CHAPTER 31: I HEARD SHE’S A USELESS OMEGA.

The students tensed, their expressions shifting from defiance to disbelief.

"You are all heading into the forest now," Miss Ameera continued icily, her eyes scanning the group with evident disdain. "You will hunt for food, chop firewood, and gather your own materials. From today onward, every single meal you consume during this training will be prepared by your own hands. Your clothes will be washed and mended by you. Your shelter, your comfort....everything will depend on your own effort."

She folded her arms tightly, her posture exuding disappointment as she gave them one last sweeping glance.

"Oh, and in case you thought this would be over quickly... think again," Master Austin added, his voice deep and grave, his presence radiating authority. "This training was initially scheduled for four days. But thanks to this little outburst earlier, it has now been extended to seven. You’ll still be training daily for your upcoming exams. But now, you’ll also be responsible for your survival."

"What?!" someone gasped, their voice echoing through the courtyard.

"Good luck finding time to throw juice or call each other names when you’re starving, exhausted, and neck-deep in chores," Miss Ameera snapped sharply. "Let’s see who still feels like fighting then."

"You are all dismissed!" she declared, her voice ringing with finality, like the closing of a prison cell.

The moment Miss Ameera, Master Austin, and Darius turned and walked away, the remaining students whipped around, their faces red with fury as they all glared at Victoria.

"Did you see what you just caused?!" the blonde girl shouted, stomping forward with her fists clenched at her sides. "I’ve never, ever washed my own clothes, or cooked, or done anything like this before and because of you, I actually have to do that now? Like seriously?!"

"Careful," the girl with the long purple hair interjected, placing a warning hand on Scarlett’s shoulder. Her tone was calm, but her eyes glinted coldly. "You’ll call the three masters back out here with all this yelling."

"You know what? Forget it," the red-haired girl said with a scoff, her voice low but dripping with venom. She pointed a perfectly manicured finger at Victoria. "We’ll deal with you later. You’d better not sleep peacefully tonight... or you’ll wake up in heaven, you lowly bitch."

Just then, a group of ten servants appeared from behind the training hall. They were all dressed in fitted white shirts and matching trousers, their arms straining as they carried large woven baskets filled with clothes...white garments completely smeared with mud.

Gasps erupted from the students, including Victoria, as the sight registered.

"W-What is this?" asked a chubby boy near the back, his eyebrows raised in a mixture of horror and disbelief.

"These are the clothes you’ll be washing at the stream," one of the maids replied calmly. She had a kind face, but there was a note of challenge in her voice. "A truck is waiting for you outside. It will take you there. You’ll wash these clothes, chop firewood, and..."

Before she could finish, a loud smack cut through the air.

The red-haired girl had stepped forward and slapped the maid hard across the face. The sound echoed, silencing everyone.

"Are you mad?!" she screamed, her voice shrill with rage. "How the hell did you bring muddy clothes here?! And why are there this many?! Do you expect us to wash all of this?!"

The maid who had been slapped pressed her palm to her cheek, her face turning red from the blow. Still, her voice remained composed, though steely.

"All the clothes were originally clean. We dirtied them with mud on purpose," she explained, her eyes not leaving the red-haired girl’s. "You are being tested. You must wash them spotless. If not, you may as well pack your bags and go home, because you won’t be allowed to return to the training ground until every task is completed. You fail, you leave."

Without another word, the maid turned and strode off, her head held high. The other servants followed swiftly, leaving the students and Victoria in stunned silence.

"That bitch... did she just walk out on me?!" the red-haired girl hissed, her voice trembling with indignation.

Victoria let out a small, mirthless scoff. Without saying a word, she walked toward one of the baskets, heaved it into her arms, and started heading for the compound gate.

The other students, suddenly alert to the threat of being left behind, scrambled to grab their own baskets, muttering curses under their breaths.

***

Outside, a massive black truck stood parked just beyond the training building. Its paint was scratched and dented, the kind of vehicle used for hauling heavy goods. The only available seating was in the open back, and without hesitation, Victoria climbed in, settling herself among the baskets. The passenger seat beside the driver was already taken by a stern-looking man in uniform.

