North of Nattunnia lies the Kingdom of Bolaire. A powerful Kingdom with a stricter nobility rule compared to its neighboring countries.
A prosperous country on its own right but deep inside brews a growing conflict between the Noble class and the commoners. The commoners' dissatisfaction keeps rising as the nobility continues to abuse their power with a pretense of they're "Heroe's descendants."
The more sensible nobles knows that if the conflict between the two class continues, it might lead to the destruction of Bolaire which enough reason for them to try improving people's trust on the monarchy.
Using Nattunnia as inspiritation. The nobles of Bolaire starts by integrating a group of selected commoners with talents on the Bolaire's academy which only nobles are allowed to enter.
But...
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"That's right! Drown on that disgusting water you filth!"
A female student of nobility stomps and push the head of another female student in a wooden bucket full of dirty mop water. Behind the blonde student with drill hair are another 3 female students of nobility. They all chuckle as they watch the student squirms.
The blonde student removes her foot which makes the bullied student finally have a deep breath.
The bullied student looks miserable. Her uniform is ragged and faded, she's now look messy due to the dirty water splattered all over her as she continues to breath heavily.
"Ahhhh... This is so much fun." The blonde student savors the feeling of superiority as she look down on her victim.
The bullied just look down on the floor and avoid making any eye contact. Wishing that her bullies finally got what they want and just leave her alone.
"What we should do next?" The blonde's friend asked.
"Pour that disgusting liquid to her."
"Yes ma'am!"
Without remorse. Two of the blonde's friend lifted the bucket and pour its content on top of the bullied student still slumped on the floor. The dark colored water completely engulfs her body and staining her uniform further.
"Ewwww! Some splashed on my uniform!"
"I told you we should pour it slower to make it more dramatic and avoid something like these."
"Awwww... Now I need to throw out these uniform. Disgusting." One of the bully says as she look down on the victim with absolute disgust.
The two just throw the bucket on the side and return to the blonde bully.
"Now you look what someone like you should be, a filthy commoner rat."
The bully laughs.
"That's all for today. See you tommorow and don't you dare to leave the school ok?." The blonde's farewell then she give a twisted smile. They exit the bathroom leaving the victim behind.
"How long are you going to let this happen Dereia?"
The voice on Dereia's head talks again. But she ignore it as she starts to stand up and fix herself despite how futile the gesture is.
"Are you really wishing that one day they just stop tormenting you? What an ignorant optimist you are."
"Shut up."
The voice inside her head just suddenly appear a week ago and start talking about giving the control of her body to her. But Dereia ignores it to the best of her abilities. Compare to her bullies, the voice is not pushing her to the limits like suddenly talking on important moments or not letting her sleep. What the voice only did is to talk to her after she get bullied
Dereia picks her stuff she tossed earlier to the side and walks outside the bathroom then see the noble students walking on the hallway. She just look down trying not to intimidate anyone but Dereia can feel the look of disgust coming from her supposed fellow students.
Dereia then proceeds to go to the training grounds where the magic class would take place. Her classmates are full of excitement to cast spells but Dereia is just standing far away from them. In her mind, there's no point joining them as they just gonna push her away. All she can do is to observe everyone and somehow learn a thing or two.
THUD!
Dereia feels something hard hits her arm. She watch as a clumped soil the size of her fist breaks and falls to the ground. She quickly feel the sharp pain.
A group of her male classmates walks towards her.
"Ahhh I thought you're a training dummy. Sooooo-reeeeyyyyyyyy." The boy apologize in a mocking way followed by a devilish grin.
Dereia just give a fake smile.
"It's ok."
"So it's ok to hit you again right?" One of the boys ask. His tone is full of malice and sadistic pleasure.
Dereia's eyes widen as she just make a mistake that she trying her best to avoid. She looks down, biting her lips out of frustration.
~~~~~~°~~~~~~
"Ughhh... Aw! AHHHHH!!!"
The moment Dereia wakes up, the barrage of pain simultenously registers.
Despite the pain. Dereia do her best and stand up, only to notice that she still in the training grounds and it's now night time. Dereia looks at her uniform and see the truth.
"Ah."
She finally remembers why she end up sleeping. The group of noble boys along side others continues to cast training level spells on her like mud, clump of soil, and water. They overwhelemed her to the point that she lost conciousness.
And the fact that she still in the training grounds means the on-site medical team just ignored her again.
"If you asking. You sleep for 6 hours."
The voice talks again.
"I didn't ask you. And shut up."
