"In a moment." The guard spun Nile around and pushed him against the wall. The boy stiffened and tried to move away, but the guard dragged him right back. Nile stared blankly at the wall, as his pants were jerked down. 

"I won't take you dry." The guard said in a reassuring tone and Nile heard a cap open, followed by a squirt of moisture. Then greasy fingers probed his entrance. Nile supposed the man was being kind, by some Syre's standards. 

He felt the first push of a cock into him and shut his eyes, biting back a whimper of pain. Tears stung in his eyes and he hid his face against the wall, pressing his forehead against cool stone. 

He couldn't deny it any longer. He had no wall to prevent that entry, no matter how hard he clenched. It only made it hurt worse. A sob caught in his throat. 

He was a Fei.

The guard didn't seem bothered by Nile's passivity, but was content to rut against him, fingers bruising his hips. The man finished quickly and came with a groan, hot breaths clammy against Nile's nape. 

"Stars, I needed that." He kissed Nile's neck and pulled out. Nile felt wetness trickle down his leg. The guard chuckled and lifted the boy's pants back up, then slapped his ass, making him yelp. "Move it, your next class is starting." 

Sparks stung Nile's arm, where the guard touched him, and he numbly followed. He felt dirty and pitiful. His backside throbbed and he desperately wanted a shower. 

They entered a training hall filled with Fei and to Nile's horror, young Syre were present too. Syre he might know. 

He stopped short and the guard pushed him inside and blocked the door. Nile felt the blood drain from his face, when eyes turned towards him. 

"Nile!" Cirres waved from a group of Fei and Nile lowered his head, letting his hair fall over his eyes, and approached the boy quickly. 

"Where you go? I look for you." Cirres touched Nile's back and peered into his face. "Oh." 

Nile glowered at Cirres' sympathetic expression. If the boy comforted him now, Nile might burst into tears and that would be humiliating. Cirres frowned at him and quickly withdrew his hand. 

"Each of you will be paired up with a Fei." The female had her back to them and was facing the Syre, addressing them. "To test your strength." 

One by one, Fei and Syre were called forward. 

Nile kept his eyes on the floor and wet his dry lips. His heart pounded in his ears and his stomach was in knots. If his friends were in that crowd...if they had seen him...the thought made him sick. 

"Next." The Syre called and a small push in Nile's back let him know it was his turn. He glanced up, only to see where he was going, and then quickly looked down again. 

He felt a Syre come up beside him and touch his shoulder. A glass ball was placed on a table in front of them. 

"Begin." The female called. "Focus only on your target." 

Nile felt the fingers on his shoulder tighten and then a strange pull on his insides. He gasped and shuddered. Heat ran up his spine and his teeth started to chatter. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the Syre lift his hand, golden fingers outstretched, and bright light flared at his fingertips, incinerating the ball. 

"Very good." The female sounded pleased. "Another Syre!" 

Nile panted and the room started spinning. The Syre beside him moved away and a new one took his place, gripping Nile's shoulder. A second glass ball was placed on the table. 

"Now." The female ordered. 

Another tug inside him, this one gentler, and the power that shone on the Syre's fingers only crackled in the air. He heard the Syre beside him curse quietly. 

"Next." 

Nile swallowed hard and tried to stay upright. Suddenly he was ravenously hungry and sweat beaded on his brow. He should have drunk something and eaten his lunch earlier. Instead he'd run off and been cornered by a guard. He was an idiot. 

A new hand came to rest on his shoulder, feeling warm through the cloth. The pull came without warning and it tugged hard. Nile fell to his knees and the light that flared beside him nearly blinded him. All that remained of the glass ball was a scorched mark on the table. 

"Excellent!" The female called. 

Nile's stomach heaved and he fell to his hands and knees. Someone lifted him, but he didn't see who. He heard the female speak, as if he was underwater: "Another Fei!" 

A gentle hand pushed back his hair and stroked his cheek. Nile sighed and leaned into the touch. A bottle was urged to his lips and he sipped water clumsily, some of it dribbling down his chin. 

The world around him was blurry, but he gradually became aware that he was sitting on the floor in the hallway, leaning back against the wall. 

"Sorry about that." 

Nile looked at the Syre in front of him, a boy his own age, with white blonde curls and pale blue eyes. He was lean, beautiful and everything a Syre ought to be. It almost hurt to look at him. 

Nile let his gaze drop to his knees and the boy stroked his cheek, fingers soft on his skin. "I didn't mean to take that much. Can I get you anything? Some salt or sugar?" 

"I didn't eat lunch." Nile muttered, feeling his cheeks heat. He idly wondered if he was embarrassed because he was being coddled or by the fact that he was enjoying it. 

"I'll get you some." The boy stood and walked quickly down the hall. 

Nile let his head fall back against the wall and closed his eyes, swallowing back nausea. 

"Well, well, well. I certainly didn't expect to see you here." A voice spoke. 

Nile tensed and opened his eyes warily. He looked up at an unfamiliar Syre and frowned. The boy smirked and leaned against the wall, crossing his arms. He was a little on the short side, for a Syre. 

"Do I know you?" Nile rasped. 

The boy's smirk turned into a scowl. "We were classmates for five years! Do you seriously not-" The boy took a deep breath and visibly gathered himself. Then he threw Nile a contemptuous look. "Not that it matters anymore." 

Nile squinted and finally placed the boy's features. His brows shot up in disbelief. "Tamper?" 

"It's Tammer!" The boy snapped, eyes blazing with anger. 

"You are a Syre?" Nile was shocked. Of all people tiny timid Tammer was the last person he had expected to become Syre. What was the world coming to? 

"Oh you just can't believe it can you? You and your friends would either ignore me or torment me! You acted as if you were already Syre and you walked all over the rest of us. But now look at you!" Tammer spat, fists clenched at his sides. 

"I didn't torment you. I barely noticed you." Nile's pride stung and he scoffed, realising too late that this was the wrong thing to say. 

Tammer kicked him in the ribs, with a heavy boot, and Nile fell to the floor. "Shut up! You think I care what you think? You're nothing!" 

Before Nile had a chance to respond, a hand gripped his hair and a bolt of power tore through his head, accompanied by a fist slamming into his face. 

Stars exploded before his eye and for a long moment he lay stunned, waiting for the hallway to slide back into focus. He felt the first dregs of fear and pushed weakly up on his arms. 

"I-I'm sorry." He lifted a shaking hand in a placating gesture, feeling blood run down his mouth and chin. "I'm sorry, Tam-" 

"You will address me as Syre!" A second kick struck Nile in the stomach and made him curl on his side, gasping for air. 

"Not so high and mighty now are you?" Tammer stood over him, face twisted with hatred, and punched him again and again.  

"Stop!" A voice ordered and then a guard was shoving Tammer away and lifting Nile. Pain sliced through his abdomen and Nile cried out, whimpering pitifully. 

"What happened?" The guard demanded. 

"He talked back! He insulted me!" Tammer was breathing hard and his furious stare was still focused on Nile. He had completely lost control. Even in agony, Nile was shocked to see it. 

"Calm down." It was the curly haired boy, who had returned with a bag of food. He was staring at Tammer in disbelief. 

"This is not how you discipline Fei. I'll have to report this." The guard said and turned away with Nile in his arms. 

He could hear Tammer's outraged objections echo in the corridor, but the pounding in his head soon drowned out the sound. 

He came to on a bed in an infirmary, lights harsh in his eyes. Someone was prodding his ribs and the pain made him sob. 

He readily accepted the pills a Fei urged him to take and his body soon grew heavy and warm. The lights started to dim, until everything went dark.