7: Encounter With The Golden King

Rue

 I trembled uncontrollably, eyes trained in the direction where the golden king is supposed to emerge from, while silently concluding within myself that this was my doom. Telling from how the students all vacated this place, this king must be very powerful and scary. What would he do to me once he comes across me out here?

My heart lurched even more just as footsteps began to echo, filling the atmosphere and every inch of my brain. I trembled even more and sank into the locker behind me while my limbs began to shake. As the footsteps grew louder, so did a powerful scent fill up the air. The scent was so think, and heady. Sandalwood, pine and something else, something dangerous and frightening. 

As the scent got thicker, I got consumed with the urge to bow or go on my knees, along with the urge to bare my throat in submission. I've never felt something like this in my entire life, which made me grow more frightened. I averted my gaze while breathing shallowly, and as the king approached even more, so did the urge to faint increase within me. Through my tremors, I forced myself to glance up because I'd like to see the person who'd kill me. 

The first thing that registered within me was his height. He was so freaking tall. His shoulders were broad and they filled out the jacket he had hanging off his shoulder without his arms in the arm holes. He was completely shirtless and his muscles ripped with each step. However, half of his face was covered by a skull mask, silver in color with exquisite, curly intricate design. His hair made me gasp, it was shoulder length, thick, silver in color and flowing behind him while framing his face. 

He oozed so much power and raw dominance, so intense that I wondered if he was really a high schooler. He didn't feel like a high schooler, he felt like a… like a very powerful being.

When he stopped a few inches away from me, a frightened whimper caught in my throat as I squeezed my eyes tightly while the fear within me skyrocketed. I held my breath, expecting him to strike. 

But after a few moments, nothing happened and I tentatively opened my eyes, still scared shitless. He was staring down at me, and I realized two eye holes were in his mask. His eyes were grey colored, and so intense that it felt like he was staring into my soul. I averted my gaze again while trembling before him, my mouth too stiff to utter a single plea.

"Move." He suddenly said and I jolted so hard, pain shot through my injured ankle.

It took me a few moments to realize he was referring to the locker I was leaning against. I let out a startled gasp on realizing and hurriedly shuffled away, body tensed up and heart pounding away as he looked through the locker after getting it open.

When the door slammed close, I flinched hard, and with my heart still in my throat, I watched as he turned around and disappeared in the direction he arrived from. I blinked in surprise at his retreating form, while being unable to comprehend the fact that I was unhurt. I had just been thinking he'd snap my throat into two… but he hadn't even touched me.

What do I make of this?

When students began to file out into the hallway after discovering that the golden king had left, I was still in the same position, completely shaken to the core. I didn't miss the shocked expressions on the students' faces as they all gnawed at me, like they couldn't believe that I was still breathing.

When Vlad arrived, he let out a disbelieving gasp as he stared down at me. "You're still alive?"

A shiver rolled down my spine and I swallowed emptily before whispering tentatively. "Was I- I not supposed to?"

He crouched beside me while the other students continued to file around, then he spoke. "You're not supposed to be… unscathed. The golden king… no one comes in contact with him and leaves to tell the tale." He explained and fear gripped me even more.

"Oh." I muttered dumbly.

"So… he didn't hurt you? He just walked past you?" Vlad continued and I managed a weak nod.

His eyes widened and he looked worried. "Holy shit, Reo. That's not a good thing at all." He explained. 

"It's not?"