"How am I suppose to shut up when my vessel is just willingly let herself to get abused? You're so fucking stupid."
"What you supposed to know?!"
"I know that the best option is just leave, yet you still stay here. It's either you're really that stupid or just a closeted masochist."
"Shut up!"
Dereia completely ignores the voice again and she starts limp...
And limp...
Until she reached a decrepit building. Dereia enters the what she call home and open the magic lamps.
Dereia notice the bowl with plate at top of it and a covered basket on table. She opens them and see a cold soup and few stale bread. Her stomach rumbles.
"Hehe." Dereia makes a pained smile.
She sits down, heats the stew using her magic and eats some of the bread and stew while leaving the rest for tomorrow.
"Thanks." Dereia thanked the unknown yet kind individual that continues to bring her food in the building.
Dereia continues to do her routine. Clean her uniform and remove its stains using magic, wash herself using magic and finally study using whatever she observed for today.
Then Dereia enters the sleeping quarters only to greeted by the familiar darkness and silence.
A memory flashes on her mind and see the sleeping quarters during their first day 3 months ago. Dereia sees her fellow commoners. 20 gifted individuals chosen to attend the prestegious academy. They're full of excitement, happiness and hope on their face as they prepare their personal beds.
But with just a snap. The scene returns back to present. The beds are now empty and a mess. Dereia goes to her bed, sits and starts to heal her wounds using a cleric magic she learned by reading a book from the library before they become hostile and doesn't let her enter anymore.
She remember the faces of her friends. How they slowly lose hope and the sparks on their eyes disappears as they recieve inhumane bullying from the noble students. And one-by-one, they leave the academy until Dereia is the only one remains.
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She already contemplated multiple times on leaving the academy for good and returning to the backwater village she came from. But everytime the thought appears, Dereia always pull out a necklace like what she's doing right now.
The necklace which a farewell gift for her from her parents. After she leave, Dereia promise her parents and siblings that she would absolutely do her best and become a successful mage to make them proud.
"I promise that once I become a successful mage! J'm going to treat you with all the fancies the world can offer!"
"That's a promise sis!"
"We will wait for that moment my dear daughter. Do your best ok? Me and your dad will pray for you everyday."
"Will you return sis?"
"Of course. Your sister just going to leave for a while but I promise that I occassionally return with lots and lots of gifts."
"Yey!"
The necklace is only thing that makes her endure the constant suffering and discrimination she needs to face everyday. It makes her remember the promises she left and the hopes of the villages as they give her a fun farewell celebration after knowing that she got selected.
Dereia clenched the necklace on her hand and tears drops down on her knuckle. The weigh of the sufferring and promises overwhelmes Dereia and turned her into a pile of misery as she lies down on the bed and cry her hearts out. Her cries echoed through the almost abandoned building.
~~~~~~°~~~~~~
The next day. Dereia eats the almost spoiled stew and even more stale bread, wears her old and damaged uniform and goes to academy. She strenghten her mind as she always expects the worse.
The classes continues as expected. She's sitting far away from her classmates as she listens to the professors. She still make and give written works and now Dereia pass one to the proffesor. The professor just give her a spiteful look and ignore her entirely.
Dereia is the last to exit the room and behind the close door, she sigh and feel pained as she hear the sound of paper getting teared apart. Despite already experiencing such treatement in almost daily basis, Dereia still feel pained knowing that her effort is wasted... again.
For the professors who also came from nobility, she doesn't exist and treated her like a ghost as they turn a blind eye to the rampant bullying the students did to Dereia. Due to the fact that they can't verbally protest on the Kingdom's decree, they protest by either treating the commoner students with a cold shoulder, purposely giving them low grades, or deliberately insulting and degrading them in front of other noble students.
For the professors, teaching a commoner is an grave insult to their noble blood.
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Dereia is preparing to enter another class when the blonde student and her friemds stops in front of her.
"W-w-what's wrong Miss Hilda?" Dereia looks down as she tries to not provoke the one that bullies her the most.
Hilda smiles with malice.
"You should already know everytime I approach you."
"P-p-please Miss Hilda. Can we do this later? I-i-i promise I would not escape." Dereia tries her luck.
"Huh?" Hilda raise an eyebrow then she grab Dereia on her collar.
"Do you really think you can bargain with me? Who do you think you are? You're just a disgusting commoner."
"N-n-no that's not what I mean Miss Hil-."
Dereia didn't even finish her sentence when one of Hilda's friend slap her.
