[Warning: The following contains bullying and fatshaming.]

  Reality was harsh, but destiny was harsher. Despite falling asleep in the arms of her lover, Lina woke up in a nightmare. When she opened her eyes, the scenery was familiar.

  Serendipity School of Success. Krystal was right. More like School of Snakes.

  "Look, there's our resident piggie!"

  "What noise does the piggie make?"

  Laughter erupted in the hallways. A kid pushed her nose up, their cruel giggling taunting the young girl on the floor. Lina froze in the middle of the lunchroom…… With a small plate of salad and iced water in the tray, she couldn't even move a limb. Instead, her body shriveled into ice.

  "S-stop it guys…" Lina managed to stutter out.

  Atlantis had taught her to make comebacks. He instructed her to talk back when the bullies teased her. That way, they wouldn't find enjoyment in bullying her. But no matter how much they practiced, her voice came out in a small tremble.

  "Do you guys understand what she said? All I heard was oink, oink!"

  "I didn't know pigs eat grass! Look at what she's eating, guys. She's trying to go from piggie to piglet!"

  Even more chatter and laughter erupted in the cafeteria. Kids pointed their hands, turned to their friends, and giggled amongst themselves. Seeing the elephant in the room, they burst out with cheerfulness.

  Lina could feel her self-esteem crumble like a sand castle. Her eyes watered and she hung her head in shame. She felt her breathing grow heavy. With a hiccup, she let out a quiet sob.

  "Look, she's so fat that even her tears are large!"

  The entire cafeteria howled with laughter.

  Lina felt the world begin to spin. She heard ringing in her ears. The kids suddenly didn't appear human. No. She stopped seeing their faces. All she saw were dark shadows with sharp and twisted smiles. Their figure lurked over her like a tower of shadows. She cried out in fear, attempting to run from the taunts, but it was useless.

  "Piggie, piggie!"

  "Every time she speaks, all I hear is oink oink!"

  "Look at her trying to lose weight. It's so pathetic, how is that going to work?"

  Lina wanted to die on the spot. She wished a hole would open up and swallow her. Maybe she could remain buried, six feet deep. Unable to hold it back anymore, she dropped the tray and tried to flee from the cafeteria.

  "Woah guys, the ground is shaking from her feet!"

  "Watch out, the piggie is going your way!"

  Suddenly, Lina fell flat on her butt. She raised her head to see who had pushed her to the ground. Fear weighed down her shoulders. She felt her blood turn cold.

  Elaine.

  Elaine led a pack of other little girls with her. In her cute pigtails, Elaine revealed a cunning smirk.

  "Here, piggie, let me help you up," Elaine said in a sweet voice. She lowered her hand and innocently blinked.

  Lina shook her head. She was frightened by Elaine's next antics. The rejection only pissed Elaine off more.

  "Don't do it, Elaine, you might catch her disease!" Samantha shouted, pulling at her friend's arms.

  Immediately, everyone began to sympathize with the kind-hearted Elaine.

  "The audacity of the pig to reject your helping hand!" A boy exclaimed, his face scrunched with irritation.

  "Yeah, Elaine, you're too nice. I hear pigs carry infectious bugs. Who knows? Maybe they're hiding in her stomach folds!"

  Lina trembled. "N-no, I don't have—"

  "Oh my god, run, she might infect you with her illness!" A boy shrieked. He pointed an accusing finger in her direction. Then, he let out a peal of loud laughter, encouraging the crowd to join him.

  "Who has an illness?" A cold, lethal voice demanded.

  Everyone paused. Even Elaine, who was smirking, had dropped her haughtiness. Elaine slowly turned around, her face going pale with the realization.

  "W-wait, Atlantis—"

  PAK!

  Atlantis slammed a fist right into the boy. He grabbed the child by the collar, his eyes flashing with warning. Instantly, he swung his arm. Again and again, he rammed his fists into the boy's face.

  Eventually, the crowd broke up. Everyone screamed at the bloody fight. As prestigious heirs and heiresses, they had never seen something so vicious.

  "Q-quick, get a teacher!"

  "Hurry, I think he's fainted!"

  Lina watched with trembling eyes. She couldn't look away. Atlantis was like a ferocious beast. They were only eleven years old, but he swung his hand like a man. Where did he learn to fight like this? Where did he learn such lethal attacks?

  Atlantis was on top of the little boy, beating him to a pulp. By the time that students were crying and dragging him off the boy, it was too late. Lina saw nothing but a face of flesh. No eyes. No mouth. Blood. There was blood everywhere.

  No one could stop Atlantis. No one could pull him off of the battered and bruised child.

  "You venomous bitch!" Atlantis roared at Elaine, storming up to her.

  Boys or girls, none were spared from his fury.

  "I was trying to help!" Elaine shouted, quickly stepping back to flee from the monster. "I-if you touch me, I'm going to tell mommy and daddy!"

  "Well fuck them," Atlantis growled, grabbing Elaine by the collar.

  Elaine let out a shriek of fear. She held onto his hands, her angelic face contorted with desperation. She loudly whimpered, scrambling her feet to run. When he raised a hand, she squeezed her eyes shut and braced for the hit.

  "N-no—" Lina begged, quickly rising to her feet.

  Lina grabbed ahold of Atlantis's arms. It wasn't because she cared about Elaine. It was because she cared about Atlantis. The boy was a nobody, but Elaine's parents were powerful and prestigious. They could squash Atlantis like a bug.

  "Please, Atlantis!" Lina whimpered, taking a hold of his bloodied hand. Her fingers were shaking when she saw his split knuckles. There was blood all over his white button-up. His tie had grown loose and delinquent.

  "L-let her go," Lina gasped out.

  Lina pressed her entire body onto his, in hope that her weight would stop him. She was terrified something would happen to him. Terrified that this boy who always came to school with bruises would eventually greet her from a coffin.

  "Please…" Lina whimpered, pressing her face into his shoulders.

  Lina heard his heavy breathing. She heard his sharp intake. Then, he let out an irritated sigh. Without warning, he grabbed her hand. When she raised her head, she was frightened. His eyes were like that of a beast. Wild and aggravated. But when he saw her, his features softened.

  "Let's go," Atlantis seethed.

  Atlantis grabbed her and pulled her from the crime scene. Bloodied hand and all. She couldn't help but look at their entwined hands. Amid the chaos, he cared about her the most.

  When Lina didn't have the confidence to fight back, he pummeled her bullies. He met violence with violence. He always accepted everyone's insults without qualms. But whenever something involved her, he met everyone with his fist.

  Unable to say anything and unable to protest, Lina allowed him to drag her outside of the cafeteria. No matter how far they went, how many times he beat them, Lina would remember their taunts. Their insults. She'd remember it for the rest of her life.