Priana's POV
The ceremony was finally over, but the air in the dormitory felt heavier than before. When I walked into my room, I saw Lufa sitting on her bed, her shoulders hunched in fear.
"Lufa?" I called out softly.
She didn't answer. She didn't even look at me. It was as if I had become a ghost or, worse, a curse she didn't want to touch. I sighed, the weight of my new title—The Assistant—already pulling me down. I quickly changed into my school uniform, trying to wash away the feeling of that cold spotlight.
Suddenly, there was a sharp knock on the door. A stern-looking man stood there. "Priana Reyes? Principal Andrika wishes to see you in her office immediately."
"Me? Why?" I asked, my heart skipping a beat.
"She has matters to discuss regarding your new position," he replied coldly.
I followed him through the labyrinthine halls until we reached the Principal's office. The room was unsettling—shrouded in shadows with only a few dim lights flickering like dying stars. Madam Andrika was seated in her high-backed chair, her back turned to me.
"Madam? You asked for me?" I whispered.
She swiveled around, a chillingly graceful movement. "Ah, Priana. You're here. As the new Assistant to The Elites, you must know everything about them.
Their schedules, their likes, their dislikes... everything."
She handed me a thick, leather-bound diary. "This contains all the information you'll need."
I took the diary, my fingers trembling as I flipped through the pages. But when I reached the very last section, my blood ran cold. There were rows of signatures—about twenty or thirty of them. Next to each name were two dates: the day they started as an Assistant and the day they 'left'.
"Who are these people?" I asked, looking up at her.
Madam Andrika's lips curled into a mysterious, thin smile. "Those are the previous Assistants. They sign this ledger before they depart from San Miguel High School."
I stared at the dates. Some had only stayed for a month, some for a week... and some had 'left' after only a single day. A wave of dread washed over me. Did they really leave, or did they disappear?
"Now, go," Madam Andrika said, her voice dropping to a low, commanding tone. "The Elites are waiting for you. Don't keep them lingering."
"Yes, Madam," I replied, clutching the diary to my chest like a shield. As I walked out, one thought haunted me: Will my signature be the next one added to this list of the lost?
My feet felt heavy, almost rooted to the ground, as I stepped back into that decaying, shadow-filled corridor. Every inch of my body was trembling, a cold sweat breaking across my forehead. I had no idea what my first day as an Assistant would bring, but the dread in my chest was suffocating.
I stood outside the heavy wooden door of their lair, clutching the diary to my chest like a shield. Taking a deep, shaky breath, I finally pushed it open and stepped inside.
The Elites were all there, scattered across the room, deep in conversation. Suddenly, Marco's sharp eyes landed on me. A slow, mocking smirk spread across his face as he gestured toward the door.
"Look who's here," he announced, his voice echoing. "Our new Assistant has finally arrived."
One by one, they all turned to look at me. Their gaze wasn't ordinary—it was predatory, as if they were dissecting my soul. I struggled to meet their eyes, but a voice in the back of my mind screamed, Don't give up. You have to fight to survive.
"I heard something interesting about you, Priana," Lian said, stepping forward with a dangerous glint in his eyes. "Word on the street is that you're quite the fighter. How about a little match between us? Let's see what you've got."
My heart hammered against my ribs like a trapped bird. I felt dizzy with fear. How was I supposed to fight someone like him—the team's strongest brawler?
"It's true," Rafael added, leaning back with a chilling grin. "I've seen her in action. She's got spirit. Don't hold back, Lian."
I looked around the room, trapped. They weren't just testing my skills; they were looking for a reason to break me.
"Fine," I said, my voice surprisingly steady despite the storm of fear inside me. "I'll fight."
The room went silent. Warren stepped forward, his expression filled with genuine concern. "Priana, don't do this. Lian is a professional brawler. You won't stand a chance. Please, just back down."
But before I could respond, Anrio's cold voice cut through the air. "Don't stop her, Warren. If she says she can do it, let her prove it." He sat back, his dark eyes fixed on me with a mocking expectation.
"Yes," I repeated, looking straight at Anrio. "I can."
The Elites cleared the center of the room, sitting in a circle on their desks like spectators at a gladiator match. Lian stood before me, cracking his knuckles, a confident smirk on his face. "Ready, princess?"
"More than you are," I retorted with a defiant tilt of my head.
