ASEL JULES CARSON
"What? Why are you blocking my way? Don't you know who I am?" the guy I'd bumped into at the quadrangle barked at me. I simply rolled my eyes and kept chewing my bubblegum. Jeez. Sometimes I think trouble is secretly in love with me, because it follows me everywhere I go—even now that I'm trying to turn over a new leaf. Touching, really.
"Oh? Cat got your tongue now?" he sneered. I only stared at him while slowly chewing my gum. He was already attracting the attention of the other students around us—perfect timing, too. Everyone was gathered for the assembly, and we just happened to be standing right at the center of where the ceremony was about to take place.
I stretched lazily and threw him a sharp look. Why was this guy being so ridiculously petty?
"Ah," he scoffed when he saw my reaction. "You must be new here. That's why you're acting so cocky. Looks like someone needs to teach you a lesson."
He burst into laughter along with his friends after that little threat. I shifted my weight onto one foot and slipped my hands into my pockets. I counted how many of them there were and a grin slowly crept onto my face.
"Why are you smirking, darling? You're about to face hell, you know," he muttered, reaching out as if to brush the hair behind my ear. I caught his wrist instantly and gripped it tight. His eyes widened.
"Well, well! You're actually fighting back, huh?" he shouted, trying to wrench his wrist free from my hold—but he couldn't. My grin widened even more when I saw the flicker of fear flash across his face. He tried to hide it, but it was already there.
"H-hey! You guys! Help me out here!" he barked at his companions. His grin returned when the men dressed as butlers quickly surrounded me. I just shook my head and popped my bubblegum.
Oh, darling. Hiding behind your guards now? Rich kids are so pathetic.
"Get her!" the guy yelled.
On cue, they all lunged at me at once, trying to grab me. I only grinned and slipped away from their massive arms. There were four of them, all built like thugs. Ganging up on one girl? This guy had really sunk to a new low.
I dropped low to the ground and twisted my foot in a sweeping arc, aiming straight for the legs closing in on me. A quiet giggle escaped my lips as they all collapsed onto the pavement at the same time, piling on top of one another.
Yes. Just like sardines.
Before they could even get back up, I moved straight for the guy who'd provoked me earlier and locked his arm behind him. Gasps erupted from the students watching us. I glanced around, noticing that no one had stepped forward to stop the fight.
I sighed. So much for trying to become a better version of myself. There's only so much I can do when people insist on stirring up trouble in my life. I'm not some pushover they can treat like a punching bag whenever they feel like it. I learned that lesson the hard way.
It's their own fault for being immature, petty human beings—people like me eventually have no choice but to shove their nonsense right back down their throats.
I clicked my tongue when the guy in my hold kept thrashing around. So restless.
"Y-you'll pay for this!" he screamed, suddenly biting down on my arm. He even managed to kick my foot to break free from my chokehold. The moment he caught his breath, he lunged at me with a punch and tried to follow it up with another attack—but I caught his arm and twisted it sharply behind his back.
"Enough," I said coldly, kicking the back of his knees.
I was just about to let him go when he lashed out again, trying to elbow my head. My reflexes were faster—I shoved him away, sending him sprawling face-first onto the ground. He rolled over immediately and tried to stand again, but I was already on top of him, raining punches down on his face. He struggled beneath me and tried to fight back, but he was already too dazed from everything I'd done. I grabbed his collar and pulled his face close to mine.
"Sleep well, darling," I whispered.
Then I slammed my head against his.
Blood immediately trickled down from the wound on his head as it struck the concrete floor. A moment later, I felt hands wrap around both my arms, yanking me away from the guy I'd just beaten senseless. I frowned when I felt how tightly they were holding me. I hissed at them, but they only returned a look of disappointment.
Oh, man. I know that kind of look.
I'm the bad guy… again.
****
"Jules! You never get anything right! How many schools have you been kicked out of already? You barely stepped into this one and you're already cracking heads again—and the boy you beat up is in the hospital! You really respect nothing, do you?" Papa barked at me.
After years of being on the receiving end of his lectures, I'd learned how to tune him out completely.
I remembered the day I came home bruised from head to toe after a fight I couldn't afford to lose—because if I had, I would've crawled home with shattered kneecaps. And this family… instead of asking what happened to me, instead of asking if I was okay, they scolded me for beating the hell out of the neighbor's kid.
Don't get me wrong.
I tried to explain my side.
They just never listened.
They never did.
"Hon, please… forgive our child," Mama said softly, trying to calm him down. "Let's just enroll her somewhere else, alright? Actually… an invitation letter arrived earlier today. Have you read it? I think Jules might be a good fit for that boarding school."
I looked away and chewed my bubblegum instead.
A boarding school?
Wow. They really do want to get rid of me.
