Zein's Point of View
As the sun rose the next day, we immediately headed for the Administration Office. We didn't even manage to get our things back; all we wanted was to get out of here.
"What can I do for you?" Madame Violet asked us with a smile.
She was playing with a pen, repeatedly tapping it on the table. She was still wearing a black dress. Even her eyeshadow, lipstick, and nails were black. She must have been a "black lady."
"Good morning, Madame Violet. Thank you very much for having us here last night. We were just about to say goodbye and leave,"
Vanessa said politely. It was probably the most respectful voice I've ever heard from her.
I remained standing by the door, itching to leave.
"Oh, why?" She acted surprised, though it was obvious she was just pretending. "You were so excited yesterday. Did something happen?"
"A lot..." Matt said.
"This school is a complete mess!" I couldn't hold my tongue any longer. I stared at Madame Violet intently. "And that Bloody Night? How has this place not been closed yet?
"Easy, Zein Shion," Madame Violet chuckled. "Hell University is an independent school. It is not under the government's control, and they cannot interfere with it."
"How is that possible?" Dave asked in disbelief. "Anyway, we don't care anymore. Just show us the way to the exit, please."
Madame Violet shook her head and leaned back in her swivel chair. She looked at us one by one. Then, a chilling smile appeared on her black lips.
"My bad. Remember when I told you yesterday that you have to know one thing about Hell University?" The smile on her lips widened even more. "There's one more thing..."
"We are not interested anymore," Matt said.
"We are leaving now!" Vanessa insisted.
I looked at Mia, who was silent. She seemed to still be traumatized by what happened last night.
"We have our one and only rule here..."
Madame Violet suddenly said, grabbing my attention. "Once you enter, there's no turning back."
My jaw dropped. I suddenly remembered the words I had seen engraved on the wall before we entered.
"Well, f*ck your rule!" Vanessa slammed her hands on the table. "We are going out of here whether you like it or not!"
"This is illegal," Matt said emphatically.
"You entered legally. No one forced you. You even willingly filled out our forms. All you have to do now is..." she chuckled, "...stay."
"Bullshit! We're leaving. We'll find a way, and when we do, we'll report you to the police," Jerome threatened.
"Go ahead, Mr. Jerome Marquez. Find the way out if you can. No one is stopping you," Madame Violet replied with a laugh. She looked so confident that we'd never find a way. She didn't take our threats seriously at all.
Suddenly, the door opened, making me jump back. A student walked in without looking at us. He was carrying several paper bags.
"It's good that you're here, Mr. Onel Ty," Madame Violet greeted him. "Please distribute their uniforms and schedules."
Onel handed us the bags one by one. Mia and Matt accepted them—as if they had any choice. Jerome snatched his away.
"No." Vanessa shook her head. "What's the point of a uniform? Are you actually going to teach us lessons, or is killing the only thing you know how to do?"
"Hell University is still a school. We only select teachers who pass our rigorous exams because we want to provide high-quality education. I can assure you that you will learn more here than at any other school," Madame Violet said in a long litany.
Vanessa laughed sarcastically. "Despite the danger? I doubt it."
"Yes," Onel Ty answered.
"I wasn't talking to you," Vanessa snapped. Jerome held back a laugh.
"If I were you, I would show Mr. Onel Ty some respect. He's the SSG Vice President," Madame Violet added.
"Like I care?" Vanessa rolled her eyes.
"To answer your question, yes." Madame Violet stood up and walked over to the bookshelves. "Let's just say the rewards here aren't just double or triple."
"Even if it means sacrificing lives?" Mia asked.
"Maybe you just tricked them the same way you tricked us," Matt smirked.
"Enough with the discussion." Madame Violet turned to us, the smile vanishing from her lips. Her gaze was now a glare. "Wear your uniforms and go to your respective classes."
"You'd better listen to Madame Violet," SSG Vice President Onel Ty added. "The President might catch you. I'm sure you won't like the punishment."
We had no choice but to follow orders. We went to the restrooms to change into the uniforms. The boys went separately because we had different schedules.
"I must say, their uniforms are cute," Mia giggled.
We were stunned when a tall girl walked in. I was the tallest among my friends, but this girl towered over us. For some reason, she looked frightening. She went to an empty sink and washed her hands. I watched her in the mirror. Her long hair was pitch black, and her eyes were dark. She was gorgeous.
