The air in the confines of the dimly lit storage room felt heavy, suffocating.
Velma knelt on the cold, unforgiving ground, her body trembling slightly.
Her messy clothes hung loosely, as though they might slide off at any moment.
And her once-bright eyes were now dull, lifeless.
Before her stood Bianca—arrogant, furious, and composed in her cruelty.
The noble girl's pristine appearance was unmarred.
Her luxurious attire a stark contrast to Velma's disheveled state.
Three other girls, Bianca's loyal clique, lingered behind her.
Their sneers and disdainful gazes piercing Velma like daggers.
"Do you really think you're better than us, Velma?"
Bianca's voice was cold, her words dripping with condescension.
"Is that why you refused to join my team for the mid-terms?"
Her lips were pressed tightly together.
Her head bowed in silent defiance.
Inside, her mind churned with regret and exhaustion.
She had tried so hard to please Bianca and her clique.
Bending over backward to get into their good graces.
She had thought that by doing so, she could carve out a life where she could finally live on her terms, free from their torment.
But that hadn't been the case.
A month ago, Velma had attended a ball hosted by the academy.
She had spent hours preparing, hoping to make a good impression on Bianca and her clique.
When she overheard Bianca talking about needing a dance partner to avoid an undesirable suitor, Velma had stepped forward nervously.
"I can dance with you," she had offered timidly, her voice wavering.
Bianca's gaze had swept over her, and for a moment, Velma thought she saw approval.
But then Bianca had burst into laughter, her friends joining in.
"With you? Don't make me laugh!"
"You're barely capable of standing properly in those heels.
What makes you think you'd match my grace on the dance floor?"
The humiliation had burned deep
Velma had left the ball early, tears streaming.
A few weeks later, Velma heard Bianca's group discussing forming a study group to prepare for an upcoming magic theory test.
Determined to prove her worth, Velma spent sleepless nights reviewing material, ready to contribute.
When she approached them, Bianca had raised an eyebrow.
"Oh? You think you can keep up with us?"
"I've been studying a lot..."
Velma had said, forcing confidence into her voice.
"I think I can help."
Bianca smirked, and the group reluctantly allowed her to join.
But throughout the session, Velma's suggestions were ignored, her questions met with mockery.
"Maybe you should stick to remedial classes..."
One of the girls had snickered.
By the end of the study session, Velma felt smaller than ever, crushed under the weight of their ridicule.
Her grandmother's words echoed faintly in her mind.
"Ignore them, Velma...
They can't hurt you if you don't let them."
But ignoring them hadn't made them go away.
If anything, their disdain had grown sharper, more vicious.
Bianca stepped closer, towering over Velma.
"Or do you think you're too good to even speak to us now?"
Velma's fists clenched.
Her silence wasn't out of pride or defiance—
It was because she had no energy left to defend herself.
Her eyes darted upward, and for the first time, she realized something.
Bianca's entourage of boys wasn't here.
It was just Bianca and her three lackeys.
Something inside her snapped.
Before she could second-guess herself, Velma surged forward and swung her fist.
Her knuckles connected with Bianca's face, the force sending the noble girl crashing into a shelf filled with jars.
Glass shattered around her.
And Bianca instinctively raised her arms to shield herself.
Shards pierced her skin, drawing thin trails of blood.
Bianca hissed through gritted teeth, her voice trembling with fury.
Bianca barked, and her clique sprang into action.
The three girls grabbed Velma, overpowering her as she struggled.
They forced her back onto her knees, yanking her arms behind her and pulling painfully at her two ponytails.
The sharp tug on her scalp made her head ache.
And the invasive, dehumanizing way they handled her left her feeling like nothing more than an object.
Bianca staggered to her feet, blood dripping from the cuts on her arms.
Her eyes burned with hatred as she picked up a large shard of glass from the floor.
"You think you can fight back?"
Bianca spat, her voice venomous.
"Let me show you just how worthless you are."
She knelt in front of Velma, gripping the shard tightly.
Bianca said, driving the shard into Velma's thigh.
"...is for thinking you could ever defy me."
Velma screamed, the searing pain tearing through her body.
Tears streamed down her face as she sobbed uncontrollably.
Her cries echoing in the dark room.
Bianca pulled out the shard, only to drive another one into a different spot.
"This is for humiliating me in front of my friends..."
"This is for daring to think you belong here..."
Velma's vision blurred as the pain became unbearable.
Each new wound a physical manifestation of the misery she had endured her entire life.
Bianca leaned closer, her voice now softer but no less cruel.
She whispered, driving the shard in one last time.
Did you really think someone like him would choose you over me?
He deserves someone worthy, someone like me."
Velma's sobs quieted as Bianca's words sank in.
Bianca stood, brushing herself off as though nothing had happened.
"And tell no one of this..."
"Even if you do...everything will still play in my favour...
...this was nothing more than an accident."
She turned to her clique.
She said, her voice cold and commanding.
The girls released Velma, letting her crumple to the floor in a heap
As they left, they comforted Bianca, cursing Velma under their breaths.
They left Velma alone in the dark, save for the faint light filtering through the slightly ajar door.
Blood pooled around her, soaking into her clothes.
She lay there, her body trembling, her mind racing.
"Elias? Was that the cause of all this?"