Chapter 9: Pretend to be brave

    Seraphina''s Pov

    Yuna and I finally arrived in front of our classroom, and almost immediately, my heart started to hammer in my chest, and despite my best efforts to stay calm, I could feel my anxiety skyrocketing.

    Unlike me, Yuna was already halfway through the door when she realized I had come to a full stop just outside. She turned around and raised an eyebrow, her expression softening when she saw the look of pure terror on my face.

    "Come on, Seraphina," she said, gesturing for me to follow her into the room, but I couldn''t.

    My feet felt like they were glued to the floor, my pulse quickened, and a lump formed in my throat. I shook my head, my voice barely audible as I muttered, "I... I can''t do it."

    I had promised myself earlier that I wouldn''t let my nerves get the better of me since, after all, Yuna was with me, and I thought maybe, just maybe, that would make everything easier.

    I had even told myself that I could use Yuna as an excuse to quickly find an empty seat, bury my head on the desk, and pretend the other girls in the class didn''t exist, but now, standing here, just seconds away from actually stepping into the classroom, I felt my courage draining like it never existed.

    What if I tripped over my own feet? What if I made a fool of myself in front of everyone?

    The image of Electra strangely flashed through my mind, and I thought to myself, What if she was in there? What if we turned out to be in the same class, and I ended up humiliating myself in front of her again?

    I couldn''t really understand why the thought of embarrassing myself in front of her again even crossed my mind or bothered me, but it did, and I couldn''t help it.

    The fear I felt twisted in my stomach, and it made me feel like I might be sick.

    Yuna sighed, her expression shifting from understanding to a subtle frustration. "I get it, Seraphina," she said calmly, stepping closer to me. "I really do, but you have to trust me, okay? It''s just a class. Ignore everyone, and ignore the staring. We''ll find a seat, and it''ll be fine, I promise."

    Yuna smirked. "That was to snap you out of it. You looked like you were a million miles away, and class is about to start. The teacher''s going to be here in minutes, and we still need to find you a seat."

    I opened my mouth to respond, to tell her that I needed just a few more seconds to mentally prepare myself, but before I could get the words out, Yuna''s face hardened, clearly impatient.

    "Just suck it up, Seraphina. We can''t just stand here all day," she said, and without waiting for my response, she grabbed my arm and pulled me toward the classroom door.

    I gasped, not ready to be dragged into the room full of unfamiliar faces. "Yuna, wait!" I whispered, but it was too late.

    We were already inside.

    The classroom was buzzing with the noise from chatting loudly, chairs scraping against the floor, and the general chaos of students settling into their seats.

    But the moment Yuna and I walked in fully, the noise died down slightly, and I felt dozens of eyes turning toward us. My chest tightened as I instinctively lowered my gaze, desperately hoping to disappear.

    It wasn''t the entire class that was staring, just a few girls, but it was enough to make me feel like I was under a spotlight. The scrutiny lasted for a few seconds before the girls lost interest and turned back to their conversations.

    VYuna leaned in close and whispered, "Relax. They probably thought we were the teacher or something. They''re too wrapped up in their own drama to care about a new girl for now."

    I glanced over at Yuna, confused by her comment. "What do you mean by ''for now''?" I whispered.

    Yuna leaned in a little closer. "Whether you like it or not, you''re going to get noticed at some point," she said, her eyes scanning the room. "It''s only a matter of time, but for now, just relax. Pretend to be brave, and it''ll lessen your chances of being long-term prey."

    I bit my lip nervously. "Prey?" I repeated quietly. "Is it really that bad?"

    Yuna sighed and gave me a sideways glance. "It depends on how you handle things. This place... it has a hierarchy, just like anywhere else, but here, it''s more intense. The girls at the top? They run the show, and if they think you''re weak, they''ll toy with you, and trust me, some of them are worse than wild animals. They smell fear, and if you get caught up in that, there''s no way out."