Authors POV
The laughter in the room died by the sharp click of boots. Nicky Colt leaned against the cold stone wall, a smirk playing on her lips as she eyed the group.
"Wow, Supremo," she drawled, her voice dripping with mock admiration. "Seems like you've forgotten the rules of Hell University's ?
"Cause in this place, kindness is luxury and survival is currency."
Ace didn't flinch. He stepped forward, his gaze icy. "You don't need to worry about what is going on here, Nicky. Mind your own business."
Nicky chuckled, pushing off the wall. "Business is exactly what I'm minding. You're looking for ghosts, but you're standing right on top of the grave." She leaned in, whispering a riddle that chilled the air:
"Where the heartbeat of the school stops, and the white coats turn to gray, the floor that doesn't exist holds the price you'll have to pay. Look for the room that breathes, where the silver door stays locked by a key made of screams."
Before they could demand an answer, she disappeared into the shadows of the west wing.
"What does she mean?", Jay questioned to Ace.
Ace was about to answer when a static-filled page echoed through the halls: "Ace Craige, report to the Administration Office immediately."
Ace tightened his grip on his jacket. "I have to go. Don't do anything reckless," he warned before turning toward the office tower. Then he disappeared leaving them in questions.
With Ace gone, Zein and Jay were left alone in the dim light of the student lounge. The silence was heavy. Zein noticed Jay staring blankly at a crumpled piece of paper, her brow furrowed in concentration.
"Jay? What are you thinking about?" Zein asked softly, sitting beside her.
Jay exhaled, smoothing out the paper. It was an old, yellowed photograph from decades ago. "I found this in the basement. Look at the picture , it's my mom , keifer's dad and this logo seems like your necklace. That building... it's not on any of the campus maps."
Zein's eyes widened as she looked at the faces in the photo—faces that looked hauntingly familiar. "We need to find truth.Because here they buried deep inside.," Zein whispered.
"I know," Jay replied, her voice firm. " I will.Just don't n't tell keifer about this yet".
"I won't . But we will find truth together",Zein said raising her hand forward.
"Together",Jay said before joining her hand.
Keifer's POV
I was heading to the cafeteria, my mind only on getting some food for Jay. She hadn't eaten all day, and the stress was wearing her down.
I ran into Matt near the courtyard, but before we could exchange a word, Nazzer stepped out from the shadows.
"Keifer. Matt, I have a deal for you both" Nazzer said, his voice like gravel. "My gang is expanding. We need muscle, and we need brains. There's a spot for both of you. Power, protection, and no more looking over your shoulders."
"Forget it," I snapped immediately. "I don't play those games, Nazzer. I don't need those fake power. I'm out."
I expected Matt to walk away with me, but he stayed rooted to the spot. "I'll do it," Matt said quietly.
I froze, turning back to him in disbelief. "Matt, what are you doing? You know what his gang does. Don't be a fool."
"I'm tired of being the underdog, Keifer!" Matt shouted, stepping toward Nazzer. "I'm taking the deal."
"Matt, stop!" I reached for his arm, but he shoved me back.
"Stay out of it, Watsom. I've made my choice." I watched, as Matt walked away behind Nazzer, leaving his promise to Zein and friends in the dust of the playground.
I was still thinking when I heard Jay voice from behind .I turned and saw her with everyone sitting at a table. I started heading towards them when a announcement was made.
The announcement cut through the tense atmosphere of Hell University like a serrated blade. Static hissed from the overhead speakers, a rhythmic, mechanical heartbeat that preceded the voice of the Supervisor.
It was cold, devoid of humanity, and carried a tone of bored disappointment.
"Attention, students," the voice drawled, echoing through the corridors. "We've been watching. The 'Bloody Night' has become… predictable. Tedious. You've grown soft, hiding in the shadows, waiting for the sun to rise. The thrill of the hunt has been replaced by the cowardice of survival. We find the current state of affairs quite boring."
A heavy silence fell over the student lounge. Zein and Ace exchanged a look of pure dread.
"To remedy this lethargy," the Supervisor continued, a hint of a cruel smile audible in his tone, "we have prepared a little game. Check your lockers. Inside, you will find a chit. For some, a name is written—your assigned target. You are the hunters. For those who find their lockers empty… you are the prey. The rules are simple: kill or be killed. Enjoy the night."