"Just shut up you lowlife!" The friend shouts.
Dereia not wanting to instigate them further just accept her predicament and just wish that the torment is a tame one.
Hilda smiles and drags Dereia away. There's students and few professors nearby but as usual, all of them turn a blind eye. There's no way they want to have a beef with the daughter of a Marquis.
After reaching a nearby storage room. Hilda throws Dereia to the floor.
"What you planning to do now Miss Hilda?" One of her friend asked with glee.
"Don't worry I prepared something special for today."
Hilda opens her Bag of Storage and pulls out a whip and uncoils it, letting the tip hit the floor. Dereia's eyes widen.
"You see commoner. I'm planning to intigrate whips for my fighting style so I want to practice. But... It's just don't feel right trying it on training dummies." Hilda makes a faux frown as she she rub the handle of the whip with her other hand.
"Ohhh! I like it already!" One of Hilda's friend celebrates.
Hilda then grabs the handle tightly.
"So be kind and endure this as long as you ca. Ok?" Hilda says with a sadistic smile on her face.
Without waiting for Dereia's response, Hilda winds up and slams the whip towards Dereia that still lying on the floor. Dereia uses her arms to protect her face.
CRACK!
The whip hits Dereia and she screams in agony as the pain is too unbearable.
"Nice nice. I like that reaction." Hilda's sadistic cheer as she winds up for another hit.
The cracking of the whip and Dereia's screams can be heared outside of the storage room. Some student leaves not that they feel bad for Dereia but because they can't handle the brutality. Others stays and watch with morbid curiousity.
The whipping last for 10 minutes. Dereia lying motionless on the floor, her clothes are in total mess and her body is full of bruises and small cuts as Hilda's inexperience didn't create grievous wounds.
"Phew! I still need more practice." Hilda's sad opinion, not giving a single care about her victim's condition.
Hilda then grabs her handkerchief and wipes the blood on her whip. After that, she thows the now dirty handkerchief to Dereia as she feel disgusted to it now that its stained with a commoner's blood.
The moment Hilda watch the handkerchief land on Dereia, she notices something.
"Ohhh? What's this?"
Hilda moves closer to Dereia and suddenly pulls her necklace to Dereia's shock.
"What is this ugly necklace you wearing? Commoners like you really don't have fashion taste." Hilda and her friends then laughs.
"It's not even gold or silver!"
"A pathetic attempt of a lowlife pretending to be us."
Dereia despite her injuries, crawls and holds Hilda's leg.
"No please... Give it back to me...."
Hilda feel disgusted and kicks Dereia who just continues to grab her leg.
"Give it back!"
Hilda now seething kicks Dereia harder.
"What you two looking?! Get this disgusting filth out of me!"
Her two friends hesistate for a moment before agreeing and pulling Dereia away to Hilda's leg and throwing her away.
"Give it back to me!"
"Why this trash is so more important to you?!" Hilda is angry and confused as she can't understand the sudden change of Dereia.
"Give it back! That's important to me!"
Then Hilda finally realize why Dereia suddenly got a courage to oppose her just for a single necklace.
"Is this... A family gift for you?"
"Give... It... Back." Dereia's voice is now exhausted.
"Ahh I see it now! So the reason you still not leaving is because of them huh?"
Hilda laughs.
"Do you really think that by enduring and staying here guarantees you and your family better future? As if scums like you deserves it!"
Hilda drops the necklace and Dereia tries to grab it. But Hilda stomps the necklace quickly.
"Scums like you are scums forever! You, your family and everyone like you in the bottom are destined to stay below us so stop that pathetic dream of yours!"
Dereia watch in horror as Hilda continues to stomp the necklace and then she look at Hilda who also directly looks on Dereia's eyes. Her stare is full of disgust.
"You know what. I have an idea now that I know what motivates you to continue, and insult me."
Dereia feels a cold air as she continue to look at Hilda.
"If I can't break you with the best of my abilities. What would happen if... I snuff out the thing that gives you motivation?" Hilda gives an evil smile which sends a shiver on Dereia.
"N-n-n-n-no please!" Dereia starts to panic.
"Yes please scum! Ahhhh... I can't stop imagining the despair you would make once you find out that your love ones are already dead." Hilda blushes as she lustfully daydream the look of absolute mess Dereia make.
"NO NO NO LEAVE THEM ALONE PLEASE! JUST ME NOT THEM!" Dereia begs louder, tears starts to flow on her cheeks.
