Chapter 27 Getting Sent Home

The atmosphere on the field was still thick with tension when suddenly, a loud voice cut through the silence like a knife.

"The disciplinary officer is coming!"

Liam turned his head in the direction of the shout, his sharp eyes immediately catching sight of a student pointing towards a tall, broad-shouldered man who was making his way toward them with firm, authoritative strides.

Liam let out a long, irritated sigh, rolling his eyes as he smacked a hand against his forehead.

Of course.

Of course someone had gone to call the damn disciplinary officer.

It wasn’t as if fights were uncommon in this school. In fact, they happened so often that the school had felt the need to hire a full-time disciplinary officer just to keep things under control. Normally, that wasn’t an issue. Liam had seen countless fights break out over the years, and every time, the disciplinary officer would show up, dish out punishments, and send everyone on their way.

But right now, Liam wasn’t in the mood to deal with this nonsense.

He had already accomplished what he wanted. Kyle had been humiliated again, and this time, he had made sure everyone saw it with their own eyes. That was enough for now. He wasn’t interested in wasting his energy arguing with some school enforcer who probably had nothing better to do.

But there was no avoiding it.

The officer had already arrived.

The man came to a stop in front of them, his sharp gaze sweeping over the scene before him. His expression remained unreadable as he took in Kyle’s groaning form lying sprawled at the bottom of the stands, the stunned and horrified faces of the students, and Liam standing there like he had done nothing wrong.

"Someone get him to the health center," the officer finally said, gesturing toward Kyle. Immediately, a few of the students—some of whom were still recovering from their shock—hurried forward, carefully lifting Kyle up and carrying him away. Kyle groaned in pain but didn’t resist. He probably didn’t even have the energy to protest.

Once Kyle was out of the way, the disciplinary officer turned his full attention to Liam and Ann.

"You two—go home immediately," he ordered, his voice firm and leaving no room for argument. "I’ll decide on your punishment later."

Liam’s eyebrows rose slightly in disbelief.

"Go home?" he echoed, tilting his head. "The school day is only halfway over. There’s still at least three more hours until closing time."

The officer didn’t even acknowledge his words. He simply turned around and began walking away, his posture rigid with authority.

Liam felt an immediate urge to smack himself in the head again.

What a waste of time.

The punishment itself didn’t bother him. He had dealt with plenty of punishments before—detentions, suspensions, extra work, whatever. But the fact that this man had just come here, kicked him out of school without so much as a proper discussion, and then walked off like it was nothing... that was what annoyed him.

It wasn’t even about fairness.

It was about time.

Now he had to waste his time going home in the middle of the day for no reason.

As if sensing his frustration, Ann reached out and gently grabbed his hand.

"Just let it go," she said softly, her warm fingers pressing against his skin.

Liam glanced at her before exhaling through his nose, nodding slightly. "Yeah, yeah," he muttered. "Not like arguing will change anything."

But before he left, he suddenly turned toward where Dickson was still sprawled unconscious on the stands.

Liam walked over without hesitation, raised his hand, and—

SMACK!

Dickson’s body jolted violently as he snapped back to consciousness, his eyes fluttering open in confusion and pain.

"Argh, what the hell?" he groaned, his hands immediately flying up to clutch his throbbing head. He squinted up at Liam, his expression groggy and disoriented. "What happened?"

Liam didn’t even bother explaining. He simply adjusted the strap of his bag and smirked.

"See you later," he said casually before turning on his heel and walking away, leaving Dickson blinking in utter confusion.

Ann followed beside him as they made their way out of the field, the weight of the earlier events still lingering in the air behind them. The students continued to whisper amongst themselves, exchanging theories and speculations about what they had just witnessed. Some were still too shocked to say anything at all.

Once they reached a quieter area near the school gates, Liam turned to Ann.

"I’ll see you later," he said, nodding toward the direction of her house. "I need to go grab my bag from the classroom before I leave."

Ann hesitated for a brief moment.

For a second, it looked like she wanted to say something—her lips parted slightly, her eyes flickering with an unreadable expression.

