The winding halls stretch endlessly before me, the cool stone beneath the thin soles of my shoes sending a shiver up my spine.

The cavernous building is so silent that it has the hair on the back of my neck rising instantly, demanding my attention be fixed on my surrounding as I await the next blow.

But it never comes, because I'm alone in a building built hundreds of years ago, with only the echo of my footsteps as a companion.

Yet, I can't shake the feeling of being watched, a sensation that prickles at my skin, like the walls have eyes.

A sudden creak pierces the silence, and my heart skips a beat. My footsteps still, my breath catching in my throat, straining to hear any further sound. But once again, silence reigns supreme.

With trepidation, I press on, climbing the stairs to the level listed on my papers, my dorm only a few doors away.

The carpet that lines the hallway silences my steps and I count the doors until I find the one I want.

Opening it with the key supplied, I suck in a breath at the extravagance.

Who needs all this space?

There is a massive kitchen off to the side, a full sized fridge, dishwasher, oven and stove supplied as well as appliances, all sitting prettily on a stone granite counter.

A three seater leather couch sits in front of a decently sized television with two arm chairs stacked either side.

The bathroom door is open, showcasing the opulence laid bare in there as well, white fluffy towels perched perfectly on hangers.

I step into the dorm - though it's more like an apartment and shut the door behind me, my shields dropping as I look around the dorm.

Home. For now.

Looking at the four closed doors opposite me, I walk for the first one, pushing the door open to see if it lays empty.

"Who the fuck are you?" A dark voice pierces my subconscious and I turn my attention to the boy who stalks out of the fourth room, his grey eyes narrowed on me. His gaze flickers to the open door behind me and his jaw ticks in rage. He's someone I would classify as gorgeous if he wasn't staring at me like he was planning my dismemberment and if I wasn't exactly who I am. But I am me, and gorgeous boys have never been part of my story.

"Did we not make ourselves clear last semester." he takes a step forward, "you girls are all the same." His scathing glare and words confuse me because I've never seen this person in my life.

"Get the fuck away from Killian's room and tell your little friend group to leave him alone and stop playing their games, they won't like the outcome if I have to deal with them again." The guy stalks closer, his face stained with disgust as he looks me up and down, his lips curling up in a sneer. Shadows seem to crawl along the wall as he looks at me and I tighten my fist, nails biting into the soft palms of my hands.

The look doesn't suit his pretty face, high cheekbones the likes of which I've only seen on magazine covers, stormy eyes and a jawline so sharp it's almost as cutting as his words.

For such a pretty guy, he sure has a complex. Although what do I expect from the pretty and privileged elites of Redwood, born with a silver spoon in their mouths and a penchant for cruelty towards anyone deemed lesser.

I guess a gutter rat like me, with no family would be the lesser one out of us two.

I relax my posture, looking him up and down as if his very presence is bothersome. "I have no idea what or who you're talking about." I cross my arms, willing my body to not react, to keep calm even as the guy makes it sing with danger, makes me want to do something stupid. Like punch his pretty face in. I'm sure even with blood running down his face he'd still be a looker.

My stomach swoops and I curse myself for the thought, annoyed at myself for getting lost in a pretty face. Pretty boys only cause problems you can't clean up, Noah. Think of what got you into this mess.

Unsurprisingly, his glare burns hotter, almost scalding in its intensity, like looking into living fire.

He looks me up and down, "You and your whore friends need to leave Killian alone. He won't fuck any of you even if he was desperate, no matter how many times you deliver yourselves naked to him on a silver platter." He turns his back on me. "So fuck off, none of you are worth the air you breathe."

"I have no idea who Killian is-" I spit scathingly, feeling my own rising anger, even as I try to bury it. "But this is my dorm, so no I won't be fucking off."

He scans me up and down, looking as if I'm the dirt he'll build his throne upon. "Name." It's not a question but a demand.

I debate giving it to him for a moment but my mouth opens and even if it is unfamiliar to me, the name slips from my lips like it's been mine since birth. "Noah."

Those grey eyes of his flick up to mine and a disbelieving sound exits his lips. "You've got to be fucking kidding me." He says the words slowly, enunciating each syllable as if I'm simple minded.

He doesn't say anything else before turning on his heal and stalking away, the main door to the dorm slamming behind him.

"Well." I mutter to myself. "That was welcoming."

I look back at the room I didn't even get a chance to look at and can instantly tell it's occupied by the clothes strewn haphazardly across the mattress.

Shutting the door I move to the next one, pushing it open to find a bare room. The only piece of furniture is a double bed and a bedside table.

Stepping into the room that is obviously mine, I shut the door behind me. It makes a faint clicking sound that echoes in my head and that's when the wave of exhaustion slams down on me.

Practically stumbling over to the mattress, I fall down on it and let my eyes shut, sinking into the slumber that pulls at my limbs like a needy bitch.

• • •

What feels like not even a half hour later, there's a booming knock at the door, followed my frantic murmuring.

Grumbling, I slip from the mattress and walk to the door, feeling more wraith than girl.

Opening the door, I blink at the sight in front of me, and completely ignore the boy from before, even as his judging gaze settles on me.

I look past him, brow furrowed at who must be a teacher or authority of some kind.

"Hi?" I murmur, still feeling the remnants of sleep in the heaviness of my limbs.

I shake it off and blink, straightening my spine as the person begins mumbling.

"There's been a mistake in the assignment of your dorm." They begin, sweat seeming to gleam on their forehead. "This is the boys dorm." They inform me.

Still, I blink.

"You're a girl." They say finally.

"Yes." I agree, tilting my head back at them.

"I don't know how the mistake came to be but we'll get it rectified immediately."

The guy scoffs under his breath, the sound sharp and condescending.

I ignore him even as my hands ache to gouge out his eyes.