"Jules," Papa called.
I didn't look at him. He clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Look at me."
I sighed before finally turning toward him. His dark eyes were heavy with something that felt colder than anger. "Starting today, you will study at Pandora's Academy of Forbidden Arts."
"What?" I said, one eyebrow arching. "That's a real place? That name sounds like a bad fantasy novel."
Mama sighed quietly, so I glanced at her. "No, dear. To be honest… they're already waiting for your arrival. I called their contact number as soon as I heard what you did at school today."
"You didn't even bother asking me first?" I said, disbelief slipping into my voice.
Then again… what did you expect, Jules?
"Jules, you should be grateful there's still a school willing to accept someone like you. This is your last chance to redeem yourself," Papa cut in.
I let out a sharp scoff. "Do you even know what kind of school that is? I've never heard of that academy in my entire life. Just admit it—you really want to get rid of me."
Mama's expression softened immediately. "Anak, it's not like that—"
"Yes. You're right, Jules."
My jaw tightened when Papa spoke again.
"Even before this, we could never control you. Maybe we failed as parents—that's why you turned out like this. But we're tired of begging schools to accept you, especially when the same thing keeps happening again and again. And this—" he raised the invitation letter in his hand. I caught a glimpse of its insignia: a woman opening a strange box. "They invited you themselves. Despite your record."
"And that doesn't sound suspicious to you?" I shot back immediately. "You're basically handing me over to strangers."
"Jules, this is for your own good. I spoke with the school's representative. They promised they would take care of you—that they would use your abilities for something good."
"Abilities?" I laughed bitterly. "What abilities? Breaking people's skulls? What is this fantasy-trope bullshit—"
"Language, Jules," Papa snapped.
I was about to snap back at him when a car horn blared outside the house, loud enough to cut straight through the argument. Papa didn't even look at me anymore. Instead, he walked behind the sofa and pulled something out from behind it. The moment I saw him dragging a large suitcase across the floor, the realization settled in my chest like a stone.
I chewed my bubblegum slowly and let out a crooked smirk. "See?" I muttered. "You really are sending me away." Papa said nothing. He simply carried the rest of my luggage toward the door, like this had already been decided long before tonight.
Mama rushed toward me and wrapped her arms tightly around my shoulders. "Take care of yourself out there, Anak."
I didn't hug her back. I just stood there, letting her cling to me as if that would somehow fix everything.
When she finally pulled away, our eyes met for a brief second. Her mouth opened, like she was about to say something, but I averted my gaze and walked straight out of the house without looking back.
I don't give a shit about formalities. It just makes me sick. It's not like any words that would come out of our mouths would've mattered anyway.
If this is what they wanted, then so be it.
****
My mind drifted the entire ride.
Everything had happened too fast. One moment I was arguing with my parents, the next I was being shoved into a car by some driver who had appeared out of nowhere like he'd been waiting for this exact moment. I still hadn't processed any of it. Maybe that was why I kept staring out the window—like the trees outside might suddenly explain what the hell was going on.
Earlier we were in the city.
Now there was nothing but forest.
Not the nice, postcard kind either. This one was thick. Suffocating. The kind of forest that looked like it swallowed people whole and never bothered to spit them back out. The branches tangled over the road like claws, and the deeper we went, the darker it felt.
Like the place was hiding things.
Things that probably shouldn't see the light of day.
I shifted slightly and looked at the driver through the rearview mirror. His eyes were glued to the road like I didn't exist.
"Where exactly are we now?" I asked.
Nothing.
The old man didn't even spare me a glance.
Rude.
And look, I know I'm not exactly the poster child for politeness, but seriously? The guy could at least pretend he had manners.
I was about to say something else when the car suddenly screeched to a halt.
My body jerked forward so hard I nearly slammed face-first into the seat in front of me.
"What the—"
The driver was already out of the car before I finished the sentence. He walked around calmly and opened my door like nothing had just happened.
"We've arrived."
I grabbed my luggage and stepped out of the vehicle, immediately greeted by a cold gust of wind that cut through my clothes. I looked around, expecting buildings. Lights. Something.
But no.
Still forest.
Just endless trees staring back at me like they were mocking my stupidity.
My eyebrow lifted slowly.
Yep.
I knew it.
This was definitely a scam.
I turned to ask the driver what kind of place he'd dragged me to, but he was already gone. For a moment I thought he'd just disappeared into thin air, until I spotted a faint beam of light moving somewhere ahead. The old guy was walking away with a flashlight like it was completely normal to abandon someone in the middle of a forest at night.
Great. Am I really part of this trip?
Asshole.
With a quiet sigh, I dragged my luggage behind me and followed.
