After a few moments of heavy silence, Marcus slowly opened his mouth. A shadow of deep sadness spread across his face, as if the words he was about to say carried a crushing weight in his chest.
He spoke in a broken tone, laced with painful memories:
"When I was fifteen… there was a time when I felt excited… hopeful."
He paused briefly, as if gathering his strength, then continued more quietly:
"That was when I transferred from my old
school to a new one. I had earned a scholarship, and I thought the students there would welcome me… maybe even be impressed or happy to see a new student given such an opportunity."
He exhaled slowly, looking down as if replaying the scene before his eyes.
"But reality wasn't like I imagined… not at all."
He lifted his head again, his words now falling heavier:
"At first, everything was fine. I introduced myself, and some of them were friendly… they welcomed me with smiles. But things started to change little by little… once they found out I was a scholarship student."
His expression tightened, and his eyes reflected a bitterness that hadn't faded.
"Their looks completely changed. Smiles turned into whispers. They started looking at me like I didn't belong—not just as a student, but as someone beneath them. They began calling me names… 'the poor one,' 'dirty rat'… and worse."
He paused, turning to look at the faces around him.
"I tried to ignore it. I told myself they were just words… that they didn't matter. But as days passed, things only got worse. It wasn't just words anymore… it became actions."
His voice dropped further, filled with quiet sorrow:
"On the tenth day after I transferred, I was sitting alone like usual, dealing with their constant mockery. I tried to defend myself… but there were too many of them."
He closed his eyes briefly, as if the pain resurfaced.
"During break… they dragged me into the middle of the yard and tied me up with plastic bands. There were so many students around me… and the worst part was, no one tried to help. They just watched… some of them were laughing."
His voice trembled, bitterness seeping through:
"I was shouting, asking for help… but my voice disappeared in their laughter. They started throwing stones at me… hitting me while I was tied up, unable to defend myself."
He turned slightly, as if speaking to himself
as much as to us:
"That moment… was one of the most humiliating moments of my life. It wasn't just the physical pain… it was the feeling of being completely alone. Surrounded by cruelty… and indifference."
Then he added, more quietly, though the pain still cut through his words:
"And what made it worse… was that my older brother suddenly showed up. He saw me like that… tied up, beaten, covered in dust and gravel."
He lifted his head slowly, forcing a faint smile that couldn't hide the bitterness beneath it:
"He got angry. He shouted at them… but they didn't care. They just laughed at him too."
He let out a deep breath, as if letting go of something heavy:
"That's… the most embarrassing moment I've ever had. The moment I felt the most helpless… and I've never forgotten it."
His words lingered in the air, echoing deeply.
It was a reminder that behind all the jokes and childish challenges… there were real wounds, real stories—pain and hope that hadn't yet found their end.
When Marcus finished, the sadness was clear on his face, as though the weight of those memories had grown heavier with time.
A heavy silence followed.
Cairo's eyes burned with anger, as if he deeply resented what had been done to his friend.
Knox lowered his head, his gaze sinking into quiet sorrow, as if Marcus's words had pierced something deep inside him.
As for me… I felt overwhelmed with sadness—and something else.
A wish.
I wished I had been there with Marcus back then… that I could have stood beside him, protected him, shielded him from their cruelty.
I imagined myself raising my voice at them, fighting back without hesitation.
I bit my lip hard, anger tightening my fists against my knees.
How can people be this cruel?
Why do they pour their pain onto those weaker than them?
How can they laugh while someone else suffers?
It felt like a fire burning inside me.
Without realizing it, I whispered:
"That… that's really not fair."
Marcus looked up at me, a faint smile forming—one filled with quiet pain.
"I know… right?"
The weight in my chest only grew heavier.
Then Marcus clapped his hands lightly, breaking the silence, and looked at me with a warm smile:
"Anyway… it's in the past now. It's not like regret or sadness will fix anything."
Knox spoke next, his voice calm and steady:
"Marcus is right. Regretting something that's already passed is pointless—especially after coming to this new world, where there's no place for regret. We should focus on the future… it's the only thing we can control."
Cairo nodded with energy, his eyes lighting up:
"Yeah, Knox is right. Let's stay positive. But if I ever meet those people who bullied you, Marcus… I'll teach them a lesson they'll never forget."
Marcus laughed softly, exchanging glances with them:
"Thanks, guys… really. Having you with me means a lot."
The atmosphere lightened, as if a heavy burden had finally lifted from all of us.
In that moment, I realized something:
Regret brings nothing but pain.
There's no use clinging to the past—no matter how harsh it was.
We have to focus on the present… learn from the past… and move forward.
I smiled to myself.
Yeah… no use in regret.
The future is in our hands.
Let's make it a story worth telling.
Then Knox said:
"It's your turn now, Marcus."
But before Marcus could speak—before he could choose someone for the usual "truth or dare"—
Click.
The sound of the door interrupted the moment as it swung open.
All of us turned at once, as if pulled by a single thread.
It was Calester.
He stood at the entrance for a moment, his eyes scanning us with a strange, unreadable look—something between indifference and scrutiny… maybe something else I couldn't quite name.
He said nothing.
He simply lifted his head slightly, then walked past, continuing down the third floor with calm, steady steps.
Cairo broke the silence, raising an eyebrow:
"Guys… does anyone here know anything about Calester?"
Marcus answered casually:
"No, I don't know anything about him."
Then they looked at me.
"Me neither… I don't know him."
Knox stroked his chin thoughtfully:
"He spends most of his time alone, so… I don't know much either."
Cairo spoke again, his tone more cautious now:
"Don't you think he's… a bit strange?"
Marcus shrugged:
"Maybe he has his reasons. Who knows?"
Knox and I stayed silent, avoiding the topic.
But Cairo wasn't done:
"Still… there's something about him that doesn't sit right with me."
Marcus replied:
"Maybe he just doesn't know how to make friends."
Cairo smiled faintly:
"Maybe… or maybe not."
Before the conversation could fade—
The door suddenly opened again, this time louder, more abrupt.
We all turned once more.
It was Luxian.
But what caught my attention wasn't his entrance—
It was his face.
Clear bruises covered it… bruises that hadn't been there when I was with him earlier.
He looked irritated, like something serious had just happened.
A thought immediately crossed my mind:
Could it be… he and Terios got into a fight?!
I didn't have time to dwell on it.
Cairo interrupted, his voice dripping with sarcasm:
"Well, look who decided to show up. The great Luxian himself."
Luxian walked toward us slowly, then replied coldly:
"You think anyone's going to laugh at that?"
He sat down right beside me, between me and Marcus.
Cairo stared at him:
"Anyway… what happened to your face?"
Luxian answered angrily, turning his head slightly:
"An idiot did this… but I paid him back twice over."
That basically confirmed it.
They really did fight.
A wave of regret hit me—
I should've stayed and stopped them.
But Luxian didn't give me time to think further.
"So… what were you guys doing?"
Knox replied:
"We were playing truth or dare. Want to join?"
Luxian smirked arrogantly:
"Sure. What could a stupid game like that possibly do to me?"
I sighed quietly to myself.
You and your pride, Luxian… always the same.
Then I turned to him and said neutrally:
"Great. Then you'll go after Marcus. It's Marcus's turn now."
Knox looked at Marcus:
"Alright, Marcus… go ahead."
Marcus smiled slightly.
"Okay, then I choose—"
Bang!
The door slammed open again—louder this time, as if it was challenging all of us.
I felt my patience starting to snap.
Seriously…
When is this door going to stop opening every few minutes?!