It was a sunny day on Monday, September 1, the year 1877, and Thomas ‘Tom’ Jones could barely contain his excitement as he approached the gates of a school so privileged that only the best of the best were able to attend. He had pushed himself to the limits, not missing a single day of study time, all in an effort to gain entry into the damned school.

As Tom approached the school, he couldn't help but be awestruck by the breathtaking sight before him. The outside of the school was undeniably spectacular, with beautiful architecture and landscaping that would have been well out of his reach had it not been for the single-minded determination he had poured into his studies.

Tom took a deep breath, feeling a mixture of pride and determination in his heart. He thought back to his mother, who had been crying and cooking all of his favorite meals before he left. It seemed silly, but he also understood that he was her only son after all, and she had three girls to take care of. The memories of his mother's love and support fueled his determination even more, as he walked forward and into the school's impressive front doors.

Tom looked around at the chaotic scene in front of him. Everyone seemed so polished and confident, talking in their high-class voices. There were girls giggling and swooning over their crushes or discussing the latest fashion trends. It was all so foreign and different from what Tom was used to. For a moment, he felt like he didn't belong in such a place and sophisticated environment.

Tom's eyes focused on a group of people gathered around a boy in the hallway. From his reputation alone, he knew it was Lionel Beaumont, also known as ‘Leo,’ the son of the school's operator. ‘Augustus Beaumont,’ Tom had heard that Leo's father had many other businesses in the palm of his hand, Leo was a ruthless person, making him a person to avoid. Even in the past, he knew well to steered clear of any talk or involvement with Leo, and he intended to keep it that way.

Tom nodded to himself, deciding that the best course of action would be to keep a low profile until he graduated from the school. He wasn’t interested in getting involved in any of the other things Leo and his crowd were into. He knew there were others like himself who had been fortunate enough to attend, and he thought it shouldn’t be too

difficult to make friends with them.

Tom steeled himself, determined to make the most of his time at St. George’s Collegiate Institution. He had worked hard to get into this prestigious school, and he was determined to be the best of the best while he was there. The world was his oyster, and he was ready to take advantage of every opportunity that came his way.

“Time to make this year count!”

Tom blushed as he realized he had said his internal thoughts out loud, causing a few people to glance his way before returning to their own conversations. ‘How embarrassing!’

He had been careless and had ended up drawing unnecessary attention to himself.

He shook his head, trying to brush off the feeling of self-consciousness that was creeping up on him. He needed to keep his emotions and thoughts under control if he wanted to make a good impression here.

End of chapter 1\~

New Beginnings \~

"Thomas was still reeling from his earlier blunder when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned to find a girl standing behind him. She was about his age, with a badge on her uniform indicating she was a second-year student at St. George's.

She smiled kindly at him, "Hello dear, may you happen to be Thomas? "Thomas looked at her, "Ah hello, and yes that's me, you must be..?” The girl soon responded “Emily, my names Emily, Welcome to St. George’s I’ll be showing you around today!”

Emily gave a friendly smile. Thomas responded just as enthusiastically as her. “It's nice to meet you, Emily. I do hope we can become well acquainted during my time here." He smiles.

Thomas then exclaims. "I'm happy to even be able to stand here in a school like this!" He blushes a bit due to his outburst but still continues enthusiastically. "This place is amazing, and the architecture is incredible! I've heard that many of the teachers come from prestigious private schools.

Emily nodded, a smile playing on her lips. "Yes, that’s true . You seem to be quite familiar with the school, and even enthusiastic when it comes to learning; Although I hope that that enthusiasm of yours last, the teachers can be quite strict when it comes to rules. Misbehavior, bad manners, and late work is something most of them absolutely despise so do best as to try and follow the rules here alright?" 

Emily then pauses before continuing on. "as you can see, that would be the outcome of breaking the rules." She gestured towards the boy with stacks of paper in hand. "The teachers will give you extra work, and you don't wanna end up like Marion, he’s always in trouble but since he’s from nobility and paid a hefty price to get in they can’t really kick him out" she says sighing.

Thomas looks at the boy and then responds "well then I'll be sure to keep that in mind. I'm not looking forward to getting punished on the first day…Instead, I think i might just steer clear from any trouble.Emily, perhaps you could share some tips on how to survive my first day here?"

