THE HELLISH SYSTEM

Chapter eight

Frank stormed through the crowd, shoving students aside as he made his way toward me. His face was twisted in rage, his hands balled into fists.

I barely blinked. I could see the disbelief in his eyes, the rage and the unsettling anger, all rising to the surface. But I was not fazed, not when I am on top of my game.

"You think just because you’ve got money now, you’re better than me?" he spat, stopping a few inches away from my face. "You’re still the same pathetic loser you were yesterday, Ethan. And I’m about to remind you of that."

I tilted my head. "Go ahead, Frank. Try." I said with a smirk on my face. My eyes darted around and I knew this was just the best way and place to have Frank humiliated. Only if he was dumb enough to fall for it.

The crowd hushed. The tension in the air was thick, almost suffocating.

Frank sneered and pulled back his fist, ready to punch me.

But before he could even swing, something strange happened.

A burning sensation shot through my arm, right where my tattoo was. A golden light flashed beneath my sleeve, and before I even realized what I was doing, my body moved on its own.

I grabbed Frank’s wrist mid-punch.

And with a flick of my hand—

THUD!

Frank’s body slammed into the ground, sending a shockwave through the crowd.

The entire campus went dead silent.

No one breathed. No one moved.

Frank groaned, rolling onto his side, his face twisted in pain. "W-What the hell just happened?!"

My own hands trembled. I had no idea how I did that. It felt like my body acted on instinct, like some hidden power had suddenly awakened inside me.

I looked down at my arm, but the glow had already faded.

Tracy, who had been standing beside me, stared at me with wide eyes. "Ethan… what was that?"

I clenched my fist. "I don’t know."

Selena, who had been watching from a distance, took a cautious step forward. Her usual smug expression was gone, replaced by something I had never seen before—disbelief.

"How?" she whispered, her eyes flickering between me and Tracy. "How did you do that? And how the hell did you get Tracy to date you?"

I smirked. "Wouldn’t you like to know?"

The crowd was still whispering, buzzing with excitement and confusion. But I didn’t stick around.

I turned on my heels and walked away, leaving Frank humiliated on the ground.

---

But Frank wasn’t done.

That night, he met with two of the most notorious students on campus—Ethan Gray and Aiden Reeves.

They were known for handling problems. And right now, I was Frank’s biggest problem.

Frank slammed a wad of cash onto the table in front of them. "I want you to take care of Ethan Summerville."

Ethan Gray raised a brow. "Take care of him? How?"

Frank leaned in, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Beat him so bad that he won’t be able to show his face at the prom."

Aiden smirked, cracking his knuckles. "You want him hospitalized?"

Frank hesitated for a second, then nodded. "I don’t care. Just make sure he disappears for a while."

The two boys exchanged a glance, then grinned.

"Consider it done," Ethan Gray said.

---

The next day, Tracy found me outside the café, a smirk playing on her lips.

"Hope you’re ready," she said, twirling a lock of her hair.

I raised a brow. "Ready for what?"

She rolled her eyes. "To be my date for the prom, idiot. Everyone is already talking about it."

I chuckled. "Oh? And what if I say no?"

Tracy’s smile faltered for a second before she quickly masked it with her usual cold expression. "You wouldn’t."

I crossed my arms. "And if I did?"

She leaned closer, her icy blue eyes locking onto mine. "Then I’d have to make you regret it."

I smirked. "Tempting offer, but I’ll have to think about it."

Tracy scoffed. "You’re playing dangerous games, Ethan."

I winked. "I like living on the edge."

She shook her head, laughing under her breath. "Fine. But don’t keep me waiting too long."

She turned and walked away, her hips swaying as she disappeared into the crowd.

I exhaled, rubbing my temples.

That was the last conversation I remembered before everything went to hell.

---

That night, as I was heading back to my dorm, I felt it.

Someone was following me.

I stopped, listening.

The campus was eerily quiet. The streetlights flickered, casting long shadows across the pavement.

Then—

BAM!

A fist slammed into my gut.

I stumbled backward, gasping for air.

Before I could react, another hit came—this time to my ribs.

Pain exploded through my body.

I collapsed onto my knees, coughing. "What the—?"

A dark figure stepped forward.

Aiden.

He cracked his knuckles, grinning. "Damn, that was easier than I thought."

Ethan Gray circled me, his boots crunching against the gravel. "Where’s all that confidence now, rich boy?"

I tried to get up, but a sharp kick to my side sent me sprawling onto the ground.

Frank stepped out of the shadows, arms crossed. "Told you I’d remind you of who you really are, Ethan."

I clenched my teeth, forcing myself up. "You’re… pathetic."

Frank’s expression darkened. "Hold him down."

Ethan and Aiden grabbed my arms, pinning me against the cold pavement.

Frank pulled back his fist.

And then—

CRACK!

His punch landed squarely against my jaw.

Pain shot through my skull, but I refused to scream.

He hit me again. And again.

Blood dripped from my mouth. My vision blurred.

Then, everything went black.

---

I woke up to the sound of my own breathing, sharp and ragged.

I was lying outside my dorm, barely able to move. The cold night air stung my wounds, and my body ached in ways I had never experienced before.

I tried to sit up, but my limbs wouldn’t respond.

Then I heard footsteps.

A student gasped. "Oh my God!"

There was a beep, a click.

A camera flash.

And then—

BZZZT!

A notification popped up on the school’s online portal.

The entire campus received an update.

A picture of me—beaten, bloody, and barely alive.

A caption underneath it:

"The mighty Ethan Summerville… left for dead."

The last thing I saw before passing out again was my own face staring back at me from dozens of students’ phones, my downfall broadcasted to the entire university.