A Sadistic Knight

CASSIDY

A piercing, ear-splitting shriek shattered the air. The sound bounced off the high-vaulted ceiling of the gymnasium, vibrating right down into the polished hardwood floor beneath my worn-out sneakers.

Even though I had spent the last three weeks at Lunaris High bracing myself for this exact daily ritual, the sheer magnitude of the madness still caught me off guard. The double doors at the far end of the facility remained shut, but the stampede had already begun.

Scores of female students launched themselves forward. They shoved shoulders, stepped on expensive designer shoes, and practically climbed over one another just to secure a spot in the front row of the bleachers. They needed the best vantage point. They needed to breathe the same air. They needed to witness the arrival of the Thorndrake Trio.

The vast gymnasium transformed into a chaotic sea of breathless giggles, dramatic gasps, and frantic hair-fixing.

I stayed exactly where I was. I kept my back pressed against the cold concrete wall near the rear exit. Beside me sat Keira. She was the only friend I had managed to make since stepping foot into this unforgiving academy. Keira remained glued to the bench, her arms crossed over her chest, watching the spectacle with a mixture of amusement and exhaustion.

I shook my head, staring at a girl who had just elbowed another in the ribs to steal a bleacher seat. "Is it really worth it? The girls making this much noise and doing this much drama because of three guys?"

Keira let out a harsh bark of laughter. "What do you think? They are the Thorndrake Trio. They are the most important students in Lunaris. By extension, they are the most important heirs in the entire country. Most of the students here, especially the lower-tier ones, transferred to this school for the sole purpose of getting a glimpse of them. We all know gym period is the only time the lower ranks get to share the same breathing space as the Crown-born."

I let out a long, heavy breath, watching the frantic anticipation escalate. "Is it really worth it, though? Getting a passing glance from an Alpha heir is not going to magically add any value to their miserable lives."

Keira turned her head, flashing me a sideways smirk. "Just like stalking K-pop boybands online is not going to add any value to your life, but you still spend three hours a night doing it anyway."

I pressed my lips together. She had me there. I opened my mouth to fire back a snarky retort, but the heavy steel doors to the gymnasium suddenly swung open with a resounding thud.

The boys walked in.

The collective sanity of the female student body instantly vanished. The giggles mutated into feral, excited screams. The crowd surged forward. The trio walked through the threshold like they owned the very foundation of the building.

Technically speaking, they did. They were the Alpha heirs. They owned every inch of the pack territory, every business in the city, and essentially the entire country.

I wanted to pretend I was immune to their presence. I wanted to deny the gravitational pull they commanded. But that would be a pathetic lie. The moment they stepped into the harsh fluorescent light, every single particle of air in the room rushed toward them. My attention snagged on them, and I found my eyes tracking their every fluid movement.

Kaidan Thorndrake spearheaded the formation. Rumor dictated he was the eldest of the triplets, and the raw, suffocating authority rolling off his shoulders confirmed it. He walked through the sea of screaming girls like they were nothing more than invisible mist. Declarations of love and desperate compliments battered against him, but he treated the noise like a nuisance. He did not blink. He did not acknowledge a single face. His jaw was locked tight, and his dark eyes burned with pure, unadulterated annoyance.

Cyprian Thorndrake walked a half-step behind his right shoulder. The second brother mirrored Kaidan’s rigid posture, but a ghost of a smug smile played at the corner of his mouth. He soaked up the frantic adoration. He fed on the desperation of the crowd, yet his eyes remained detached, broadcasting a silent message that everyone screaming his name was leagues beneath him.

Ryker Thorndrake brought up the rear, playing an entirely different game. He wore the attention like a custom-made crown. He flashed dazzling, crooked smiles. He offered casual waves to the hyperventilating girls in the front row. He aimed a deliberate wink at a group of blondes, and two of them actually collapsed against each other, faking a swoon.

I watched Ryker work the crowd. I had learned early on that he was the flirty, approachable brother. He did not reserve his golden-boy persona strictly for the elite. He handed out smiles to everyone, right down to the bottom of the food chain.

Right down to us. The Dust-born.

The social hierarchy at Lunaris was brutal and absolute. The Crown-born sat upon the throne. They were the Alpha heirs, the Luna Princesses, the offspring of Beta enforcers, and the privileged children of the high council members. They commanded the top floors of the academy. They possessed the luxury cafeterias. Even the school administrators bowed their heads when a Crown-born walked past.

Beneath them sat the Amethyst-born and the Ashen-born, the wealthy and the well-connected.

At the absolute rock bottom lay the Dust-born. The Dun-Tier. We were the charity cases. Keira was an omega, surviving on a welfare scholarship. I was a human. The only human to ever walk the halls of Lunaris High, clinging to a sheer academic scholarship. We were the irrelevant ones. We were the targets.