But then, she simply closed her mouth, exhaled softly, and gave him a small smile instead.

"Alright," she murmured. "See you later."

Liam nodded, then turned and made his way back toward his class.

The hallway was mostly empty when he arrived, the silence a sharp contrast to the chaos that had unfolded outside just moments ago. He walked straight to his desk, grabbed his bag, and slung it over his shoulder.

He didn’t talk to anyone.

Didn’t make eye contact.

He simply walked straight out of the classroom, making his way toward the school gates without so much as a backward glance.

If there was one good thing about being sent home early, it was that he now had extra hours to rest.

After all, he hadn’t slept at all last night.

And if there was anything Liam valued as much as trouble—

It was sleep.

Liam walked down the quiet streets, his bag slung over one shoulder, his mind surprisingly calm despite everything that had happened today.

His thoughts drifted, as they often did when he was alone, to his past.

He was an orphan.

A kid who had lost everything at a young age and had no one who truly cared for him except one person—his father’s brother.

When his parents died, nobody had taken him in. No long-lost relatives had come knocking on the door, offering comfort or a place to stay. No distant cousins had sent letters, no aunts or uncles had stepped forward. Everyone from his mother’s side of the family had turned a deaf ear, completely ignoring his existence. It was as if they had been waiting for the moment they could cut ties with him.

His father’s side wasn’t much different.

Except for one man.

His uncle.

His father’s brother had been the only one who reached out, the only one who made sure Liam had what he needed. He didn’t live with Liam, but he made sure he was never without money for school, food, or clothes. He checked in on him regularly, made sure he wasn’t struggling, and whenever Liam expressed that he was doing too much, his uncle would simply laugh.

"You’ll pay me back in the future, brat."

That’s what he always said, as if he was keeping some kind of tab, though Liam knew he never meant it seriously.

Liam had no idea what kind of life his parents had been living before they died, but it was clear they had been keeping secrets. They had no friends, no close connections, nothing. It was almost like they had been ghosts moving through the world.

And then, one day, they were gone.

A car crash.

That was what they told him.

And he wasn’t even allowed to see the bodies.

"It’s too mangled up for a little boy to behold," they said.

Liam had been in school when the news reached him. One moment, he was a normal kid, and the next, he was alone in the world.

Shaking the thoughts away, Liam continued walking until he finally reached his house.

It was big. Too big for one person, really. But it was all he had.

The moment he stepped inside, he felt the exhaustion hit him like a wave. His eyes were already growing heavy, his body aching for sleep.

Locking the door behind him, he didn’t even bother going upstairs. Instead, he walked straight to the couch and let himself fall onto it, sinking into the soft cushions.

Sleep came almost immediately.

Or at least, it tried to.

But then—

Something rang in his head.

It wasn’t a sound. It wasn’t a voice.

It was a warning.

A feeling.

His eyes snapped open.

And that was when he saw it.

An axe.

Rushing straight toward his head.

Liam barely had time to react, but his instincts kicked in, and he rolled off the couch just in time. The axe embedded itself into the couch where his head had been just a second ago, the impact sending a loud THUD echoing through the room.

Heart pounding, he quickly pushed himself backward, putting space between him and the attackers as he took in the sight before him.

There were five of them.

And they were all holding axes.

His eyes immediately recognized four of them—they were among the men who had attacked Miss Amanda at her home yesterday.

The only one missing was the one that was stabbed.

A slow, dangerous smile spread across Liam’s face as he rolled up his sleeves.

"The first one was so good, you guys came for more?" he said, his voice calm despite the situation.

The leader of the group, a man with a jagged scar running down his cheek, grinned wickedly in return.

"After we’re done with you," he said, his voice dripping with cruelty, "we’ll cut you into pieces and drop your head at Amanda’s house. The rest of your body?" He chuckled darkly. "We’ll leave it on the road for the birds to feast on."

Liam’s expression didn’t change.

If anything, his smile grew wider.

"Interesting," he murmured, flexing his fingers.

It seemed like he wouldn’t be getting that extra sleep after all.

****

Support with Golden Tickets and Power Stones.