23 - Alexander.

I swallow hard, as it’s difficult to believe that his punishments could get any worse. My first year at SA was challenging, to say the least, and this man punished me so many fucking times. The worse was when he whipped me in the basement until it flayed my skin from my back, because I’d set fire to the science lab.

After that year, I learned that acting out only led to pain and punishment. I learned my lesson and kept out of his bad books, even if now and then I ended up punished by him.

“Hard to believe,” I say.

Luigi tilts his head slightly and then grabs a stool nearby, setting it down next to Azira Sidorov. “It’s your funeral,” he says, sliding his glass over to me.

I swallow hard and pour him a large glass of vodka.

He tips it back in one, and then I notice his eyes dart toward Azira. “Aren’t you drinking, Miss Sidorov?”

Although we’ve been caught red-handed, tension eases as chatter continues amongst the students at the table. And then the server returns with a round of drinks