The Tormentors (Prey Series #1)

Chapter 1

Liessa

I step into the hallway, my shoes tapping lightly against the polished floor as I head towards the reception. Behind the desk sits a woman, probably in her early 30s, flipping through some paperwork. Her eyes flick up when I approach, scanning me up and down in a way that makes my stomach twist.

“Excuse me, could you tell me how to get to the head office?” I ask, trying to keep my voice steady. She barely spares me a second glance, her focus already back on the papers.

“Are you one of the scholarship students?” she asks.

“Yeah,” I answer, though I’m starting to regret asking.

“All scholarship students are expected in the conference room,” she says bluntly, handing me a map without looking up again.

I take the map, glancing at her one last time. Clearly, I’m not getting more out of her, so I head off, trying to make sense of the maze that’s supposed to be the school layout trying to understand the map and its twists and turns, hoping I’m not going in circles.

“Why is this map so conf—”

I slam into something hard, the impact knocking the air from my lungs. Or rather, someone. I look up—way up—into a pair of icy blue eyes, colder than the winter chill. Him with his built, muscled body looks like a fitness trainer but his uniform confirms that he goes here. His eyes scan me slowly, lingering at my legs and then pausing, ever so briefly, on my chest. I can practically feel the frostbite creeping over me.

“Uh, sorry,” I mumble, taking a step back.

His face is a mask, unreadable, as he glances away and brushes past me without a word. I stand there, watching him disappear down the hallway, feeling the weight of something strange settle on my chest.

“This school is weird,” I mutter, shaking my head as I turn back to the map. But another figure strides towards me, a tall boy, with messy blonde hair and an easy smile.

“Hey, new here?” he asks, his tone light and casual.

“Yeah, I am. You too?” I respond, relieved to see someone who doesn’t look like they’re about to freeze me with a glare.

He grins. “Yep, heading to the conference room, actually." He glances down in my hand, "And I assume you couldn't figure that out?”

I let out a sigh. “Can you blame me? Who makes a map this complicated for students?”

He laughs. “Right. I’m Richard, by the way.” He offers his hand, his smile is genuine.

I take it, "Liessa." I give him my real name because I don't need to be afraid of some random scholarship student and I wasn't so famous enough that people will recognize me just by my name. Only hiding it from the main documents of school was necessary in case, They come here to search for me.

“Well, Liessa,” Richard says, flashing me another grin, “if you want, we can walk together. I think I’ve got this place figured out.”

“Thank God. You’re a lifesaver.” I smile back, feeling a little lighter now that I’ve found someone to navigate this maze with.

We walk together, chatting about random things as we head towards the conference room. Turns out it wasn’t that far—just straight ahead, a left turn, then a right. As we enter the room, we’re greeted by the sound of the principal’s voice echoing through the space, though the noise of chatting students drowns out most of what he's saying.

Richard and I slip into the back, and he leans over to whisper, “Why even give a speech if no one’s listening? Feels like a warm-up for nap time.”

Just then, the room goes unnervingly silent. A hush sweeps across the students, and I feel a shift in the atmosphere. Three figures stroll in, and the energy in the room changes, like all the oxygen just got sucked out.

“Uh, why did everything just get so quiet?” I whisper to Richard, trying to get a better view of who entered.

“No clue,” he mutters, craning his neck, but we can only see their backs from where we’re sitting. Whoever they are, they’ve got the kind of presence that silences rooms.

After what feels like forever, the conference finally ends, and students start streaming out.

Richard stretches,  yawning dramatically. “That speech was so boring. If that chair had been any comfier, I’d have fallen asleep right there.”

I laugh, shaking my head as we make our way towards the cafeteria.

But before we get far, a girl suddenly blocks our path, standing directly in front of us with her arms crossed. She doesn’t look amused.

“Come with me,” she says then she just turns on her heel and starts walking without waiting for a reply.

Richard and I exchange a glance. “Should we…?” he asks.

“I don't know but let's see.” I mutter, already feeling like things are about to get a whole lot weirder.