The orientation had finally begun.
The Academy President took the stage, voice echoing across the grand theater as he recited NYE's mission, vision, and the ever-recycled expectations of excellence.
It was the kind of speech they all heard every year, polished, rehearsed, and completely devoid of life.
One by one, the school administrators, staff, and faculty were introduced with half-hearted applause.
There was even an intermission number, an elegant ballet performance by the Ballet Club. But even the dancers' flawless pirouettes weren't enough to distract from the quiet truth.
No one was really paying attention.
Students looked polite and focused from a distance, but up close, it was clear everyone was lost in their own little digital world, scrolling through group chats, editing selfies, checking social medias, gossiping through encrypted DMs.
Even the Rebels were visibly bored.
Bea and Amanda were busy taking selfies and snickering at the ballet outfits. Delvin and Flynn played silent games on their phones.
And Casadin?
Casadin was snoring, lightly, rhythmically, his head resting against Evadne's shoulder like it was the only place in this institution that felt safe. Evadne simply let him. One hand rested on her lap while the other idly brushed through his hair.
Almost an hour passed before the MC returned to the stage, this time with a noticeably different energy.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we now present this year's Top Ten Students, who will serve as the officers of NYE's Student Body.
We're proud to announce that this year, we've received a monumental donation from our top-ranking student.
These contributions will go toward elevating NYE into a true world-class institution, and ensuring that you, our pride and joy, continue to experience the best.
And now… without further ado…"
Suddenly, every eye was up front. The room snapped awake.
Casadin stirred at the eruption of whispers and half-screams. Amanda and Bea paused mid-group photo. Flynn leaned forward. Delvin raised an eyebrow.
The moment had arrived.
And, as expected, the first few names announced were familiar.
All friends of Hades. All part of his long-standing, carefully constructed student empire.
"Our Top Four, with a donation of five hundred thousand dollars… Cieryl Clark."
That's when the room began to stir.
Whispers. Frowns. Tilted heads.
Cieryl?
Only fourth?
Evadne's brows furrowed. She leaned toward Casadin.
"What's wrong? Why do they look… unsettled?" she asked quietly.
Casadin, now fully awake, frowned. "Cieryl was always third. Selena second. And Hades, he's always first. Since first year."
The entire back of the room seemed to hold its breath.
"Bro," Flynn leaned in from behind them, "did you donate more this year?"
Casadin snorted. "Of course not. Donations should come from the heart. And my heart generously gave a full dollar."
He raised his eyebrows at Evadne, who rolled her eyes but smirked anyway.
"Top Three, with a donation of one million dollars… Selena Punzalan."
"Oh my God," Bea whispered, her tone gleeful. "I knew it. Hades got dethroned."
The second Hades' name was mentioned, all eyes turned to his row.
And there he was, stoic, composed, but visibly thrown off. His eyes flicked toward their group. Right at Evadne.
Casadin grinned. "What the hell… I think I know who the top one is. Makes perfect sense now."
"Our Top Two student, with a donation of twenty million dollars… Hades Falcon."
The theater exploded.
The unshakable heir had fallen.
The one who had held the presidency since his first year in middle school… was no longer at the top.
"Shit!" Casadin blurted with a grin. "Rebels. Looks like it's our time to shine."
Without another word, he stood abruptly, drawing several surprised stares, then turned and held out a hand toward Evadne.
"Princess," he said simply.
"What--- " Evadne began, but she was cut off.
"And our Top One student…
…with a record-breaking donation of three hundred million dollars…
…the largest contribution in NYE history…
Evadne Persephone Monteverde."
The silence that followed cracked like thunder.
Then, the room exploded.
Cheers. Shouts. Screams. Some in awe, others in disbelief. Phones were lifted, pictures taken, messages sent.
Evadne didn't move at first.
Three. Hundred. Million.
She felt every set of eyes in the theater burn into her. Admiration. Envy. Curiosity. Hatred.
But the only gaze she met was Casadin's, amused, proud, and utterly unsurprised.
In the end, the Princess was never the damsel in distress.
She was the dragon.
And the dragon bought the tower.
Now she was about to set it on fire.
