Zein's Point of View
I walked out of that gymnasium before the echoes of the "Bloody Week" announcement could even fade. Principal Francisco's face, Madame Violet's insanity—it was all too much. A week where murder is legal even in broad daylight? They aren't leaders; they're monsters playing with a dollhouse.
When I entered the dorm, the air was thick with a different kind of tension. Vanessa was awake, sipping water while Jerome hovered nearby.
"How are you feeling?" I asked, sitting down next to Matt.
"I'm okay," Vanessa replied, her brow furrowed. "But what happened? Why am I back here?"
I couldn't help but smile. My friends looked at me like I'd finally lost my mind. "You're scaring us, Zein," Dave muttered.
"I'm just amazed by you, Van," I said, my voice filled with genuine pride. "You stood up to them. You were brave enough to contradict the people who literally own our lives. It was incredible."
Vanessa actually blushed, burying her face in a throw pillow. "Stop it! That's so embarrassing."
"She deserves an award," Mia laughed, but the humor didn't last long.
"Let's not forget the Secretary," Matt added, his eyes warm as he looked at me. "Vanessa, Zein saved your life. She's the one who reminded everyone that only the SSG President has the power to authorize a death sentence. Not the Admins. Not the teachers. Only Ace Craige."
Vanessa's eyes went wide. She lunged off the sofa and tackled me into a hug, sending us both sprawling onto the floor. "I really idolize you, Zein!" she shouted.
I laughed, feeling a brief moment of warmth. I had promised to protect them, even if it cost me everything. "And don't worry about the exams," I added happily. "I talked to Sir Alvarez. Our grades are taken care of."
I expected them to cheer. I expected them to jump for joy. Instead, a suffocating silence swallowed the room.
Mia suddenly threw her arms around me, sobbing into my shoulder. My heart hammered against my ribs. Mia doesn't just cry. Something was wrong.
"Why, Zein?" she choked out, pulling back to look me in the eye. "Why did you keep it a secret from us?"
My blood ran cold. "W-what are you talking about?"
"We know, Zein," Matt said, his voice laced with an uncharacteristic edge of anger. "We know you found out the secret of HU. We know that because of what you know, they'll never let you leave."
I was speechless. The walls I had built to keep them safe were crumbling.
"Why, Zein?!" Mia shouted. "You're always saving us, always thinking about our future. But what about you? What if we get free and you're left behind to rot? What then?!"
The tears I had been holding back finally broke. "I don't care about myself!" I screamed back. "I've accepted it! I know I'm going to die here because I know too much! But you guys... you were supposed to be innocent! You weren't supposed to be part of this!"
"Dr. Quizon," Dave said quietly.
The name hit me like a physical blow.
"The secret ingredient," Jerome continued, his voice steady. "A formula that can bring the dead back to life."
"And the person holding that missing ingredient," Vanessa added, "is right here among us."
The room felt like it was spinning. They knew. They knew about the resurrection project, the madness of the science, and the danger we were all in.
"That is the secret HU kills to keep," Mia said, wiping her eyes.
My chest tightened until I could barely breathe. If they knew the secret, the Admins would never let them go either. My plan to save them, to be the lone sacrifice, had failed. We were all targets now.
"Now, Zein," Matt said, reaching out to take my hand. "We are in this together. No more secrets. If this is where we fall, we fall as one."
"We will never leave you alone," Vanessa whispered. "We will die together."