Suddenly, I caught Oscar's gaze. He was leaning against a pillar, watching me with a strange, knowing smile. My heart skipped a beat—He definitely knows who I am.
But there was no time to think about him now.
The fight began. Lian moved with terrifying speed, his punches whistling past my ears as I narrowly dodged them. For a few minutes, I was just running, my mind screaming that I couldn't keep this up. I can't just run. I have to strike.
As Lian lunged at me again, his fist aimed at my face, I saw my opening. I didn't flinch. Instead, I grabbed his arm mid-air, used his own momentum against him, and twisted it behind his back in a swift, locking move. Before he could react, I delivered a sharp, calculated punch that sent him crashing to the floor.
The room fell into a deathly silence. The Elites stared at the fallen Lian, their eyes wide with disbelief. A triumphant, mocking smirk spread across my lips as I watched them scramble to help him up.
"So," I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm. "Does this mean I won?"
They all glared at me, their faces twisted in irritation. Anrio stood up slowly, his presence looming over me. "Winning one fight doesn't make you a victor, Priana," he whispered, stepping close enough for me to feel his cold breath.
"There are far worse things waiting for you than a punch."
I didn't back down. I stepped even closer, looking up into his dark, dangerous eyes. "I'm ready for all of them."
"I only went easy on you because you're a girl," Lian muttered, dusting off his clothes. "Otherwise, I would've crushed you."
I couldn't help but let out a mocking laugh. "Sure, Lian. Keep telling yourself that."
"Boys, enough," Warren intervened, trying to calm the tension.
But Marco stepped forward, a cold glint in his eyes. "Since you're so energetic, why don't you start by cleaning this entire classroom? Every inch of it."
"What? This whole place? Alone?" I gasped.
"That's not our concern," Marco replied indifferently.
Left with no choice, I began cleaning. The room was a disaster—thick layers of dust and grime suggested it hadn't been touched in years. My lungs burned and my muscles ached, but I pushed through.
Just as I finished one half of the room, Rafael and Diego began kicked piles of trash and dust back onto the clean floor.
"Are you blind?" I snapped. "I just cleaned that!"
They didn't even look at me; they just kept making a mess. For five grueling hours, it became a cycle of me cleaning and them destroying. I was exhausted, my throat parched with thirst. I looked around for water, my eyes landing on a bottle near Anrio.
"Thirsty, Assistant?" Anrio asked, his voice dripping with malice. He picked up a bucket filled with filthy, murky water. Before I could react, he drenched me with it from head to toe.
The room erupted in laughter. "There," Anrio smirked. "Consider your thirst quenched."
I glared at him, my heart boiling with rage. "You smell disgusting, Priana," Lian added, mocking me.
Dripping wet and shivering, I tried to walk past them to leave. But Diego stuck his foot out, tripping me. I stumbled forward, unable to stop myself, and crashed straight into Anrio.
His powerful arms wrapped around my waist to steady me. For a second, the world seemed to stop—like even time was watching us. For a fleeting second, the mockery vanished from his eyes, replaced by an unreadable, intense gaze. My heart hammered against my ribs, and I could feel the warmth of his breath on my skin.
I forced a defiant smile. "Well," I whispered, looking him in the eye. "Now you smell like garbage too."
I shoved him away and stormed out of the room. As I hurried down the corridor, a voice called out behind me. "Priana."
It was Oscar. He stepped closer, his expression unreadable. "You're brave, I'll give you that."
My breath hitched. My suspicion was turning into a terrifying reality. He stopped just inches away from me, a knowing smirk on his face. "I recognized you the moment I saw you today. You're the little mouse who was snooping around the Principal's office last night, aren't you?"
My blood ran cold. "Please... don't tell Anrio," I pleaded, my voice trembling. "I'll do anything."
Oscar's smile widened, but it didn't reach his eyes. "I won't tell him... on one condition. You will listen to me, and me alone. And stay away from the others. Don't get too close to anyone else, especially not Anrio. Understood?"
"I... I'm already your Assistant," I stammered.
"No," he whispered, leaning in. "You are my secret now."
And secrets, in this place, were far more dangerous than enemies.
He laughed and walked away, leaving me frozen in the hallway. I stood there, shivering in my soaked clothes, wondering what kind of trap I had fallen into. Who should I listen to? Do my own choices even matter anymore? I felt like a pawn in a game where the rules were written in blood.