Emily looks at with curiosity. "Hmm i could althought if i must say, watch out for the professor holding a locket, he's got gray hair and always seems to be wearing that disgusting shade of green as if it's his lifeline." She scrunches her face at the thought of the teacher. “If you unfortunately end up in his class, don't bother coming late, doing so would get you scolded, as-well as a couple hundred lines." She continues on. "But- if you happen to have a reasonable excuse you are most likely be let off with a firm warning." 

She goes on to tell you more about the school and teachers. "One, if you're staying on campus it would be best if you registered for your room early." She hums for a moment. "Two, most of the students here have quite a hard time when it comes to learning due to how much work were assigned with everyday, so most don't know where to start or how to study, but In the library there are books that you can read that are very helpful with basically all the subject here like history, arithmetic, philosophy, and some that includes language, and literature arts." "Lastly" She begins speak in more of a hushed whisper. 

"If you absolutely and positivity want to avoid trouble, I would advise staying far away from Lionel Beaumont." She looks around and then turns to you. "His father is a well known noble, everyone knows him, Lionel completely runs this school, and everything that lives within its walls. They say anything he wants he gets. Even the teachers, and principal try to act strict with him, but they never punish him, because they know his father runs the school and can easily get them fired." 

She shrugs and sighs. "Due to the Beaumonts being nobility, it grants them immense power in and out of school, I have heard his father most rarely is involved with the school board unless Lionel has formed some type of confusion and disarray. Lionel's the only heir to his father's title, so ofcourse he'd be spoiled rotten! He has even gotten a few kids to leave this school."

She sighs disappointedly "It is not even that those kids chose to leave, It was done because they were harassed, and were treated unfairly. It was real big talk in the school." Emily expression soon goes a bit cautious. "I have even heard about the time when someone because of him…d-. Ahem!" Emily clears her throat as if she has said too much. "we shouldn’t talk about this come on, follow me." 

Thomas thinks it was strange but it’s common with all lower class and nobility they’ll always be seen below the class ranks. Thomas and Emily continue to get acquainted, Emily takes him on a tour of the school. She soon begins showing him the various rooms and facilities available to the students. They begin by visiting the different classrooms where the students attend their lectures, some of which are currently being used for various classes. Next, they head to the school's bathroom, which is spacious and well-equipped with daily life conveniences. The cafeteria is their next stop, where the students dine during breaks and lunch periods. After that, they visit the PE classroom, which contains various equipment for physical activities.

Finally, they make their way to the principal's office, which is well-decorated and home to important documents and records regarding student behavior and attendance. Overall, Emily's tour of the school helps Thomas become more familiar with his new surroundings and environment.

Thomas smiled appreciatively. "Thanks for showing me around, Emily. Could you aswell show me where my class is? I'm positive I'll become lost if you leave me right now." He handed her his school schedule, and Emily took it, looking at it briefly. "Class 13-A2, huh? No worries, I can take you there. It's upstairs," she responded, smiling warmly.

With that, Emily started to lead the way towards the staircase, its stone steps carpeted in a dark maroon fabric. The dim lighting of the hall cast their shadows long against the white-painted walls, as they began the climb towards the upper floors of the school.

Thomas couldn't help but admire the architectural details of the school as they walked, the elegant arches and tall windows giving the place an almost palatial feel. He followed Emily closely, taking care to keep up with her pace as they ascended.

Upon reaching the top of the staircase, they found themselves faced with a long corridor lined with closed doors on either side. Emily scanned the numbers on the doors, searching for the one that said 13-A2. "Ah, here it is," Emily said pausing in front of a door. The number "13-A2" was carved into a small plaque above the door. "This is your class!" she announced, holding the door open for him to enter.

Thomas nodded, smiling gratefully. "Thank you for all your help Emily, I really appreciate it. I guess I'll be seeing you around then?" He reached out to retrieve his school schedule from her, and she handed it back with a smile of her own. "It was my first time showing someone around the school as a second year, and it turned out to be quite fun," Emily remarked. "Hopefully I'll see you later as well. See you!"

