ã€ŠFracture: The Broken Worldã€‹


 Hello,World

    The world was burning¡ªengulfed in flames of our own making. Our machines, once obedient, turned against us with cold precision, dismantling everything we built. It was the end¡ªor so it seemed. Hope flickered like dying embers, snuffed out by the encroaching darkness. But in that endless void, three sparks blazed defiantly. They didn¡¯t come to save us. No, they came to defy the darkness. Not heroes, but a reckless blaze against a suffocating night, roaring with a fury that said, "We¡¯re not finished yet."

    In the charred remnants of a fallen world, those sparks became legends¡ªthe Three Seats of Power. They weren¡¯t just rulers; they were the last semblance of order in the wreckage. But power is a restless beast, never satisfied. A vacant throne is a gaping wound, inviting blood and war. Systems crumbled, firewalls shattered, and when the dust settled, three took their seats:

    Seat of Order - The White

    Seat of Eye - The Red

    Seat of Havoc - The Black

    For someone like me, who grew up in the shadows of this new order, the real game wasn¡¯t played in broad daylight or the halls of power. It thrived in the dark, where the bold and the reckless thrived. And that¡¯s exactly where I belonged.

    I sat in the dim glow of my monitor, the screen flickering like a heartbeat. Fingers poised over the keyboard, I could feel the familiar rush building. This wasn¡¯t just any firewall¡ªit was a fortress, a digital citadel. But I wasn¡¯t here to break walls; I was here to have fun, to toy with their defenses and slip through the cracks. Every keystroke was a small rebellion, every hack a quiet laugh in the face of their control. This was my playground, and I was the one bending the rules.

    As I scanned the source code on the screen, my eyes narrowed at a string of characters that didn¡¯t belong. A grin tugged at my lips.

    ¡°Gotcha,¡± I muttered, fingers dancing across the keys to exploit the tiny oversight. The system unfolded like a puzzle, its secrets laid bare.

    But just getting in wasn¡¯t enough. I wanted them to know I¡¯d been there, that someone had slipped through their precious defenses. My fingers trembled with anticipation as I typed in two words¡ªsimple, but mocking: Hello, World.

    It would enrage them, no doubt. I could already picture them scrambling to trace the untraceable. With a few final keystrokes, I dismantled their operation. Files corrupted, data rerouted¡ªeverything unraveling, and they had no idea who had done it.

    I leaned back, satisfied, listening to the hum of my computer. It wasn¡¯t about revenge or a grand plan. No, the real thrill was knowing they¡¯d been bested for no reason other than my own amusement. They would spend hours, maybe days, trying to clean up the mess I¡¯d left behind, all while wondering who had toyed with them from the shadows.

    And that? That was the best part.

    My whole night went into this mess. Because of that, I was running late for school. But as luck would have it, school was opening late that day. Why? Who knew. Administrative hiccup, maybe a staff meeting. All I knew was it saved me from an even worse start to the day. Sometimes, it felt like the universe enjoyed balancing out the chaos I created¡ªright before it yanked the rug out from under me.

    And there she was¡ªAaravi¡ªwaiting for me at the school gate, arms crossed, foot tapping in that way that said, Here we go again. Her eyes locked onto mine like she¡¯d been expecting this exact scene. It was like she had a sixth sense for my screw-ups. The universe wasn¡¯t balancing anything after all.

    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    "You¡¯re late again, Vyom." Her tone was sharp, but there was a hint of playfulness in her eyes. "Honestly, I don¡¯t know how you manage to function without a time machine."

    "I was up all night dealing with something¡­ important," I said, rubbing the back of my neck, trying to look casual. "It¡¯s not like I planned to be late. Besides, school¡¯s opening late today, so technically, I¡¯m not really late."

    She tilted her head, giving me that look¡ªthe one where her eyebrow arched just slightly, enough to say, Really? "Not the point," she countered. "You¡¯re always full of excuses. One day you¡¯ll run out of them, and then what?"

    "Then I¡¯ll probably get eaten by a very punctual monster," I deadpanned. "But until that day, I¡¯m surviving just fine in this chaotic universe that clearly has it out for me."

    She rolled her eyes, but her lips twitched, threatening to smile. "You know, it wouldn¡¯t kill you to manage your time better."

    "Maybe I should invest in a suit and briefcase while I¡¯m at it," I quipped, smirking.

    Her foot stopped tapping. "I¡¯d pay good money to see that," she said, the playful gleam in her eyes finally breaking through. "Though I doubt you¡¯d last a day as ''Vyom, Corporate Citizen.''"

    "Mrs. Taskmaster strikes again," I teased, throwing her a mock salute.

    Just as she was about to respond, the school bell rang. Her eyes widened, and her expression shifted to one of panic.

    "Great! Now we¡¯re both going to be late because of you!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with exasperation.

    "Me? You¡¯re the one who stopped me for a lecture!" I protested as we both bolted toward the school doors.

    Our feet pounded against the pavement as we weaved through clusters of students. Aaravi¡¯s grumbling was punctuated by short breaths as she struggled to keep up with me.

    "If you weren¡¯t so reckless, we wouldn¡¯t be sprinting right now!" she huffed, glaring at me between gasps for air.

    "If you weren¡¯t so obsessed with being on time, maybe we¡¯d actually enjoy this run!" I shot back, dodging a group of first-years.

    We darted up the stairs, each step a burst of adrenaline-fueled competition. I could hear her muttering something under her breath¡ªprobably another lecture about time management, but I was too focused on the classroom door rapidly approaching.

    We burst into the room, panting and flushed, every pair of eyes locked on us. The teacher¡¯s gaze was like a laser, cutting straight through our post-sprint euphoria.

    "Nice of you two to join us," she said, her voice colder than a Siberian winter. "Care to explain why you¡¯re so late?"

    We exchanged a quick glance, and without missing a beat, launched into our overlapping explanations¡ªeach blaming the other. The cacophony of our voices bounced off the walls, but it didn¡¯t take long for the teacher¡¯s stern look to silence us.

