Chapter 9: In Cafeteria

Caius, however, felt like he was stuck in a nightmare. His whole body ached from failing over and over again. As they ran laps around the training grounds, he glanced over at the guards. Something about them felt off. They weren't just guards—they felt like they were keeping everyone inside, almost like prisoners. Caius had a sinking feeling that something wasn't right.

Suddenly, his thoughts were interrupted when he felt something hard hit his foot. Before he could react, he tripped and fell face-first onto the ground. Pain shot through his body as he groaned in agony.

All the students around him stopped running and burst into laughter. "Look at him! Tripped over his own feet!" one of them shouted.

"He's so clumsy," another chimed in.

Caius pushed himself up slowly, his face stinging from the fall. He sat up, glaring at the dirt on his hands and feeling the embarrassment rise in his chest. That's when he saw Derek standing nearby, smirking.

"You really are pathetic, Caius," Derek sneered. "Can't even run without falling over. Maybe you should stick to wearing dresses and makeup. It suits you better."

Caius' anger flared. He stood up, his fists clenched at his sides. He was about to march over to Derek, ready to finally confront him when a guard stepped in between them.

"That's enough," the guard said firmly. "Caius, you need to rest. Go sit down."

Caius wanted to argue, but the guard's stern expression made it clear there was no point. His muscles ached, and the pain from his fall wasn't helping. So, reluctantly, he nodded and walked away, feeling defeated once again. As he sat down, he could still hear the other students laughing behind him.

As Caius continued eating in silence, a girl walked up to their table and smiled. "Ahh, hi, can I sit with you guys?" she asked, her voice a little shy.

Aiden, always playful, quickly nodded with a grin. "Of course! The more, the merrier."

The girl sat down beside Caius and extended her hand. "I'm Mia, by the way. Nice to meet you."

Aiden leaned forward, shaking her hand. "I'm Aiden, Bestfriend of him." He then pointed to Caius with a smirk. "And that over there is Caius! The star of today's show."

Mia chuckled, glancing at Caius. "Everyone knows Caius. Especially since he's Serena's brother."

Caius gave Aiden a sharp glare. "I'm not your friend," he said coldly, his tone making it clear he wasn't in the mood for jokes.

Mia was taken aback by Caius's sudden change in attitude. She chuckled softly, "It's really true that you've changed. Uh, is it okay if I ask you something?"

Aiden, never missing a chance for a joke, raised an eyebrow. "Whatever! Speaking of which, I haven't seen your sister, Caius. Where is she? She's not avoiding you, right? Unlike Derek—he's always bothering you!" He laughed, clearly finding himself funny.

Caius just sighed, glancing at Aiden before going back to his meal.

Mia was taken aback by Caius's sudden change in attitude. She chuckled softly, "It's really true that you've changed. Uh, is it okay if I ask you something?"

Aiden tried to interject, but Caius ignored him completely, focusing on his food.

Mia hesitated for a moment before asking, "Ahm, are you still gay?"

As Mia asked, "Ahm, are you still gay?" Aiden quickly chimed in with a grin, "Just because Caius isn't wearing dresses or makeup right now doesn't mean he's a new man. He's still the same old Caius. Only now, his fashion sense has taken a nap!"

Caius didn't react, just continuing to eat his food. then he comes, Derek leaned in over the table, watching Caius as he ate peacefully. With a smirk, he grabbed Caius's spoon and turned to Mia.

"Why don't we test if he's still a 'disgusting gay'?" Derek said with a mocking tone. He then looked directly at Caius and said,

"Open your mouth, honey bunch." Caius just stared at Derek, his expression unreadable. Students nearby started laughing, finding Derek's behavior amusing.

"Look at Derek, always so funny," one student said with a chuckle.

"Yeah, Caius, show us what you've got," another added, enjoying the scene. Caius didn't move, continuing to stare at Derek, his anger building but his resolve to stay calm intact.

Serena walked into the cafeteria, her eyes locking onto Derek's bullying and Caius's quiet resignation. Her expression twisted into one of pure disgust as she approached their table.

