"Leonhardt, are you insane? Is there not a single day that you won't pester me? I'm tired of your bullshit and this school's twisted law and hierarchy." I glare at him, fists clenched, chest heaving as if ready to break free from the chains this place shackled me with. "Hmm. Acting brave, huh?" he muttered, a smirk curling at his lips as his eyes locked on mine. His aura suffocated me, sharp and unyielding. Despite my defiance, a shiver crawled down my spine. "Tell me honestly, Elior. Are you from the Rodriguez dynasty-the clan that slaughtered my family?" "What the hell are you talking about? Have you even checked my records? I'm an orphan-I don't even know my family, for fuck's sake!" "Make sure of that, little boy. If I find out it's true... prepare your funeral." ** The academy was a world of its own. A place where your badge wasn't just an accessory-it was your identity. Gold ruled. Silver followed. Blue blended in. And Black? Black just tried to survive. Elior Rodriguez adjusted his black-badged uniform, the mark of a scholar-a warning sign. People called his kind trouble, disgrace, bottom-feeders. But he hadn't come here to be stepped on. He had earned his place, and no sneer or whisper would change that. Still, the academy carried an unspoken order. Rules bent for some, stayed unbroken for others. Elior felt it in every step, and with each passing day, his curiosity sharpened into defiance. Then came Leonhardt Valecrest. Golden badge. Nightmare in flesh. A presence that made crowds part without a word. Their eyes locked. And from that moment on, Elior knew peace would never exist again. "Honey... if I can't kill you, then no one can."