    "Vyom, stand outside until you¡¯re ready to behave like an actual student. Aaravi," she paused, her tone softening just slightly, "since this is your first time being late, I¡¯ll let it slide."

    Aaravi shot me a look of pure exasperation as she slipped into her seat. I made my way to the hallway, the classroom door closing behind me with a soft thud. The silence of the empty corridor felt heavier than the chaos we¡¯d just left behind.

    As I stood there, I couldn¡¯t help but smile. Even in moments like these, Aaravi had a way of making everything feel¡­ lighter. Less chaotic. Maybe it wasn¡¯t the universe balancing things out after all¡ªmaybe it was just her.

    Ayaan glanced at his watch, his grin widening. ¡°Well, you better start with getting to class on time.¡± He waved as he headed back towards the classroom. ¡°See you at lunch, latecomer!¡±

    I rolled my eyes as I watched him disappear into the crowd of students. I was about to follow when the school bell rang, pulling me out of my thoughts. The sound echoed through the halls, reminding me that, yet again, I was behind schedule.

    Back in class, I found my usual seat at the back, away from the chatter and eyes of my peers. I didn¡¯t like being the center of attention¡ªnot unless I was in control. Ayaan and Aaravi were the only two I felt comfortable around, the only ones who understood me without needing explanations.

    The day crawled by. Lectures blurred into each other, the clock ticking away with agonizing slowness. By the time the interval came, I was more than ready for a break. Ayaan, Aaravi, and I gathered in our usual corner of the courtyard, where the conversations flowed as easily as the laughter. It was our safe haven¡ªaway from the rigid structure of school, just the three of us.

    As we chatted, my phone buzzed in my pocket, pulling me out of the moment. Aaravi noticed, nudging me with her elbow. ¡°What¡¯s that? Another one of your shady deals?¡± she teased.

    I pulled out my phone, expecting a random notification. But what I saw made me pause. The message was from an unknown number. The subject line was stark, simple: Hello, World.

    ¡°Everything okay?¡± Aaravi asked, noticing the change in my expression.

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s nothing,¡± I said quickly, shoving the phone back into my pocket. ¡°Probably just spam.¡±

    But I couldn¡¯t shake the uneasy feeling settling in my gut. That message¡ªit couldn¡¯t be random. It had to be connected to what I did last night. The more I thought about it, the more the pieces started to come together. Could this be the fallout I¡¯d been dreading?

    I tried to push the thoughts away as we headed back to class, but the nagging sensation wouldn¡¯t leave me. The line between my two worlds was starting to blur, and I had a sinking feeling that I wouldn¡¯t be able to keep them apart for much longer.

 Day Nightmare

    The break was almost over, and I barely had time to shake off the unease gnawing at me. As usual, the staff began collecting our phones¡ªa rule that felt more like imprisonment than discipline.

    Handing over my phone, a chill ran down my spine. That strange message from earlier... could it be linked to last night¡¯s stunt? The possibilities swirled¡ªeach more disturbing than the last. I tried to focus as lessons resumed, but the thought clung to me like a shadow, a constant reminder of the dangerous line I was walking.

    With each passing period, the tension built. The words "Hello, World" echoed in my mind, like a glitch in reality that I couldn¡¯t unsee. White text. Black screen. The message twisted and warped in my memory, like it carried some dark truth I wasn¡¯t ready to face. The more I tried to ignore it, the sharper it became, clawing at my focus until everything else blurred. And then, the words shifted, warping into a twisted nightmare.

    The air around me turned heavy, suffocating. A dark dungeon materialized in my mind¡ªcold, endless, cruel. I watched helplessly as shadowy figures dragged Ayaan away, their voices cold and lifeless as they muttered the same two words: ¡°Hello, World.¡±

    My heart pounded. Each beat echoed in the stone walls, amplifying the terror. Aaravi¡¯s head rolled toward my feet, her lifeless eyes staring up at me, empty, accusing. A scream tore from my throat, raw and desperate, reverberating through the dark, my soul fracturing with it.

    ¡°AYAAAANNN! AARAVIIII!!!¡± I screamed, my voice cracking with terror. My chest tightened, panic clawing at my throat as I cried out their names. But the darkness pressed in, growing heavier, until all I could see was deep, blood-red. It zoomed in, like it had a pulse of its own, suffocating me... and then, suddenly, it shattered

    Reality hit me like a sledgehammer.

    ¡°Vyom! Vyom, wake up! VYOM!!¡± The voice pierced through the haze, loud and urgent, pulling me back. I gasped, chest heaving as if I¡¯d just sprinted a mile. My body was drenched in sweat. My hand shot out, grasping at nothing. Slowly, my vision came into focus¡ªyellow walls, blackboard, the dull hum of the classroom coming back into view. Mrs. Anjali hovered over me, her face etched with concern.

    "It¡¯s not like you to fall asleep during computer class, Vyom. Are you okay? Why were you shouting?" Her questions came fast, laced with worry. "You should see the nurse¡ªyou¡¯re sweating."

    The remnants of the nightmare clung to me, thick like fog. "I¡¯m fine, Mrs. Anjali," I muttered, struggling to steady my breath. "Just a bad dream."

    Her frown deepened. "If you¡¯re sure..."

    As she walked back, I caught Aaravi¡¯s eyes, her gaze locked on me. Concern tugged at her expression, but I couldn¡¯t shake the knot in my stomach.I¡¯d shouted her name in my nightmare¡ªand now her worry made my face flush red. I quickly looked away, trying to bury the embarrassment. Just what I needed: everyone''s eyes on my breakdown.

    Most of the class didn¡¯t care. A few heads had turned when I yelled, but for the most part, I was invisible again. Ayaan, though¡ªhis gaze lingered. Silent. Unreadable. That made me even more uneasy. Aaravi¡¯s worry I could handle, but Ayaan¡¯s silence... that was dangerous.

    The classroom faded as I replayed the nightmare in my mind, each piece of it twisting tighter around my thoughts. It wasn¡¯t the first time I had hacked into shady places. Using onion routing to dive into the depths of the dark web¡ªwhere good and evil were shadows of the same shape¡ªwas my game.

