Chapter 10

"Do you think you have a choice? You're Alpha's roommate which means you're automatically in this race whether you like it or not. And you're already ahead of everyone in this race just by becoming his roommate. Now you have to fight Alpha to prove to him that you're worthy of standing beside him which won't be easy for you at all."

Eve could only stare at him blankly. He could see sympathy for himself in Sage's eyes, as well as tenderness and a desire to help him for the first time since meeting Sage.

"And River, that jerk only wanted to see how well you'd do or how far you'd fall until you couldn't get up. And what will Alpha do in this regard? Will he help you or will he mercilessly eliminate you, as he had done to those who had tried their luck before you? For him, it's all like a thriller movie with spice and twists."

Sage gulped as well, knowing River would be furious and probably kill him for telling Eve this. He's going to kill Sage for being a hindrance between his adventure. Because it's not his right to warn anyone ahead of time; it is against the rules of this school.

Eve couldn't understand what he was hearing because half of it went above his head. He couldn't believe that his mere existence in this school would cause him so much trouble, and he couldn't believe what he was hearing about River. So, River had been just playing with him up to this point? How could he do that to Eve, how could he pretend to be kind? Was what Sage was saying true? Should he trust him? What if he, like River, was manipulating his emotions? His train of thought was interrupted by loud snickers. 

"Do you really believe that not showing up to Marco will be a good idea? Wasn't yesterday's beating enough to get things in your head?"

Eve looked up to see a boy on the floor next to his table, his food scattered on the floor like him, getting hit after hit in the stomach. Eve recognizes the boy from the hallways he passed through last night on his way to his room.

"Marco is the one who wants to replace Alpha's position like many others and often sends his minions to pick fights with him to make him weak. This kid is Marco's personal punching bag," Sage explains as Eve clenches his fist in his lap. 

The tormentors kicked a few times before returning to their food and cracking jokes. When Eve noticed that no one was paying attention to the victim kid, who was now picking up the food from the floor while wincing in pain, he stood up unconsciously and went to help the kid. Sage's eyes widened in terror as he watched Eve walk up to the kid, and before he could intervene, Eve was already bending down and helping the kid pick up the remaining food. 

The kid looked up at him from beneath his thick black locks, and he could see the sympathy in Eve's eyes. But to Eve's surprise, he glared and slapped his hand away. Eve didn't understand what he did wrong, but the dead silence around him that penetrated his ears told him exactly what he did.

He violated Sunford's main rule. Everyone is on their own and it is forbidden to help or stand up for anyone.

"Well, with whose permission are you helping him?" Eve gulped as he heard the malicious voice behind him. "Are you trying to challenge Marco by helping him or are you trying to become a new hero and pushing your luck?" 

Eve stood up and spun around only to come face to face with the person who was beating the poor kid more severely than anyone else. When Eve remained silent and continued to stare at him in horror. The guy rolled his eyes in irritation and threw a punch at Eve in the face while he squinted his eyes and waited for the blow. 

However, when he didn't feel any pain or blow. He slowly opened his eyes to find that Sage had caught the hand in his well painted hand. 

"Leave if you don't want me to call River?"

The bad guy gritted his jaw, "One punch and you're done for life," he smirked at Sage making his other mates laugh while everyone enjoyed the drama in silence. 

Eve's face flushed with embarrassment; he felt like shit for causing trouble again, first for River and now for Sage, when he knew he couldn't stand for himself.

"Well, then go ahead and do your best," Sage smirked back, by now everyone knows better than to touch even a single hair of him, if they want to experience both River and Alpha's rage because River's friends with Alpha. "And let's see how River will deal with single one of you." 

"Weakling," the guy spat. "What are you without him? Is there any other word in your dictionary besides River? Who are you without him? And who is this little shit you're protecting right now, a new boy toy of him-"

His angry ramblings were cut off by Sage's slap across his face, his cheek burns now. 

