Ethan’s P.O.V.“You need a partner to finish this assignment, Ethan.” My computer teacher, Mr. Ridge, said to me in a concerned voice.“I know, Mr. Ridge, but I am okay alone,” I replied politely.“Furthermore, all the students in my class already have their partners,” I added before he could say one more word.He pursed his lips into a thin line and let the silence settle between us for a moment.I wasn’t wrong.I was transferred in the middle of the year.By then, all of them had their partners already.I was the odd one.“Actually.” He spoke again, clicking his tongue before continuing.“There is one who never has a partner.” I felt goosebumps all over my body.One particular name popped up at the back of my mind instantly.“I don’t know if he will agree to be paired with you or not, but you can give it a try.” His suggestion made me feel tightness in my chest.“And who is this person?” I asked him calmly, though.I didn’t know if it was because of the emotional suppression by the

Ethan’s P.O.V.“What happened?” I asked Walter worriedly while holding his shoulders. He had his head hanging low, biting his lower lip all the time, but still looked stubborn to say a word.“He was about to hit me. Who the f**k does he think he is? You just wait.” A boy with dirty platinum hair screamed, his boyish face twisted in a fit of rage.“Calm down, Terry," Mr. Norton commanded sternly.Walter was still hanging his head low.My grip on his shoulders tightened.I slowly pulled him into my side embrace and looked at Mr. Norton for an explanation.“It’s better if we wait for Mrs. Boda. Then I will play the surveillance to explain the situation better instead of listening to their sides of the story.” He said to me in a grim tone.I nodded in response and glanced at Terry.I scanned his body for any kind of injury, but to my relief, there was none.“You don’t need to worry. It was just a verbal argument between them,” Mr. Norton told me; his face was still grim, but his statement

Ethan’s P.O.V. (Continued)I almost smiled.Even after getting kicked repeatedly, my younger brother was worried about me.I gave him a small nod.“Go.” I mouthed him with an assuring smile.Walter hesitated for another second before finally turning around.My heart clenched when I noticed that he was still trying his best to hide the limp.Mrs. Sinclair guided him out of the room, and the door closed behind them.The moment he disappeared from my sight, the warmth in my expression disappeared too.I looked at all of them one by one with a cold gaze.Mrs Boda had a stiff expression. I guess that she also noticed Walter’s limp.Terry was glaring at me as if he would devour me whole at any time.Mr. Norton’s face was expressionless, but his hands were clasped tightly on the top of the table.I didn’t speak.I waited for them to speak first.Mr. Norton cleared his throat, breaking the tense silence after some time.I crossed my hands over my chest and kept staring at them blankly.But in

Ethan’s P.O.V. (Continued)Lucifer's words settled over the room like a death sentence.I stared at him, unable to understand what he meant.Protected by the Hawthornes?What was he supposed to mean?Mrs. Boda had gone completely silent.Lucifer was calm, but something in his calmness unsettled me.The shock and fear in their face had nothing to do with me, as my thoughts were also spiralling, but not in a good way.Lucifer slowly pulled the chair beside mine and sat down.My eyes followed his every moment, seeking the answer to all the questions that were now hurting my brain.He didn't look at me immediately.His gaze remained fixed on Terry until he sat down properly.“I don’t understand,” I said to him when I felt that he had no intention of explaining things to me.He didn’t reply but looked at Mr. Norton.He cleared his throat and took a deep breath before explaining this matter to me.“To protect all the scholarship students from this kind of unpleasant incident, the board of m

Ethan’s P.O.V. (Continued)[System warning: The target’s future trajectory is changing].[Future threat to hosts detected]My heart pounded hard when the system started screaming it at the top of its lungs.One thing that I understand by now is that Terry’s future is totally dependent on his thinking and hatred towards people from lower levels of society.[future threat probability: 83%][Primary Host needs to take quick action]Whether I succeed in stopping his expulsion today or not…Terry will remain a threat to my siblings and people like us.“We only know one rule.”“Someone smiles at you; smile.”“Someone punches you once, and you punch him twice.”His face paled in fear."If you were outside this school, I would have beaten you to death by now for touching my brother because." I paused, letting him process the threat in my statement."For me, my siblings are everything. They are not my responsibility because I am their elder brother.""They are the reason that I am still breat