"Newbies..." she said suddenly, without glancing at us.
I quickly looked away when she turned toward us, pretending to fix my hair. I could still feel her gaze. Why was I so nervous?
"The news is true—six rats entered. How pathetic," she said.
My ears perked up, and I couldn't help but look at her. Her eyebrows were raised, and a smirk played on her lips. People here love to smirk, don't they?
"Don't fret too much. We're leaving soon," Vanessa grumbled.
the girl laughed softly at Vanessa's words. She looked at herself in the mirror again and applied lipstick. I noticed a small cut on her neck.
"Are you leaving? Show me the way when you find it, okay?" she said, laughing.
"What? You don't know the way?" I asked in surprise.
She shook her head and put her lipstick back in her bag. She pursed her lips one last time at the mirror before facing us.
"No one knows. Once you enter, there's no turning back. Unless you're dead or..." she trailed off. She walked toward the door, but before leaving, she added: "You can escape if someone with a high rank helps you. But... who?"
She left, slamming the door shut. The three of us stood there, stunned.
Madame Violet wasn't kidding about the quality of education. I'm usually okay at Math, but I sometimes struggle. However, I understood the first subject quickly.
"Zein, don't you notice anything?" Vanessa whispered. I was sitting between her and Mia.
I almost rolled my eyes. Of course I noticed—nearly everyone in the class was staring at us. Some were glancing; others were smiling weirdly.
"Mia?" I tried to get Mia's attention, but she was staring blankly out the window.
Suddenly, Mia cried out and hugged me. I followed her gaze outside. I froze. There was a man tied to a chair. He was naked, his hands bound behind his back. His body was riddled with stab wounds, and his tongue was hanging out.
Whispers and screams erupted in the classroom. The students rushed to the window, led by Mr. Alvarez, our Math teacher. I wanted to see more, but Mia was clinging to me.
"Shit! Who did that? How heartless," Vanessa commented, rubbing Mia's back.
"Devils. Only someone heartless could do this," I said. They're demons. We need to get out of here.
"Are you okay?!"
"What happened to Mia?"
The boys arrived, panting with worry.
"She's okay, just scared. We should take her back to the dormitory," I suggested.
Dave picked up Mia. Vanessa and Jerome helped them, but Matt stayed behind.
"We found out something about this school," Matt said seriously.
Before I could ask, he moved into the crowd of students to get a better look. I followed. I covered my mouth, nearly vomiting at the sight of the man's tongue. There was a mark on it—a sunken brand that looked like it had been made with a hot iron.
"They did it again," whispered a girl wearing glasses nearby. She looked at me and grinned. "Zein, right? I'm Meico, a third-year student."
I just nodded, having no interest in making friends.
"That mark on his tongue symbolizes the Black Blood Gang," she explained. "They're making themselves felt again after last week.
It means another war is coming. It'll be intense because they killed the brother of Raze Silvenia—the leader of the Devil God Warriors."
I swallowed hard. We had to leave.
"Shall we go?" Matt asked. I nodded one last time toward the body.
"Rouge Silvenia... she is Raze's only sister," Matt said as we walked, his expression grim.
"Who are they?" I asked, though I had just heard the name from Meico.
Matt put his arm around me and managed a small smile. "Enough. You don't need to know everything, Zein. Otherwise, you might never be able to leave, and I won't let that happen."
I didn't understand him. How did he know so much already?
We reached the dormitory and found Mia sleeping on the sofa. Vanessa was setting the table.
"Let's eat. What's your next subject?"
Vanessa asked.
"English," Matt replied.
Vanessa looked at me. "History," I said.
"You're the only one going to be separated," Vanessa noted.
"Do you all have English?" I asked. They nodded.
"I could watch over you," Matt suggested, staring at me intently.
"No, I can handle it!" I laughed. I admit, I was thrilled by the offer. I've had a crush on Matt for a long time, but he's so insensitive.
It was noon, and the heat was intense as I walked to the far end of the building alone. I was late. I hurried past the staring students.
The classroom was silent when I entered; the teacher wasn't there yet. I bowed my head awkwardly and sat at the back.
"Late? You're brave."
I looked at the person next to me. It was the tall girl from the restroom. Her red lips and black eyes were just as terrifying as before.
"Just be thankful the Supremo didn't catch you," she said, shaking her head before looking back at her notebook.
My eyes widened when I saw what she was drawing.
Nails.