The brothers finally reached the end of the welcoming gauntlet. The shrieks died down to a dull, buzzing hum as Mr. Vance, the gym instructor, marched onto the center court. He blew his silver whistle, the shrill noise cutting through the lingering tension. He ordered everyone to pair up.

The scramble began. Keira locked eyes with another Dun-Tier omega across the floor and darted off to claim her partner. I stood still, my eyes scanning the chaotic gym. Through the shifting bodies, I spotted Sienna, a high-ranking Ashen-born, clinging to Ryker's arm. Ryker flashed his trademark smile, but my eyes caught the brief, violent clench of his fist hanging by his side.

The crowd thinned out. Almost everyone had secured a partner. I remained stranded near the wall, shifting my weight from foot to foot.

I turned my head toward the center court. My gaze collided with Kaidan Thorndrake.

A dozen high-tier girls hovered around him. They batted their eyelashes. They jutted out their hips. They practically begged for his attention.

Kaidan ignored every single one of them. He was staring dead ahead.

He was looking right at me.

A cold prickle of unease crawled up my spine. I snapped my head back, checking the empty wall behind me to see if a prominent Crown-born had snuck up on my six. There was nothing but blank concrete.

I turned back. Kaidan was moving.

He broke through the circle of fawning girls. He crossed the hardwood floor. His strides were measured, heavy, and purposeful. He was walking straight toward me.

My lungs tightened. My palms grew slick with cold sweat. The surrounding students froze, their eyes tracking the Alpha prince as he closed the distance. Frantic, hushed whispers erupted across the gym floor like wildfire. The air grew thick with hostile pheromones and jealous glares.

He stopped two feet in front of me. His sheer physical size eclipsed the overhead lights, casting a dark shadow over my face.

"Pair with me."

The words hit the air. It was not a request. It was not a polite suggestion. The flat, freezing tone carried the undeniable weight of an Alpha command.

My brain short-circuited. Nothing about this made sense. Kaidan Thorndrake never paired with anyone. He never associated with females in public. The academy rumor mill constantly churned out theories about him being gay just to explain his total lack of interest in the female population. Now, the untouchable heir was standing in front of the only human in the school, demanding my participation.

I told myself I should be flattered. The girls around me were literally vibrating with rage and envy. But pride was the last thing coursing through my veins.

I stared into his dark eyes and found zero warmth. I found zero romantic interest. I saw a predator tracking a fresh scent. I saw a hunt. I was the prey caught in the crosshairs.

Every survival instinct screamed at me to decline. I needed to back away, apologize, and run to the safety of the locker room. I opened my mouth to say no.

"Yes." The word slipped past my lips, hollow and breathless.

The whispers around us spiked in volume. The venom in the air became palpable. I felt the burning stares of the Crown-born girls tearing into my skin. I could practically hear the collective, furious thought ringing in their heads: *How dare a filthy human girl get picked by the revered Alpha Prince?*

Mr. Vance blew his whistle again, shattering the standoff. He barked out orders, assigning different workout routines to the scattered duos. The gym sprang into motion. Couples dropped into synchronized squats, while others hit the mats for push-ups.

I stood frozen, waiting for Kaidan to take the lead and select a drill.

He did not look at the instructor. He turned his broad shoulders and jutted his chin toward the far rear corner of the gymnasium. A small, heavy-duty goalpost sat abandoned against the back wall, flanked by a massive plastic bin filled with weighted medicine balls and dense leather sports balls.

I swallowed hard and followed his towering frame across the court.

A twisted, naive spark of hope ignited in my chest. Walking behind the most feared Alpha in the territory felt intoxicating. For a brief, stupid second, the crushing weight of my reality lifted. My life had been an endless parade of tragedies. I watched my mother die. I got kicked out of my public high school because the discounted tuition still drained my empty bank account. I had hit rock bottom.

Then, the Lunaris scholarship letter arrived in the mail. It was a lifeline. It made me believe in the impossible. It made me believe the universe had finally decided to cut me a break.

Now, I held the undivided attention of royalty. Maybe this was the turning point. Maybe he saw something in me. Maybe he found the human girl intriguing. Maybe my miserable life was finally shifting into a twisted fairytale.

We reached the back corner.

"Stand there. Be the goalkeeper." The ice in his voice felt like a bucket of freezing water dumped over my head in the middle of a deep sleep.

I blinked, the naive fantasy shattering into sharp little pieces. I pointed a trembling finger toward the net. "What are we..."

"You will find out soon enough." He cut me off, his tone laced with absolute authority.

My feet moved on their own. The sheer force of his Alpha aura pressed against my spine, physically compelling me forward. I stepped into the center of the small goalpost.

Kaidan did not stretch. He did not warm up. He casually reached into the plastic bin and gripped a dense, heavy leather ball. He rolled it between his large palms, his dark eyes locked onto my face.

"How do you feel being the first and only human in Lunaris?" he asked, his voice low and deadpan.

