The neighborhood stretched before them; cracked concretes, rusted pipes, buildings leaning against each other like drunkards.
Their block still had running water and flickering power, which was a rare luxuries here. Its walls were bare, but it stood upright. Others had caved balconies, roofs patched with tin, and doors chained with rope.
This was the city's slum… a rough, breathing ghetto of survival.
Clovis city was a Tier Three city, which meant it lacked a lot of nice living conditions. But it was still a lot better than the wasteland of Tier Four cities, where Rita's mother still lived. Those were lands of chaos: lawless streets, no utilities… just gangs for government.
In comparison, Clovis was paradise, with a semblance of order and normalcy still existing.
Tier Two cities on the other hand, were worlds apart… basically half-utopias still haunted by crime, but extremely better than tier three cities.
But Tier One cities? Those were heavens. The homes of the Awakened and elite humans. With clean air, infinite luxury, and abundance of literally everything. It was the ultimate dreamland.
As Liam and Rita walked through the streets, silence settled. The air was thick with rot and engine fumes. The sky wore a permanent gray.
They passed vendors with rickety stalls, kids playing in mud, and slowly, the scenery shifted to smoother roads, brighter air, and more life. The main city.
Old cars coughed down the street. Small skyscrapers dotted the skyline. No luxury, no shine, just the bare bones of modernity clinging on.
They walked straight to the subway station… taxis no longer existed here. The high taxes and exorbitant fuel costs made it unprofitable for most drivers.
For this reason, if you wanted to get to the deeper depths of the city, you had to take the subway
Liam and Rita boarded a train, finding a couple of seats in the sparsely filled carriage. The train rattled them deeper into Clovis.
They spent the ride chatting about their favorite series, Rita giggling now and then. Liam found himself staring at her smile. It made the cramped train almost bearable.
Eventually, the train hissed to a stop. They both got off and left the subway into the city. After a while of walking, they arrived a few meters from Rita's destination.
"Okay, Liam. Duty calls," she said brightly. "Be good, alright? I'll see you later."
Liam nodded, watching as she disappeared into the crowd, heading toward the restaurant where she worked.
Then he slung his bag higher on his shoulder and began a journey of his own.
His school was still about a mile away, a long walk that he was accustomed to. It was far, but he had no choice. Clovis Academy was the only place he could get free education in the city, thanks to his scholarship.
As he walked, he began calculating how he would spend his time after school… his tutoring sessions with Lila, the odd jobs he cobbled together to bring in what little money he could.
He passed by Haven; the part of Clovis they called Paradise. It was a luxurious neighborhood. Emerald lawns, flower-lined drives, mansions with glass walls and sleek cars parked out front.
The rich of Clovis lived here… which were mostly those who worked in tier two cities but decide to live in tier three cities like Clovis because the money that could afford them an average life in a tier two city could get them to live like kings in a tier three city. It was a truly brilliant strategy.
Liam wanted that too. Not for himself, but for Lila, to give her a life free from hunger and fear. But dreams like that came with a price, and the fastest way to pay it was through crime, mostly by joining a gang.
But Liam would rather die than join a gang.
Finally, he arrived at his destination: Clovis Academy. The city's best school… and his daily hell.
He was one of the few scholarship students, a rare exception. And well, you all know the drill… Weak, poor, scholarship kids equals; magnet for bullies.
Taunts, shoves, and stolen lunches were the routine. But he endured it all, for Lila. She couldn't go to school due to financial reasons, so Liam studied twice as hard to teach her himself.
And in a way, he preferred it that way. Because she would be safe at home, untouched by all this cruelty.
He entered the school building, and headed straight for his classroom, slipping into his seat at the very back… a position he had claimed for obvious reasons.
Thankfully, today, his classmates seemed preoccupied, their usual teasing directed elsewhere, or perhaps they just hadn't noticed him yet.
He breathed a quiet sigh of relief and opened his battered textbook, but his mind wandered elsewhere… to Rita's smile, to the system, to the tin can of pasta, to the gleam of Haven.
Then the bell shrieked and the first teacher entered. Liam braced himself for another day of lessons, and another day of enduring.
Moments later….
Mr. Harrison's voice echoed across the silent classroom. They were currently having history. The topic: American Revolution was smeared across the whiteboard.
But Liam wasn't listening to the lectures about rebellions and independence. His mind revolved only on the system and the absurd quest it gave him: Lose your virginity or die.
Was it a dream? An hallucination from exhaustion? Or was it really real? Was his life truly on a timer?