"YOU FUCKING-"

"Run!" Sage grabbed Eve's wrist and sprinted out of the cafeteria. But no one dares to chase them. 

Both boys huff as they continue to run, Eve panting behind Sage to keep up. They passed through several corridors before Sage came to halt. He released Eve's wrist and clutched his own stomach, breathing heavily just like Eve. 

He looked up at Eve with a death glare that made him flinch. Eve opened his mouth to apologize in bewilderment, but Sage stopped him.

"Don't! Fucking think twice before doing anything. Your every action has consequences here," Sage implored and walked away muttering under his breath. This kid is his own enemy. 

Eve stands frozen on the spot, he didn't follow him, he didn't have the face to follow him. 

But soon regretted his decision because he didn't know how to get to his room from there, and he couldn't take the risk to walk the same path to the cafeteria, the bullies probably would still be there. He looked across the corridors and all he could see was dead silence classes. He shudders from the menacing aura of the place and slowly and carefully takes a step. 

After walking for a while and trying to find a way out, Eve took another turn and entered a new hallway. 

While he was walking, sucking up his breath, a few whispers coming from a closed room penetrated through his ears. He halts in his tracks, though he was scared to death, he thought maybe he could ask for help from the presumed students behind the closed door. He walked up to the door, breathing deeply he extended his hand to knock but the voice caused him to abruptly stop his hands as well as his heartbeats. 

"So, should I kill him?"

Eve started to tremble, the sudden shock tensed his muscles and every color drained out of his face, he wanted to make a run but his frozen feet didn't allow him to do so. 

"No, killing him will be a big deal and it's not the end of the month, wait at least a few more weeks. Killing him now means double murder and we can't afford any suspicions now, your father won't be happy with it." 

Eve heard a familiar voice and he frowned, his stomach felt sick upon recognizing the voice, and he wanted to throw up. The voice belongs to River, the same boy who helped him and promised to stand up for him. But his words right now send a trembling chill down Eve's spine. 

"That bastard will not be happy anyways, he's just too hard to please." 

The other unrecognized voice let out and the voice alone was able to unnerve Eve to death. 

However, this time the voice seems to be getting more clear and near. 

"Did you find out any suitable prey to sacrifice this month?" River asked and Eve could hear the mischievousness in his voice. 

"No, not yet," The voice was getting closer with each word and the more it got nearer the more the fear was holding Eve captive in a tightening grip like a hungry beast. "But don't worry, I'll find out soon. It's not difficult to find an easy, little..and small...and vulnerable...and helpless prey....

And then baam!

The door abruptly busted in Eve's face, startling his entire self and generation and sending his soul into the skies without dying. He let out a loud shriek. 

"What do we have here?" He came face to face with a face similar to the devil but this devil was handsome. Handsome and dangerous, cunning and destructive. "A little sneaky mouse" 

"Eve?!" River comes from behind him enraged, and surprised as well. "What the hell are you doing here?" But soon his expression changed in amusement. 

"Who's this little lamb?" Alpha asked with evilness dripping from his face. 

River glanced at Alpha with an equally amusing face, reciprocating Alpha's wicked expressions, he smirked. 

Eve took a few steps backward, he didn't feel right about all this. Everything feels off here, and after hearing their conversation he was sure he was about to encounter hell. 

"You've already forgotten about him?" River raised an eyebrow, and the school's infamous king frowned puzzledly. River smirked and turned to face a statue Eve who wasn't even daring to breathe. River trudged behind Eve, who appeared small and vulnerable in comparison to River's massive complex. 

River looked at Alpha, who was fixated on the small prey in front of him. River places his hands on Eve's shoulders, causing him to flinch and drawing Alpha's attention. Alpha narrowed his eyes and darted down at Eve, where his eyes stared at his neck and marks on it, he looked up at River, who was smiling mischievously.

"Does it click a memory?"

Alpha smirked viciously. 

"Ah! Roommate?"