Blackthorn University

CHAPTER 1 PART 2

The registrar’s office was tucked away in a dim corner of the building, far from the bustling corridors and the laughter that echoed from student groups. I could almost hear the whispers before we even entered, a hushed murmur of something just out of reach.

Ako ang unang pumasok, kasunod sina Cyrus at Brent. The room smelled faintly of old books and polished wood, and the walls were lined with filing cabinets that seemed to go on forever. The air was thick with the weight of centuries of records, secrets, and unspoken rules.

The receptionist, a tired-looking woman with a too-calm smile, glanced up from her desk as we entered. Her eyes flickered over us before settling on me. “Ikaw ang bagong lipat?” tanong niya, ang boses niya ay walang emosyon ngunit may halong kung anong hindi ko mawari.

I nodded. “Ximenia Zy. These are my friends—Cyrus Matsuno and Brent Martinez.”

She didn’t ask any more questions. She slid a thin folder across the desk. “You’re all set. Just take this and head down to Room 204. Your orientation begins in thirty minutes.”

I grabbed the folder, the weight of it suddenly feeling too heavy in my hands. Something about the way she handed it to me felt off, like it wasn’t just a piece of paper—it was a warning. But I didn’t have time to dwell on it. We had to move.

Lumabas kami ng opisina, at habang naglalakad sa pasilyo, naramdaman kong muli ang bigat ng mga matang nakamasid. Pero ngayon, hindi lang mga estudyante ang nararamdaman ko—maging mga guro, like they were waiting for something. Or someone.

“What do you think that was about?” Brent asked, his voice low.

Cyrus didn’t respond right away, his gaze scanning the hall as if searching for something. Then he spoke “This place doesn’t feel right. There’s a tension in the air. You can feel it.”

Tumango ako, hindi na kailangan ng paliwanag. Ramdam ko rin iyon. It was the same kind of pressure that comes before a storm—thick, suffocating, and inevitable.

Room 204 was at the end of the hall, and as we approached, I could hear the murmur of voices inside. But when we stepped into the room, I was met with something I didn’t expect.

Nakaayos ang mga estudyante sa maayos na mga hilera, pero walang emosyon sa kanilang mga mukha—walang buhay, parang naghihintay sa kung ano. Tahimik ang paligid, na parang sinipsip ang ingay sa loob ng silid. Walang ingay ng sigla, walang usapan. Wala, kundi katahimikan.

At the front of the room stood a tall man in a sharp suit, his hands folded behind his back. His gaze swept over us as we entered, his eyes cold and calculating.

“Welcome to Blackthorn University,” he said in a voice that was as smooth as glass but somehow cut through the air with a sharpness that made my skin crawl. “My name is Gabriel Ashford, and I’ll be guiding you through the initiation process.”

I glanced at Brent, who was already eyeing the exit. Cyrus, on the other hand, seemed intent on reading Ashford, his face an unreadable mask.

“Initiation?” I repeated, my voice cutting through the stillness. “What does that mean?”

Ashford’s lips curled into a thin smile. “It means you’ll learn what you need to survive here. And trust me, surviving is all that matters at Blackthorn”

There was a long pause before he continued, his eyes now fixed on me. “You see, this university is not just a place of learning. It’s a battleground. And if you want to rise to the top, you’ll need to understand the rules. The gangs. The power plays. And most importantly, who controls them.”

Tahimik pa rin ang silid. Maging ang mga estudyante ay tila hindi humihinga. Tumingin ako kina Cyrus at Brent—hindi ito isang karaniwang paaralan. This was something far darker.

Gabriel Ashford took a step forward. “But I’m sure you’ll figure it out soon enough.” He turned toward the door. “You’ll be given a tour, but don’t forget what I’ve said. Know your place. Play the game. And you might just survive.”

I dildn’t know what to expect, but this wasn’t it.

The moment Ashford stepped out of the room, the tension in the air seemed to break. The students around us began murmuring again, though their eyes remained cold and distant. I could tell they weren’t all just students. Some of them were something else. Something more dangerous.

Brent was the first to speak. “So... that was not what I was expecting.” He let out a low laugh, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes.

Cyrus was already moving toward the door. “We need to find out more. This place is exactly what we thought it wasn’t.”

Hindi ko na kailangan itanong ang ibig niyang sabihin. This wasn’t just a school—it was a war zone. And we were about to step right into the middle of it.

We walked out of Room 204, but I could already feel the weight of what was coming. The question wasn’t if we would get involved in the fight for power. The question was whether we would survive it.