My brow furrowed. "I don't understand..."

"Has anyone given you a befitting welcome party then?" A sickening, predatory glint sparked in the depths of his eyes. "Since you are the first human in our prestigious school. You should be welcomed properly."

I shook my head, my heart hammering against my ribs. "I don't understand what you are say—"

The massive impact exploded against the side of my head before I even saw his arm move.

A sickening crack echoed in my skull. Blinding white pain flared across my vision, radiating from my cheekbone down to my jaw. The sheer force of the throw whipped my head sideways. A hot, thick liquid immediately burst from my nostrils and spilled over my lips.

He had hurled the heavy ball straight at my face.

The entire gymnasium went dead silent. The squeak of sneakers stopped. The chatter vanished.

"Oh, that was a goal. Make sure you catch this one." Kaidan drawled out the words with lazy, terrifying calm. His hand dipped back into the bin.

He whipped the second ball forward.

My survival instincts kicked in a second too late. I threw my hands up to protect my shattered face. The heavy leather sphere smashed through my pathetic defense. It collided with my forearms, driving my own fists backward into my stomach. The kinetic force lifted my feet off the floor. I flew backward, crashing hard against the unforgiving hardwood.

"See why weak, useless creatures such as yourself are not allowed in here?" Kaidan sneered.

He threw a third ball.

It plummeted from above, slamming directly into my ribs. The sickening thud echoed through the silent room. The air blasted out of my lungs. Agony ripped through every nerve ending in my torso. I curled into a tight, pathetic ball on the floor, gasping for oxygen that refused to come.

"I do not know what lousy creature gave you a scholarship. But I am going to make you regret the minute you accepted it." Kaidan reached into the bin again.

The fourth ball crashed into my shoulder.

A raw, ragged scream tore from my bloody lips. Panic seized my brain. I dug my fingernails into the wood, trying to drag my battered body away from the goalpost. I tried to run. I tried to crawl. But the crushing weight of his dominance pinned me to the floor. Invisible chains held my limbs down, forcing me to remain a stationary target.

Footsteps echoed against the wood. "Master Thorndrake! This is my gym and not some bully ground. You should stop this right now."

Mr. Vance’s shrill, trembling voice broke through my ringing ears. I cracked one swollen eye open, desperate for salvation. The gym instructor stood ten feet away, his face pale, his hands raised in a placating gesture.

Kaidan slowly turned his head. He looked at the teacher with dead, hollow eyes. "Do you want to take her place?"

Mr. Vance froze. The blood drained from the instructor's face. He took a slow, cowardly step backward, lowering his hands.

"I thought as much." Kaidan turned his back on the teacher. His arm blurred into motion.

The fifth ball slammed into my thigh, driving a fresh spike of torture through my nervous system.

The silence in the gym broke. The whispers flooded back. But they were no longer hushed. They were excited. They were thrilled. The Crown-born girls let out breathy laughs of relief. Kaidan had not singled the human out for romance. He had singled her out for slaughter.

The sound of camera shutters filled the air. Flashes erupted from the bleachers. The elite students held their phones high, recording every drop of blood, every flinch, every pathetic whimper leaving my mouth. They were documenting my destruction for entertainment.

Two more brutal impacts battered my bruised flesh.

Then, the relentless assault stopped.

The heavy thud of Kaidan’s boots echoed across the floor. He closed the distance and loomed over my broken form. He crouched down. His massive shadow swallowed me whole.

His dark eyes roamed over my face. He studied the blood pooling on the floor, the rapid swelling around my eye, the violent trembling of my limbs. A slow, sadistic grin stretched across his face. The cruel smile pushed the dormant rage in his eyes straight to the surface, transforming his handsome features into something demonic.

"You know what I hate the most in this world? Humans." The venom dripping from his vocal cords chilled me right down to the marrow. "I hate them so much, I could dedicate my entire life to hunting down and killing every last one of your kind."

I choked on my own blood, unable to drag air into my crushed lungs.

"And if there is one thing I hate more than the existence of your species, it is lousy humans not knowing their place." His voice dropped to a lethal whisper. "Who do you think you are to attend Lunaris? This is not some pauper charade. But maybe it is a good thing that you are here. I have always wanted a proper outlet for all this built-up hatred I carry. Now that you have arrived, I can safely say I have finally found my punching bag."

His grin widened, sickeningly pleased, his gaze piercing through my fractured soul.

"The most perfect one, really. Welcome to Lunaris."

He stood up. He turned his back on my bleeding body and walked away without a single backward glance.

I lay motionless on the cold hardwood floor. Every inch of my flesh screamed in agonizing physical pain. The copper taste of blood coated my tongue. The laughter of the student body rang out like a funeral bell in my ears. Through the suffocating fog of agony and utter humiliation, only one coherent thought circled endlessly in my fractured mind.

What just happened?