Chapter 1

Sweat began to pour from Jaxon's forehead, and the man's body moved shakily. His heart was beating fast. The sound of gunfire continued to ring in his ears.

From the cramped room, the boy peered out, witnessing the tragic events. He hid in a cupboard near the dining table.

Jaxon closed his mouth tightly, unconsciously biting his tongue. He did this to stifle the sound and the roar of his breath.

"Stop it, please, we've done what you want," a man pleaded with a wounded body.

Blood began to ooze from his hand, indicating a bullet had penetrated the area. The aimed shot missed, so the man still made a sound.

A man dressed in black ignored the pleading words and returned to aiming the rifle in his hand, signalling that he was ready to end the man on the floor.

"Don't move, or I'll shoot you."

"I didn't expect you all to behave like demons, even after we showed good faith."

Jaxon, who witnessed the incident, screamed, "Stop, please stop."

But what power he has? Jaxon's pleading voice did not get a response. The stuffy atmosphere made his chest feel tight. Jaxon felt as if he was running out of oxygen.

Amidst the tension of the situation, Jaxon heard another gunshot. A portrait from a horror painting seemed to be captured clearly before his eyes.

"Please stop," Jaxon's breathless voice said.

As Jaxon began to lose consciousness, he tumbled out of the closet. And at the same time, Jaxon fell off his bed,

"Jaxon, my son," the woman said softly before Jaxon finally woke up.

The man stared at the dimly lit room, but it seemed that sunlight was beginning to enter between the curtained windows.

"Huh, huh. It looks like I had another nightmare," Jaxon muttered, then tried to stand up.

Jaxon, who was still panting, found his shirt soaked in sweat. He could even feel his heart beating rapidly.

Jaxon slowly stepped over to pick up a bottle of mineral water on the table. In one gulp, the entire bottle was gone.

While trying to calm himself down, Jaxon began to look around. He saw that his roommates were still fast asleep. From the looks of it, none of them was affected by the scream Jaxon had made earlier.

Jaxon's parents had died long ago when he was only a day old, but for some reason, nightmares always haunted him as if they were real.

Sometimes when Jaxon fell asleep, he would again dream of the fateful event that killed his parents. Jaxon sometimes dreams of tragic events with various scenarios. He sometimes dreams of his parents dying in a traffic accident. An incident where their car was blown up, crashed, and drove into a ravine. However, Jaxon always saw himself surviving these tragic events.

During this phase of his life, Jaxon has no good memories; Jaxon only lived with two housekeepers until he was eight years old. Moreover, after they died, Jaxon had to be homeless for some time and taste the world's bitterness at a very young age.

Now that Jaxon lives in a dormitory, he feels happier than ever. His roommates also made Jaxon feel that he was not alone.

When Jaxon felt calmer, he glanced at the clock in the room. His eyes widened immediately. Jaxon immediately ran to get his bath preparations.

"Hey, all you slackers and family burden. Let's get up; the general lecture will start soon," Jaxon shouted as he tapped his roommates on the shoulder. After that, Jaxon went straight into the bathroom.

***

Today is Monday, when all students return to campus to resume their study routine after yesterday's holiday. A student, Jaxon is no exception; he is in a hurry and walking fast. Moreover, it was an important day for him. He even left in a hurry and left his roommate, who was still getting ready.

The college will announce Jaxon's scholarship extension as he has excellent grades and outstanding social skills experience.

This year Jaxon will be awarded the title of Student of the Year. The university hopes that this will motivate other students to become like him. The title is a big responsibility, as Jaxon must be a role model and a student of good behaviour.

As everyone gathered in the hall, the lecturers opened the event with a general lecture. After that, they presented Honorary Moments to several students due to their achievements. Some got it from the competition branch to the debate competition by representing the campus name.

One of the students who received Honorary Moments was Jaxon. He was immediately called to the front. The college then mentioned his achievements and announced the extension of Jaxon's scholarship.

But what surprised the students the most was when Jaxon was also announced as the Student of the Year. They couldn't believe it when they heard the lecturer say that.

"Gosh, they're giving that honourable title to a ghetto guy like him."

"This year's coolest student is nothing like last year's coolest student."

"I'm going to feel sorry for Alvaro because the one who took his place as Student of the Year is a geeky guy like Jaxon."

The students started gossiping about it. Most of them felt that Jaxon didn't deserve the title, as the students who received the honour were the coolest and most famous on campus.

Others don't have a problem with it. The minorities were proud that this year they were able to get good representation and were different from previous years,

Jaxon was shocked when the lecturers told him he would be chosen as the Student of the Year. Jaxon knows how prestigious people who have that title are on campus.

"Eh, have you heard the rumours? It's said that Miley, the senior girl, was in a relationship with our new Student of the Year."

"Seriously? A sorority girl as beautiful as her is with a geeky guy like Jaxon. No way!"

"Yes, it's true. Jaxon and Miley are often seen together. Let's see how Jaxon's popularity goes up."

"Are you sure Miley is in a relationship with Jaxon? Maybe she's just using him. Miley's been with a lot of guys. Jaxon can't be that special. Who would want to be with a poor guy like him?"