Chapter 2 002

SOFIA’S Pov

I felt like turning back the exact second I reached the main hallway. The corridor was choked with students, a sea of designer labels and luxury fabrics that made my worn jacket feel like sandpaper against my skin.

Letting out a quiet sigh, I forced my feet to keep moving, my eyes scanning the endless rows of polished metal until I finally found my assigned locker.

“I think I’m gonna be leaving cheerleading and joining something else,” a melodic voice sounded right beside me.

I froze, my hand on the locker dial, pretending to struggle with the combination just to avoid making eye contact. Two girls had stopped a few feet down from me, radiating the kind of effortless privilege that came with an uncounted bank account.

“Honey, Sasha, you really don’t need to leave,” another girl chimed in. “Just pay huge money to the coach, and you’ll lead. It’s that simple.”

The first girl, Sasha—shrugged her perfectly tanned shoulders, a small bored smile touching her lips. “I guess I could do that.”

I could only listen briefly to their conversation before their entitlement became too much to stomach. I shoved my extra books into the metal cubby, shut my locker and set off to find my classroom.

After a few minutes of wandering aimlessly, the hallway opened up into a wider rotunda. “I really don’t think I want to ask anyone anything here before I get ignored,” I said under my breath, clutching my handbag tightly against my stomach like a shield.

Then, I stopped dead in my tracks.

Dominating the center wall of the hallway was a massive, glowing digital screen. it showed the ranks of the student body. The hierarchy was broken down into tiers, mapping out the social and financial landscape of the academy from silver to diamond.

My eyes tracked the glowing text. Under Silver, there were five names listed. Above that, Gold held four students. Platinum narrowed down to just three. And at the very top, reigning over the entire display under the Diamond tier, were only two names.

Among those two names in diamond, the letters practically burned into the glass: Asher and Sebastian.

I stared at the screen, a shiver creeping up my spine as I realized the kind of untouchable power those families held here. “They must be running the school,” I said under my breath.

Distracted by the screen, I turned around too quickly and bumped right into a solid shoulder.

My bag slipped from my arm, and I stumbled back, my heart jumping into my throat.

“Are you okay?” a voice asked softly.

I looked up, bracing myself for a sneer or a comment, but instead met a pair of warm eyes. The girl was a blonde, her hair perfectly styled.

I swallowed hard, quickly adjusting my bag before she could notice the frayed strap. “I’m okay,” I told her, my voice a bit breathless as I stepped back, eager to avoid a scene. “Just trying to move before I’m being mocked again.”

The girl didn't let me slip away, though. She stepped into my path, tilting her head with a small smile. “Are you new?”

I let out a slow sigh. “Yeah. I’m new.”

The girl extended her hand toward me, her rings catching the overhead lights. “I’m Nora.”

My eyes widened slightly at the unexpected gesture of normal human kindness. I reached out and shook her hand. “Sofia,” I murmured, offering my name.

“Nice to meet you, Sofia,” Nora said, her smile widening. She noticed where my gaze had been lingering just moments before and turned her attention back to the massive screen, carefully explaining what the rank boards meant. “Those students listed here are the top richest, and the ones supporting the school with high donations. It’s basically the financial backbone of the entire campus.”

She paused, a flicker of pride crossing her features as she pointed a manicured nail toward the second highest tier on the glass. “I’m among the platinum.”

Following her finger, my eyes lifted up the list, and sure enough, her name was written in bold letters right under the diamond level. The sheer gap between my reality and hers hit me all over again, but there was no malice in her voice, just a simple statement of fact.

“It must be nice,” I told her.

“It’s indeed nice,” Nora agreed easily, turning away from the display to face me fully. “What are you having for your first class, Sofia?”

I glanced down at the crumpled schedule in my hand. “I’m having English.”

Nora’s face lit up. “Good thing I’m having the same thing. You can just follow me, I know the way to the lecture hall.”

“Thank you,” I breathed, feeling an immense wave of relief wash over me at the prospect of not having to walk into that classroom entirely alone.

We took a few steps forward, but before we could make it to the main stairwell, a sudden, shift rippled through the corridor. Groups of students began migrating toward the massive glass entryway of the building, turning their heads in unison toward one specific direction.

Nora stopped abruptly, her hand coming up to touch my shoulder as she peered over the crowd.

“Looks like the golden boys has resumed,” she whispered.