Derek, noticing her approach, stood up straight and flashed a charming smile. "Ah, what a pleasant surprise. How can I assist you, my lady?" he said, his tone dripping with false politeness.

Serena's eyes narrowed as she looked at Derek. "Oh, Derek, how charming to see you still acting like a complete jerk," she said, her voice dripping with disdain. "I was hoping to have a decent lunch, but it seems you're intent on ruining it."

She turned her gaze to Caius, who was still calmly eating, and then back to Derek.

She reached over and grabbed Mia's drink, not caring as she knocked the cup from Mia's hand. Without a word, she tilted the cup and poured the entire contents over Caius's head.

Caius froze, the cold liquid dripping down his face and soaking his clothes. He looked up in shock, unable to believe what was happening.

"Ugh," Serena said, her voice dripping with disdain. "I couldn't stand seeing this pathetic scene any longer. You're both revolting—Derek for his pathetic attempts at harassment, and Caius for just sitting there like a loser."

She turned her gaze back to Derek, her tone dismissive. "I wanted to get you two out of my sight. You're an embarrassment, and I don't want to waste another second around you."

Serena tossed the empty cup aside and walked away, leaving Caius drenched and stunned, and Derek with a look of mixed anger and embarrassment. The other students around them watched in stunned silence before breaking into whispers and snickers.

"That was harsh," one student murmured.

"Yeah, she really doesn't hold back," another added, as the cafeteria buzzed with the fallout from Serena's cruel display.As Serena walked away, the cafeteria erupted in laughter. Caius sat there, drenched and humiliated, with students snickering and pointing at his soaked appearance.

Mia, clearly uncomfortable with the scene, quickly pulled out a towel from her bag and rushed over to Caius. "Here, let me help you," she said, her voice trembling as she dabbed at the wet spots on his clothes.

Caius, however, stood up abruptly ignoring Mia's help, his face flushed with anger and his fists clenched tightly. He glared at Derek, who was smirking with a cruel satisfaction.

Derek leaned in with a sneer, looking Caius up and down. "Nice look you've got there, Caius. Maybe you should start a new trend—wet and worthless! You always were a joke, just now you're a soaked joke."

Caius's eyes flashed with anger, his voice icy and measured. "You think making fun of someone who's already down makes you look tough? It just shows how pathetic you really are. If you had any sense, you'd understand that harassing others doesn't make you superior; it just makes you a sad little bully who's too weak to win on his own."

The cafeteria fell silent, the students caught off guard by Caius's harsh retort. Derek's smirk faded, his face turning red with embarrassment and anger.

Aiden, sitting nearby, couldn't help himself. He burst into laughter, slapping his knee. "Damn, Caius! That was savage!"

The students around them murmured in agreement, clearly impressed by Caius's comeback. "Looks like Derek just got served," one student said with a grin.

"Yeah, that was a serious burn," another added, as Derek's face flushed with humiliation.

"Yeah, talk about putting him in his place," another added.

Derek, now visibly angry and humiliated, tried to regain his composure but couldn't hide his frustration. Meanwhile, Caius, despite the still-damp clothes, felt a small sense of satisfaction as he walked away from the table.

As Caius reached the exit of the cafeteria, he bumped into his other sister, Celeste. Unlike Serena, Celeste was known for her quiet demeanor. She glanced at Caius with indifference before pushing past him and heading into the cafeteria. Caius knew all too well that Celeste had been taking his money and allowance without a word, but he chose not to confront her right now.

With a sigh, Caius was about to step outside when a sudden, loud warning alarm blared through the facility, making everyone cover their ears in shock.

"What's that noise?" one student shouted, trying to shield their ears.

"Is it an emergency?" another asked, looking around nervously.

Caius winced at the piercing sound, his hands pressed firmly over his ears. His heart raced as he tried to stay calm amidst the chaos. "What the hell is going on?" he muttered, his voice barely audible over the alarm.

The alarm finally stopped, and the cafeteria fell into an uneasy silence. Above the center of the room, a massive red hologram flickered to life. It displayed a spinning wheel with various labels and descriptions appearing below it.

"Welcome to the Class Spin Wheel!" a synthesized voice announced, echoing through the room.