2: Awakening

CHAPTER TWO

AFTER relaying the message over the intercom, the security guard gestured for Gale to sit in the dormitory's waiting lounge.

He waited, feeling the eyes of the passersby on him, until he saw the doors of the dormitory flung open. Out walked a group of women, and among them, a vision of unparalleled beauty made her way towards him. Her fitted purple t-shirt accentuated her curves, highlighting her ample bosom, while her short denim skirt showcased her slender, flawless legs. Each step she took was graceful, her hips swaying with an elegance that seemed almost otherworldly.

A mere glimpse of her was like looking at an angel from heaven.

For a moment, Gale was spellbound by the sight of Sherly White, one of the Academy's most beautiful students, listed among the top ten beauties of the school.

"You piece of trash!"

However, Sherly's harsh words snapped him back to reality. Her voice was sharp, a stark contrast to her angelic appearance.

Gale quickly composed himself, straightening up in his seat as Sherly stormed toward him, her face twisted with anger. He barely had time to react before she was standing in front of him, snatching the flowers from his hands and threw it into the ground.

"Do you seriously think I would be happy with these cheap flowers?" She screamed, her voice echoing around them as she stomped on the expensive bouquet. "You're overestimating yourself! Have you looked your face in the mirror before coming here?" Her disgusted glare pierced through him.

Gale was left speechless, his face flushing red with embarrassment. He hung his head, realizing too late that Kenny had set him up for this public humiliation.

That bastard. Why does he always do this to me?

"This guy must have something wrong with his head. Even a cheap girl would refuse him, what more Sherly?"

"This country bumpkin really thinks highly of himself."

"Damn! Sherly put him in his place."

"He was rejected before he could even speak. How embarrassing."

"Hahaha! Serves him right."

The mocking comments from the gathered crowd hit Gale like a series of blows. Humiliated, he slowly stood up, avoiding eye contact, and turned to leave.

"Don't ever come near me again, or I'll sue you for harassment!" Sherly shouted after him, her voice dripping with irritation. "I'll tell my boyfriend what you did today. Be ready for he will surely beat you up, you loser!"

With his head down and his pride shattered, Gale hurriedly left the area, trying to ignore the people filming the scene on their phones. Each step felt like an eternity as he silently cursed Kenny for his cruelty.

Why does he enjoy making a fool out of me? Is this why he gave me a 100 pesos-because he planned to embarrass me like this? Gale protester in his mind.

He could have told Sherly that it was Kenny who asked him to give her those flowers to avoid embarrassment.

But it was all too late now, and even if Sherly would believe him - which is no possible given her reaction, Kenny would surely deny that he had asked him to do it. He would still look like a fool by then.

Instead of heading back to the dormitory, Gale tried sought solace in his favorite place within the Academy: the Redwood's mini-lake. This serene spot was situated in the middle of a twenty-hectare artificial forest called Redwood Forest. The peaceful environment provided a retreat for stressed students, a place for them to relax and escape from the pressure.

He frequented the mini-lake whenever he needed to clear his mind. The walk through the forest, dodging massive trees, always helped calm his nerves.

Finally, after several minutes of trekking, he reached the tranquil lakeside, where he lay down on the soft grass near the water's edge.

The scenery here was breathtaking. The lake was surrounded by greenery, with hills covered in lush vegetation on either side, adding to the picturesque view. For some inexplicable reason, this environment always managed to soothe Gale's troubled mind.

As he lay there, the hours slipped away unnoticed.

----

"There you are, you idiot."

Gale was startled by the voice that interrupted his thoughts. He looked up only to see the enraged Gin, Sherly's boyfriend, standing over him with four muscular men.

Gin was one of those rich kids in the Lexington Academy. With his wealth, he could easily enter in all types of Dormitories, even in the VIP class. But since he was living in the City proper, owning a luxurious condominium, he doesn't need to live in the school's Resident Halls.

Given Gin's financial capability, Gale has already guessed that these large men standing beside the former was clearly his bodyguards.

"For a trash, you have some nerve to try to make a move on my girlfriend, huh."

Gale scrambled to his feet, panic gripping him. "G-Gin, you misunderstood. Those flowers weren't from me. I was just following Kenny's--"

But before he could finish the words that he is about to say, a sharp slap from Gin has landed on his face, sending a sudden darkness across his vision.

"Who gave you the right to talk back to me? And you dare call me by my name?" Gin's anger flared, his face a mask of fury. As if him calling Gin by name has added fuel to the fire.

Gale was bewildered by Gin's reaction, holding his stinging cheek that held the mark of the slap, he staggered back trying to step away from Gin.

He couldn't really comprehend these rich kids' issues. Why was it a problem for them to be called by their names? Is he that poor that he has no right to say their names?

"Beat this trash," Gin ordered, his voice cold and unfeeling.

Before Gale could react, a powerful punch landed on his face, nearly knocking him out. The other men followed up with blows to his stomach and jaw.

The attacks were strong as he instantly tasted blood in his mouth.

They continued to beat him mercilessly, their faces devoid of emotion. Gale, against all odds, remained conscious despite the relentless assault, trying to crawl away from them.

"This one's stubborn, Boss. He's still conscious despite the beatings he received," one of the men remarked, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Throw him in the lake," Gin commanded without a hint of compassion.

Gale, drained of strength, couldn't resist as the men dragged him towards the lake. They threw him into the deep part of the water without another word.

As he plunged into the cold depths, he tried to swim but found he had no more energy left. He couldn't move and as his breath started to ran out, darkness begun to close in.

He felt death looming over him. But then, something unexpected happened.

Before his vision totally darkened, he saw several lines of blue lights flickering in front of him. It was like an interference in the static wave signal of an old television, only that this one was causing distortion in his own vision.

Finally when his vision stabilized, several texts has appeared in front of him.

[Warning]

[Danger detected]

[User's life is in danger]

[Do you wish to activate the system?]

[Yes?] or [No?]

Gale didn't know what was going on, but as darkness started to fill his vision, he decided to choose the obvious option shown in front of him.

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Hey guys, what do you think about the story?

I know that there were a lot of Novels with this type of theme online. However, the plot of this story was mine and I only based its concept on those novels.

So you can expect an original and unique ideas from the storyline of this simple work.

Thank you.

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