    Whenever I found these dark corners, I scanned for vulnerabilities, my fingers itching to exploit weaknesses.Remote Code Execution, injections¡ªI had cracked them all before.I¡¯d even reported crime rings to the authorities, leaving snarky, cryptic messages behind. It always gave me a rush, the feeling of being untouchable, ahead of the game.

    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    But this time? This felt different. The message had found me. How? I always used proxies. Could it be connected to one of my hacks, or was it something darker? A cold wave of dread spread through me. Why did my friends have to die in my nightmare? This was all in my head... right?

    When the final bell rang, I rushed to grab my phone. The moment it was in my hand, my stomach dropped. "You¡¯ve got a ton of messages, kid. Next time, put it on silent¡ªtotal headache."

    My blood turned to ice.

    A thousand notifications. All from one contact. Each message had the same subject: "Hello, World."

    My hands shook as I opened the first one. Random sequences of numbers filled the screen, but I knew there was something hidden in the code.

    Ayaan¡¯s voice pulled me back. ¡°Vyom! You good?¡±

    I shoved the phone into my pocket, trying to stay calm. "Yeah, I¡¯m fine. Just... notifications."

    But before I could relax, Aaravi stormed up to us, voice sharp as a knife. "What the hell is going on with you, Vyom? Spill it!"

    Before I could respond, Ayaan cut in, his voice uncharacteristically loud. "Aaravi, leave it. Go home."

    Her eyes widened. "What¡¯s with you? Since when do you tell me what to do?"

    Ayaan¡¯s voice grew more intense. "I said, GO HOME."

    Both of us froze. Ayaan had never snapped like that before. Aaravi huffed in frustration, but finally, she walked away, clearly upset.

    Ayaan turned back to me, his eyes softer now. "Whatever this is, Vyom¡ªyou don¡¯t have to handle it alone."

    His words gave me a fleeting sense of comfort. But deep down, I knew something terrible was coming.

    ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s late. I need to head home and finish some work,¡± I said, waving at Ayaan as I turned to leave. ¡°Bye.¡±

    The sky had darkened, heavy with clouds that looked ready to burst. Usually, Aaravi, Ayaan and I would walk home together, talking about anything but school. But not today. Today, there was a gap between us, one I wasn¡¯t ready to address. The air felt thick, electric, like something was about to break.

    I hurried down the street, eyes flicking up to the ominous clouds above. It was as if the weather mirrored the storm brewing inside me. Every gust of wind seemed to whisper, urging me to move faster. I wanted to be home, alone, away from everything. From Ayaan. From Aaravi. From the nightmare that was slowly unraveling.

    At home, I locked my door, shutting out the world. The air in my room felt cooler, sharper¡ªlike stepping into a different reality. I threw my bag on the floor and opened my laptop, the dim light of the screen casting long shadows across the walls. There was no turning back now. I had to know.

    For hours, I dove deep into research, the glow of the screen reflecting in my eyes as numbers and sequences blurred together. The silence was suffocating, broken only by the occasional rumble of thunder in the distance. My fingers danced across the keyboard, faster, more frantic. I was chasing something dangerous, and I could feel it getting closer.

    By the time the clock struck 9 PM, my pulse quickened. I¡¯d cracked it. The sequences¡ªfamiliar yet twisted¡ªcame together in a way that made sense. An old encryption method. Almost ancient, by today¡¯s standards.

    ¡°DH encryption... Base 64...¡± I muttered to myself, piecing it all together.

    Though Diffie-Hellman and Base64 encoding were different, tech had evolved, allowing combinations that made these sequences possible. But this? This wasn¡¯t just a trick. It was deliberate, precise¡ªa message.

    As the final pieces clicked into place, the decrypted message stared back at me.

    ¡°Your friends are going to DIE.¡±

    My breath caught in my throat. The room felt colder, the silence suddenly deafening  Reality slammed into me with the force of a freight train. This wasn¡¯t a game. This was real.

    My mind raced, the walls closing in around me. They couldn¡¯t have traced me, could they? I always covered my tracks. Proxies, encryption¡ªno one could find me. But... killing my friends? That was impossible.

    Ayaan¡¯s father had top-level security, men who watched his every move.Scouts at the school, surveillance systems, encrypted everything. No one could get through.

    And Aaravi? No one would dare touch her. Not with who her father is.

    Right?

    But the message stared back at me, taunting, challenging everything I thought I knew. The words were seared into my mind, burning like an open wound.

    If this was true... if someone was threatening them... then it was my fault. I dragged them into this.

    My heart pounded in my chest, the gravity of what I¡¯d uncovered suffocating. I leaned back in my chair, the room spinning around me. Had I been too arrogant? Too reckless?

    The storm outside finally broke. Rain hammered against the windows, matching the turmoil inside me. But all I could hear were those five words, echoing, gnawing at my sanity.

    "Your friends are going to DIE."

 Welcome

    After everything that happened, the tension, the stress, I was running on fumes.

    For the first time in what felt like forever, I went to bed early. My mind had been spinning with too many thoughts to stay awake any longer. As a result, I managed to drag myself to school on time the next morning. But something was... off. Aaravi wasn''t there yet. She was never late. I smirked to myself, thinking about how I¡¯d finally scold her for a change.

    As students poured into the classroom, filling the room with noise and chatter, a knot began to form in my stomach. The teacher came in, we stood to greet her, but still... no Aaravi. I looked around, scanning faces, but somehow I couldn''t find Ayaan either.

    A flash of the message hit me hard: "Your friends are going to DIE."

    My hands clenched the edge of the desk, my mind screaming at me to stop thinking like this. I slapped both my cheeks, hard, drawing a few stares from classmates, but they quickly averted their gaze. It was like everyone was trained to ignore me, except Mrs. Anjali. No one ever cared.

    The lecture began, but I couldn¡¯t focus. My eyes flicked toward the door every few seconds, my leg bouncing under the desk. Where the hell were they?

    By the time the break came, I was drenched in sweat, my body fighting panic. I needed air. I needed to move.

