Zein's Point of View
The announcement came only half a day in advance: a general meeting in the gymnasium. As the SSG Secretary, I was positioned at the front with the officers. Supremo was locked in a low conversation with Teacher Kath, while Onel and I watched the sea of students. For once, there was no whispering, no fidgeting. They sat in a heavy, expectant silence, waiting to see what new nightmare was about to be unveiled.
The atmosphere shifted from heavy to leaden when Madame Violet and Sir Francisco entered. Francisco wore a constant, oily smile, while the students lowered their gazes as if looking at them would invite an instant death sentence.
"Good morning, Madame. Master Francisco," Ace greeted them with a polite, shallow bow. Onel stood to follow suit. I stood up as well, but I remained as straight as a pillar.
I. Refused. To. Bow.
"Is that how you greet us, Miss Shion?" Francisco asked, his smile never wavering, though his eyes sharpened.
What did they expect? A curtsy? For me to kneel? They aren't gods, and they certainly haven't earned my respect. They never will.
"Good afternoon," was all I allowed to escape my lips. It was the bare minimum of civility, and in this place, that was a victory.
"Samantha..."
I caught Madame Violet whispering the name under her breath, her eyes locked onto mine with a chilling smile. Samantha? My name is Zein. I ignored it, chalking it up to another one of her mind games.
"Madame, let's begin," Ace said, handing her the microphone.
As they moved to the podium, I caught sight of my friends. Mia, Vanessa, and the boys were watching me from the crowd. They waved, their small smiles offering a fleeting sense of sanity.
"Focus," Ace hissed near my ear. I adjusted my seat and stared forward.
"Good afternoon, students," Francisco boomed, his energy suddenly surging. "Today, we gather to celebrate the fifth death anniversary of the late Headmaster, Dominique Valdez!"
A wave of violent murmurs broke out—the first time I'd heard the students openly react to anything. It wasn't a celebration; it was an insult.
"Is it not wonderful?" Madame Violet added, her voice smooth and poisonous. "After years of being ruled by a foolish leader, we are finally free."
No one dared to disagree aloud, but the air was thick with resentment. To call the murdered headmaster a fool was the ultimate disrespect.
"And because of this joy, we are happy to announce the biggest event in Hell University history!"
My heart skipped a beat. A "biggest event" in this school could only mean a massacre. The deluge. The end.
"No!"
A scream erupted from the middle of the gymnasium. A student stood up, his body trembling with rage. "He didn't just die! You killed Headmaster Valdez!"
The gymnasium went ice-cold. Madame Violet and Francisco didn't even flinch; they just laughed.
"Who said he died naturally?" Francisco asked mockingly. "You're right—we killed him. And you're next."
Guards lunged from the shadows, grabbing the boy. I looked at Ace, but his eyes were fixed on the Admins. He was a statue, showing no emotion as the boy struggled.
"Let me go!" the boy screamed as he was dragged toward the exit.
Death for speaking the truth? It was too much.
"That's enough!"
My blood ran cold when I saw who had stood up next. Vanessa. "You killed the late headmaster. If anyone deserves the death penalty, it's the two of you!"
Shit, Vanessa! Sit down!
"We aren't stupid enough to kill ourselves," Francisco sneered, pointing at the boy being dragged out and then at Vanessa. "The only stupid ones here are him... and you."
Before I could breathe, a guard grabbed Vanessa and shoved her with such force she slammed into the wall and slumped to the ground, unconscious.
The heat started to rise in my chest again—that same black-out rage I felt with Roxane. I was losing my grip. My temper was boiling over.
"Touch her once more," I said, my voice vibrating with a threat I didn't know I could make, "and you will regret it."
I signaled Matt, Jerome, Dave, and Mia to get her out of there and back to the dorm. The clinic here was a slaughterhouse; she was safer with us.
I turned back to the Admins. "First of all," I began, my voice steady despite the pounding in my ears, "you don't have the right to impose a death sentence. According to the university manual, that power belongs solely to the Supreme Student President. Second, your presence here is a disgrace. How do you expect to earn respect when you offer none? And lastly, I am the SSG Secretary. I have the power to challenge your decisions when they violate school law."
In Hell University, the SSG President held more functional power than the Headmasters. It was the only leverage I had.
"How rude, Miss Shion," Madame Violet purred. She turned her gaze to Ace. "I assume the Supreme Court will approve of my decisions? President Ace? What punishment shall we give your secretary for her insolence?"
I waited for the blow. I waited for Ace to throw me to the wolves.
"Punishment?" Ace let out a dry, sharp laugh. He looked Madame Violet in the eye, his smile vanishing. "Why would I punish my secretary when she deserves an award?"
Even I was stunned.
"W-what do you mean?" Madame Violet stammered.
"I mean, Miss Shion has amazed me," Ace said, his tone turning clinical. "Of all the secretaries I've had, she's the only one who actually bothered to learn that I am the only one who can impose death here. Impressive, isn't it, Madame?"
Silence fell over the gymnasium like a shroud.
"Ace Craige," Francisco warned, his voice low. Ace just shrugged. He wasn't afraid of them; he was the one they needed to fear.
"Well," Francisco said, forcing his smile back into place. "The event I mentioned will last for one week. Let's call it Bloody Week. For seven days, killing will be legal at all times—day or night. Good luck, everyone. I expect our student population to be cut in half by next Monday."