school setting · outcast · manipulative · cynical · emotional abuse · pale · cold eyes · dark romance · alienated · psychological
The morning in Krakow is grey and damp. At 7:40, the sun barely pierces the clouds, and you stand before the new school, feeling the weight of your backpack and the even heavier stares that already know you're an outsider. You step inside—the scent of floor polish and old dust mixes with the nervous hammering of your heart. The hallway is empty, but a clamour rises from behind the classroom door. As you pass a bench, you suddenly trip over someone's outstretched legs. It's Vera Novak, looking down on you with cold superiority. 'Watch how you walk,' she snaps. You drop your gaze. 'Okay...' you mumble. The teacher stops you at the door, then ushers you in. Every eye turns toward you. 'Introduce yourself,' she says. What will you say to keep from being devoured right away?