“Well, it’s nice to see myself at the Academy that I once helped fund to make a reality,” he says, his cold voice slithering through the room.
I scoff. Give it to him to drop that shit.
“As you all know, I am Kenneth Henry Arden, and have been asked to give you insight into the minds of the truly powerful.”
“You mean killers, villains and evil people?” Artemis asks,her eyes cold as she stares at Arden.
Damn, she’s getting moody. I smirk slightly, my eyes searching for the other blond diva we have in this school, Charlotte Arden, unless she skipped the lesson, but I spot her sitting in the back. I can’t see her face from here, but she remains silent.
And Jayce isn’t here… He’s been missing more and more lessons… Ever since Sienna’s returned to the Academy, Jayce has become more and more scarce.
“A title those who call themselves the good guys, the heroes, give to another group, simply because they do not see eye to eye with them,” Arden says, his cold eyes burning into her. I see Carter frown as he sits forward, his broad shoulders shielding Artemis slightly from Arden’s view.
“Still evil,” Artemis mutters.
A few people nod as I continue to spin my pen, leaning back in my seat.
“Call it what you wish, Miss Nicholson, but it doesn’t change the truth. Those who call themselves ‘heroes’ will tell you that the truly powerful are wrong. That is their opinion; it doesn’t make it the only right one.” He steps forward, his shiny boots squeaking against the marble floor. “But let’s call them villains to make it easier for you all. Villains win because they are not afraid of themselves.”
I look up at him, noticing how Aunty Maria’s eyes are fixed on him. And although she’s standing with her legs apart, hands behind her back, I know she’s ready to attack if the need arises.
A few students shift in their seats, glancing at each other.
“Are you saying we are afraid of ourselves?” Renji asks, with a tiny frown on his forehead as he looks at Arden.
“Yes. You cling to morals,” he continues arrogantly. “To laws, to codes, crafted by those who are in positions of power. You don’t get to choose what you want to do. You are told what to do. You all fear the rage and dark thoughts that you all have inside of you, yet too afraid to ever mention them because it would make you look like an evil person. You fear what you are capable of. You fear your own thoughts. Your own instincts. Your own hunger. And those you consider ‘good’ or ‘on your side’.”
His gaze sweeps across the room, like he’s looking at a pack of slugs or some shit, before he smiles coldly.
“But a villain?” He taps his temple lightly. “A villain listens to the quiet voice in here. The one you smother with rules and guilt and expectations. And that allows them to unlock capabilities that you all squash over moral beliefs.”
“Love how he says ‘you’, dude knows he’s a criminal,” someone mutters.
His smile turns sharper.
“Let’s take the current state into account.” I see Aunty Maria’s watching him intently, but Arden simply begins pacing.
“The Indomitable are gaining the upper hand; not once have I heard where you have won or lowered their numbers at all. They seek you out, they attack, they win. They don’t apologise for feeling anger, or ambition, or desire. They do not bend to systems designed to keep us small. How helpless haveyou all felt? How many of you have lost loved ones? How many of you have felt angry that you haven’t gone on the offensive?”
I clench my jaw, sensing the unease in the room. How fucking easily he’s getting to everyone.
“We know why we aren’t attacking, because we don’t have enough intel,” the Arden Princess finally speaks, and all eyes turn on her as she stares at her father with full contempt. “We also know that it is our humanity that holds us together.”
“But it will also be what will cost you your life,” he says now, looking up at her.
The odd tension between them rises, and I wonder how it must feel to know your father is a turd.
Arden waves a hand dismissively. “Humanity, laws, right, wrong. Those are cages built for the powerless. A hero will stop at the bars. A villain will simply remove the entire cage.”
Some students sit straighter, their annoyance clear on their faces. Others are thoughtful, and I can tell he’s enjoying it.
The reactions.
“You believe righteousness makes you strong.” He tilts his head. “It does not. It makes you predictable.”
He begins to walk again, circling the room slowly. “While you hesitate, a villain acts. While you think, a villain strikes. While you decide whether you’re allowed to do something, a villain is already doing it.”
His voice drops, soft but unnervingly cold.
