Your Voice

|2| The Royalty

#YourVoice02WP

|2| THE ROYALTY

In wars you will face different types of enemies. From the easiest to the craziest.

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{ ZENO's POV }

I decided not to go back inside. I went to the restroom to fix myself instead. I removed my hoodie and mask before I face the mirror in front of me. My eyes are swollen.

I'm free but not totally. I'm still imprisoned by my past. When will I overcome and defeat these demons deep within me?

It's exhausting to keep fighting for something that you can't barely overcome, but what can I do? If I still want to live I need to fight until the end. I need to stand firm even if how much I stumble along the way.

I waited for the orientation to finish before I decided to go to my classroom. I intentionally want to be the last person to get inside. After what happened to me awhile ago, I just don't want to be in a huge crowd again.

As I open the door, the noise of the crowd suddenly died down. All eyes is on me. I removed the hood that's covering my head. But I did not remove the mask that's hiding half of my face.

"Is that him?" I heard someone asked.

"Maybe... he's the only newbie."

"I heard he graduated through Alternative Learning System."

"Really? How come he's in a VIP Class? He don't belong here."

"I'm afraid our reputation will be stain because of him."

"I'll send a petition about this matter. I don't want to study with that guy in the same class."

Judging from the way they look at me. I feel so small at the moment.

Why is it so easy for people to judge right away? And how did they found out that I graduated through ALS?

I'm a proud graduate. I feel so grateful towards our government for having this kind of alternative learning system. For violence victims like me- this is such a wonderful opportunity for us to move forward. To continue our lives despite our painful past.

This battlefield is not that easy but I need to stand firm. I've been through a lot so there is no turning back. This is for me and my rights as human in this world full of monsters.

"Hey bro! Sit here with me."

I saw Sed waving his hand at me. He's sitting at the back corner of our room near the window. It's good to know that he's here too.

I settle myself on the seat beside him. It's better to sit here... less attention, less noises, and less discrimination from them.

"Where have you been? Hindi ka na bumalik sa orientation." Tanong niya sakin.

"Ah, I went to the restroom."

"Nang ganun ka tagal? Grabe ka naman bro."

"No not really. I'm not used to a huge crowd so I decided to wait outside."

"Sabagay, you look like an introvert. But no worries, you can count on me bro. I'm your friend now." He wink at me.

The class went on. Everyone started to introduce themselves. It's the first day of school so introduction is important. Our classmates introduce themselves uniquely while I am just silently observing them.