Dionne fell with a heavy thud, knocking the air out of lungs. Shocked gasps surrounded her like a dramatic symphony, everyone staring at the tall boy who had dared touch the system's star idol.

  “WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!” Bereinger yelled, his chest rising and falling in uneven heaps. His whole body shook, his pupils dilated as he looked around to ensure that no handlers saw what he did.

  It didn't matter anyway, Bereinger knew they could see every moment from the cameras.

  He glared at Dionne, who merely stared at him in confusion. She held her knee, curious at the unfamiliar sensation of pain and discomfort. It had been bloodied from the rough fall. Even a piece of her white trousers being ripped off with it. Studying it more clearly, Dionne began unflinchingly fiddling with the wound.

  “You… hurt me.” Dionne whispered, more of a statement to herself than anything else.

  Bereinger looked at her like she was something inhuman, unfamiliar in how she reacted to the most basic of sensations.

  “What did you expect to happen?” Bereinger asked, his voice filled with indignation at how seemingly shocked Dionne was. Like she naturally assumed she was above the rules everyone else had to follow.

  Bereinger turned to the crowd of children surrounding them, unhelpfully staring at the violent display. “Why are you all just standing there while your friend gets hurt!?” He pointed to Dionne with both hands, squatting down slightly to empathise how short and weak she was compared to many of the boys in the crowd.

  “How can you call yourself men when you just stand there and watch as a helpless girl gets mercilessly beaten?” Bereinger yelled out accusingly, staring ashamedly at the crowd of boys no older or bigger than himself. The boys just lowered their heads in embarrassment, muttering out weak excuses.

  Bereinger let out a frustrated sigh, running his fingers through his short turquoise hair. With a swift turn of his heel he turned back to Dionne.

  “You hurt Aruvia.” Bereinger stated matter of factly, like a teacher waiting on an explanation. Dionne merely shrugged in response, “So?” She practically laughed in his face, “She deserved it for pretending to be hurt.”

  Bereinger felt his blood boil at the pure idiotic simplicity of that sentence. He didn't understand the context, but he was damn sure he didn't need it to see who the villain was here. Still he decided to give Dionne the benefit of the doubt.

  “So you just decided to hit her as some twisted kind of payback?” He challenged, trying to understand. Dionne suddenly grew tongue tied, trying to find the words to explain as multiple eyes watched and scrutinised her every move.

  “No!- I was trying to show you all that she’s a liar that acts all weak and pathetic to get others to do stuff for her!” It sounded weak, even to Dionne’s own ears. Seeing the current state of things: Aruvia was bloodied and bruised from Dionne’s beating, and now Dionne tried painting it as if she was the righteous one? Of course nobody would believe her, it sounded like a cheap lie to deny her own accountability.

  Dionne gritted her teeth in frustration, already accepting her defeat in the situation. Aruvia had won with her lies and tricks again, and she had seemed stupid by comparison. She tried to get one last good punch on Aruvia before she made a run for it, but Bereinger stopped her dead in her tracks.

  It was clear he was all out of patience and understanding.

  He grabbed her roughly, holding her by the shoulders. Dionne raised her leg, kicking him straight in the stomach— expecting it to send him staggering back. The children around them gasped, even Aruvia held her breath.

  But Bereinger remained firm, utterly unfazed. He grabbed Dionne's hands and twisted them behind her back. Dionne violently thrashed, trying to kick him again unsuccessfully. Disoriented due to not being able to see her target clearly.

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  Bereinger pinned her down to the ground. Securing his hold by pushing almost all his body weight on Dionne. He was about to do more until Aruvia yelled at him, begging him to stop.

  Bereinger turned back to Aruvia sheepishly. Embarrassed that he would resort to using the same kind of violence Dionne had to enact justice.

  Begrudgingly, he let his eyes off Dionne. Not before giving her one last cold glare as warning that he wasn't afraid to harm her if she tried anything. Dionne promptly ignored him and ran away with her tail between her legs.