    I finally spotted Ayaan during the interval, and a rush of relief hit me so hard that it almost made me dizzy. He was fine. He had arrived early and been caught up with some project work.

    ¡°What about Aaravi?¡± I blurted out, not bothering to hide my worry. ¡°She still hasn¡¯t shown up.¡±

    Ayaan¡¯s face darkened for a second. ¡°I saw her this morning, on the way to school.¡± He scratched his head. ¡°She was walking, like always. Left pretty early too¡ªunlike someone.¡± He smirked, trying to joke, but I wasn¡¯t laughing.

    My stomach churned, and I could feel bile rising in my throat. Without another word, I bolted to the bathroom. The panic had me in its grip now. I stumbled inside, barely making it to the sink before throwing up. My legs gave out. The cold bathroom floor greeted me, and the world started to blur around the edges.

    Next thing I knew, Ayaan was there, lifting me up. He practically carried me to the nurse¡¯s office. I hated feeling this weak, this powerless. The nurse told me to lie still for five minutes, something about my stomach needing to settle, but all I could think about was Aaravi.

    ¡°Maybe she had something important come up and skipped school.¡± Ayaan¡¯s voice was calm, trying to reassure me. ¡°You know how focused she is on becoming a doctor. She wouldn''t miss class unless it was serious.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not exactly losing sleep over it.¡± I scoffed, the words coming out sharper than I intended. ¡°She can take care of herself.¡±

    Ayaan just stared at me, his expression softening, like he was waiting for me to say something real.

    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    ¡°What? You think I¡¯m sitting here panicking over her?¡± I forced a chuckle, even though my chest tightened. ¡°Please, she¡¯s probably just late because she found someone else to nag.¡±

    His silence spoke volumes.

    ¡°Stop looking at me like that,¡± I muttered, feeling a flicker of irritation. ¡°I¡¯m not worried.¡±

    But Ayaan¡¯s eyes didn¡¯t waver. He knew me too well, and the way his gaze pinned me down made it clear he wasn¡¯t buying a single word.

    ¡°Fine, whatever,¡± I snapped, unable to hold back. ¡°It¡¯s just weird, okay? Happy now?¡±¡°

    You¡¯re worried sick, Vyom. Don¡¯t pretend. No one else cares about you the way Aaravi does. This isn¡¯t just about her being late, is it? It¡¯s that message.¡±

    I glared at him, but Ayaan¡¯s eyes were already reading me like a book. He was too damn good at this.** I lied. ¡°You¡¯ve got it wrong.¡± But we both knew he saw right through me.

    Suddenly, my phone buzzed. A chill ran down my spine. I grabbed it and glanced at the screen, my heart stopping for a second.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Ayaan asked, his concern immediate.

    ¡°Just a new game release.¡± I forced a laugh, but the lie tasted bitter.

    ¡°Then why do you look like you¡¯ve seen a ghost?¡±

    I couldn¡¯t take it anymore. I faked nausea again and made a show of rushing to the bathroom. Anything to avoid his questions.

    Ayaan muttered something under his breath as I left, but I didn¡¯t care. I needed space.

    The nurse dismissed me back to class, but the knot in my stomach only tightened. As I handed over my phone at the submission counter, the message echoed in my mind.

    I couldn¡¯t shake it. Whoever sent that message wasn¡¯t some wannabe hacker. They were serious, and they had the means to back up their threat. For the first time, I felt the weight of real danger looming over me. This wasn¡¯t just some game. These people were real, and they were coming for me¡ªand my friends.

    I wouldn¡¯t let them win.

    The lectures droned on, but I felt the walls closing in. My mind drifted back to the first time I met Aaravi, five years ago. Ayaan had taken me to school in his car, and as soon as we stepped out, I heard it¡ªher voice.

    ¡°You¡¯re late again, Ayaan!¡± Her voice was sharp, but there was something about it that was... sweet, almost.

    Ayaan introduced me to her, but I barely acknowledged her. I didn¡¯t know how to talk to anyone but Ayaan. But Aaravi... she was persistent. Over time, she forced her way into my life, just like Ayaan had. And now? Now they were the two people I cared about more than anything.

    And now, they were in danger because of me.

    A sharp voice broke through my thoughts. ¡°Wake up, Vyom! We¡¯re in the middle of English class!¡± The teacher was glaring at me. I glared right back. He always ruined my naps.

    But I had more important things to worry about.

    I needed to follow the steps from the message. Step one was to get to the storage room. I knew it wouldn¡¯t be easy, but I didn¡¯t have a choice.

    I raised my hand. ¡°Sir, may I use the washroom?¡±

    To my surprise, he nodded. That never works.

    I didn¡¯t waste a second. I had to retrieve my phone. Without it, I was blind, walking into this fight unarmed. And I never walked into a fight unarmed.

    I reached the phone counter, my heart thudding in my ears. Every step felt too loud in the silence, like I was walking into something I shouldn¡¯t. My hand slipped into my pocket, fingers brushing against the cool metal of the lock pick I¡¯d carried for years.

    My mind raced¡ªwhat if someone saw me? What if this was a setup? I shook the thoughts off and focused, my fingers working on instinct, finding the grooves in the lock. It clicked open faster than I expected. Too fast.

    I grabbed my phone, slipping it into my pocket like it was a stolen treasure. A strange chill crawled down my spine, and for a moment, I hesitated. Something was off, but I couldn¡¯t put my finger on it.

    The door to the storage room was supposed to be locked, but when I got there... it was open.

    Wide open.

    Like someone had been waiting for me.

    Anyone could see the door , but only I could see the welcoming invite.

 SPECIAL CHAPTER : WHY?

    The storage room door wasn¡¯t locked.

    That fact alone sent a shiver down my spine. Something was wrong¡ªno, not just with the room, but with the entire school. Yesterday, the school opened late, and no one batted an eye when I talked to Ayaan during class. Today, I walked out without any resistance, and when I reached the phone locker, it opened on the first try. It was all too easy.

    None of this was my doing. It was as if the entire day had been orchestrated by a third party, in collaboration with the school. But why? Why open the school late? Why had the teacher not noticed me? What could have gone wrong if she had scolded me? The locker, I understood¡ªit was to prevent delays in whatever they had planned. But everything else remained a mystery.

