Shroud Academie

Prologue:

Dallas stood over me, glaring down invisible draggers he’d hoped would kill me. Grunting, I silently stood back up, ready for another round. Dallas wasted no time, his fist connected with my jaw before I could even stand up. Once again on the ground, I gave Dallas my own glare. Dallas, your classic boy next door, eye candy, that everybody loves; and I mean everyone. Even the bullies and outcasts love him. What’s not to love? Dallas is the strongest warrior in our grade and the most skilled with his perk. He has his flaws, like being a jerk wad when it comes to me and other dhampirs. Heck, even other dhampirs like him. I’m the only one who gets his oh so special ill treatment.

“That all you got dickwad?” I said with all the confidence I don’t have. “You’re supposed to be the best in our grade. A pretty boy who can actually hit.” I’ve been told that my mouth and presence could drive a saint to drinking. Dallas’ eyebrows twinge slightly, the only sign my taunts had any affect. This time Dallas allowed me to fully stand before he rained down another beating. Dallas’ aura gifted him with the ability to find the weakness in any physical object or being. Not that he had to use this to beat the crap outta me.

“Stay down.” He grunted, when I wouldn’t be knocked down as easily as before. Does he think I like these beatings? No! I hate them! Almost more then I hate being in school again. The only reason I’m even in this mess is because of Arixa. She just had to be the prophecy child. It wouldn’t have been too bad had I’d been the typical normal-human best friend. You know the ones who have no powers and cause more trouble than they help. They wanna help their best friend, but can’t cuz they got no powers.

Well, technically I don’t have any powers of my own. This stupid bracelet that attached itself to me a few weeks ago is some kind of Shifter artifact. One that ‘choses’ it’s wearer. Everyone says what a great honor it is to be wielding this powerful weapon. A weapon that is more temperamental then a pregnant woman whose food has been stolen. Half the time the thing doesn’t activate when I need it to. Ok, it never activates when I need it to. Which is all the time.

Dallas continue to rain down more beatings, getting stronger and faster with each hit. I’m no lazy bones myself. Before being dragged to this school, I trained and toned my body to withstand some serious beatings. How else could I have survived living with my parents. Daddy dearest wasn’t the most gentle and lovely mommy thought a firm hand would ‘toughen’ me up. They were right about one thing, I certainly did toughen up. I maybe nowhere near or as powerful as Dallas and the others at this school. Heck, most likely, I’ll black out again after ‘gym’. However, they can never say, I can’t hold my own. I pride myself on being able to get back up when everyone else is down for the count. Yeah, I’m not the sanest penny in the jar. When you grow up how and where I did, you’ll understand. Sanity is a gift I couldn’t afford. A luxury that would’ve made me weak.

“Stay down!” Dallas grunted again, getting annoyed that I a ‘dhampir’ would dare to defy him. His fist connected with my stomach, making me double over in pain. Gasping for breath, I held my stomach. Dallas smirked, happy to see me in pain. He grabbed a fist full of brown and orange hair, yanking my hand back to look me in the eyes. “Your nothing and will only ever be nothing. You may be a dhampir, but you’re a disgrace to even them.” Next thing I know, his elbow, came crashing into my face. Blood oozed from my nose and mouth. He dropped my hair, to my relief. Then he gifted me with a swift kick in the back. Had I not had the bracelet’s aura coating my body in a protective invisible layer, my back would’ve been broken. “Arixa should’ve left you where she found you. Then again, trash like you two dissever each other.”

That right there was the wrong thing to say. Arixa is my best friend, my sister, the me I wish to be. Sure, she’s a pain in the ass most times, but that’s what best friends do. We’ve been through so much together. If my home life was torturous, her’s was hell. Unlike me, Arixa doesn’t wear her heart on her shoulder. She doesn’t wear it at all. I’ll tell you everything to your face and stab you in the chest while looking you dead in the eyes. Arixa will lie to your face, then pay someone else to stab you in the back. My dearest best friend is a mean ass bitch you don’t want to double cross. Therefore, I agreed to going to this school with her. It’s better for everyone this way.

Burning pain seized my body, still I fought through it. “Hey!” I shouted to a distracted Dallas, “dick head!” He turned around just in time to see my foot connect with his shoulder. My foot slammed down on the space between the collar bone and shoulder. Dallas shouted several curses in French. Not that I understood him. An injury like that is nothing to a Shifter, their use to being hurt. My attack only connected, because of Dallas being distracted. Grinning, I quickly pulled my foot back. Next, I rammed the palms of my fist into his stomach, torso, and neck. The rapid movements were foreign to me. Even the Fey can’t move this fast. The bracelet must be reacting to my emotions again. Thanks?

Dallas’ handsome face was bruising and bloody. Yeah, twinies! Not! “Don’t ever speak about Arixa that way!” I kept my momentum. Punches and kicks blurred together, giving Dallas no room to recover. I know what you’re thinking, isn’t this to violet for a school gym class? Nope, you clearly don’t know anything about Shifters. Survival of the fittest is their motto. If you can’t keep up here, you’ll surely die out in the real world. Better to be beaten to a bloody mess here, then be eaten by a Striga outside these walls. Don’t worry, the teacher’s usually stop us before someone gets killed. It doesn’t look good for the school if students die in their care. Which leads us into what has been happening on campus! But that’ll have to wait.

As my fist was about to smash pretty boy’s face in, his fist caught my elbow. Stopping my attack, he used his free hand to ram into my rib cage. My throat was already horse from my earlier screams, no sound came out as I silently cried out in agony. Enough!” Our teacher shouted before blowing the whistle, signaling the end of class. Dallas grunted in disapproval, looking pissed that he couldn’t continue beating me up. He delivered one final blow to my skull before walking off towards the locker room. My body couldn’t take anymore and that last hit drained the last of my strength. My body hit the floor just before I blacked out. Sadly, I’m use to this. My body is nothing more than a living punching bag for the students and staff at this school.

Regular high school was bad enough, this place is a living hell. I’d prefer hell to this place. Why? For starters, at least in hell I kind of had a chose on going there. Also, there I would have idea why I ended up there and why everyone is beating the crap outta me. Here, everyone just hates me for not being one of them. Or rather, it’s because I’m one of them but refuse to accept it.

Wait, wait, wait. I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s go back to how this all began. Yay, a hero origin story! NOT! First off, this isn’t my story. This is my best friend Arixa’s tell, I’m just here for the crazy ride.