Pepper Spray

Endora opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. She felt frozen under the intense glares of the two boys and the director.

"Who gave you the right to talk while we're here?" one of the boys snapped. He had short black hair, dark eyes, and a strikingly handsome face, but his expression was terrifying. His voice was sharp, filled with anger.

The other boy, with long black hair and an even more striking appearance, simply stared at her in silence. His gaze was cold and unreadable, making her feel even more uneasy.

Endora didn't know what to say. Should she apologize for saying "hi"? She had only wanted to make her presence known and maybe ease the tension in the room. Instead, she had made things worse.

"I..." she started, but her voice trailed off. She looked at the two boys, then at the director, and sighed. This was not going well at all.

"You can't speak? Cat got your tongue? Maybe I should teach you a lesson you'll never forget; like staying silent when you enter a room," the short-haired boy shouted, standing up abruptly. His tone was threatening, and Endora felt a chill run down her spine.

"Elion, stop it! She's a new student. Don't scare her like that," the director interjected, her voice firm. She gestured to the luggage Endora was clutching tightly. Endora let out a small sigh of relief, grateful for the director's intervention.

Elion sneered. "Oh, no wonder. You obviously lack home training. Such a delinquent. Don't ever cross me again in this school. If you see me coming your way, take the other path. I've marked your face." His words were cold and final, and Endora knew she was in deep trouble.

"Elion, leave her alone. And don't you dare do anything to her," the director warned. "Now, both of you, get out of my office before I change my mind. And make sure what happened never repeats itself."

The long-haired boy stood up silently, his expression still unreadable. Both boys glared at each other before walking out of the office. As they left, Elion shot Endora one last menacing look, his eyes full of warning. The door closed behind them, and Endora finally let out the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

The room felt quieter now, but the tension still lingered. Endora's heart raced as she realized that her first day at Nightshade University was already more complicated than she had ever imagined.

"Good day, ma'am," Endora finally managed to speak, her voice steady now. "I was told to come here to have you approve these," she added, holding up her schedule and other papers.

"Take a seat," the director said. "I'm Mrs. Della Melrose," she introduced herself, and Endora nodded, sitting down across from her.

Endora handed over the documents, and Mrs. Della quickly scanned through them, stamping a few before handing them back. "All approved," Mrs. Della said.

"Endora Windsor, your father specifically requested that you have your own dorm room, meaning you'll be staying alone. He also mentioned that you should maintain your routine of eating only once a day," Mrs. Della explained. Endora wasn't surprised.

Ever since she was a child, her father had insisted she eat only once a day. At first, Endora thought it was some kind of punishment, but over time, she got used to it. Her body had adapted, and she didn't look like someone who ate so little.

"Okay, ma'am," Endora replied simply.

"Are you okay with that?" Mrs. Della asked, her tone softening slightly.

"Well, I'm used to it," Endora said with a small shrug.

Mrs. Della shook her head slightly but didn't push further. "If you say so, but I hope you will be okay," she said, deciding to drop the matter for now.

"Yes, ma'am. Thank you, ma'am," Endora said, grateful for Mrs. Della's kindness.

"Although you're a week late, I hope you can catch up quickly. Make sure to follow the rules and regulations to avoid trouble. And most importantly, stay out of trouble. Don't go looking for it," Mrs. Della advised, her tone firm but caring. Endora nodded slowly, feeling like the director was referring to what had happened earlier.

"Here's a complete layout of the school and the rules," Mrs. Della said, handing her a stack of papers. Endora took them and stood up.

"Thank you, ma'am," she said, turning to leave. But then she paused and turned back. She pulled out the card she had shown the security guards and handed it to Mrs. Della.

"Ma'am, what does this card mean?" she asked.

"Oh, this is a permission card. It says your guardian couldn't come with you," Mrs. Della explained, handing the card back. Endora smiled, nodded, and muttered another thank you before walking out of the office.

"Phew," Endora exhaled as soon as she was outside. She looked around, her main goal now to find her dormitory, settle in, and prepare for classes. Students were everywhere, walking up and down the pathways. She decided to focus on finding her dorm first.