He nodded. "Of course it isn't. This means he's still gonna come for you! Oh god, you're doomed, Reo! Usually when situations like this happen, the golden king's wrath on the poor students depends on his mood. If he's in a good mood, he can just snap your arm or leg. If he's not, he'd do much, much worse. I haven't heard of a situation where he leaves the person completely unscathed." He explained and it felt like I was getting dizzy the more he spoke 

He grimaced as he got to his feet. "To put it lightly, Reo, you're doomed."

~~~

 Vlad helped me to the school clinic, albeit reluctantly. He said helping the lame, limping new kid would make him appear lame, especially as they don't do that emotional bullshit here… whatever that meant. He also made sure to remind me that I've just managed fo attract more bullies to myself this way because others would want to pick on me as well since it's clear that I'm weak as fuck.

Dread was already churning through me as I sat in the school clinic while a female nurse examined me. 

Was this school a good decision? I wasn't so sure anymore.

"Now, I'll need you to take off your pants…" the nurse began and I instantly stiffened, vehemently refusing. How the fuck am I supposed to do that when I'm putting up a disguise?

"You have to, else I can't properly heal the joints." The nurse snapped, clearly impatient. She was a magical healer and she had just healed my broken arm, while my sprained ankle was left.

I shook my head firmly. "I can't take the pants off, can't you just heal it through the pants? Please?" I pressed. Beside me, Vlsd sighed.

"Just take the pants off so we can finally leave, you're ruining my whole day. I don't even know why I haven't ditched you yet." Vlad mumbled beside me. I was beyond grateful that Vlad was still with me even though he didn't owe me anything. 

I adamantly refused to take my pants, and the nurse ended up healing me through my pants, but she reminded me the magic won't get to my joints well and that I dare not return to complain about it not healing well.

I thanked her and accepted the few drugs handed to me, the. I left with Vlad. Back at home, we had no healer with magic abilities. I guess out here, all species do exist. 

As Vlad and I walked back to class, my leg still aches so we had to sit under a shed, with Vlad reminding me it was my fault for refusing to take my pants off. But I didn't bother arguing with him because he was right, but I have no choice than to suck it up.

"So, Vlad… um, can you give me a detailed explanation of how this school works?" I asked, feeling like I needed to hear from the horse's mouth at this point.

Vlad snickered and sat up before nodding. "Of course I can. Now, listen attentively."

"This school has five kings. And you can't ever get on the bad sides of the kings." He began and I nodded.

"Oh, so they work together? Like a study group?"

He looked at me like I was stupid.

"They're enemies, Reo. They've been in a feud for ages, and it's like an unspoken rule for them to stay out of each other's ways."

As he spoke, I nodded slowly.

All the students have to respect the five kings. No one can dare go against them, because they rule over us and call the shots around here. The five kings go from most powerful to least powerful. The least powerful king is the Iron king- King Xeux. He is an elf prince, and the heir to the biggest elf kingdom in the country. He might be the least powerful king in the school, but he's extremely powerful."

"The fourth powerful king is the Jade King- King Zade. He is a vampire prince, and heir to the only vampire clan in the kingdom, despite being the youngest child amongst his brothers. He is incredibly powerful and not to be messed with."

"The third powerful is the Diamond king- King Alex. He is a lycan Prince. He isn't an heir because of his elder brothers, so that makes him a spare. He's extremely powerful and respected by everyone."

This time, I held a hand up. "Wait, is this alpha blond with blue eyes?" I asked, my mind instantly returning to the prince I ran into at the mall and right after I arrived at this school. Vlad nodded and my eyes instantly widened.

"You know him?" Vlad asked and I shook my head then I explained how I ran into him here in this school. Vlad face palmed himself and sighed.

"That's not a good sign at all." He muttered and I shuddered while he resumed his descriptions.

"The second most powerful king is the Diamond King- King Tristan. He is a dragon. He isn't a prince because a disaster wiped his family out and his uncle claimed the throne since he was just a baby then. But, he's so… so powerful and scary."

I shuddered at that description.

"And finally, the most powerful King in the school is the golden king- king Knox. He is the Alpha prince of the biggest werewolf pack in the country, and heir to the throne. His name alone commands respect and fear. He's at the top of the hierarchy in this entire school, even above the school management." His voice lowered at the end of his sentence and I nodded numbly.

"Just, be careful, Reo. I hope you'd be alive till at least a week at this rate, because the golden king hurting you would have been so much better than him leaving you unscathed."