Sonia quietly pulled out a book from her bag and began to read. It was her first day in a new school, and she had no friends yet — not that she expected any. She had already learned survival for a living.
She was tracing a line of text with her finger when the sudden scrape of a chair cut through the chatter.
A girl stood up ,tall, graceful, with that kind of confidence that came from being feared. The room became a graveyard that even the air froze. The laughter, the whispers, the music from someone's phone were all gone.It was as if the whole class answered to her unspoken command.
She smoothed the hem of her uniform and flicked her glossy hair over one shoulder. Her manicured nails sparkled as she walked toward Sonia with slow, deliberate steps, heels clicking like a countdown.
"Hey, new girl," she said, her tone sugary but sharp. "Go to the school café and get me three vanilla ice creams, two chocolate ones, and... let's say four snacks. Any kind. Just be fast."
Her voice carried the authority of someone used to being obeyed.
Sonia didn't look up. She didn't even blink. Her fingers tightened slightly around her pen, but her eyes glued on her book. The class held its breath, waiting for her to crumble.But she didn't move.Not a word.Not even a sound.
Inside, her heart raced, the old fear crawling up her chest but she buried it beneath a layer of silence that scared even herself.The whole class froze.
Every pair of eyes was fixed on Sonia. Wide, disbelieving, as if they'd just witnessed something forbidden. Then came the murmurs, low and slithering, swelling into laughter and mockery.
"She's crazy."
"She actually ignored Ivanna?"
"She must have a death wish."
Ivanna's face hardened. Anger clouded her perfectly powdered cheeks. She marched toward Sonia and, without warning, smacked the back of her head. Yet,Sonia didn't move.
The class gasped. Ivanna hit her again, harder this time .Still, Sonia sat still.Then she lifted her face slowly, her gaze empty yet sharp . The kind of look that made your stomach twist. Her lips parted slightly, but no words came. Instead, she raised her hand and delivered a slap that cracked through the silence like thunder. Once. Twice. A tooth for a tooth.
The classroom erupted.Gasps. Screams. A few chairs clattered to the floor. Some even stood up in disbelief
Ivanna staggered backward, holding her cheek, eyes wide with disbelief. No one had ever dared touch her . Not even the teachers crossed her line.
She raised her hand again, trembling with fury, ready to strike back. But before she could, a hand caught her wrist midair.
It was him , her boyfriend. The one everyone whispered about. The leader of the three boys who ruled the class like kings and had the dragon tattoo.
"Enough," he said, voice low but commanding.
Ivanna glared, but the weight of his stare made her retreat. She stormed back to her seat, trembling with rage.
The boy turned toward Sonia, amusement flickering in his eyes. He leaned close, resting one hand on her desk, the other lifting her chin slightly.
"So you're the famous murderer," he said, smiling in a way that wasn't quite kind. "I've been waiting to see what kind of monster looks this calm."The class went dead silent.
And Sonia , with that same detached cold stared right back at him.
The two other boys stood up immediately, but the leader just raised a hand, a silent command. They obeyed, sinking back into their seats.
The teacher entered then , tall, slim, and wearing glasses that hid most of his expressions. His arrival broke the tension like fragile glass. The boy threw Sonia one last, cruel smile before sauntering to his seat, hands in his pockets.
Sonia exhaled slowly. None of it mattered. Not the whispers. Not the stares. She had promised herself that she would survive this, no matter how much the world wanted her gone.
The teacher began his lesson. His voice droned on, cold and formal, like the ticking of a clock. After what felt like hours, he clapped his hands once and announced,
"We'll be forming groups for the class project."
The students stirred with excitement , already turning toward their friends.
He started calling out names, pairing people in twos and threes.
Sonia waited.
He never called hers.
When he finished, there were twenty names and then silence jubilations and hisses.He gathered his papers, pretending not to notice her. Then he left the room, his shoes clicking against the tiles.
Sonia stared blankly for a second, then rose and followed him out.
"Sir," she called softly.
He turned, eyes narrowing before softening into a fake, uneasy smile.
"Oh… You must be the new student. The famous one, right?"
Sonia didn't answer. "You didn't add me to any group."
The teacher adjusted his glasses. "Ah, yes. That." His tone grew awkward, his smile tighter. "You see… none of the parents wanted their children grouped with someone like.."
He hesitated. "—someone with your… background."
Sonia blinked, expression unreadable. "Why would the parents decide who comes to school?"
He sighed, scratching his head. "This is a private academy, Girl. Money talks louder than reason here. Some of them even threatened to pull their kids out if I did otherwise."
For a moment, silence stretched between them.
Then Sonia smiled faintly , the kind that wasn't happiness but something else entirely.
"It's fine, sir. I work better alone anyway."
She turned and walked back into the classroom, her shoes echoing like a calm defiance down the empty hall.