    Wait¡­ Ayaan. The thought hit me like a punch to the gut. What if they''ve already gotten to him? If they could manipulate an entire school, reaching Ayaan would be easy. My chest tightened at the idea of him being in danger because of me. Stay with him or confront the mastermind? The decision gnawed at me, every second feeling like a lifetime. But if I could stop the mastermind, maybe I could protect Ayaan¡ªmaybe I could end this madness. ¡°If you can get rid of the mastermind, everything will be fine,¡± my inner voice insisted, barely masking the fear beneath it. ¡°So, let¡¯s go,¡± I muttered, forcing my feet to move, even as doubt clawed at me.

    As I stepped into the room, the light behind me vanished as the door creaked shut, plunging the room into darkness. The air grew thick with tension. I¡¯d never been inside this storage room before¡ªstudents weren¡¯t usually allowed in. Each step I took felt heavier, the floor sloping downward ever so slightly, leading me further into what I soon realized was an underground basement.

    The stairwell appeared ahead, barely visible in the suffocating darkness. What kind of school has a basement like this? And why had it been left to rot, judging by the dust and cobwebs everywhere? It looked like it hadn¡¯t been touched in decades. But why?

    CRASH!

    I froze. The unmistakable sound of glass shattering echoed through the dark. My pulse quickened, but I couldn¡¯t see a thing. It must¡¯ve been a beaker or a flask, probably some old chemistry equipment. I wanted to investigate the source, but the room was so packed with forgotten relics of the school that I¡¯d probably knock something over with every step.

    Ignoring the noise felt safer. Instead, I moved toward the basement stairs, descending carefully. Halfway down, I realized something embarrassing¡ªI had my phone with me the whole time. Why hadn¡¯t I thought of the flashlight earlier? I pulled it out and flicked on the light.

    At the bottom of the stairs, the light from my phone revealed a faintly lit tunnel ahead. Dim lights were embedded along the edges, casting a sickly yellow glow. As I inspected my surroundings, a voice echoed through the tunnel.

    "Welcome, Vyom, to the underworld."

    I rolled my eyes. "Really?" I called back, my voice bouncing off the walls. "You lured a high schooler underground just for a lame ''underworld'' joke? That''s the best you''ve got?"

    Her response was sharp and immediate. "I¡¯ll kill you, you damn brat! Watch your attitude!"

    The sound of heels clicking on the stone floor reverberated through the tunnel. My heart raced as the silhouette of a woman emerged from the shadows. As she stepped into the light, I took her in¡ªa tall, pale woman in a pitch-black dress, her long dark hair cascading down her back. Her heels were sharp, and in her hand, she held a black whip.

    I swallowed hard, suddenly regretting my earlier sarcasm. "Nice¡­ whip," I offered, immediately wishing I hadn¡¯t. "Uh, sorry about before."

    She eyed me, unimpressed. "You¡¯ve read the message, then?" Her voice was cold. "Tell me the code you received."

    Code? What code? The message had only said, "You¡¯ll face consequences for the message you¡¯ve sent. If you want your friends alive, follow these steps and meet with me." At the end of it was that strange name: Null.

    "I didn¡¯t get any code," I said slowly. "Just a message about consequences and some weird signature¡ª¡®Null.¡¯"

    She scoffed. "I heard Vyom was the one who took down our human trafficking portal. The same portal that even law enforcement agencies couldn¡¯t crack. I wanted to see your skills for myself, but here you are, babbling like an amateur who doesn''t even grasp the basics of programming. You can¡¯t be the one who did it."

    "Programming basics?" My mind raced. Was she testing me? Mocking me? I couldn¡¯t afford to misstep. Think, Vyom, think! "Null¡­" The word echoed in my head, and suddenly, it clicked¡ªlike a puzzle piece snapping into place. "Null. In programming, ¡®Null¡¯ represents nothing¡ªsomething undefined, something that can be manipulated. Could it be¡­"

    A smirk tugged at the corner of my mouth. "''Nothing has to change.'' That¡¯s the code, right Mrs. Lady Black?"

    Her gaze turned icy. "I have a name. It¡¯s Valentina Dragovich, you damn brat." She snapped the whip against the ground, the crack echoing through the tunnel. "And you¡¯re wrong."

    As soon as she told me I was wrong, a rush of anxiety flooded my system. Had I missed something crucial? My mind raced, diving into patterns, programming languages, cryptographic equations¡ªeverything that could lead me to the correct answer. We hackers don¡¯t fight with guns, fists, or tanks. Our battlefield is the digital realm, and our greatest weapon is technology. Wait... technology¡ªthat''s it! If I¡¯m facing the mastermind of a criminal organization, I need my weapon, and in this case, it¡¯s...

    "Phone¡ªit''s the phone! That¡¯s the code, right?" I blurted out, piecing it together as I spoke.

    ¡°Bingo,¡± Valentina said, a twisted smirk playing on her lips. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it took you that long to solve such a simple piece of code.¡± Her voice dripped with condescension.

    Her words hit my pride like a sledgehammer. My chest tightened with frustration, my ego bruised. But instead of breaking me, it sharpened my resolve. I wouldn''t lose to them¡ªnot now, not ever.

    "Follow me, and try your best not to get lost," she said, taking the lead.

    "Who¡¯s going to get lost in a straight tunnel, knucklehead," I muttered under my breath.

    She shot a sharp glance over her shoulder. "What did you just say?"

    "N-nothing! I was just saying how beautiful you look," I stammered, trying to cover up my slip-up.

    "Oh!" Her voice softened, sounding almost pleased. "Thank you."

    As we continued walking, my mind was racing with questions I desperately needed answers to. "How do you know my name? How do you know about my friends? Why did you kidnap Aaravi? How much more do you know about us?" I asked, firing off question after question.

    She remained silent, her heels clicking against the ground as tension simmered in the air. The deeper we went, the more I felt like I was about to confront something far bigger than I''d ever imagined¡ªlike I was walking straight into the lion¡¯s den of a mafia.