I could do it too, easy as one, two, pop!

I focus back on what the teacher is saying, his hands rubbing down his sides nervously. "The female dorms are full. You were accepted as a late student because we had an opening in the male dormitory-" they continue their tangent. "It seems your name confused some people."

Another scoff echoes, filled with amusement and I grit my teeth, nodding. My fist clench at my side and it's embarrassing to admit I don't hear the rest of what the teacher is saying for a moment as I try to control the swirling pit of darkness in my stomach.

It's only when I get it under control that I blink back into the conversation and cut the teacher off from his rambling.

"So where am I to stay if not here?" I wave a hand to encompass the room behind me.

"We'll have to find a place-"

He's cut off by the boy. "Just expell her." He looks me up and down. "I'm sure she'll find other ways to survive." The way he looks me up and down, it's obvious what ways he believes I can sustain myself.

"We don't need more of her kind clogging up the halls."

My kind. As if I'm such a different species to him.

I clench my fist, feeling anger coil at my fingertips, begging to be let free. My body hums, pleading for pain, for a fight.

The teacher shakes his head, "no, no, that won't do." He scratches his forehead as if the action will have his brain working faster.

"There is the-" he mumbles and cuts himself off, eyes lifting to mine. "Yes, there is the old dormitory, it's getting renovated but it's close enough to completion that it's liveable."

He looks past me into the room, gaze catching on the small duffel that contains every single one of my belongings.

"Grab your stuff." He nods, "I'll take you there myself once we go grab the keys."

I curl my fingers around the duffel handle, walking towards the exit.

"Is that all you own dear?"

"Yes." I say shortly and hear a dismissive sound behind me but I ignore the boy who has more ego than he does beauty - which is saying a lot and I hate myself for thinking it.

I follow behind the teacher, hearing the door slam shut behind me.

• • •

I look up at the monstrous building, scaffolding still surrounding the walls.

"Don't mind the look, dear, this building is completely safe and inhabitable. We just have some painting and finishing touches to do before we can take the scaffolding down."

I nod my head in acknowledgement and follow him further across the courtyard that separates the dorm I'd been assigned and my new one, the grass squeaking under my steps from the fresh sheet of rain coating it.

I step through the front door, feeling like I'm being watched as I follow the teacher through the empty common area towards the staircase.

The building smells like fresh paint and stale air- an odd combination; the windows sealed shut for what was possibly the whole semester break. Maybe longer.

My steps are silent as I walk up the staircase, following the teacher as he leads me towards a room on the second floor, unlocking with a key that he then hands to me with a ring of other keys.

I raise a brow. "They're for the seperate rooms, you can lock and unlock them as you please."

He doesn't step into the dorm room with me, hovering at the door before stepping back with a nod.

"I hope it is to your liking," He looks at me then. "This is only temporary until a room opens up in the female dorm, but you'll be fine here."

He looks to me as if it was a question and I nod to appease him.

He relaxes.

"Good. Great. I'll let you settle in." He shuts the door and I'm alone in a dorm big enough for four. It's a mirror copy of the one I just left; but empty.

I walk to the same room I'd claimed in the other, not bothering to look around for longer than a few second before crashing on the unmade bed.

Just a nap. Then I'll worry about the rest.

• • •

The sleep had been anything but relaxing and I woke up more tired then when I crashed, my body too hot to go back to sleep.

Stumbling out into the main room, I stare around the space, finding the kitchen quickly and opening the fridge.

Which is empty, and dark.

With a grunt, I move around until I find the switch for the fridge and flip it on.

Turning from the empty kitchen - which I'll have to fill but not wanting to find out just how much that will cost me, I stalk back for my room, digging in the duffle for a brush to pull my hair up before making my way to the door, a jacket hanging from my fingertips.

I stalk down the silent steps and out into the courtyard, the afternoon sun having dried the once dew slicked grass. Yet the air is still cool to the touch, slipping over my skin.

I pull the jacket on.

Stalking across the green, I make my way to the academy entrance and slip out, beginning the twenty minute trek into town.

Cold settles deep into my bones, and I pull the jacket tighter around me as I walk the streets, my gaze scanning from one shop window to the next as I look for a help wanted sign.

Really, any sign, for any place.

I am that desperate.

I walk almost the whole street before my eyes finally latch onto the help wanted sign, gaze scanning up the side of the building to the name.

Devils Advocate.

I cringe, and look back down the street.

Am I really about to walk into a place that screams illegal activity after everything I just escaped?

Yes, yes I am.

With a resigned sigh, I push through the door and into the empty atmosphere, glancing around the deconstructed warehouse.

At first glance I thought it may have been a bar, especially with the name, but looking at it now, it's definitely a boxing gym.

I go to turn around and make a hasty exit when a throat clears behind me and I twist back, my eyes catching onto those of the beefy man across from me, arms crossed and face in a perpetual frown.

"Did you come in here for the job or are you here to snoop? Cause your answer depends on how you'll be exiting this place."

"The job." The answer comes quickly, and my gaze scans down his form, hearing the words for what they are.

A threat.

His eyes narrow and he huffs, looking down my form with a judging gaze. "You'll do."

I raise a brow, "For what exactly?"

"You saw the sign?"

I narrow my eyes at his tone, "Your 'sign' just says 'help wanted'; it doesn't give a description of what that help is."

He blinks, "I need a bartender, can you pour drinks?"

I nod,

"Do you have your alcohol license?"

I hesitate but nod. He doesn't question my pause.

"Good, you're hired. I'll need you tonight. Start at five, Candace will set you up." With those words he turns around and saunters towards the back.

I watch him leave before staring around at the boxing ring in the centre of the room and the one off to the far left before curling my hand into a fist.

I really hope I don't regret this.