Feral Bonds: Claimed By Rogue Alpha Brothers-Chapter 530: A Familiar Face

Evaline: 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

Rowan reacted before any of us could even fully process what we were seeing.

"Hey!" he called out sharply, his voice cutting through the garden like a blade. "What do you think you are doing?"

The effect was immediate.

The group of students froze mid-laughter, mid-mockery, mid-cruel amusement. One of them actually flinched before they all turned around, eyes widening when they took in the sight of us standing at the garden's entrance.

For a split second... just one... their faces reflected something raw and honest.

Panic.

But it vanished almost instantly, replaced by practiced, lazy smiles.

"Oh," one of them laughed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Nothing much. We were just joking around."

"Yeah," another chimed in quickly. "Just having fun with our classmate."

As if to sell the lie, one of them slung an arm around the boy in the middle and pulled him closer, squeezing his shoulder like they were the best of friends.

I felt my jaw tighten.

If they thought we were stupid enough to believe that, they were gravely mistaken.

Not after what we had heard.

Not after what we were seeing.

The boy's hair was a mess, strands sticking out at odd angles like someone had grabbed it roughly. His uniform shirt was wrinkled and half untucked, his pocket visibly torn. His hands trembled at his sides, fingers curling inward like he didn't know where to put them.

And his eyes...

His eyes were wide, glassy, and terrified.

That wasn't the face of someone joking around with friends.

That was fear. Raw and unfiltered.

Kyros stepped forward.

The shift in him was subtle, but unmistakable.

Moments ago, he had been the same composed, slightly exasperated Class Keeper complaining about the heat. Now, something colder surfaced beneath his calm exterior. His shoulders squared, his posture straightened, and his gaze hardened into something sharp enough to cut.

"Jokes?" Kyros asked mildly, though there was nothing mild about the way his presence suddenly filled the space. "Interesting. Would you like me to join in?"

The students stiffened.

Kyros tilted his head slightly, his eyes glinting. "I have a lot of experience with… games."

Anyone who didn't know Kyros well might still mistake him for a harmless softie. But those of us who did... who knew his lineage, his training, the quiet strength coiled beneath his politeness... understood exactly what he was capable of.

And judging by the way the first-years paled?

They understood too.

The arm around the boy's shoulders dropped immediately.

"We... we are sorry," one of them blurted out. "We didn't mean anything by it."

"Yeah," another added hastily. "We were just messing around. It won't happen again."

Rowan crossed his arms, his expression stern. "It better not."

He glanced at each of them in turn, making sure they felt the weight of his words. "Because if it does, you'll be explaining yourselves to the discipline office. And trust me... you don't want that in your first month at Silver Moon Academy."

They nodded so fast it was almost comical.

"Yes. Yes, of course."

"We promise."

Without waiting for further permission, they turned and bolted, nearly tripping over each other as they fled the garden and disappeared down the path.

Silence settled in their wake.

Only then did I realize I had been holding my breath.

The boy stood there, frozen, as if he wasn't quite convinced it was over. His gaze darted around the garden, scanning the ground frantically.

"Hey," Noah said gently, stepping closer. "It's okay. They are gone."

He didn't respond.

Then I saw what he was looking for.

His glasses lay on the stone path near the bench, its lens smudged with dirt. He hurried over and crouched, hands shaking as he picked them up. He wiped them on his sleeve and slid them back onto his nose.

I watched his shoulders sag in visible relief.

"They are not broken," he whispered, almost to himself.

Mallory suddenly snapped her fingers. "Wait."

We all turned to her.

"I knew he looked familiar," she said, her eyes widening as realization struck. "Eva... don't you remember? Mapleton Town. The morning after our camping night?"

My heart skipped.

Mapleton.

The memory surfaced instantly -

me and Mallory walking out of the restaurant after finishing breakfast only to notice a boy being cornered by others across the street.

"Oh," I breathed. "That's right."

Everything clicked into place.

That was why he had looked familiar the moment I'd seen him. Why something about his posture, his fear, had felt hauntingly familiar.

He had been bullied then too.

The boy lifted his head slowly, his eyes flicking between us as if seeing us properly for the first time. Then his gaze landed on me.

And his eyes widened.

Recognition dawned.

"You," he said softly, his voice barely audible. "You were there."

I nodded. "We were."

Selene stepped closer, her expression gentle. "What was your name again?"

The boy swallowed. "C-Charles."

"That's right," Selene said with a small smile. "Charles."

Noah let out a low whistle. "Wow. I can't believe you ended up here too. Silver Moon Academy of all places."

He grinned, clearly impressed. "That's some coincidence."

But Charles didn't smile.

In fact, he looked like he was on the verge of falling apart.

His gaze dropped to the ground again, panic creeping back into his features. He spun around suddenly, eyes scanning the garden once more until he spotted something lying near the bushes.

His blazer.

He rushed over and picked it up.

The moment he noticed its state, his breath hitched.

"Oh no," he whispered.

My gaze landed on the blazer and I notice the ripped fabric, threads hanging loose. His fingers trembled as he clutched it to his chest.

And then...

He broke. A sob tore from his throat, raw and uncontrollable.

We all froze.

* * *

Author's Note:

Hello everyone!

Hopefully, you all are having amazing holidays.

I'm here to apologize for not releasing more than one chapter/day this month. A lot was going on in my personal life and I just couldn't write. I thought I'll be able to write more during holidays but it was only my wishful thinking. But I'm still trying.

I'll make sure to give you guys a mass release for new year. Please look forward to it.

Thank you!