Alpha Kaito stopped at the door with his arms crossed. What he saw shocked him. Angel stood with a bowl of soup, ready to throw it at Alpha Renn. Did he even know who Renn was?
Angel's boldness stunned him.
He was just a small boy, barely 5'4", facing Renn who was 6'5". But Angel didn't flinch. He didn't back down. His courage left Kaito speechless.
It was brave.
But foolish.
No one challenged an Alpha like Renn and walked away unharmed.
"He's stubborn, you were right," Taros said behind him, still staring. He couldn't believe the quiet boy he gave a ride earlier now stood ready to fight a deadly Alpha.
Before they could stop him, Angel threw the soup.
It hit Renn full on.
Renn's eyes burned with rage. His teeth clenched.
Angel didn't move. Didn't show fear.
Maybe he didn't understand what he had just done.
Kaito's heart pounded. He wanted to yell, to rush in, to stop what was coming. But no words came out.
Too late.
Renn moved fast. One second Angel stood, the next he was slammed against the wall. Renn's hand wrapped tight around his neck.
Angel gasped. His legs kicked. His fingers clawed at Renn's hand.
His eyes filled with pain and panic.
Renn didn't care. His grip tightened.
He could snap Angel's neck in seconds.
And from the look in his eyes, he just might do that.
"Rennnn!" Kaito screamed before he could stop himself.
He didn't know why, but seeing Angel pinned to the wall like that...like some helpless rat—set something off inside him. Angel's feet weren't even touching the ground. That meant pain. A lot of it.
Renn hissed when he heard his name. He knew who it was. Kaito. Where the hell did he come from?
"Let him go," Kaito said, his voice tight. The skin between his brows was creased. He was doing everything he could to stay calm.
The four Alphas were supposed to keep the peace. It was the rule. They didn't follow it much, but still Principal Valois had made it clear: if they fought, they'd lose points. Their ranks would drop. So would their house scores.
It would hurt the other students too.
Kaito didn't want that. Not for himself. Not for his house. They were at the top this week.
Losing it because of Angel? That would be stupid.
Especially when Angel started the fight.
Renn turned to face him, still gripping Angel's neck. "Fine. I'll let him go."
He released his hold.
Angel crashed to the floor with a loud groan. The sound made Kaito flinch.
"See? I let go," Renn said, arms out like he did nothing wrong.
Kaito's fists tightened. His body moved on its own, ready to fight.
He didn't care about rules anymore.
But Taros grabbed his arm. "Don't," he said softly. "You don't have to do this. It won't end well. Not for any of us."
"I'd love to teach him a lesson right now," Kaito said, eyes locked on Renn. They had never been friends. Not even from day one.
Suddenly, the lights in the cafeteria started to flicker. Bulbs shattered one by one. Tables began to shake. The ground rumbled like something deep below was waking up.
This wasn't normal.
Someone or something was causing it.
Students screamed and ran for cover. But most of them weren't too scared. They had seen the Alphas fight before. This was nothing compared to the chaos they had witnessed.
"Stop it, man. Not today," Taros said, grabbing Kaito's arm and trying to pull him back.
It wasn't easy. Kaito's body was tense, ready to strike.
Renn didn't move. He stood tall, waiting. Daring Kaito to make the first move.
"We'll deal with him later," Taros whispered. "When no one's watching."
That was how it worked. If they couldn't fight in the open, they waited for the dark.
Finally, after a long, heavy moment, Taros pulled Kaito out of the cafeteria.
Kaito didn't say a word.
He just needed space.
Time to calm down.
Or he'd lose control.
After Kaito left, the lights stopped flickering. The ground stilled. Everything went quiet again.
Taros let out a deep sigh and walked over to where Angel lay on the floor. He looked so small… so broken. Was this really the same boy who had stood up to an Alpha?
A few junior boys from Gold House rushed to help. They brought water. One of them held Angel up as he coughed and tried to breathe. They looked worried. It was normal because housemates stuck together.
Taros knelt beside him.
"You're brave," he said softly, "but also foolish."
Angel slowly sat up. His face was pale, like all the life had been drained out of him. Like he'd died and somehow came back.
"I told you to stay out of trouble, didn't I?" Taros added, shaking his head. He thought he was going to listen but he did not.
Angel looked at him but didn't speak. He tried to swallow, but the pain in his neck was too much.
Taros saw the red marks on his skin...Renn's signature. Clear and deep.
"I can heal it," Taros said. "But if I do… will you ever learn?"
He hated seeing the pain. But maybe Angel needed to feel it. Maybe that's the only way he'd understand how dangerous this Academy was.
"Renn almost killed you," Taros whispered under his breath. What the hell was he thinking?
He stood up and looked toward Renn, who was still across the room. He wouldn't come near now. Not while Taros was there.
Taros looked back down at Angel.
"Get well soon. You need to be strong from now on," he said. His voice was calm, but firm.
Then he turned to leave.
"I'll see you at Initiation Night."