Hilda's friends don't know how to react as they can't relate to Hilda's sudden spike of sadism. They just nervously watch their leader.
"You know, to be honest. I'm starting to get bored to our daily routine. So now that there's a more exciting way to torment you, there's no turning back now."
Dereia falls in despair the moment she look deeper on the apathetic eyes of Hilda. For the 3 months of her being tormented by Hilda, she knows that Hilda is true to her words if it means she can get sadistic pleasure.
"Want to switch place with me?"
The voice echoed inside her mind again. If in the recent days she can manage to ignore the voice. Now that Dereia's mind is flooded by images of her family. The voice's offer slowly becoming more and more reasonable.
"Look. If you accept my offer, I guarantee that your family would be safe."
Dereia don't really trust the voice. The moment the voice appears on her thought, she can feel the sinister aura of it. Dereia gets panic attack as she's thinking on any solution except accepting the voice's offer.
Hilda, her friends and other students are confused as they watch Dereia grab her chest, her body is shaking. Obviously in pain but they don't show any concern. Either they don't know what to do or they just don't care.
"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Hilda asked.
But Dereia didn't answer.
"There's no time for you to contemplate Dereia. Prolong this further and you just going to see the heads of your love ones sent to you."
"You don't have any more options Dereia."
"No one will help you Dereia."
"I'm your only choice Dereia."
The voice flooded Dereia's mind with his words. If the voice is pushy before, the voice is now downright assaulting her thoughts.
"If you don't switch with me. You singlehandedly cause the death of your family Dereia."
"You don't want that right?"
"So switch with me and you not going to suffer again."
Hilda grits her teeth as she become annoyed on Dereia kneeling on the floor while holding her chest due to pain.
"Tsk! My mood is ruined now. Let's go.
Hilda and her friends slowly walks away.
"Just wait for the surprise. I'm sure that you can have your beloved reunion and I'm will be there to watch that." Hilda gives a sadistic grin that she want Dereia to see before she turn and walks away.
And from that moment, Dereia psyche snaps.
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BANG! BANG!
Every nearby students flinched because of the sudden lound noise. Except Hilda who just found herself kneeling on the floor.
"Huh?"
She seems unable to move her leg and realization only hits Hilda when she look down and see her knees bleeding, each with a small puncture wounds.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" Hilda screams in agony as the pain finally kicks in.
Her friends screams after seeing the pool of blood on the floor and tries to run away.
BANG! BANG!
The two girls falls face first on the floor. A puncture wound on back of their heads. After watching the two's sudden death, the nearby students panics and run away.
Dereia stand up like the recent whipping she recieved is nothing at all. She walk towards Hilda, kicks her on the back where she falls then kick and push her on the side to make her face her face the ceiling. The entire ordeal intensifies the pain Hilda is feeling.
"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU JUST DID?!" Hilda's face contorts as she screams her wrath to Dereia.
Yer her wrath quickly replaced by agape confusion when she finally see the face of Dereia.
Looking down at her is Dereia yet Hilda is confused and scared as she don't see wrath, remorse or any emotion at all.
Dereia is just looking her with absolute apathy. Her cold eyes piercing on Hilda's soul.
"W-w-who are you?" Hilda's scared question as she can't see any semblance of Dereia on whatever she's looking right now.
"Just a person with few screws loose."
Hilda don't understand what Dereia is saying but she doesn't have any time to think as Dereia makes a gesture on both of her hands.
BLAM!
And Hilda's left leg was decapitated.
"GAHHHHHHHHHH!!!" Hilda pained screams.
Yet Dereia is not done as she makes a pumping motion with her hands like she's reloading a shotgun and proceeds to blow Hilda's right leg.
Hilda's scream gurgle as her vocal chords are getting strained due to her screaming. Hilda is breathing heavily as the pain and blood loss is slowly draining her stamina.
Hilda still watch Dereia looking at her with apathy. She don't know what to say. The pain and confusion only makes Hilda cry and hypeventilate.
Dereia change her hand gesture and with only one hand, she aims her index and middle finger to Hilda with her thumb poining upward.
BANG!
Dereia precisely shot Hilda's heart.
"GAGH!" Hilda spits blood.
Dereia? gives one sorry look on Hilda before she leaves her to her slow agonizing death, alone.
Dereia? stretch a little bit. She can feel the tremendous surge of energy deep within her.
"Ok. It's showtime."
Dereia? makes a running posture, and then she dash towards the hallway. With two pistol hand gesture, Dereia? prepares to create another mayhem.