"We now call on Miss Evadne Persephone Monteverde to come on stage for her welcome speech," the MC announced, smiling as if he'd just witnessed the crowning of royalty.
Evadne reached for Casadin's hand.
"Go, Vee!" Bea and Amanda cheered in unison.
"Go Ms. President!" Delvin and Flynn followed with exaggerated grins.
Casadin didn't just let her walk, he placed her hand gently on his arm, leading her with a quiet elegance that made more than a few heads turn.
"Did you know about this?" Evadne asked as they approached the stage.
"No. But it makes sense," Casadin replied smoothly. "Your sister ruled NYE for seven years straight, from middle school to senior high. It's not exactly surprising that you'd do the same."
"I'm really going to talk to Mommy and Daddy about this," Evadne muttered. "Anyway… what am I even supposed to say in this speech?"
Casadin grinned. "Goals, and shit. Don't ask me, Princess. I tuned out your dog's speeches for the last two years when he was the one always standing up there."
Evadne smirked but said nothing.
"Stay close," she said softly as they reached the steps.
"I'm not going far. They'll be calling us too, our club's automatically part of the Student Body now." Casadin paused, looking her dead in the eyes. "Good luck on the speech, Princess. You can do this."
And before she could respond, he leaned in and kissed her temple.
Not subtle. Not secret.
The whispers spread through the auditorium like wildfire.
As Evadne ascended the stage, the Academy President welcomed her with a firm handshake, over-eager introductions, and a glint in his eyes that made it clear, he was trying to get in her good graces early.
The other administrators followed suit, all smiles, all flattery.
She shook their hands with grace, said all the right pleasantries, and then stepped to the lectern, head held high.
But without Casadin's touch grounding her, the thoughts came rushing back.
Loud. Ugly. Predictable.
"She really dethroned Hades?"
"I bet she's just a rich idiot. She'll embarrass herself during the speech."
"Wait 'til she finds out what we have planned for her. She'll learn her place."
"What the hell, why didn't I know she made that donation? I'm the one who enrolled her!"
She let them echo. Let them fuel her.
Then, with a calm breath, she began.
"Good morning, esteemed faculty, beloved staff, and most of all, my fellow students of New York Elite Academy."
"I stand before you today not only as a new face but as your newly selected Student Body President, a title I must confess I did not expect to receive, much less on my first official day as a transfer student."
"And yet, fate, or perhaps the unique traditions of this great institution, has brought me here."
"While I only recently stepped into the grand halls of NYE, it didn't take long for me to understand that this is not just a school. It is a legacy. One built on excellence, ambition, and a relentless pursuit of greatness."
"I may be new to your traditions, but I am not new to leadership. And I promise you, my leadership will not be about the survival of the fittest."
"It will be about the survival of all."
"Because true greatness isn't measured by how many rise to the top alone… but by how many we bring with us."
"Every voice matters. Every student. Every club. Every dream."
"Whether you're the captain of the debate team… a quiet artist in the Fine Arts Society… or a hopeful recruit in the Robotics Guild, you will be heard."
"Because this year, no one gets left behind."
"To the skeptics who believe this position belongs only to those with power or wealth, let me make something clear. I do not lead for prestige."
"I lead for pride."
"And not just personal pride, but the kind that comes from carrying the name NYE Academy with honor, and ensuring every student has the opportunity to shine."
"I won't dismantle the system that chose me… but I will refine it."
"To be more inclusive. More compassionate. More empowering."
"Let this be our best year yet, not because of trophies won or rankings achieved, but because of the bonds we forge, the talents we uncover, and the respect we give one another."
"Together, we will not just make history…"
"We will make NYE Academy proud."
"Thank you. And welcome to a year of purpose, unity, and pride."
Silence.
Thick. Heavy. Inescapable.
No one had expected that.
They thought she'd fumble. They expected her to crack under the weight of pressure.
Instead, she commanded it.
"That's my Princess!" Casadin's voice broke the stillness, loud and unapologetically proud.
"That's our Muse!" Amanda and Bea shouted next, pumping their fists into the air.
A wave of applause roared through the theater.
