Zein's Point of View
I knew it. Julse's own conscience was the only thing left to kill him after his friends were gone. Damn that red-haired guy; he knew exactly how this would end. He knew none of the three would survive the day.
Suddenly, the Supremo walked into the office, looking like he was on the edge of a breakdown. For once, he wasn't just fierce; he was visibly frustrated.
"Damn it!" He slammed his hands onto his desk and buried his face in his arms.
I looked at Onel, who simply shrugged. I ignored Ace and went back to my own thoughts, trying to piece together the chaos.
"Prepare the SSG Officers," Ace barked suddenly.
We all froze. I didn't know what he meant, but a wave of nausea hit me. Whatever he was planning, it wasn't good.
"What do you mean?" Teacher Kath asked, standing up. Even Fritzy looked nervous.
"The Black Blood Gang is openly defying us," Ace began, a dark grin slowly spreading across his lips. "They are killing even when it isn't a 'Bloody Night.' They're hunting for something... but they're going to find exactly what they deserve."
Was this it? Was this the "deluge" everyone was talking about? I could feel the danger vibrating in the air. Hell University was becoming a powder keg—the gangs against the Student Government. Who would prevail? And who would be left standing when the smoke cleared?
Later that afternoon, I was carrying a stack of documents for Madame Violet when Roxane and her sycophants blocked my path. I glanced at the band-aid on her leg. Please. It's barely a scratch.
"What do you want?" I snapped.
"Wow. You're just a newbie, yet you're so brave," Roxane sneered, her eyes scanning my uniform. "How did someone like you end up in the Highest 10?"
I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. Why is everyone so obsessed with my rank? "So what if I am?" I countered.
I didn't care if she was the "Queen." I held the Ninth position; I figured I had earned the right to be a bitch back to her.
Before I could react, her two henchmen grabbed my arms. My papers scattered across the floor, fluttering away in the breeze. I felt a surge of white-hot anger, but I stayed silent as Roxane stepped closer.
"You have no right to talk back to me," she whispered, grabbing a handful of my hair and pulling. "I am the Queen."
It started as a dull ache, but as she tugged harder, the pain intensified. Other students just stood there, watching. No one moved to help. Pathetic.
"Zein, right? I've heard a lot about you. You're trying to make a name for yourself, aren't you?" Her voice was dripping with irritation.
I actually smiled. I could see it now—she was threatened. She was worried I was damaging her "perfect" image. "You're pathetic," I whispered.
The slap came fast and hard. My cheek burned. That was about 50 degrees, I thought bitterly. When I get out of this, I'm going to make her taste 180.
"How dare you!" she shrieked. "Are you trying to make me lose my mind?"
"You're still just a pathetic bitch, Roxane. You call yourself Queen? You're powerless."
Her eyes widened. She reached out and, in one swift motion, ripped the front of my blouse. The buttons popped, and I felt the cold air hit my skin. I heard the crowd erupt—the men were whistling and laughing.
"One more move, 'Queen' Roxane," I said, my voice dropping to a deadly, low vibration, "and I'll show you how this game is actually played."
She just laughed and reached for another button.
Something snapped inside me. A wave of heat flooded my veins, so intense I felt like I was melting from the inside out. I lost sight of the hallway, the students, the noise. Everything went black.
The next thing I knew, the two men who had been pinning my arms were slumped on the ground. I didn't even remember hitting them. I turned toward Roxane and saw something beautiful: pure, unadulterated fear in her eyes.
"W-what are you doing?" she stammered, backing away.
"I'm showing you how it's done."
I slapped her with every ounce of strength I had. She hit the floor hard, clutching her jaw.
"160 degrees," I smirked.
The students gasped, but I didn't care. I felt a strange, dark satisfaction. Roxane had to pay.
"Damn you!" she spat, blood trickling from her lip. "You'll regret this. Wait until Raze hears about this."
Raze. The King. The leader of the Devil God Warriors. Did I need to be afraid of him? Maybe. But at this point, I knew I was living on borrowed time anyway. If I was going to die, I might as well go out swinging.
"Report me, then," I said, leaning over her. "That's all you're good at, isn't it? Being a coward."
I gathered my papers and walked away, my heart still racing. I still couldn't believe what I'd just done—how I'd taken down all three of them in a blur of motion. It was like the anger had taken control of my body.
I went to the bathroom to change into my spare blouse. I winced as I saw the ruined one in the trash. "Bitch," I muttered.
I hurried to the Admin Office to drop off the papers. Madame Violet was sitting at her desk, holding a gold mask that she quickly shoved into a drawer when she saw me.
"What is it?" she asked with a practiced smile.
I didn't say a word. I just set the papers down. She didn't even look at them; her eyes were fixed on me. "One of a kind," she whispered.
"I'm leaving," I said, turning for the door. I couldn't stand being in the same room as her. Breathing the same air as the leader of these devils made my lungs feel heavy.
"You remind me of her," she called out as I reached the door. "Your traits... they're exactly the same."
I ignored her and stepped into the hall. I didn't care who "she" was.
"Zein!"
Vanessa was waiting for me, looking frantic. "Did you... did you really do that to Roxane?"
The news had spread like a virus. "Yes," I said shortly.
"Zein, you shouldn't have! She's the Queen! Her boyfriend is Raze Silvenia! You've just signed your death warrant!"
"Death is always near, Vanessa," I said lifelessly. "That's just the reality of this place."
I started to walk away, but she grabbed my arm, spinning me around. I was about to snap at her, but the words died in my throat when I saw the tears streaming down her face.
"Why are you so selfish, Zein?!" she sobbed. "You don't even think about how we would feel if you were gone! You're so obsessed with your own survival or your own pride that you've forgotten about us!"
She turned and ran away. I stood there, paralyzed. Her words cut deeper than any slap from Roxane. She was right. I had become so consumed by my position and the danger that I had pushed my friends away. I had become selfish.
I needed to find them. I needed to apologize.
But before I could take a single step, a cold metal ring snapped around my wrist. Handcuffs.
Two men wearing red masks—the signature of the Devil God Warriors—stood on either side of me. I looked up and saw Madame Violet watching from her office door, her expression unreadable.
"This is the Boss's order," one of the men growled, pulling me toward the shadows. "Are you ready to die?"