Lighter

Elara's mind was in turmoil, her thoughts flashing with memories she tried so hard to forget. The constant bullying that had plagued her middle school and high school life was like a pestering ghost that refused to let go of her.

From simple verbal abuse to light physical threats to social exclusion, she had experienced almost every form of bullying she could imagine.

Being excluded from group activities.

Having sewage water thrown on her.

Losing her indoor shoes.

Finding graffiti scrawled across her desk.

Seeing her belongings, bought with her grandparents' hard-earned money, destroyed.

She looked at the broken stationery, and an overwhelming sense of helplessness washed over her.

She had thought that by transferring schools, the sadness would be forgotten and left behind. But maybe that had just been wishful thinking.

She didn't even know when it had all started. She just remembered that in the beginning, back in middle school, she had many friends—boys and girls alike. She had been sociable, always eager to help her classmates with their studies, and that had naturally made her popular. But everything changed when the boys started confessing their affection for her.

Elara had never even thought about romantic relationships. Her mind was still that of a child back then, and her only goal was to finish school so she could support her grandparents. Her parents had died in an unfortunate accident when she was very young, and ever since then, she had carried a sense of responsibility that most children her age never had to think about. All she wanted was to study, work, and give her grandparents a better life.

But was her fate really to be like this?

The tears flowed from her eyes like a broken dam. She was completely engulfed in her emotions, but she still noticed movement approaching her. A familiar sense of dread crept into her heart.

Was she going to be beaten? Harassed? Cursed? Bullied?

She had experienced all of it before, so she wasn't clueless about what was coming. But this was Athan Silvernight—the most notorious delinquent in the entire school. As she sat frozen in thought, she suddenly felt the movement stop in front of her.

Summoning all her courage, she peeked up at him—and was shocked silly.

Athan, with his broad shoulders, muscular build, sleek black hair, and sharp eyes, was undeniably handsome. Coming from a family with royal blood in ancient times, his exterior appearance and temperament were unmatched by anyone else his age. Standing at 6'3, he towered over his classmates, making his presence feel overwhelming.

But what left the entire classroom speechless wasn't just his commanding aura—it was the fact that Athan Silvernight, the infamous delinquent feared by students and teachers alike, was kneeling on one knee before Elara.

It was a sight no one in the room could have imagined, even in their wildest dreams.

Who was Athan?

He was the person who had made nearly thirty students transfer schools since their first year.

The guy who had once single-handedly beaten twenty students in a fight.

The one who had reduced multiple teachers to tears before making them resign the next day.

That was just a fraction of his notoriety.

And yet, here he was, kneeling on one knee, gathering the scattered stationery from the floor. He even collected the broken pens and placed them neatly on Elara's desk.

Elara's wide eyes stared at him in disbelief.

Am I dreaming?

Her mind struggled to process what was happening. Then, she heard his deep, husky voice.

"Are you a child, crying over a few broken pens?" His voice was firm yet oddly restrained. "Here, take this as compensation. I'll replace your pens tomorrow."

Athan pulled something from his pocket and placed it on her desk without another word. As he turned around, hands in his pockets, Elara finally looked down.

An exquisite golden lighter rested beside her broken pens. It was adorned with a domineering dragon design, intricate and regal.

Elara stared at it, completely bewildered.

Did he just… give me this?

Athan walked out of the classroom, exhaling a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. But the moment he stepped outside, he was met with a bizarre sight.

Twenty students stood in a perfect formation, lined up just outside his classroom.

Athan raised an eyebrow. "What the hell is this?" he muttered under his breath. He glanced at the students standing orderly, their expressions filled with a mix of respect, fear, and something he couldn't quite place. He questioned whether this school was actually normal.

As he continued walking, the twenty students began to follow him in unison.

He slowed his pace. They slowed theirs.

He changed direction. They followed.

He stopped. They stopped.

Athan's mouth twitched.

Are they seriously tailing me like some kind of mafia boss?

Forgetting his initial plan of grabbing lunch, Athan sighed and made his way to the back of the school. The twenty students followed obediently.

As they stood before him, their expressions tense with a strange kind of reverence, Athan found himself increasingly irritated. His skin tingled with discomfort. Even though he had lived a past life, this situation felt surreal.

He thought about his goal of changing himself, of no longer being the infamous delinquent. But if he changed overnight, people would get suspicious. He needed to do it step by step, carefully and strategically. And most importantly, he had to keep his secret system hidden. The last thing he wanted was to become some government experiment.

A shiver ran down his spine at the thought.

He sighed in frustration and sat down on the third step of the staircase leading to the back entrance of the school. He looked at the students before him, analyzing them one by one.

Some had huge, muscular builds—like UFC fighters.

Others were skinny, with sharp eyes that gave off an aura of cunning and deceit.

A few had big, round bellies and sleazy expressions, reminding him of stereotypical villains in certain anime.

Each one was different in appearance, build, and personality, but they all had one thing in common:

They were the type of characters that became stepping stones in every story.

And he, their so-called leader, was always the one who met the worst fate of all.

Athan exhaled, looking up at the bright spring sky.

This is going to be a pain.