    The tunnel branched into several routes, each one dark and foreboding. My heart pounded as I tried to remember the way back, just in case. "These are all government-affiliated networks," Valentina said, gesturing toward the thick fiber optic cables that lined the walls. "See these cables? They carry information from all around the world, not just within our country. Our organization¡¯s boss has found a way to tap into them, so we can monitor any activity we want. Somehow, the government hasn''t caught on yet. And that, Vyom, answers every question you asked."

    I could feel my eyes nearly bulging out of my head. This was insane. How could the government not have noticed? Why hadn¡¯t they fixed it yet? How could these people move so freely without being caught? Everything I thought I knew about power and control was being rewritten in front of me.

    "Aren''t you afraid of the Three Seats of Power?" I asked, trying to wrap my mind around the audacity of their operations.

    Valentina scoffed lightly. "Afraid? Of them? Why would we be? I told you, our boss runs the entire¡ª"

    Before she could finish, a rough male voice interrupted, cutting through the air like a blade. "Welcome, Valentina. It seems you''ve done your job well once again, but I suggest you keep your mouth shut about our boss''s personal details. That information is confidential."

    Valentina visibly tensed, her earlier confidence evaporating. She broke into a sweat and immediately bowed her head. "Apologies, sir. May we come in?"

    I stood there, dumbfounded, staring at a blank wall in front of us. Whoever this man was, he had Valentina shaking in her heels. If she was that terrified, I could only imagine how dangerous this boss of theirs really was.

    The man remained out of sight, but his presence loomed heavy in the air. It was as if the tunnel itself had suddenly closed in around us. This was no ordinary criminal operation¡ªthis was something much bigger, something far more sinister. And I had just walked straight into its depths.

    As she requested permission to let us in, the wall slowly began to shift, revealing a room that shouldn''t have existed in a tunnel like this. It wasn¡¯t a dungeon as I first assumed¡ªinstead, I found myself more confused than before. The room was a high-tech sanctuary, far from the grimy, underground passageway we had just been in.

    Directly in front of us was a stage with a golden throne-like chair, padded with deep red cushions. To either side of the room, two counters were equipped with beastly computer systems, humming with power. The space was packed with over fifty gangsters, each one more menacing than the last.

    At the center of it all stood a brown man on the stage. He wore a white shirt with the top three buttons casually undone, a slim gold chain resting around his neck. His wrist sported a royal silver watch, and he paired it all with black pants and sleek, polished black shoes. His brown skin caught the light as he raised his arms, commanding attention from everyone in the room.

    "Hello, and welcome, my dear friend," he called out, his voice rich and powerful. "My name is Nikolai Vasiliev, and I present to you a new experimental product."

    As he made the announcement, the big screen on the stage split into two, revealing a girl tied to a chair. My breath hitched, and fury surged through me at the sight¡ªit was Aaravi.

    "SHE ISN¡¯T YOUR EXPERIMENTAL PRODUCT, YOU DAMN BASTARD!" I shouted, my voice shaking with rage.

    "It¡¯s not your place to¡ª" Aaravi started, but before she could finish, that damn Nikolai taped her mouth shut.

    I tried to make sense of it all, but the chaos in my head only grew louder. Aaravi¡¯s muffled cries, Nikolai¡¯s smug grin, the taunts of the gangsters¡ªit was all blending together, raising my anger to a boiling point.

    Nikolai turned to me, his eyes gleaming with twisted amusement. "Step onto the stage, Vyom. It¡¯s time to see what you¡¯re really made of."

    I hesitated only for a moment, then followed through because that''s what I wanted ...

    "Don''t worry my little friend, we ain¡¯t gonna cut you, neither gonna beat you to death. I heard you''re a hacker, and by coincidence, I''m one too. So let''s have a CTF competition. Whosoever hunts the most bugs in the system presented will win the game," he offered.

    Something was off. Why would he challenge me like this unless¡­ he had something up his sleeve? But my rage didn¡¯t let me think it logically through, and I accepted his deal without even listening to the whole part.

    "But there is a condition," he said.

    "Condition¡ª" I started.

    "No, no little buddy. A deal is a deal. That was your fault for not listening to the whole thing first," he said, strongly.

    "So the condition is, if I hunt a greater number of bugs than you, then the difference in our numbers will be the number in which this girl will get cut. And if you win, you both can escape safe and sound¡ªwe will never hunt you or your friends again."

    My blood ran cold, but I forced myself to stay calm. I stayed quiet, frozen for a moment, but confident in my skills. I moved closer to Aaravi and whispered in her ear, "Don''t worry, we''re getting out of here safe and sound."

    The man on stage pointed to the two computer systems. "You can choose either system, and you¡¯re free to check if the programs are the same. Report any unfairness before the competition begins, but once it starts, no complaints."

    I scanned both systems, ensuring there were no hidden cheats or traps. The code seemed clean¡ªsurprisingly fair. But fair didn¡¯t make it any less terrifying. I wasn¡¯t facing some simple script kiddie. This was high stakes. I was fighting not just for my life, but for Aaravi¡¯s as well.

    On the big screen, yellowish-white text appeared on a black background with faded white sparkles:

    - "Let the Game of Death Begin"

    - "Consists of 1 round"

    - "Whoever wins will have complete control over the loser¡¯s life and the people in it."

    - "Time: 1 hour"

    - "LET''S GO!"

    I sat down in front of the monitor, every muscle in my body tense as I dove into the code. Aaravi''s terrified face was imprinted in my mind, burning there like a brand. Every blink brought her image back¡ªa fresh flash of her helpless eyes, the blood, the panic. My hands clenched into fists.

    "I won¡¯t forgive them," I growled internally, fury boiling in my veins. How could they do this to her? To us? Rage twisted inside me, growing hotter with every second. My pulse pounded in my ears, each beat a reminder of the time slipping away.