One by one, the other students climbed into the back of the truck, their faces filled with disgust, frustration, and barely restrained fury.

The ride to the stream was long and silent. The air was thick with resentment, each of them stewing in their own anger. No one spoke. No one dared.

Finally, the truck rolled to a stop near a wide stream bordered by tall grass and thick trees. The students jumped down, grabbed their baskets, and trudged toward the water’s edge.

"Damn it!" one of the blonde twins screamed, her voice breaking the silence as she flung her basket down. "How the hell am I supposed to wash these clean when there are actual washing machines in the building?! What’s the point of all that modern tech if we’re going to live like cavemen?!"

"Enough complaining," one of the male students muttered, already kneeling beside the water and soaking a shirt. "There’s no point arguing. What’s done is done. If we want to get any rest tonight, we’d better start working."

"Just wash it with your hands. It shouldn’t be that hard, should it?" another male students said with a shrug, his hands already soaked in water and soap. "There’s soap right here...use it. Besides, the mud is still fresh. It’ll come off easily as long as it hasn’t dried."

He looked over at the others, hoping his logic would settle things, but instead, he received an icy glare from one of the blonde twins.

The already followed the male student suit. The sun was high, the stream cool and rushing...but the mood remained stormy.

"You don’t get it," the blonde snapped, clearly offended. "I shouldn’t be doing this. None of us should be doing this!"

With a dramatic huff, she rose to her feet and hoisted her basket of clothes, her eyes blazing with indignation. Without hesitation, she stomped over and dumped the entire contents at Victoria’s feet, muddy fabric spilling in a messy heap.

"This is all your fault!" she accused, her voice high and furious. "You started this, and now everyone’s being punished for it. But I guess this suits you, doesn’t it? You’re used to this kind of life. You’ve probably spent your whole existence knee-deep in hardship. So go on...wash mine too. Since you started this mess, you can finish it."

Victoria let out a low, unimpressed scoff and stood slowly, brushing invisible dust from her knees. Her eyes locked onto the blonde’s with simmering defiance.

"I started this? Or you and your pathetic little gang of bullies started this?" she asked coldly, her voice sharp. "Let me make something clear...I didn’t come here to entertain your nonsense. Keep pushing me, and I’ll throw you into that stream myself."

She leaned in just slightly, her voice dropping an octave, laced with a quiet warning. "And I promise, no one will be sorry to see it happen."

Without waiting for a reply, Victoria bent down and lifted her basket, now filled with wet, spotless garments. She’d already scrubbed most of them clean, swiftly dipping them into the river, applying soap, and rinsing the mud away with precise movements that came from practice, not privilege.

"I’m done washing," she said firmly, turning to leave. "I’m going to chop firewood now."

With that, she walked away from the riverbank, the tension left behind in her wake like a heavy fog. The other students froze, watching her retreat with wide eyes, shock and unease creeping into their expressions.

Even the male students, who had mostly stayed silent, exchanged uncertain looks before hastily gathering their baskets. One by one, they followed after Victoria, eager to finish the next task and return to the training ground. In a matter of minutes, only the girls remained behind.

"Who does she think she is?" the red-haired girl spat venomously, watching Victoria’s fading figure with barely contained rage. "We really need to teach that bitch a lesson. She’s getting way too confident."

"I heard she’s a useless omega," the girl with purple hair chimed in, a cruel smirk on her face. "Though I’m not even sure she deserves to be called that. She hasn’t awakened her wolf and she’s already nineteen. Pathetic."

She leaned in closer to the others, her voice dropping into a conspiratorial whisper.

"And we know this forest is filled with feral wolves, don’t we?"

A shiver of excitement ran down the spine of the other twin, her expression lighting up with dangerous glee.

"Oh yeah..." she said slowly, the idea taking shape in her mind. "That’s right. Mistakes happen in the forest all the time. It wouldn’t be hard to say she wandered off too. Or maybe... maybe an arrow just accidentally found her chest."

They exchanged wicked smiles, the beginnings of a plan forming silently between them.