted.
It was Denzel. He had my bag.
Bellamy stormed out without saying another word. His exit ushered a smooth flow of air into the air.
“I see you've met Bellamy,” Denzel walked in.
“Is that who you warned me about?” I asked. He nodded, set my bag down in the wardrobe before joining me at the window. I saw Bellamy cross the lawn downstairs, still looking angry as he headed towards the administrative block. “What do you think he'll do?”
“He'll report. Ask for you to be transferred. But the school won't do that unless there's a reasonable reason. The head of academy this year is different, impartial,”
“I saw him with a girl,” I exhaled the information with ease. Denzel's head snapped towards me like he was in doubt.
“Really? Did you get a video?”
“No, eww. Why?”
“Leverage. Girls aren't allowed into the academy. The last boy who brought one was withdrawn from the swimming competition and suspended. Bellamy could have his career on the line if that gets out,”
The sound of that felt so evil yet…. thrilling. I folded my hands across my breast which I'd almost forgotten were there and smirked.
Leverage.
Now I can't just wait until he returns.
********
- Writer
