Chapter 6: Snacks
The bell rang, signaling the end of first period.
Almost immediately, the atmosphere inside the classroom changed. Students who had been quietly taking notes moments ago began talking among themselves. Phones appeared. Conversations started. The room became noticeably louder.
Professor Bennett gathered her books and headed toward the door.
"Read Chapter six before tomorrow."
Nobody looked particularly excited about that.
The moment she left, a notification appeared in front of me.
______
New Objective Available
Proceed to Snack Break
Reward: +5 Sin Points
Failure Penalty: Unknown
______
I frowned.
The system was treating my school schedule like a quest line.
At this rate, breathing would probably become an objective too.
More importantly, what exactly was the point of Sin Points?
So far, I had earned five points and absolutely nothing had happened.
There wasn’t a shop.
There wasn’t a skill menu.
There wasn’t even an explanation.
The system kept handing them out while refusing to tell me why they mattered.
For all I knew, they could be completely useless.
Then again, this was the same system that had warned me about Bianca before she slapped me across the face and nearly choked me.
Ignoring it seemed like a terrible idea.
I made a mental note to investigate later.
Ryan noticed my expression.
"You really are acting weird today."
That immediately put me on alert.
"What do you mean?"
Ryan shrugged.
"I don’t know. You seem different."
For a brief moment, my heartbeat sped up.
Fortunately, Adrian’s memories supplied a solution.
I rubbed my cheek.
Ryan immediately understood.
"Oh."
His expression softened.
"Right. Senior Bianca."
I nodded.
Ryan sighed.
"She’s going to get herself arrested one day."
I seriously doubted that.
People with money rarely played by the same rules as everyone else.
Especially not in this academy.
The notification remained in the corner of my vision.
Proceed to Snack Break.
Simple.
At least, it sounded simple.
Unfortunately, my experience so far suggested that nothing in Sinners Academy was ever simple.
Ryan stood up.
"Come on."
"Where are we going?"
Ryan stared at me.
"The snack hall."
"Right."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"You really did get hit harder than usual today."
That was becoming a dangerously useful excuse.
The two of us left the classroom alongside everyone else.
The hallways quickly became crowded.
Students moved between classes, talked with friends, and gathered in small groups. Everywhere I looked, there were expensive accessories, designer bags, and uniforms that probably cost more than an average person’s monthly salary.
This school was absurd.
The academy itself looked more like a luxury resort than an educational institution.
Large windows lined the hallways.
Decorative paintings hung from the walls.
Even the floors looked expensive.
As we walked, I noticed something else.
Several girls glanced in my direction.
Then at the cat ears.
Then back at me.
A few started laughing.
I pretended not to notice.
Ryan noticed.
"You’ll get used to it."
"I don’t want to get used to it."
"Fair."
A minute later, we entered a large building near the center of the campus.
The snack hall.
The place was enormous.
Rows of tables filled the room. Large windows overlooked the academy grounds. Several food stations lined one wall.
Students occupied nearly every available seat.
The moment I stepped inside, Adrian’s memories supplied another unpleasant realization.
There were sections.
Not official sections.
Social sections.
Areas dominated by different groups.
First-years sat together.
Second-years occupied another area.
Third-years practically controlled an entire corner of the hall.
Guess which section Bianca’s group occupied.
Wonderful.
Ryan grabbed my shoulder before I could accidentally wander in the wrong direction.
"This way."
I followed him.
We eventually reached a table occupied by Marcus, Ethan, and Daniel.
Marcus noticed me first.
The moment he saw the cat ears, he burst out laughing.
"You actually wore them to class."
"I didn’t have a choice."
"You always have a choice."
Ethan immediately shook his head.
"No, he really didn’t."
Daniel nodded.
"Senior Bianca would have killed him."
"Good point."
I sat down.
Ryan dropped into the seat beside me.
For the first time all day, things felt almost normal.
Almost.
Then Ethan leaned forward.
"So."
I immediately became suspicious.
"So?"
"What happened in class?"
"Nothing."
Everyone suddenly looked disappointed.
Apparently, they had been hoping for a disaster.
They were such a great friends and fantastic support system.
As the conversation continued, I noticed something interesting.
The boys genuinely got along.
Not perfectly.
Not like some idealized friend group.
But there was a comfortable familiarity between them.
Years of shared suffering probably helped.
Being among the only male students in the academy tended to create bonds.
A sudden notification appeared.
______
Objective Complete
Proceed to Snack Break
Reward: +5 Sin Points
Current Sin Points: 10
______
Ten.
My grand total had reached ten.
Still no explanation.
Still no clue what they actually did.
I mentally opened the system.
To my surprise, a new screen appeared.
______
Host: Adrian Cross
Story Position: Prologue
Known Sins: 0
Sin Points: 10
Available Functions: Locked
______
Locked?
That was new.
I tried focusing on the words.
Nothing happened.
No explanation appeared.
No helpful information.
Just locked.
Very informative.
"Adrian."
I blinked.
Ryan was staring at me.
"What?"
"You did it again."
"Did what?"
"That thing where you stare into space."
I sighed.
Apparently talking to invisible system windows wasn’t helping my social life.
Before I could answer, the room suddenly became quieter.
Not silent.
Just quieter.
The change was subtle enough that most people wouldn’t notice.
I noticed.
So did Ryan.
So did the others.
Several students were looking toward the entrance.
A familiar chill ran down my spine.
Slowly, I turned my head.
A group of third-year girls had entered the snack hall.
Walking at the front was Bianca Hartwell.
The moment she stepped inside, conversations shifted.
Some students greeted her.
Others moved aside.
A few looked nervous.
Bianca accepted all of it as naturally as breathing.
Then her eyes found me.
Out of hundreds of students in the room.
Immediately.
A smile appeared on her face.
My stomach dropped.
Ryan followed my gaze.
"Oh no."
Marcus groaned.
Ethan covered his face.
Daniel looked genuinely sympathetic.
None of those reactions made me feel better.
Not even a little.
Because Bianca had already started walking toward our table.
And somehow, I doubted she had come over to apologize.