It started with Casadin and the rest of the Rebels, loud, proud, and unbothered, and was followed by students who had always found themselves at the bottom of NYE's invisible social pyramid. For them, Evadne's speech was more than just words, it was hope. A promise that, for once, someone might finally listen.
And eventually, the applause even reached those who sat at the top, those forced to clap despite the single truth dawning on them.
They had just been knocked down a rung.
After Evadne's powerful speech, the MC began calling the remaining Student Body officers to the stage.
Unlike previous years, where Hades and his carefully groomed circle ascended smugly, holding their titles like crowns, this time, it was the Rebels who rose and walked up the steps, confident and calm.
These were the students who bent the rules without breaking them. The ones who could have easily taken officer positions in years past, but had always intentionally donated so little that their names never appeared on any leadership list.
Not to mock NYE's VMC system…
But to protect the students who couldn't afford to buy influence.
Without the Rebels, NYE's social pyramid would have been a brutal hierarchy where the elite devoured the weak.
But the very bottom of the pyramid, those overlooked, underestimated, had always been protected from being crushed.
Because those at the bottom?
They were far more influential than anyone dared to admit.
And now, for the first time since middle school, Hades Falcon was not the president.
He stood on stage only as the Vice President.
It was a position Jupiter had ensured he held since he was twelve, part of a grand plan to hone his leadership skills early. For five years, he had led this school, shaping it to his image.
And now, it was gone.
Taken.
By Evadne Monteverde.
While the other officers forced tight-lipped smiles for the photographers, Evadne and her friends posed with wide grins and irreverent energy, throwing peace signs, pulling faces, laughing loudly like they'd just crashed the high table and brought their own wine.
The orientation ended shortly after a few more announcements and reminders.
Once dismissed, the Rebels headed together to the bookstore to pick up their books. Then, arms full of supplies and laughter, they made their way down to the locker hall.
"So let me get this straight," Evadne said as they walked. "NYE uses block sectioning. That means we don't change rooms for every subject, except for Chemistry and PE. So why, exactly, are our lockers not in the classroom? Why are we walking down to the first floor just to drop off books we barely need to carry around?"
"Because that's what the admin wants," Casadin said quickly, almost too defensively.
His answer was met with snickers from the rest of the group.
Evadne turned toward Amanda with a narrowed gaze. "So what's the real story?"
Amanda and Bea were already giggling.
"Princess… let it go," Casadin groaned, rolling his eyes. "Not everything needs to make sense."
"Oh, it does to me," Evadne replied, attempting to shake off his arm that had comfortably looped around her shoulders. "And as your Student Body President, I think my first official act should be changing this locker policy. It's inefficient and illogical."
"Okay, okay!" Casadin laughed nervously. "But just remember, I've had low moments too, alright? I wasn't always perfect."
He shot a look at Amanda, who gleefully began telling the tale.
Back in middle school, when Casadin was still friends with Hades, and vice president of the Student Body, he had developed a massive crush on Cieryl. The problem? Cieryl wasn't in Special A back then. She was in Section B.
So Casadin, in his lovesick delusion, began sending her gifts during class. Flowers. Chocolates. Notes.
Daily.
It disrupted everything.
Eventually, to stop the chaos, the school administration decided to relocate all student lockers to the ground floor of the academic buildings, both for Middle and High School. The rationale? If Casadin had to leave class to sneak gifts into Cieryl's locker, at least it wouldn't disturb the lesson flow anymore.
The entire school policy… rewritten because of one persistent, overly romantic Casadin.
Evadne's brow arched toward her hairline. "Seriously?"
"I told you I had my low moments," Casadin said with a sheepish grin, scratching the back of his neck. "I was young. Passionate. Dumb."
"You forgot embarrassing," Evadne deadpanned, though her lips twitched.
Casadin pouted dramatically. "You wound me."
She finally chuckled, shaking her head.
What surprised her more than the story was the realization that Casadin and Hades had once shared a genuine friendship.
There had been a time, before bitterness, before rivalry, when they stood side by side.
But something had gone wrong.
Very wrong.
And Evadne couldn't even blame Casadin entirely.
After all, if she didn't have the ability to hear people's thoughts, she might've been fooled by Cieryl's sweet, delicate smile too.