Alex's Past

"Cheers!" Corbin shouted.

The three of them brought their glasses together, creating a small clinking noise within their privacy bubble. Alex's victory was a cause of celebration.

"Told you I would win from the start!" Alex laughed.

They ate at his favorite restaurant, ordered a couple of premium steaks and some fries. Thomas did not even know how to begin in approaching Alex to acquire more what happened back there. Thomas started giving off this anxious and nervous vibe.

Alex smiled and smacked Thomas on the back.

"What is on your mind mate? You can tell us anything!" Alex was in an extremely good mood.

"Well…" Thomas put down his glass and changed his face expression.

Corbin chose to put his glass down as well, he had a hunch where this was going.

"Let me stop you there," Corbin turned to Alex, "How about you tell him?" Corbin insisted on Alex making the first move.

Alex scratched the back of his head and then loudly sighed.

"Sorry Tommy, the thing is…" Alex began to explain what happened from his own experience.

The story was about Alex being younger and brought up in a strict noble household. Since they were naturally upper-class and nobles on top of it, there were certain expectations that came with it.

It all started with his father being strict. Alex needed to behave, perform and always be the best in every single area to not disgrace their family in any possible way. The more important thing was, they decided who he could be friends with and what people were beneath him.

One day he noticed Corbin in class. Alex explained that Corbin was this diligent and hard-working kid no one really liked, so he became a target for bullying for being smart. Even Alex made fun of him from time to time.

The bullying was small, but something happened when Corbin scored the highest on their mid-term exams. Alex got home from school and was beaten by his father that he lost to a mere "upper-class" student. This made Alex so furious that he rushed back to school to beat up Corbin in return and vent it all out.

However upon arriving, others were already beating him up. Angrily enough, Alex took all of them on and teamed up with Corbin.

"Leave my prey alone! He is mine!" Alex laughed and said those were his exact thoughts at that time, echoing inside his head.

"We really did show them though, huh?" Corbin laughed as well.

Somehow it was a happy story for them, one that Thomas would come to comprehend better with time. Alex then explained and showed by pulling up Corbin's shirt.

"I looked him in the eyes and told him, you are mine, do not let anyone else beat you up before I do," Alex hunched over the table to demonstrate.

"This was around the time his paper of the test fell out of one of his pockets," Corbin took over to narrate a bit.

Corbin explained he noticed how the test score was lower than his and that Alex wounds were prior to him arriving and helping him out. Therefore he figured out he got beaten by someone, and most likely by his father at home.

"So I offered him my other test result, the one we would get graded on later the same afternoon" Corbin smiled.

Back then, the thought just popped into his head to try and cheer Alex up after putting bits and pieces together. Corbin thought this was the way to repay Alex for saving him from his bullies. That is when Alex softened his grip and tears filled his eyes, then he let go of Corbin.

"That was the first time someone ever offered to help me," Alex explained as to why he got emotional back then.

Afterwards they became close friends. Both of them smiled at one another while reminiscing about it.

"How does this relate to the other thing?" Thomas asked.

"Relax, a little bit of background, we are moving on to that part now!" Alex replied and leaned back.

They switched test results and changed the names on the papers. However Alex's father was not pleased at all. He wanted Alex to score even higher and began disciplining him on a daily basis unless he showed promising results.

With the burden and pressure, everytime Alex was close to failing or losing, a fear creeped in. The fear echoed loudly in his head and a voice spoke to him. Eventually Alex felt like a darker part of him took over to "handle the situation".

It ended up with the darker "Alex" coming out a lot during earlier years, but Alex has managed to control it better. He explained it only comes out now when he battles people he wants to overcome or hate. Since it reminds him of his father disciplining him if he were to fail.

"Sounds rough… I had no idea!" Thomas put his hand on Alex's shoulder.

"Do not feel sorry mate, it all ended good in the end!" Alex put his arms around both of his friends' shoulders.

"Eventually I moved out and lived with Corbin for a while! And now we got you as well," Alex smiled and rough up Thomas' hair.

Thomas pondered for a second.

"If you have this superiority complex or darkness welling inside you, then why do you usually joke or make fun of others? Like Peter for instance," Thomas chose to dread carefully.

Alex stared at Thomas like he just had said something completely alien to him.

"I have always been that way, but thankfully I learned one thing early on. My friends are all that matter, I do not give a damn about anyone else," Alex responded with utmost seriousness then laughed it off.

Thomas knew this to be true. Alex sacrificed himself without a second thought of him during the first day of the demon attack. Both him and Corbin shared strong values regarding friendship.

Even though Alex could joke around and semi-bully people, he did not care for the repercussions. For him it was all in good fun, and Thomas accepted Alex for who he really was. A guy who put his friends above all else.

Meanwhile in another shrouded part of the academy.

"Make sure this order goes through! And we will successfully separate them slowly starting with this…" A voice brought out an order with a dark raven crest stamped on it.

"Very well… their wish is my command," A person smiled in the shadows right before disappearing behind one of the pillars in a secluded corridor.