The speakers clicked off. For a heartbeat, no one moved. Then, the stampede began.
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Zein's POV
My legs felt like lead as I ran toward the locker bays. Beside me, Jay's breathing was shallow and ragged. We didn't speak; the air was already thick with the sudden, predatory shifts in the students around us.
Friends were looking at each other with narrowed eyes.
I reached my locker, my fingers trembling so hard I fumbled the combination twice. Please let it be empty, I prayed. Let me be the prey. I'd rather run than have to hurt someone.
The door swung open. A small, square piece of yellow paper sat on the metal shelf. I picked it up, my heart hammering against my ribs like a trapped bird. I unfolded it.
Two words were written in elegant, black ink:
JASPER JEAN MARINO
The world tilted. I felt sick, the bile rising in my throat. I looked to my left. Jay had her locker open. She was staring at her own slip of paper, her face draining of all color until she looked like one of the ghosts Nicky Colt had mocked us about.
She turned to me, her hand shaking as she held out the slip. I didn't need to see it, but I looked anyway.
ZEIN SHION.
"Zein," she whispered, her voice cracking. "They want us to… they want us to kill each other."
Around us, the room exploded into chaos. Screams erupted from the far end of the hall as the first hunter found their prey.
But all I could see was Jay—the girl who had just promised to find the answers with me. The administration didn't just want blood; they wanted to destroy the only thing we had left: our loyalty.
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Jay's POV
I couldn't breathe. The photograph from the basement—the one that held the secrets to this hellhole—was still tucked in my pocket, but it felt meaningless now. How could we solve a mystery when we were being forced into a cage match?
"We won't do it," I said, my voice firmer than I felt. "Zein, look at me. We aren't playing."
But as I spoke, I saw movement behind her. A group of students was already circling. They weren't looking at us—they were looking at the "prey" who were scrambling to find exits.
"Jay, we have to move," Zein hissed, grabbing my wrist. Her grip was tight, a physical reminder that we were still on the same side. "If we stay here, we're targets for anyone who thinks we're in their way."
We bolted toward the west wing, the shadows Nicky had vanished into now appearing like a sanctuary. As we ran, I saw them.
Cin. Jerome. Vanessa. Mia.
They were huddled near the trophy cases, their faces masks of pure terror.
I saw Cin pull at his locker door frantically, over and over, as if a name might magically appear if he tried hard enough. It remained empty.
"They're prey," I gasped, stumbling. "Zein, they're all prey. They don't even have a chance to fight back."
Vanessa looked up and saw us. Usually sharp-tongued and confident, she now looked small. "Jay? Zein? Did you get names?"
I looked at the paper in my hand—the command to murder my best friend—and then back at the terrified girl in front of me.
The Supervisor wanted a show. He wanted to see if the "Supremo's" circle would tear itself apart.
"Run, Vanessa!" Zein shouted, pointing toward the old infirmary. "Go! Hide in the crawlspaces! Don't trust anyone with a paper!"
I rushed toward Keifer to ask him about his chit.
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Keifer's POV
I stood by the lockers, my own door hanging open. And
I was hunter.I had to kill Mathew a boy from Raze gang.
It felt fitting, in a twisted way. Ace was trapped in the Administration tower. And I was standing here with a target . I can't break the promise I made to Jay.I didn't care about my own life but I care about becoming one of them.
I saw Nazzer's gang forming a perimeter at the end of the hall. Matt was with them, holding a lead pipe, his expression unreadable.
"Hey, Keifer!" Nazzer yelled, his voice echoing with predatory glee. "Check your locker? You looking for a name, or are you waiting for your owner to come back and save you?"
Matt didn't look at me. He stared at the floor.
"I don't need saving, Nazzer," I spat, backing away toward the lounge.
I had to find Jay. If need to know if she was safe. I need to protect her , my friends. I can't lose them.
The "Bloody Night" wasn't boring anymore. It was a massacre in the making, and the heartbeat of Hell University was starting to pulse with a feverish, lethal rhythm..
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A/n
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