It didn't take long before the trees finally opened into a clearing. And right there, standing in the middle of it like it owned the place, was a massive gate made of gold and silver. It was ridiculously tall—tall enough to make the surrounding forest look like background decoration.
The driver walked straight inside without even glancing back at me.
Instead, an elderly man stepped forward from what looked like a guardhouse near the gate. He wore a tuxedo that looked way too formal for someone guarding a school entrance, a monocle resting over his right eye, and hair that had long since turned completely white.
"Are you Asel Jules Carson?" he asked.
I answered with a small nod. The bubble gum in my mouth had already lost its flavor anyway, so I spat it out and flicked it toward a nearby trash bin.
Bullseye.
The old man noticed and grinned.
"So it's true," he said. "You really don't talk much."
One eyebrow rose.
Was that written in my school records now too? Student: fights people, breaks rules, and apparently refuses to hold conversations.
Before I could question him, he lifted his gloved right hand and snapped his fingers. A red slip of paper appeared between them like he'd just pulled it out of thin air.
"Here is your dormitory room number."
I took the paper.
Then I waited.
And waited.
Nothing else followed.
No orientation. No explanation about the academy. No "welcome speech."
Just the room number.
I tilted my head slightly and held the paper up.
"That's it?"
"For now, yes," he replied calmly. "You will need to participate in the Welcome Ceremony first. Only then will you be sorted into your respective zones."
Zones?
What the hell kind of school sorts people into zones?
The question was already sitting on the tip of my tongue, but the look on his face made it obvious I wasn't getting any more answers tonight. The man had perfected that polite-but-useless expression adults use when they know something and refuse to explain it.
So I exhaled slowly and nodded instead.
Apparently that was the correct response, because the gate creaked open.
The moment my foot stepped onto the academy grounds, a strange feeling crawled up my spine.
Not fear.
Not exactly.
Just… wrong.
A chill spread across my skin and the tiny hairs on my arms stood up. The courtyard looked empty—completely deserted—but the longer I stood there, the more it felt like I wasn't actually alone.
Like someone was watching.
No.
Not someone.
A lot of people were.
The moment my foot touched the academy grounds, something about the place felt… strange.
A faint chill crept up my spine, and the tiny hairs on my arms stood like they'd sensed something before I did. The courtyard looked empty—completely deserted—but the longer I stood there, the stronger the feeling became.
Like someone was watching.
Not just someone.
Many.
I resisted the urge to turn around and instead scanned the academy grounds in front of me.
Three massive buildings dominated the place. Same general structure—tall towers, dark stone, sharp edges—but their colors made them look like they belonged to entirely different factions.
The building to my left was mostly black, but silver details ran across its surface like veins of metal catching the faint light. The one on the right leaned even darker, almost entirely black with thin streaks of white shaping its edges. And right in the center stood the largest one of all, its walls layered with black and silver while gold crowned its towers like some overdramatic centerpiece.
What stood out more than the colors, though, was the distance between them.
They weren't clustered together like a normal campus.
Each building stood far apart from the others, as if they were meant to stay that way.
Zones.
So that's what the old man meant earlier.
I glanced down at the red slip of paper in my hand.
204 — Vermillion.
"Allow me."
The voice came from my side so suddenly that I nearly jumped. I hadn't even heard the old man approach. One moment I was staring at the paper in my hand, the next he was already there, casually taking the luggage from my grip like it had belonged to him all along.
"I'll have this delivered to your dormitory room," he said with the same polite smile that hadn't left his face since I arrived.
Before I could protest, he gestured toward a row of bicycles parked beside the guardhouse.
"The Dean is very strict about limiting vehicles within the academy grounds," he explained. "Students usually use these bicycles to get around."
Right. Because obviously the best way to navigate a mysterious academy in the middle of a forest was on a bike.
"Uh… okay," I muttered, grabbing one. "Where exactly is my dorm?"
"Just behind those buildings, Ms. Carson."
I stared at him.
"But—"
"You'll recognize it once you see it."
Of course I will.
Why bother giving directions when cryptic answers work just as well?
I decided arguing with him was pointless and started pedaling anyway. The old man seemed satisfied the moment the wheels started moving. By the time I glanced back, he had already retreated toward the gate like his job was done.
A few minutes later, I didn't need directions anymore.
The building standing ahead of me practically announced itself. Deep crimson walls rose against the darker structures surrounding it, the color so bold it looked like someone had spilled paint across the entire building and decided to keep it that way.
Vermillion.
I slowed the bicycle and stared up at it.
Yeah… no need to overthink this one.
Out of all the buildings here, only one of them was wearing that color.
I parked the bicycle beside the building and swung a leg off. The place was quiet enough that the sound of the wheels ticking as they slowed felt louder than it should've been. I dug into my pocket for a piece of bubble gum—because if I was about to survive my first night in a school that looked like it belonged in a villain's origin story, I might as well do it with decent gum.
