Priana's POV
School was finally over for the day. While other students headed home, I made my way toward the school dormitory. My family lived in another city, so the hostel was to be my sanctuary—or so I hoped.
As I walked through the halls searching for Room 5, I noticed students glancing at me, their whispers trailing behind like cold shadows. I ignored them, my mind focused on finding my new home. Finally, on the second floor, I found the door marked with a bold '5'.
Inside, a girl was already settled in. She looked up as I entered. "This is Room 5, right?" I asked.
"Yeah," she replied bluntly. "You must be the new roommate."
I nodded and began unpacking my things, but my mind was far from calm. If The Elites really make me their 'Assistant', will they truly destroy me? I thought, a shiver running down my spine.
My father had such big dreams for me; he sent me to this prestigious city school for a better future. How could he have known that this luxury was just a mask for a living hell?
I looked at my roommate, who was busy with her own things. "Hey, what's your name?"
"Lufa," she said, without looking up. "And yours?"
"Priana." I sat on my bed, clutching my knees. "Lufa... do you know anything about The Elites?"
Lufa froze. She turned to me with a strange, guarded look in her eyes. "It's better if you don't know about them," she said darkly.
"But I need to know," I insisted. "I don't understand what's happening in this school."
Lufa sighed, sitting across from me. "The Elites... they come from families so wealthy that money means nothing to them. Neither does human life. Their President, Anrio Castillo, is someone everyone fears. But the real nightmare started three years ago."
My breath hitched. "What happened?"
"There were rumors," Lufa whispered, her voice dropping. "Rumors that students were being used for illegal human experiments right here on campus. Some say it's still happening in the shadows. Everyone believes The Elites are involved, that they are part of the machine."
"Are they really?" I asked, my heart hammering.
Lufa looked toward the door as if checking for listeners. "Some believe it, some don't. Then there are The Rebels. They claim to be the saviors, the ones fighting for us. But listen to me, Priana—if you want to survive here, you have to keep your eyes and ears open. Sometimes what we see is the truth, and sometimes... it's the biggest lie."
"Has anyone tried to find the real culprit?" I asked, my voice trembling.
"Many have tried," Lufa replied with a grim smile. "But they all vanished. One day they are here, and the next, they are gone without a trace. No bodies are ever found, so there are no police reports. People just say they left the school on their own. But we know better... nobody just leaves San Miguel."
"Lufa," I whispered, my voice barely audible. "Tell me more about the members of The Elites."
Lufa leaned in, her expression grimmer than ever. "It's not just their President you should fear, Priana. The other six members are just as lethal."
She began to count them off, each name feeling like a nail in my coffin. "Oscar Cruz. He's the group's second-in-command. My fingers tightened around the bedsheet. That name… I had just heard it tonight. He looks calm and incredibly handsome, but don't let that fool you—he is ruthless. Then there's his brother, Warren Cruz. He's the only one with a shred of mercy in his heart, but for the team, he'd do anything. Every girl in school is obsessed with him."
I listened, my breath hitching as she continued. "Marco Santos is their eyes and ears—the team's strategist and spy. There isn't a single secret in this school that hasn't reached him. Rafael Morales is a predator, especially when it comes to girls.
You stay far away from him. Lian Ramos is their brawler, a fighter who knows exactly where to hit to break you. And then there's Diego Navarro. He's arrogant, filthy rich, and believes money can buy a person's life—literally."
Lufa's gaze darkened. "They are all bad, Priana. But Anrio Castillo... he is the nightmare itself. Nothing stops him. Once he sets his eyes on someone, their life is as good as over."
My hands started shaking, and my heart hammered against my ribs so hard it was painful. My vision blurred. I punched him, I screamed internally. I punched the nightmare.
"What... what is the meaning of that ceremony?" I stammered, my voice cracking.
"That?" Lufa replied with a hollow look. "That is Anrio's grand stage. It's where he publicly marks his next victim. Once you're called up in that ceremony, it's the beginning of the end. He calls it... The Verdict."
The clock struck midnight, but sleep was a luxury I couldn't afford. Every time I closed my eyes, the word 'The Verdict' flashed like a warning sign in my mind.
The fear was paralyzing, yet beneath it, a spark of defiance flickered. Are students still being used for experiments? What is the dark truth of San Miguel? I couldn't let more lives be destroyed. I needed proof.
I glanced at the other bed; Lufa was fast asleep. Moving like a shadow, I grabbed my phone, switched on the flashlight, and slipped out of the room. My target was the Principal's office—if there was any evidence of these horrors, it had to be there.
But the school at night was a different beast—a cold, silent labyrinth. I wandered through the dim corridors, the beam of my flashlight cutting through the gloom. Suddenly, in the darkness, I collided with something solid.
My heart leaped into my throat as I stumbled back, but a pair of powerful arms shot out, gripping my waist and pulling me firmly against a hard chest. My breath hitched. In the faint, flickering light, I caught a glimpse of his face.
My blood ran cold. It was him—the boy who had gagged me and dragged me into that nightmare of a room earlier.
He hadn't recognized me yet in the dark. I panicked and shoved him away with all my might.
"Who are you? And what are you doing here?" he demanded, his voice echoing in the empty hall. "Don't you know being out at this hour is strictly forbidden? How did you even get in here?"
"I... I got lost," I stammered, trying to mask my trembling voice. "I left something in my classroom this morning and came back to get it, but I can't find my way out. Can you... can you help me?"
He stepped closer, his presence intimidating. His shadow fell over me, and for a moment, I forgot how to breathe. "You came back for a lost item? At this hour?" He sighed, sounding more annoyed than suspicious. "You're lucky you ran into me.
Lucky… or completely doomed?
Anyone else would have made you regret stepping out. This school isn't safe at night, girl. If you stay out here, you're looking for trouble."
Just then, his phone vibrated. He picked it up, and a voice on the other end barked, "Oscar, where are you?"
My heart stopped. Oscar Cruz. The second-in-command of The Elites.
My hands began to shake violently. I needed to get away—now. As I turned to bolt, my foot slipped on the polished floor. I braced for the impact, but Oscar caught me again, pulling me upright.
"Hold on," he said, shoving his phone back into his pocket. "I'll walk you back."
"No! No, that's not necessary!" I cried out. I gave him a desperate shove and sprinted toward the exit, my feet pounding against the tiles.
"What a strange girl!" I heard him shout behind me, his voice filled with confusion.
I didn't stop until I reached the safety of the dormitory. I leaned against the door, my chest heaving, my mind spinning. I had narrowly escaped a disaster.
If he had recognized me as the girl who punched his President, it would have been all over.
Now, as the first light of dawn began to creep over the horizon, only one thought remained: What will happen when the sun fully rises? What does 'The Verdict' have in store for me?
And for some reason… I couldn't shake the feeling that I was already on their list.