  Bereinger helped Aruvia get up from the ground. Making sure to gently lift her bruised body, taking caution of her current sensitivity. His previously hard gaze softened, he regarded her bruised form with pained sympathy.

  As if he felt every blow Dionne inflicted on his own being.

  However Aruvia didn't return his warmth. Her eyebrows drawn together, eyes constantly scanning around them and biting her cheek to hide her frustration and anxiety. She accepted his help, yet firmly distanced herself from him once she got to her feet. Bereinger was confused, yet reasoned that Aruvia just needed space and some room to breathe.

  Before he could ask Aruvia if she was ok, he heard a click go off on his collar. Aruvia covered her eyes and ears, knowing what was about to happen. The other children around them followed suit as they saw Bereinger’s collar flash brightly between blue and red.

  His name and number were being read out like a distant ringing, echoing in his ears. He felt like he was falling, his body floatless then suddenly completely solid as he was hit on the back of the head by a handler. Three other handlers surrounded and detained him with a mouth and arm brace, ushering the other children to go away and play somewhere else.

  Everything was blurry and warm. For a moment Bereinger forgot where he was and thought he was being bathed. But the blurry sight of Aruvia’s cold stare brought him back to reality. He managed a weak smile, not regretting his decision to save Aruvia.

  Aruvia didn't return it.

  Two other handlers tended to Dionne. Wrapping her in a blanket and carefully leading her by the hand to the infirmary. She spared Bereinger a single glance, wondering: “how could such a high ranking idol forget the rules…” It wasn't schadenfreude, more like disappointment. She truly did believe he was smart enough not to fall for Aruvia’s tricks.

  Yet, it was satisfying seeing someone get their self inflicted comeuppance. That much she couldn't deny, he should’ve known not to mess with the system’s top idol.

  As Dionne and Bereinger were both taken out of the artificial garden-Bereinger being dragged and Dionne being gently escorted-the other children deemed it safe enough to approach Aruvia. They fussed and worried over her bruised form. Asking and bombarding her with question after question regarding how it all started.

  Aruvia was tired. Both physically strained from Dionne attacks, and mentally due to being constantly suffocated by people from all angles. She tried her best to answer all their questions- if she was a real victim it would have probably taken her some time to piece it all together.

  But she already had the story planned out. The reason, the cause, the excuse, and the result.

  “I was just trying to talk things over with Dionne, I know she had hurt me before but I knew- I just KNEW- it had to be an accident, right?” Aruvia started, reminding herself to keep her voice shaky and uneven so it didn't look scripted. “B-But then she just started attacking me out of nowhere, like some wild bloody animal!” Aruvia rubbed her throat, wincing slightly since it was still sore from the attack.

  The other children nodded in sympathy, one of the older girls holding Aruvia close in an effort to sooth her. Though it did nothing but cause more pain and irritation to Aruvia’s bruised form. Yet Aruvia held her tongue, too deep into the act to interrupt the performance now.

  “Well it's good that the new kid stepped in, it's such a shame that we won't be seeing more of the brave and kind hearted boy..” The older girl said. Aruvia wanted to roll her eyes- oh yeah, stupid knightly Bereinger and his need to be the hero that rescues the helpless princess. Her plan would’ve been full proof, if it wasn't for Bereinger’s sudden intervention. Harming the top idol was punishable by death if you were a lower idol, but Aruvia was uncertain what would happen if an upper rank idol tried the same. How stupid she felt now for ever worrying that Bereinger would ever be a threat to her. But at the same time how could she have known that he would be some suicidal martyr!?

  “Bereinger really saved me back there, but im just so worried what the handlers are gonna do to him..” Aruvia said in agreement, her tone mixed with gratitude and worry. She wasn't even completely lying, she truly was worried for his well being. Bereinger could be a valuable asset. To lose him without even witnessing his true potential would be such an unnecessary waste.

  At this point all they could do was speculate.

  Would he be punished?

  Would he lose his rank?

  Would they replace his brain with another's?

  Only time would tell.