I peeled the wrapper halfway open.
And then the gum was gone.
I blinked at my empty fingers.
…What?
When I looked up, a girl stood in front of me, chewing.
Not just chewing.
Chewing my fucking gum.
She had long, straight hair falling neatly over her shoulders, pale skin that almost glowed under the courtyard lights, and round brown eyes that watched me with shameless amusement. When she caught my stare, she flashed me a grin like stealing gum from strangers was a perfectly reasonable introduction.
I stared at her for a moment.
Then I sighed, reached into my pocket again, and shoved another stick into my mouth.
Sure.
Why not.
Turning over a new leaf, right?
"Hi!" she said brightly, stepping closer like we were about to become best friends. "I'm Catherine Mae Vellaguez. Nice to meet you! You're Asel Jules Carson, right?"
Her hand appeared between us.
I looked at it.
Then at her.
Then back at the hand.
What the fuck?
The girl kept smiling, eyes wide and expectant, like she'd already decided we were going to be friends whether I liked it or not. The longer I ignored her hand, the more stubbornly she held it there.
Persistent.
Annoyingly persistent.
I just fucking gave in. "Nice to meet you too—"
The sentence died halfway out of my mouth when I felt her grip tightened. I lifted my gaze and her smile was gone. The bright, cheerful girl from a second ago had disappeared so completely it felt like I was looking at someone else wearing the same face.
Before I could even react, something jabbed into my palm.
"What the hell?!"
I tore my hand away so hard my wrist almost snapped with it. Pain tore up my arm so fast I almost dropped to my knees. IIt wasn't just a sting. It burned hot, like a flame searing through me from the inside, spreading beneath my skin with terrifying speed. I looked down, trying to make sense of what was happening.
My stomach sank.
Two punctures.
Two fucking punctures.
Shit, shit, shit.
My vision dimmed almost instantly.
The ground tilted under me. The building bled into red smears, like wet paint dragged across my vision. My knees buckled, my limbs starting to numb as something heavy sank into my body.
A gasp tore out of me as my vision began to blacken at the edges but I forced myself to look at her through the haze. My thoughts were slipping, scattering too fast for me to grab hold of them, but I needed to understand. I needed to hear her say it.
"D-did you just…" The words scraped their way out. "Poison me?"
Before I could catch myself, my knees gave out and the world dropped with me. She caught me before I could hit the ground, her arms winding around me as if she had been expecting it. I sucked in a sharp breath the moment I felt hers against my neck. Panic tore through me so suddenly it almost hurt.
"Yes," she beamed at me with a smile. "I did."
"What the fuck?" I breathed, barely above a whisper, completely bewildered from her pretentious innocence.
My reaction made her giggle and she began dragging me along. "You're cute."
The world spun even harder every time we moved. "Where are you taking me?"
"You don't need to know. Believe me, I don't have bad intentions. You'll forget about this, and we can still be friends!"
Did I fucking hear that right?
Friends?
The audacity of this bitch.
I gritted my teeth and forced what little strength I had left into shoving her away. I staggered back against the wall and glared at her, sweat already starting to bead and run down my skin. My legs were shaking. My heart felt like it will explode inside my chest.
I glared at her and raised my middle finger.
"Over my dead body."
I heard her laugh.
"You know, this is a first. You can even stay conscious despite the amount of poison I injected you? That's new—"
I didn't let her finish.
I slammed my fist straight into her face.
The crack of impact shot through my knuckles, and a grin tugged at my lips when the haze in my mind started to thin. Everything just became so damn fucking clear again.
She flew back and hit the ground hard, too stunned she couldn't even look me in the eye.
I didn't waste the opening.
I stepped in and drove my foot into her stomach, planting it there and grinding my weight down into her. My breath was ragged, thick in my throat, like I'd swallowed dirt, but the second a whimper slipped out of her, it all went away.
"W-what's happening?" she gasped. "Why isn't it working on you—"
"Wanna hear something cool?"
I dug my foot deeper into her stomach.
"The more I hurt you, the clearer my thoughts get." My grin widened. It felt wrong. It felt good.
I don't fucking know anymore.
I tilted my head and held her gaze. "Guess I've got no choice but to take it out on you, huh?"
She screamed, tears welling in her eyes. I can't take my eyes off of her. Her expression is electric.
Shit.
Ah, that was so fucking satisfying.
"Y-you're immune?!" Fear broke across her face. "How is this possible?!"
I crouched down and brought my face close to hers, close enough to watch the panic set in.
"I don't know what you're talking about," I said softly, a smirk tugging at my mouth. "But I think we should finish what you started, don't you?"