CHAPTER 61: BRUTAL MATCHES

The first few matches set the tone of the day in the most brutal way possible.

Every time a first-year stepped foot into the arena, the crowd would roar with anticipation, only for the roar to turn into bloodthirsty Cheers the moment the second-year began tearing through them.

The Second-Years were dominating and winning, making it painfully clear to everyone watching of the gap between between the years.

Each fight ended the same way.

It was either that a first year had been cut or punched so hard they couldn’t continue because they were coughing out too much blood, or someone’s limb had been twisted into an untold angle, or someone was covered in their own blood and struggling to bleed, making the referee judge their injuries as ’Severe enough’ to yield.

Weapons clashed and bones were smashed. The spectators couldn’t have found anything more entertaining.

At the sidelines where the second-years sat watching, they howled with pride and laughter whenever one of their own won, their cheers echoing all the way down the opposite side where the first years sat.

First-years also tried to cheer for their classmates, but after the third fight, the Cheers had thinned. Everyone sat there with dread and fear cast on their faces, especially whenever the medics rushed out after each fight and threw a badly injured first-year onto a stretcher and left.

Everyone’s breathing was slow, tight whispers rolling between them. Without a lineup, their names could be called at any time, making them jump at every announcement.

The teachers watching wore unreadable expressions. Alpha Sinclair looked somewhat entertained. Gravemont had promised brutality, spectacle and combat, and the boys were delivering.

Theodora sat next to Liam, with an empty seat by her right where Roman had disappeared from since the third match started.

Liam made a noise that was nothing less of frustration. The boy looked like he would chew steel if he had to, and his knees bounced nonstop as he kept muttering things like: "That guy was too reckless!" "That Idiot left his Flank wide open!"

It was a bit difficult for Theodora as she watched the matches. She could see that the first years were giving it their best shot, putting everything they’ve learnt into action, trying to sync and bring down their opponent.

But the second-years had more experience and more training. Moreover, they had been taught the same thing as them, and they had harnessed those instincts over the years.

And they weren’t holding back at all.

Every time a first year was slammed to the floor, Theodora felt a bitter ache in her chest. She was very restless and couldn’t wait for her turn. She needed to have a second-year bleeding by her hands, and get revenge for every first-year that wasn’t just brutalised, but humiliated in front of everyone.

Liam glanced at her for a moment after the last match had just been concluded. She looked quite composed on the outside, but she was breathing a little too fast and he could hear her heart slamming against her ribcage.

"Hey," He called.

She didn’t react. She was afraid she would let it out and slam her fist into the ground.

Liam smiled softly, then reached out to touch her shoulders. The moment he did, heat burned through his skin so hard that he quickly retracted it.

"You’re overheating!" He exclaimed, eyes wide.

"I’m angry," She said lowly.

"That much is obvious,"

She gritted her teeth, "It’s my fault, Liam. I did this. I was eager that day in the field, and now everyone is paying for what I did,"

"You’re blaming yourself for this? Everyone knows one way or the other, Gravemont would still have found a way to do something bloody and brutal, especially with my father visiting. They just saw what we did, and used it as an excuse. You’re not the blame,"

She breathed hard and clasped her hands together. "I can’t help but feel that way. The second-years are taking this way too far. If they wanted revenge so badly, they should have come for me and go easy on the others,"

"What are you saying? I’m not letting anyone come after you. And let’s face it... Even if they had beaten you up, it wouldn’t stop them from beating up the rest of us. You’re not enough to sate their anger and their egos,"

"I just hate this. I wish I could take them all on myself!"

"You mean dozens of second-years? Do you have a death wish?"

"The question you should be asking is: Do I have a death wish for THEM?"

Liam shook his head with laughter, "But you know you need to calm down. Your wolf is overheating and that’s not good,"

"My Wolf’s not overheating," Theo’s eyes darkened slightly, "She’s itching like hell to get called out there,"

"I need to run those experiments ASAP,"

Theodora rolled her eyes.

"Your dad looks...not so bored," She said after a while.

Liam glanced up at his old man, "Yeah, he usually looked extremely bored. You could say he’s enjoying seeing young wolves tearing younger wolves apart, showing them how the hierarchy works here,"

"How confident are you that you can turn that look of his into a big smile?"

"As long as my opponent ain’t Zeke, I think I’m good,"

That name again.

"What about Aurelius?"

Liam’s jaw tightened, "We’ll both get our asses kicked, but I’m not yielding for that piece of shit,"

She laughed, "That’s good to hear. I can’t wait to watch your match. I’d better not see you getting carried away by a stretcher or else...,"

"You’re gonna be roaring out your lungs with Cheers by the time I win,"

"That’s the spirit,"

He suddenly reached out and placed the back of his palm on her forehead, and she froze for a second.

"You’ve calmed a little bit," He said.

"I have," Theo replied, "But she-he hasn’t," She quickly corrected herself.

"Your wolf?"

"Yeah. He’s been yelling at me, cursing at the second-years. Begging for me to walk over to their stand and tear them apart,"

As Liam burst into a heap of laughter, it was time to announce the next trio of fighters.

Professor Shaw didn’t bother waiting for the noise to settle as he announced, "Next Combatants,"

A hushed silence fell over the entire arena.

"First Year Quill Halden, First Year William Sinclair," Professor Shaw’s eyes flickered over to the wide-eyed first years, and to the smirking second-years, "Verses Second-year Celeste Devereux,"

A collective gasp passed through the first-year ranks, and everyone’s expression was different.

Some winced. Some didn’t know how to react. Some had a look of relief, since Celeste was the calm type.

But as Theodora looked at Liam, she was surprised to see a horrified look in his eyes. It was almost as if he wasn’t even breathing.

"Liam?"

Now she could hear his own heart beating very fast, "Remember when I said I’m good as long as my opponent isn’t Zeke?"

"Yeah?"

"I think I’d go with Zeke now if I had a choice,"