    I hammered at the keys, forcing myself to focus, but the anger wouldn¡¯t settle. It throbbed like a second heartbeat, making me reckless. I glanced at the timer on the screen¡ªprecious minutes had already slipped through my fingers, wasted on my boiling thoughts. "Dammit!" My teeth ground together as frustration built. I had to calm down. For her. For me. But the more I tried, the more it felt like I was sinking, drowning in the pressure.

    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    Every failure echoed louder in my head. Every wrong query felt like a punch to the gut. "Focus," I told myself again, my breath coming fast, too fast. But how could I focus when all I saw was them taking everything from me¡ªher life slipping away because I couldn¡¯t keep my head cool?

    The timer was ticking. "I can¡¯t afford to waste any more time!" I muttered, knowing I had already burned 30 minutes, distracted by my own rage. But luckily, the score was still 0-0¡ªboth of us hunting for vulnerabilities, neither of us making progress. That was about to change.

    I honed in on the application in front of me, searching for an opening. And then I spotted it¡ªan input field, that could be vulnerable to an injection attack. My heart raced. "Alright, let¡¯s test this."

    "SQL Injection: ¡®UNION SELECT¡¯!" I whispered under my breath, like a warrior calling out his next strike. I entered the query:

    ```

    UNION SELECT null, null, null --

    ```

    But nothing. The system held firm. I gritted my teeth.

    "XSS Payload: ''Alert Pop!''!" I whispered again, typing:

    ```

    <script>alert(''test'')</script>

    ```

    Again, nothing. I didn''t excpect this traditional query to work either. "But,Damn it!" I spat, feeling the seconds slip away like sand through my fingers.

    I quickly shifted gears, looking for a less obvious flaw. "URL tampering¡ªattack sequence, initiate!" I tried manipulating the URLs, throwing in encoded parameters:

    ```

    ../admin_panel

    ```

    Still, nothing. My palms were slick with sweat. Panic started clawing at me. "How¡­ How could they cover everything?!"

    I pounded the keys furiously, trying more advanced techniques. I attempted a **blind XSS attack**, injecting:

    ```

    onerror=alert(document.cookie)

    ```

    But the system was locked down tight. "Thirty minutes wasted, and I have nothing!"

    And then, I saw it¡ªsomething subtle but exploitable. It was a memory allocation vulnerability. My mind raced as I recognized the flaw.

    "Buffer Overflow!" I announced, my heart pounding. My fingers flew over the keys, injecting the code:

    ```

    char buffer[8];

    strcpy(buffer, "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA");

    ```

    The buffer overflowed, spilling over into neighboring memory. I had found my way in.

    I hit ''submit,'' feeling a surge of adrenaline as the scoreboard updated. But my victory was short-lived. The score flashed on the screen¡ª**24 to 1**. I blinked, staring in disbelief.

    "Time remaining: 5 seconds."

    I wasted my last precious moments just staring at that damn score.

    Nikolai¡¯s voice cut through the silence like a blade. ¡°Alright, I win,¡± he announced, smugness dripping from every word. His grin, that horrible, self-satisfied grin, ripped through me, cutting deeper than any weapon ever could. My breath caught in my throat. I couldn¡¯t move. My mind was blank¡ªjust a void of disbelief and failure. Tears blurred my vision, but I didn¡¯t wipe them away. They weren¡¯t just tears of defeat¡ªthey were tears of rage, frustration, shame. Everything I had worked for, all the skills I had spent years honing, had failed me in the most crucial moment. I could barely process it. Aaravi¡¯s life was hanging by a thread, and I was the one who let it slip from my grasp. I was no match for them.

    I cried and cried, unable to stop, my mind a whirlpool of despair. Slowly, through blurred vision, I looked over at Aaravi, tied to that chair, terrified. My heart skipped a beat, the reality crashing down on me like a tidal wave. "What the hell am I going to do? Is she really going to die¡­ because I messed up? Really?!"

    Nikolai laughed maniacally, his voice booming through the room. "Now, shall we cut her into 23 pieces?" he sneered, reveling in my misery. His laughter echoed in my ears, drowning out my thoughts, amplifying the horror of what was about to happen.

    "Well, well,¡± Nikolai¡¯s voice oozed through the room, dripping with venomous satisfaction. ¡°I must say, your bravery is almost... commendable.¡± He surveyed me, like a predator admiring its prey¡¯s last, futile struggle. ¡°After all, you did manage to find one vulnerability. Impressive, truly, for an outsider¡ªespecially one as young and... inexperienced as you.¡± He paused, letting the silence crush me further, savoring my despair. ¡°But I¡¯m a reasonable man. Instead of cutting her into 23 pieces, I¡¯ll show you mercy. You get to choose how she dies. It¡¯s only fair, don¡¯t you think?"

    My hands began to shake uncontrollably. He untaped Aaravi, and she immediately turned to me. "This isn¡¯t your fault," she began, her voice soft and pained. "This wasn¡¯t your battle to begin with¡ª"

    "Shut up, damn girl!" Nikolai roared, slapping her hard across the face. Red fury clouded my vision as I lost all sense of control. Before I knew it, I was charging at him, fists clenched, ready to smash his face in. But before I could reach him, one of the gangsters from the crowd stepped forward and grabbed me. He lifted me off the ground effortlessly, as if I were nothing more than a feather.

    "You have five seconds to choose," Nikolai sneered, starting the countdown as if he were relishing every moment of my torment. "Or the crowd will decide for you... Five... four..." His voice echoed in the room like a death knell.

    That gangster put me down standing at my back so I won''t make that move again.

    I couldn¡¯t speak. I couldn¡¯t move. I just stood there, trembling, tears streaming down my face.

    "...Two... one. Time''s up. Crowd, what¡¯s your choice?" Nikolai bellowed.

    The crowd erupted in unison, shouting, "Cut! Cut! Cut!"

    My breath caught as the blade came down, its metallic glint flashing in the dim light before it struck. A scream tore through the room, the sound ricocheting off the walls. My clothes felt damp, but I couldn''t register why. For a split second, my heart stopped, my vision blurred, and I couldn''t comprehend what had just happened. Everything slowed to a crawl. And then, the sound¡ªthe hollow thud of something heavy falling¡ªrang in my ears, in sync with the pounding of my own heart.

