Craig stared at his little sister's lifeless body, her blood pooling on the floor as she struggled to take her final breath.
He stood over her, clutching a bloodied baseball bat, tears streaming down his face.
Then, with trembling hands, he dropped to his knees, letting the bat clatter beside him. A guttural scream tore from his throat as he gripped his hair in pain, rage, and unbearable remorse.
"Why… WHY?!?"
He sobbed uncontrollably, the weight of it all dragging him down, until everything faded into darkness.
Just before he lost consciousness, he heard the faint sound of a door closing.
"I hate you all…" he whispered.
A Few Years Later
Craig-15 years old stood before the gates of his new school, his eyes baggy, his expression empty—haunted by a past he couldn't escape. Thoughts of his crimes churned in his mind, but louder still were the final words of his parents echoing before he left home.
"Hope you can keep our secrets," his father had said with a chilling smile, placing a finger over his lips.
"Hope you can, dear," his mother added sweetly. "After all, this is for you… and your sister's good."
Snapping back to the present, Craig heard the sound of his driver's voice.
"Are you ready, young master?"
Kia asked, snapping his fingers as the other guards began unloading Craig's provisions.
"If I refuse, they'll grow suspicious," Craig thought, stepping through the school gates.
"Might as well keep it... and just hand everything out to my classmates once they leave."
****************
Inside the principal's office, his parents joined virtually on a screen. Craig sat quietly, listening, though his mind was elsewhere.
"Such two-faced individuals," he thought bitterly, observing the forced warmth in their voices.
"We—we really appreciate this, Principal Randall," his father said with a graceful smile, his tone full of fake gratitude.
"It's fine, anytime, Mr. Walker," the principal replied politely.
"Can I go now?"
Craig thought, already tired of the performance his parents were putting on.
"If only they knew their true nature," he mused, stuffing his hands into his pockets as he left the office.
"They're devils in human skin."
He was silent as the guards escorted him toward his new dormitory.
Stepping out just as the rain began to fall, Craig paused, the image of his bloodstained baseball bat still lingering in his mind like a shadow.
Kai immediately rushed to his side, shielding him with an umbrella.
"Are you alright, young master?"
"I'm fine. Please don't cause a scene," Craig muttered, noticing students staring from windows and others glancing curiously as they walked by.
I guess after this, I have nothing to do with them. Not their filtered words, and certainly not their dirty incomes.
He thought coldly.
Then again… who am I to judge?
His eyes flicked upward, locking briefly with someone in a classroom window.
Didn't know he was transferred here, Craig thought, catching a glimpse of Blaze.
He quickly looked away and entered his dormitory.
"I hope none of them saw me looking at him," he thought, stealing a glance at the guards helping move his things inside.
Once everything was arranged, Craig headed toward his new classroom. His eyes met Kia's one last time before walking off.
"Ahh. Whatever. I'll call you once I'm done. It's required anyway," Craig thought, his expression unreadable as he strode away.
****************
As Craig stepped into his new class, all eyes turned to him—staring like he was some sort of celebrity.
"Hello. I'm Craig Walker," he introduced himself flatly, his voice calm but distant.
Whispers quickly spread through the room:
"Oh my, is he a model?"
"A singer, maybe? Or an actor?"
"I don't think so... h-he's probably from a rich family—based on his last name," Rini, a shy and timid girl, offered hesitantly.
"Oh wow, Miss Genius... I didn't know," Guano sneered, grabbing Rini roughly by the hair and slamming her head against the desk, grinning cruelly.
"Care to repeat that?" she added, yanking Rini's head up to face her.
Rini trembled, fear flooding her body. A bruise formed quickly on her forehead. She hadn't meant to stand out—she just wanted to fit in with Guano's group.
"I guess this is what I get for trying so hard to belong," she thought, tears slipping down her cheeks.
"I should've read the room before speaking."
Guano had never gone this far before.
Craig watched silently from his seat, a slight frown forming as the bullying played out.
"So, she's at the top of the food chain here, huh?" he thought, observing how the other students just laughed or looked away like it was normal.
"But why isn't anyone sa—"
Before he could finish the thought, the girl beside him stood up.
"That's enough, Guano."
Jennifer spoke firmly, her cold gaze fixed on the aggressor.
"I'm sure you know the school rules and regulations, right?"
"Shut up. You're just the class rep," Guano snapped, releasing Rini's hair with a scoff.
"So don't get carried away, if I were you."
Guano marched straight toward Jennifer, and the entire classroom tensed—caught between the standoff of two elite cadets.
"If I were you," Guano sneered, "I'd worry more about that rank of yours than some wimp."
She smirked, reaching toward Jennifer's chest insignia—Shield-1—clearly aiming to rip it off in front of everyone.