The heavy silence that fell over the courtyard was suffocating. Han Eiryn and Jihoon stood frozen alongside dozens of other students, all of them witnessing the exact same horror.
The boy didn't just fall; he had been brutally thrown down the grand marble staircase, tumbling violently from the very top steps down to the stone ground. He lay there in a desperate heap, groaning in agony as dark red blood began to pool beneath his head and hands, staining the pristine courtyard.
Eiryn's heart hammered against her ribs. Her eyes instinctively tracked upward, following the massive flight of steps to see who was responsible.
Three figures stood at the very top, casting long, dark shadows over the crowd below. On one side stood Seojun, his arms crossed with a look of absolute boredom. On the other stood Lucas, calmly adjusting his cuffs. Standing directly in the center was Kang Raehyun. He stood in a posture of absolute dominance, looking down at the carnage he had created. However, because his face was turned slightly away and obscured by the bright morning sun behind him, the crowd below could not clearly see his features.
"It's him," a student nearby whispered, his voice trembling. "That's Raehyun. He did this."
"Shut up!" another boy hissed, shoving his classmate. "Don't speak so loud. If they hear you, they won't let you go. Do you want to end up like that guy?"
The boy immediately went silent, terrified.
Eiryn narrowed her eyes, murmuring the name under her breath. "Raehyun..." She stared intently at the middle figure, trying to catch a glimpse of his face, but the angle made it impossible. Fueled by a sudden rush of justice, she took a step forward, intending to help the bleeding boy on the ground.
Before she could take another step, Jihoon's hand shot out, firmly gripping her wrist. He shook his head slowly from left to right, his eyes pleading with her to stop. Eiryn tensed, but she forced herself to stay back.
A moment later, a teacher finally rushed into the courtyard. Instead of looking at the victim, the teacher's eyes immediately flew to the top of the stairs, locking onto Raehyun. The teacher shrank back, not daring to utter a single word of accusation toward the trio. Turning quickly to the crowd, the teacher shouted, "All of you, go to your classes immediately! There is nothing to see here!"
The teacher knelt down to help the injured student. Seeing this, Eiryn broke free from Jihoon's grip. She couldn't just stand by. She ran forward to help the teacher support the boy's weight, helping to lift him so they could move him toward the medical clinic.
At the top of the stairs, Lucas watched them leave. "Look at that. Even after what we did, a girl actually steps up to help. She clearly doesn't know about our doings."
"I think she must be new to the school," Seojun replied, tilting his head. "That's why she's playing the hero."
Hearing their words, Raehyun slowly turned his head. His cold gaze traveled down the stairs, watching the teacher and the girl carry the boy away. But because Eiryn's back was turned as she supported the student, Raehyun couldn't see her face.
"Let's go," Raehyun said flatly, turning his back on the courtyard. The three of them walked away, disappearing into the building.
The Reality of Eclipse High
Jihoon quickly followed Eiryn to the school clinic. Once they arrived, the school doctor immediately took over, examining the boy's severe injuries.
The doctor sighed, looking at the teacher. "That group again?"
The teacher nodded solemnly, turning to Eiryn and Jihoon. "Thank you both for helping. I will take care of him from here." The teacher then looked specifically at Eiryn, his voice dropping to a warning whisper. "But listen to me... do not do this again."
Eiryn frowned, her confusion turning into frustration. "Why? He was bleeding to death. Why shouldn't we help?"
The teacher looked at Jihoon. "She's new to the school, isn't she?"
"Yes, sir," Jihoon answered quickly. "She's my relative. She just joined today."
"I think you need to explain the rules to her fully, Jihoon," the teacher said with a heavy sigh. "Otherwise, she is going to face serious problems here." With those final words, the teacher left the room.
As they walked out into the quiet hallway, Eiryn turned to Jihoon, her brow furrowed. "What kind of problems is he talking about? Why is everyone so afraid?"
Jihoon stopped walking and looked at her, his expression more serious than she had ever seen it. "Because the students here are from the highest families in the country, Eiryn. Their parents are the main stakeholders of this school. And that guy in the middle—Raehyun—his family is the highest stakeholder of them all. The school administration cannot involve themselves with him. Even if he does something completely wrong, the school won't do anything to stop him."
Jihoon stepped closer, his voice dropping. "It's not just him. Many families here have backgrounds so powerful that the law doesn't touch them. That's the reason why that boy was injured and not a single student came to help. If we help the people they target, they will turn around and target us next."
"Then we should complain to the people above the school!" Eiryn insisted, her eyes flashing with defiance.
"Even if we do that, they won't touch the elite," Jihoon explained patiently, though his voice carried a deep exhaustion. "The students who complain are always the ones who end up carrying the problems. They will ruin your life, Eiryn. You came to this school for one reason only: to study. Please, don't get involved in anything. Promise me."
Eiryn stared at Jihoon's worried face. She hated the injustice, but she knew her mother had sacrificed everything for her to be here. Slowly, she nodded. "I promise."
With the heavy agreement hanging between them, they finally walked toward their respective classrooms. Eiryn took a deep breath as she stood outside the door of her new room. Grasping the handle, she stepped inside the classroom for the very first time, completely unaware of what was waiting for her on the other side.