Chapter 6

"So, what were you both talking about?"

Sage smiled sweetly as he leaned forward to River. "We were talking about how nice you are, always getting involved in other people's problems to help others, which leads to you being kicked out of your own dorm," He sarcastically said.

River stared at his beaming smile for a while before he pulled back and rubbed his neck, a conspicuous redness creeping up his cheeks. "R-Really?" He asked hopefully.

"You just heard the word nice, didn't you?" Sage asked in disbelief.

"I can hear whatever the hell I want, right Luna?"

River inquired Eve who appeared lost in his own thoughts and didn't understand why he was still sitting there. Maybe because he didn't have anywhere else to go. So, he just nodded, without knowing the content they were talking about.

After they had their dinner, where most of the conversation was going between River and Sage, and Eve just nods and shakes his head from time to time they left the cafeteria. It was already around eight and students began to disperse into their rooms.

River excitedly told Eve that he'd take him to his room because it's dangerous to wander around alone in a place full of predators. However, Sage, on the other hand, groaned in annoyance and began to walk into the opposite side. River panicked as he watched his roommate leaving in anger.

"Hey, Ziggy, wait!" River looked between them.

"It's alright, you can go to your dorm. I'll be fine on my own." Eve struggled to let out a reassuring smile and River felt bad for him.

"No, I promised you. And I'll deal with him once I get my hands on him," River shaked his head laughing before his voice slowed down. "It's also your first night here, and it's almost nine o'clock. I can't go to my room peacefully unless I know you're safely inside your room before the lights go out."

"You should go, you shouldn't upset your roommate because of me. I'll manage, don't worry. I'm not as weak as you think," Eve said, pulling his chin up, a weak attempt to look confident.

"Thank you!" River smiled widely assuming that he's thinking too much and that Eve will be fine on his own. "You're the best Luna," He declared before running away.

***

Eve strolled his way to his room with a tight feeling in his chest. The environment didn't help his nervousness either, the corridors that were filled with delinquents who were screaming and laughing the entire day, are filled with a menacing silence now. Eve clenched his shirt in tight grip as he walked with slow steps to not make any noise, he didn't dare to look up and kept his head down watching his shoes with every step while assaulting his lower lip profusely. He felt like if he dared to look up something would jump on him out from somewhere.

When he made another cut in the corridor, his steady breaths became irregular and failed to get hold of his panic when his dread filled eyes fell on a shadow standing attached to the wall without making any movement at a couple of distance from where Eve was standing paralysed on the spot.

As if abruptly sensing the presence of the other coward, the shadow lets go of the wall and stands at its full height. Fear crept over Eve's senses and he took a step backward ready to make a run if needed. When the shadow started to walk towards him, all he could hear were his thundering heartbeats in his ears, blocking every other sound.

However, he breathed out the air he was sucking in for so long when the shadow came into the light and he saw the face clearly. He narrowed his eyes and what came in his view was a brutally bruised face, no more recognisable.

But Eve recognised it within a second and in the dim light at that. It was the same boy he had seen getting hit just moments before. Eve observed his broken self, the first thing he noticed was that the boy was clutching something tightly against his chest, he must be around 5'4 or shorter than that, he sniffs every two seconds, and limps when he starts to walk, a result of the beatings. He comes across as vulnerable and on the verge of collapsing at any moment.

Eve felt bad for him, his eyes softened and he wanted to ask whether the boy was alright but he couldn't ask the obvious.

When the weak boy was about to pass Eve, he sped up his steps, causing him to trip over his own feet. He stumbled, and the items he was hiding in his chest shattered on the floor, making both boys gasp. Eve dashed towards him without a second thought; the boy was already gathering his belongings.

When Eve approached, he scowled at him, causing Eve to stop in his tracks. The boy resembled a feral cat who perceives everyone around him as a threat. Eve watched as the boy quickly scooped up what appeared to be frozen food or snacks and rose with difficulty.

"Are you alright?" Eve asked in a hushed voice to not scare him, he didn't get any more close to him, because let's face it, he was scared too. He just wanted to get to his room as soon as possible but he's a human with a kind heart and humans should help other humans.

But what came to his question was silence. A calm and composed silence, that the awkwardness was louder than it.

The boy looked up at Eve with his half-closed swollen eyes and kept on staring at the weird creature in front of him. He couldn't comprehend whether Eve was asking genuinely, probably mocking him or maybe looking for a fight since he's the easy target. He darted his eyes down but he didn't find any batch there which confused him more.

Giving a last creepy look he started to leave. Eve felt lost, maybe he shouldn't have said anything. Of course, anyone would snarl if they asked them the most ironic thing. He sighed, feeling stupid, just when he was about to leave too his eyes landed on a snack on the floor. He quickly picked it up and turned back to call the boy to give him.

However, he felt the immense goosebumps which stopped his heart, freezing every muscle in his body when he did not find the boy there anymore. The corridors were long so he couldn't just get through them in a few seconds and there weren't many rooms on this floor. But maybe he went into one of these rooms, he reasoned.

He forced his frozen legs and endangering fear to put aside and began to walk again. When he was a few steps far to reach his dorm, he swore he felt a vivid presence behind him, the hairs on the back of his neck stood and he felt a cold shiver. He felt like someone or something was keeping an eye on him.

He didn't waste any time on turning around and finding out what it was, he sprinted towards his dorm and got inside, locking it quickly.

Eve sighed out a long exhausted breath and began counting to calm down his impending panic attack, it was dark inside the room. And he swears the lights were on when he left with River.

When he couldn't calm himself down he jogged towards his bed, throwing his shoes off and hiding under the blanket bringing his knees to his chest. Moments later, when his heartbeats steady slightly, he felt at ease, his cocooned body exhausted from the entire day's bullshit relaxed and he melted into the comfort of the blanket, snuggling and embracing around it.

However, just when he was about to drift into a slumber, he was startled by the clicked sound of doorknob.

Eve tried to not to breath and stay as still as he could, but it was impossible not to breathe and not to move because his body was trembling intensely. He felt his heartbeat increasing, flooding him with adrenaline when he heard the faint sounds of footsteps which seemed to be getting nearer. And then, they stopped, a malicious silence following the rhythm.

Eve stiffened and squeezed his eyes. No one could tell that there was a person hiding under the thick blanket in this dark. His horror ten folds when he heard a loud groan and digging of mattress like someone sat on the bed opposite of him.

Eve swears the groan left him crippled and if he was standing his legs probably had given up. He heard some rustling noises and he just couldn't fathom the information that someone was in the room besides him.

"Urgh! That fucking idiot messed up my things again."

Eve stiffened even more, he shuddered at the voice to death, he swallowed the thick lump of terror in his throat. And then it was silent again for a few minutes which filled him with more dread. Eve felt a bitter taste in the back of his mouth as if he'd throw up the little food he had at dinner.

However, before he could comprehend anything, the blanket was torn away from him and he was pinned into the mattress. He let out a blood-curdling scream.

"Who the fuck are you?"