As she walked, she spotted the two boys from earlier a little ahead of her, arguing. Curiosity got the better of her. She left her luggage behind a wall and quietly moved closer, hiding behind a pillar to listen.

"You think you can get away with lying to Mrs. Della? Saying I endangered those students?" the long-haired guy said, his voice low and tense.

"Well, you accused me too, so fair enough. Two can play this game," Elion shot back.

"Because I know it was you," the long-haired guy said, his eyes narrowing dangerously.

Just then, Endora sneezed. Both boys turned sharply in her direction. She froze, then quickly bent down, pretending to look for something on the ground. She acted like she found it, stood up, and walked away, trying to appear casual.

When she reached her luggage, she grabbed it, but someone else's hand landed on it too. She turned to see Elion standing there, his expression dark.

"You really don't know how to mind your own business, do you? Didn't I warn you?" Elion said in a low, dangerous tone, gripping her wrist tightly. Endora gasped, the pain making her eyes water. A crowd of students began to gather, some looking at her with pity, others excited to see what would happen next.

Elion's grip tightened, and Endora felt tears welling up. Without thinking, she used her free hand to grab the pepper spray from her bag and sprayed it directly into his eyes. The crowd gasped as Elion staggered back, releasing her wrist.

"She's definitely dead," someone whispered in the crowd. Endora bit her lip, shocked at what she had just done. The long-haired guy watched with a faint smirk on his face.

"You're dead," Elion growled, clutching his eyes. But when he removed his hands, his eyes flashed a bright blue for a split second before returning to normal. Endora gasped; she was the only one who had seen it.

Just as Elion was about to lunge at Endora, the long-haired guy grabbed his arm, holding him back. "Let go of me! I'm going to teach this idiot a lesson!" Elion shouted, his voice filled with rage. The long-haired guy released him, seemingly curious to see what Elion would do next.

Before Elion could take another step toward Endora, who stood wide-eyed and frozen in shock, a lecturer stepped into the scene. "What's going on here?" he shouted, his voice booming. The crowd of students scattered instantly, leaving only Endora, Elion, and the long-haired guy behind.

"She sprayed pepper spray in my eyes!" Elion yelled, pointing to his red, watery eyes. His voice was sharp, but he was clearly struggling to hold back tears, his pride refusing to let him show weakness.

The lecturer turned to Endora, who quickly shook her head. "No, sir, I was only trying to..." she started, but the lecturer cut her off.

"Enough! All three of you, come with me. Now," he said sternly. The three of them followed without protest, knowing that arguing would only make things worse. Endora's heart sank, she was in deeper trouble than she had imagined.

The lecturer led them back to the director's office. "Mrs. Della, these three were causing a disturbance," he said, gesturing to Endora, Elion, and the long-haired guy.

Mrs. Della looked at them, her expression calm but stern. "What's this all about?" she asked.

"She sprayed pepper spray in my eyes!" Elion snapped, still trying to ignore the burning sensation. His pride wouldn't let him admit how much it hurt.

"Ma'am, I was only defending myself. He was hurting me," Endora said, showing Mrs. Della her wrist, which was now red and sore from Elion's grip.

"Elion, is that true?" Mrs. Della asked, her tone firm.

"She was eavesdropping on our conversation! If she had minded her own business, none of this would've happened," Elion shot back, his anger still boiling.

"Endora, is that true?" Mrs. Della asked, turning to her. Endora kept her head down, unable to deny it.

"The three of them should be punished," the lecturer interjected, and Endora gasped.

"I had nothing to do with this," the long-haired guy said, raising his hands in defense.

"Then why are you here?" Mrs. Della asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Because he told me to come along," the long-haired guy said, pointing at the lecturer.

Mrs. Della sighed, pretending to think deeply. "What kind of punishment should I issue?" she said aloud, tapping her chin. Endora's stomach churned. This was not how she had imagined starting her university life. She could only hope the consequences wouldn't be too severe.