Beyond the rivalry

02

╭  Chapter Two; 𝜗𝜚 — little Flower ╮

I try to push away thoughts about the serpents out
of my head, but it seemed impossible even as I walk towards my class, the image of the coiled serpent keeps flashing through my mind, daring me to look deeper, to unravel its secrets. The chill of the air doesn't do anything to clear my mind as I clutched
my books tighter against my chest, feeling the hard corners dig into my ribs as I step into the lecture hall. I sliding into my usual seat, trying to ignoring
the nervous flutter in my stomach  as I pull out my notes settling them on the desk  in-front of me, but my mind is far away, Elara's words sticks to me
"it's not just about seeing what they do, it's about proving we can survive it" and proving it to them.

As students filter into the room, my eyes darts
to my seat mate—Chase who's currently sucking
the breathe out of some blonde's lungs. I scowled,
feeling a pang of jealousy remembering that was  once Ryan and I whenever we're together, the bitterness in me turns to mischief as I tap on his shoulders "Hey, have you heard about anything about the Serpents? or their initiations?".

His reaction is instant and startling, his head snaps
up, eyes wide with fear as he pushes the blonde off
him as he stares at me like I asked him to go to
hell and then without saying a word—he grabbed
his books and bolts out of his chair, tripping over himself as he moves to an empty seat on the far
side of the lecture hall glaring at me from a distance.

Heat rushes to my cheek, embarrassment prickling at my skin as I feel the eyes of a few other students on me. I shift uncomfortably in my seat, forcing myself to look down at my notebook and pretend that I'm scribbling something important. the blonde glares at me before she stands up to join him at his new seat, way to make me look like a lunatic.

But beneath the embarrassment, something else simmers—a cold, creeping sense of unease. If
just mentioning the Serpents was enough to send
Chase running, what does that mean for me and
my friends? How many people on this campus have gotten those tickets now? How many of them are thinking the thing I am—whether they'll make it?

The lecture begins, but I barely hear a word of it.
The professor's voice drifts in and out, muffled
and distant, like a radio station that can't find
tune in. My eyes keep drifting back to my laptop, imagining the ticket displayed on its screen, the serpent's red beady eyes glaring back at me. I try
to force myself to focus, to take notes, but my pen
drags uselessly across the page, drawing spirals
that look unsettlingly like the symbol on the ticket.

By the time the class ends, I've given up any hope of retaining the lecture. As soon as the professor dismisses us, I shove my books into my bag, slinging it over my shoulder and making a beeline for the door before anyone can stop me, time to train

The gym isn't far from the lecture hall, and I move through the hallways with purpose, weaving
through students until I push open the door and
step into  the cooler, quieter part  of the gym. The smell of sweat hits me, familiar and strangely comforting. For a few precious minutes, I focus
on nothing but the rhythmic thud of my sneakers against the floor as I walked towards the locker room. Inside, I strip off my jeans and top, pulling
on the white tank top and black leggings I keep in my gym bag. It fits snugly against my body, hugs
my curves and emphasizing the shape of my hips and waist, the wrap top cinching at just the right angle to show off my figure. I glance at myself in
the mirror for a second, noticing how my shoulders taper to a narrower waist before curves out again into my thighs. Strong, not too bulky but feminine, but with muscle that I've fought hard to build.