Chapter 27: The Price of Defiance [III]

The moment the dorm room door closed behind them, Chloe let out a sharp breath she had clearly been holding in for most of the walk back. She shrugged off her jacket with more force than necessary, tossed it onto the foot of her bed, then climbed onto the upper bunk. One leg dangled over the edge while she drew the other up to her chest, resting her chin against her knee and wrapping both arms tightly around it. The posture did little to hide her obvious irritation. If anything, it only made it more apparent. The tension she had been trying to suppress in the dining hall was now written plainly across her face, lingering in the tight set of her jaw and the occasional annoyed glance she cast toward Starlight.

Meanwhile, Elle moved awkwardly toward the sitting area, fidgeting with the handles of the takeaway bag. Her fingers twisted nervously against the paper as though she didn’t know what to do with it. Starlight walked over to the sofa and dropped into one of the seats, releasing a tired sigh. Elle quickly placed the takeaway bag on the small table in the center of the sitting area before sitting opposite her. Ariel settled onto the same sofa as Starlight, glancing between everyone before rubbing the back of her neck.

"Okay..." Ariel began slowly, clearly trying to figure out where to start. "I know Chloe is coming across a little harsh right now, but don’t take everything she said the wrong way, Starlight. She’s frustrated, that’s all. We all are. The truth is, what happened today was bad. Really bad. We know why you did it. You were standing up for Elle, and honestly, nobody here is saying that part was wrong. In fact, that’s one of the reasons we’re still sitting here with you. But slapping the Perigee Clan’s princess and then talking to Alpha Mikhail like that..." She exhaled heavily. "Those aren’t ordinary people. We’re talking about members of two royal clans. There were other ways this could have been handled. Honestly, it makes me wonder if you’re even from this empire. You’re a human, for goodness’ sake. What exactly were you hoping to gain by offending werewolves like that?"

Starlight’s shoulders sank slightly as she looked anywhere but at Ariel. The look on her face was that of a child being reprimanded by a parent after getting caught doing something she knew she shouldn’t have done, with obvious embarrassment in her eyes. As much as she hated admitting it, she had really messed up.

"It’s my fault," Elle blurted out immediately, lowering her head so quickly that several strands of hair fell across her face. Her fingers twisted nervously in her lap as guilt washed over her expression. "I’m sorry. This whole thing happened because of me. If I had been paying attention to where I was going, none of this would’ve happened in the first place. I really, really am sorry, guys."

"No, Elle. Stop doing that," Ariel said quickly. "This isn’t anyone’s fault. Accidents happen. None of us expected Beatrice to act like that. The problem is how everything escalated afterward." She paused before studying Starlight carefully. "Can I ask you something honestly? Are you absolutely sure there’s nothing going on between you and the Alpha Twins?"

Starlight sucked her teeth in irritation. "How many times do I have to say it before you believe me? There’s nothing going on between us. I don’t know them. Believe it or not, today was the first time I’ve ever seen them face-to-face."

Ariel sighed. "I believe you. Or at least I want to. It’s just... the way everything is happening doesn’t make sense. But regardless of whether there’s something going on or not, one thing I know for sure is that what happened today is going to be all over AsterBuzz, and every student on campus is going to know about it and judge you for it." Her expression darkened slightly. "And when that happens, you’re going to see a side of this academy that you really won’t like. Chloe isn’t exaggerating about that."

Starlight frowned. She already knew everyone would probably be against her. In their world, whenever a human and a werewolf had a conflict, it was almost always the human who got blamed. Both humans and werewolves would turn on you for daring to challenge their so-called godlike rulers, as though the werewolves could do no wrong and humans existed only to endure whatever treatment was handed to them.

"She just has to apologize," Chloe said bluntly from her spot on the upper bunk. "Nobody cares who’s actually right or wrong right now. If she wants her school life to be even remotely bearable, she’s going to have to swallow her pride and apologize to both Beatrice and Alpha Mikhail." She shifted her position and released the knee she had been hugging, letting both legs dangle over the edge of the bunk. "Because, frankly, I don’t want to suffer the consequences of whatever mess she’s dragged herself into just because I’m sharing a room with her. Call me selfish if you want, but I’m not about to become collateral damage because she decided to pick a fight with people way above her league on her first day of school."

Starlight shot her a glare. "I get it, Chloe. I get it, okay? Nobody’s asking you to suffer any consequences because of me. I can even apply for a room transfer if that’ll make you feel better."

"Calm down, both of you," Ariel said with a weary sigh, raising a hand before the argument could escalate again. She inhaled slowly, then exhaled. "Listen to her, Starlight. She’s right. You really do need to apologize before this gets any worse."

Starlight immediately turned her glare on Ariel.

"I’m saying this for your own sake," Ariel continued patiently. "I’ve heard enough stories from my older sister, who attended Asterion Academy years ago, to know how ugly things can get here. My parents spent years saving money just so she could study here and hopefully marry into a wealthy werewolf family someday. During her second year, one of her closest friends offended a high-ranking werewolf student. It wasn’t even anything major. But the rumors spread, and everybody started shunning her. She was ostracized, and my sister refused to abandon her friend, so she got dragged into it too. People stopped talking to them. Nobody wanted to sit with them in class. They were excluded from everything. It got worse and worse until her friend couldn’t take it anymore."

Ariel lowered her eyes and stared at her hands for a moment. "She committed suicide by jumping off one of the academy towers. But of course, it never made the news," she said, her voice laced with quiet bitterness. "The whole thing was covered up before word could spread beyond the academy. It was ruled an accident. But..." She shook her head. "Everyone knew what really happened." She rubbed her arm absentmindedly before continuing. "My sister never got over it. Even now, she still has nightmares about that place. When I won the lottery, she begged me not to come. She kept telling me to stay away from the academy and, most importantly, stay away from anybody from the Five Clans. She said if you think humans idolized werewolves out in the Empire, it’s nothing compared to what happens here. People treat the Five Clans like gods. And anyone foolish enough to get on their bad side usually pays for it one way or another."

The story left a heavy weight in Starlight’s chest. She had always known humans were treated unfairly in a world ruled by werewolves, but hearing Ariel describe what had happened to her sister’s friend made her realize it was even worse inside Asterion Academy. The realization was both sobering and humiliating. She had been so focused on her anger that she hadn’t stopped to consider the consequences. What had she honestly been thinking? She was one human girl standing against a system that had been built to favor werewolves for generations. The idea that she could openly challenge people like Beatrice and the Alpha Twins without repercussions suddenly seemed painfully naïve.

"I’m such a fool," she muttered.

Ariel sighed when she saw that her words were finally sinking in. "I don’t want something like that happening to you. You seem like a genuinely good person, Starlight. That’s why we’re worried. Nobody is trying to attack you. Nobody is saying you’re wrong for defending a friend. We’re just scared that you don’t understand how dangerous this place can be when the wrong people decide they don’t like you. And please, you’re not a fool."

Starlight let out a frustrated sigh and ran a hand through her hair. "No, I think I am, a big one at that," she admitted quietly. "Maybe not for standing up to Beatrice, because I still don’t regret that part, but for forgetting the kind of world we live in. I just thought that since we’re all students here, such a hierarchy wouldn’t be this extreme, but I was obviously wrong. I’ll apologize for my actions."

"I hope it’s not too late," Elle muttered, her eyes glued to her phone. "You’re already all over AsterBuzz, and the comments are not looking good at all."