End of chapter 2\~

Navigating St. George's & making acquaintances\~

Thomas mouth curves a little smile at her before turning towards the door. "Come on Thomas, you can do this." He then entered the room full of students, everyone stops what they are doing to look at him, which makes him feel quite embarrassed.

The teacher, Mr Henry noticing him then speaks up in a polite but firm voice. "Everyone, quiet up!" He then turns towards Thomas. Which makes him tense a bit because of nervousness. "I haven't seen you here before so you must be a first year correct?" He says. Thomas reply's "Yes sir!"

The professor looks him up and down as if monitoring to see if he was the good or bad kind, and aswell making sure his uniform is fixed. "Very well then introduce yourself to the class boy, and then you may take a seat next to Albert, in the back." Thomas nods standing in front of lots of unfamiliar faces.

'Here we go.'

He gulps and then begins to introduce himself. "Hello, my name is Thomas, but you can call me Tom or Tommy if you'd like. I enjoy reading and drawing, my favorite color is blue, and if you have any questions about me feel free to ask." He smiles feeling very confident in his introduction. The professor points to the back of the class where the boy named Albert, he mentioned is sitting down. There's an empty desk next to him.

The teacher nods, looking satisfied with Thomas's introduction."Alright then, Thomas. Thank you for introducing yourself. Please make your way to the back and take a seat next to Albert."

Thomas nods, and then makes his way to the back of the classroom. He can feel the eyes of his now new classmates on him as he walks. Everyone is just as new as him yet he feels out of place. Most of them are either here on scholarship or are from families of nobles. They seem to be judging him based on his looks already. When he reaches the empty desk next to Albert, he glances over at the boy, and takes a seat beside him.

The teacher begins taking attendance to make sure everyone's present. Albert looks at him and suddenly speaks up in a hushed tone. "Hey you said your name is Thomas, right?" Thomas looks at Albert. "Oh yes I am, and you are Albert right?"

Albert grins, nodding in acknowledgment.

"Yep, that's me, Albert." He looks Thomas over, his eyes assessing the new arrival in the class. "So where are you from?" Thomas responds "I'm from Serenity Evergreen, it's a small town located in a corner of the country. It's not too far from here, you could even see it due to all the hills near there."

Albert listens intently as Thomas tells him his origins, nodding in understanding."Serenity Evergreen, huh? I think I've heard of it. If it's near those hills, I think my dad mentioned it once." Albert leans back in his chair, a smirk playing on his lips."Bet you've never been to a school like this one before, am I right?"

Thomas looks at him as if contemplating what to say next. "never, it actually still amazes me that I got in. I was sure they would look at my letter of request and just throw it away." Albert chuckles, a look of amused disbelief in his eyes."Well, they must've seen something in you that made them accept your request. You don't get into a school like this just by luck."

He studies Tom for a moment, his expression growing slightly serious."But just so you know, this place isn't like any other school you've been to. Things work differently here, it's not a play pen if anything it should be threaded on carefully. "Thomas listens carefully as if ready to hear the biggest secret someone has ever dropped on him yet.

"Yes I'm listening? "Albert leans in closer, lowering his voice to a quiet murmur. "You see in St. George's, it's not just about grades and learning. It's about power and influence. The kids who hold the most power here are, the ones who control things behind the scenes. And sometimes, they can be just as ruthless as some of their parents."

He looks over his shoulder, checking to see if anyone else is listening. The teacher is still calling out names, blissfully unaware of their conversation. Albert turns back to Thomas, his eyes intense as he continues to speak softly.

"Since all of us are first years here, that means everyone will be watching us. The second, and third years will try gauge how much of a threat we are. You need to be careful who you trust and be prepared for anything."

He pauses for a moment, letting his words sink in before speaking again."Especially Lione-." Just then a smack of a ruler could be heard on the teachers desk. The teacher is glaring at the both of them. Speaking up he says I'm a stern voice.

"Albert, Thomas, quiet!"

You both just straighten into your new assigned seat as the teacher finishes taken attendance. Just then the door opens. The entire class turns towards the door as it opens. All eyes follow the person who enters, curious about the interruption.This was very rushed because I slept all day.