The questions looped endlessly, pulling him deeper into confusion.
"Was it even real?" he thought. "The system… that dumb quest. What kind of pervert even makes something like that?"
A low thrum of anxiety resonated in his chest, a fear that perhaps he was losing his mind. But yet, what if it wasn't a game? What then?
He dies?
RING!
The bell suddenly rang out, declaring the end of the period. Students shuffled noisily, swapping books and shifting in their seats, preparing for the next lecture.
Liam didn't move. His hands dragged down his face, trying to wipe away thoughts of the system, the quest, and the unsettling hunger.
And then… she walked in.
A woman in her mid-thirties. With black hair, massive breasts and a curvy figure that commanded attention. She had a smile that made all the boys in the class hold their breaths.
She was putting on a tight, crimson skirt that clung to her magnificent curves like a second skin, accentuating the swell of her hips, and the line of her thighs. Her cream shirt had the top buttons left loose, offering just a hint of the valley between her large, magnificent boobs.
This was Miss Jenna, the hottest teacher in Clovis Academy.
Almost every boy in the school had a silent crush on her. Liam was no exception. She was every man's dream, sculpted into flesh and blood.
"Settle down, everyone," she said, her voice soft and soothing. She moved to the board, her hips swaying, her giant breasts bouncing gently with every step. "It's time for biology."
Yes, Miss Jenna," the collective response of the class echoed. It wasn't just the boys; even the girls adored her.
They saw her not as a rival, but as an aspirational figure, a beacon of what they might become someday.
Liam's brain went off as she entered the class. The thoughts disturbing him earlier vanished as if they never existed. His mind wandered away from it all… the system, the hunger, everything.
He could only stare and keep staring at Miss Jenna's sexually alluring figure. His gaze followed her every move, tracing the elegant curve of her back as she turned to pick up a marker, lingering on the exquisite sway of her hips, the gentle bounce of her breasts.
A different kind of hunger stirred within him. And all he could think of was how good it would feel to fuck someone like her.
He obviously had a crush on her… everyone did. But it was a different kind. With Rita, he felt a strong, warm affection. But with Miss Jenna… it was pure, unadulterated lust.
This was one of the reasons biology was his favorite class.
Miss Jenna began her lecture, oblivious to the sensuous atmosphere she had created. And she was about to make it more heated, because the topic of the day was…
Human reproduction.
The choice was cruel in its perfection, a deliberate catalyst to the already ignited tension in the classroom.
Miss Jenna delved into the intricacies of topic… showing the anatomical diagram of sexual organs, mentioning specific terms like 'intercourse', and 'lubrication', explaining how the process of sex worked.
This only sent ripples of excitement through the boys. Some shifted in their seats, sweat beading, trying to stay calm, but failing miserably.
Liam, however, maintained a façade of composure. On the surface, he looked like a diligent student, listening carefully to every word without being fazed.
But inwardly, his mind burned with desire. He'd lost count of how many times he had imagined Miss Jenna bent over her desk, or leaning against the board as he drilled her mercilessly. He tried to shake it off, but her very presence was only making it worse.
When the bell rang for break, Miss Jenna finally left the class, and peace returned in her absence. Boys bolted for the door, some clutching their bags or holding books conspicuously low over their pants.
Liam smirked faintly at the scene. "Amateurs," he scoffed, mocking their lack of tolerance.
He wasn't defective, no. His desire for Miss Jenna was as potent as ever. But years of forced abstinence and self-control had given him a kind of tolerance the others lacked. He wasn't immune, but he could at least refrain from making a fool of himself.
The classroom thinned quickly. Soon only a handful of students remained, chatting idly in small groups. Liam stayed at his desk, pulling out the oat cookies Rita had slipped him earlier. His stomach growled as he tore the pack open.
But before he could take a bite…
"Well, well, well. If it isn't Liam Queen, the golden boy." A sharp, mocking voice cut through the room like a knife.
Liam froze. His stomach sank. He recognized the voice instantly. "Oh, for fuck's sake," he cursed under his breath. "Why now?"
At the doorway stood a tall, muscular boy. His hair was pulled back neatly, his shirt loose and untucked as if rules didn't applied to him. Behind him loomed three of his cronies… wannabe thugs in cheap sneakers and half-buttoned uniforms, grinning like hyenas.
This was Nate, the most popular and feared boy in school, and behind him were his lackeys. Together, they formed the most formidable bullies in the whole of Clovis academy.
And Liam was their favorite prey.