Chapter 24
The most dangerous place wasn’t the battlefield. It was the place everyone insisted was safe.
~ Rebel Beast
Professor Maverick Nightshade had his own definition of safety.
Unfortunately for them, it involved enough rules to make Aria wonder whether they had joined an academy or accidentally enrolled in a maximum-security prison.
The first rule was simple.
“Do not leave the house after dark p>
That honestly shouldn’t have needed to be a rule. Common sense alone should have kept everyone indoors after what happened earlier. Unfortunately, common sense wasn’t nearly as common as people claimed. Apparently, some of them still entertained the idea of wandering outside.
The girl named Liv raised her hand.
“What if it’s important p>
Maverick looked at her with exasperation.
“Is it more important than your life?” The sarcasm in his tone was unmistaken.
Laughter broke amongst the students making Liv realize how stupid she sounded.
Maverick continued nonetheless.
“Second, nobody goes anywhere alone. I don’t care if you’re going to class, the cafeteria, the library, or even the bathroom. You move in groups of three atleast p>
Bestiaris Academy was so massive that if the beast got to them, it would be difficult to rescue them on time.
“Third, stay out of territories that don’t belong to you.” Maverick gestured toward the window. “House Aetheris. House Ophidian. House Therion. Every House governs its own territory and entering without permission is a good way to sign your own death p>
He added, “Although House Therion is generally more tolerant toward humans than the others. But the wolves are not the only land beast there and you would be stupid to mistake their tolerance for friendship p>
Holding their gaze, Maverick said, “Trust no one p>
The room fell silent for a moment before he echoed, “Fourthly p>
Everyone groaned. There were still more rules.
“If you see a snake where a snake shouldn’t be, leave. In fact, run p>
“What? ” The question came from Karen.
“You heard me. Serpent shifters are very good at sneaking into places they aren’t supposed to be p>
His words were supposed to be serious, yet somehow they sounded incredibly ambiguous. The snickers from the girls confirmed it.
Maverick groaned inwardly. Goddess save him from this nightmare.
But the laughter died quickly when he added, “Serpent bites were the leading cause of death among the last Concordia candidates, so laugh all you want while it lasts p>
And just like that, no one was smiling anymore.
“Check your beds before sleeping. Check your closets. Check your bathrooms before sitting down. If something feels off, assume it is p>
There were some images Aria didn’t need in her head, and one of them involved a snake biting her in the ass while she was trying to use the toilet.
Even if she survived Bestiaris Academy, she was going to be traumatized for life.
“Fifth.” Maverick pointed toward the hallway. “Keep your rooms clean. Not because cleanliness is next to godliness, but because a messy room makes it easier for unwanted things to hide and increases your chances of death p>
“And the sixth.” His expression hardened.
“If you hear strange noises after dark, ignore them p>
“What kind of noises?” Alek asked.
“Scratching? Tapping? Whispering p>
Several girls exchanged nervous looks.
“What if someone is calling for help p>
Maverick’s eyes narrowed.
“What if they’re not? If you want to help, contact the patrol team. You’re human and useless in this academy. If I were you, I’d worry less about playing hero and more about staying alive. Dead people don’t save anyone p>
Aria frowned. That was harsh. But alright.
Anything you say, Professor.
“Seventh. If you’re bitten, scratched, stung, poisoned, or suspect you’ve been poisoned, report it immediately. We have antivenoms capable of handling most incidents.” Then his voice dropped. “Most p>
That single word managed to make the room colder.
“Eighth. A bus would arrive every morning to transport you to class and return you to the residence afterward. If you miss it, you’re on your own p>
“Ninth.” Maverick pointed toward the kitchen area. “The refrigerators have been stocked with groceries p>
Aria was relieved by that. At least she didn’t have to worry about the beasts poisoning their food in the cafeteria.
That relief lasted all of three seconds.
“You’ll be preparing your own meals p>
And just like that, horror spread across several faces. Apparently, cooking was a survival skill not everyone possessed.
“Call it a forewarning, but this is going to be a disaster,” Brittney said.
And she wasn’t wrong.
Them cooking their own meals? They would be lucky if Karen and her lackeys didn’t burn the entire house down before the end of the day.
“Tenth. For the time being, there will be no classes p>
That got everyone’s attention.
“No classes?” They echoed one after the other.
“Not until the academy decides it’s safe enough p>
Considering they had nearly been trampled to death within an hour of arrival, that was reasonable. There wasn’t much to be argued about that aside from Charlotte who sulked.
Guess someone wouldn’t be seeing her dragon prince anytime soon.
“And finally, while I don’t control your feelings, if you think you’re going to come here, fall in love with a beast, and live happily ever after, you’re an idiot p>
The room froze.
“Uh-oh,” Aria muttered. The professor just shattered a lot of dreams.
“You are prey. They are predators. If you want to survive Bestiaris Academy, take romance completely out of the equation p>
The room remained silent for several seconds after that.
Whether it was because they were processing his words or mourning their future love lives, Aria couldn’t tell.
But as much as Maverick had spoken, he wasn’t the one to tell the girls what to do.
“That will be all for now. Get some sleep. The patrol team will ensure no other unfortunate incidents occur tonight p>
With that, Maverick took his leave without turning back.
The professor strode out of the bungalow as if he had successfully completed his mission and wanted nothing more to do with any of them.
Abigail immediately took that as her cue to step forward.
“Alright girls, as Professor Maverick instructed, each team p>
“Let’s see which team gets the best room p>
Charlotte’s scream cut through the living room like a battle cry.
For one second, nobody moved. Then all hell broke loose.
The girls spun toward the hallway almost simultaneously.
“What p>
“Hey p>
“Move p>
“That room is mine p>
Charlotte and her teammates immediately rushed forward and formed a human barricade across the entrance.
Several girls protested while others tried squeezing past.
Meanwhile, Karen had already marched ahead as if the best room already belonged to her by divine right.
Aria watched the scene unfold with growing disbelief.
Guess the war had started after all.