    Thump. Thump. Thump.

    I stood there, frozen, my legs like stone. I watched in horror as something slid across the floor, coming to a stop at my feet. Her lifeless eyes stared straight up at me. I staggered, barely holding myself upright as a wave of nausea hit me. It was the nightmare from the classroom... but this time, it was real.

    I wanted to scream. I wanted to move. But I couldn''t. I was trapped in my own body, suffocating in a silence so thick it drowned out everything else. My hands began to tremble uncontrollably, my knees weak. The rage that had fueled me, the anger that had pushed me forward¡ªit was gone. All that was left was a hollow pit in my chest, an emptiness that consumed me whole.

    I stumbled backward, falling to my knees. I could feel myself slipping, my mind teetering on the edge. I stared at her¡ªat what was left of her¡ªas everything inside me broke apart. The fog of despair swirled around me, thickening, choking me.

    "I had failed her."

    "Have you called them, Valentina?" he asked.

    "Yes, boss," she replied.

    I was too lost in my suffering to register what they were saying or doing. It all blurred together¡ªthe words, the movements.

    "Pack everything up," he ordered his men.

    They somehow managed to gather up every trace from the room, though I couldn¡¯t bring myself to notice how. The only thing that stood out, the one memory seared into my mind, was when Nikolai turned to me just before leaving. He uttered two words that still send chills down my spine: "Hello, World."

    The frustration surged in me like a storm. I grabbed the knife lying beside Aaravi''s head and charged at Nikolai. But just as I reached her body, I heard the sound of running footsteps. My head snapped toward the entrance, and there they were¡ªpolice officers. The scene was damning. It looked like I had killed Aaravi.

    "I-It wasn''t me! It was them!" I stammered, pointing towards Nikolai, but he was gone. He had vanished, leaving me with the blame.

    I knew talking wouldn¡¯t get me out of this mess. I had no choice but to run. Without thinking, I sprinted towards the exit Nikolai had used, my mind a storm of rage and frustration. "Sorry... sorry... I''m sorry, Aaravi," I muttered under my breath, tears streaming down my face like the skies had opened to let loose a storm of sorrow.

    My eyes blurred with tears, jaws clenched tight, I ran on instinct. I must have bumped into someone, but I didn¡¯t even stop to look. I just kept running.

    Eventually, I made it outside. The dungeon-like cave spit me out into the pouring rain. It was nighttime now. The rain came down in heavy sheets, soaking me instantly. To my left, I saw the dark silhouette of a forest at the base of a mountain. Without hesitation, I darted towards it, hoping to find cover, at least for now.

    I ran into the forest, saw a narrow path leading up a steep hill, and decided to climb it. The rain poured down hard, and the night felt heavier with each passing minute. I hoped that if I could reach the top and hide in the thick bushes covering the hill, I could at least make it through the night.

    Reaching the top, I found a tree to the left and decided to rest under it. The rain beat against the leaves as I slumped to the ground, trying to catch my breath. As I rested, a shadow appeared behind me. A flash of movement made me instinctively think of the knife. I tried to bolt, but the person lashed out, pain flaring in my right arm. With the ground slippery from the rain, I lost my footing and crashed hard on my back. Dazed, I felt the person pin me down, and as I looked up, I froze in shock.

    It was Ayaan¡ªhis eyes wild, his hand trembling.

    Before I could say anything, Ayaan spoke, his voice trembling with rage, tears streaming down his face. "How could you kill Aaravi?"

    "I¡ªI didn''t," I said in a slow, exhausted voice. "You know I couldn''t."

    "Don''t lie, you bastard!" he shouted, his grip tightening on the handle of the knife. "I saw it... you were holding the knife!"

    "No! That was a setup. Believe me!" I pleaded desperately.

    He opened his mouth to say something, but before the words could leave his lips, a loud crack echoed through the rain-soaked night. Ayaan stiffened, then collapsed on top of me, his body suddenly limp.

    I stared up at the sky in shock, my mind frozen in disbelief. "Wh¡ªwhat... whaa¡ªwhaaaaaaatttt!" I cried out, my voice breaking. Gripping Ayaan¡¯s lifeless body as tightly as I could, I held him close, the weight of everything crashing down on me.

    I heard voices approaching¡ªprobably the police. Panic surged through me. Without thinking, I bolted from that place too, my legs moving on instinct, desperate to escape.

    "Why¡­ why did they both have to die?" The words slipped out, a pathetic whimper in the storm of my thoughts. My voice, already broken, barely clung to its strength as I stumbled through the corridors, the world around me dissolving into shadows, rain, and pain. I was a shell, moving on instinct, while inside, everything had shattered. Every ounce of confidence, every shred of hope, was obliterated. All that remained was a hollow ache¡ªa sharp, unbearable reminder of how utterly I had failed. Each step was heavier than the last, dragging me deeper into a pit of despair I couldn¡¯t escape.

    Flashes of Aaravi''s lifeless eyes haunted my thoughts. The sight of Ayaan¡¯s body crumpling in front of me haunted me just as fiercely. His final gasp echoed in my ears, mingling with the cold silence that now seemed to follow me.

    I was trapped in this torment. A never-ending cycle of failure¡ªof watching the people I cared for be torn away from me, over and over again. I clutched my aching hand, the pain insignificant compared to the storm raging inside my chest. I couldn¡¯t outrun the memories, no matter how fast I stumbled through the darkness, seeking refuge where there was none.

    My heart screamed for them, for what I had lost, but no answer came. Only emptiness. I wandered aimlessly until I found a cave¡ªa hollow, cold refuge that mirrored the void inside me. I crawled into its depths, desperate for some form of escape, praying the night would swallow me whole.

    Eventually, the sun rose, casting a dull light over the land as I heard distant voices echoing from behind the hill. Curiosity and a sense of dread pulled me toward the noise. As I moved closer, I realized that the hill overlooked the city¡ªmy city. The voices grew louder, a chaotic chorus of outrage and grief. People were protesting for Aaravi, demanding justice.

    But as I looked down at the countless faces gathered below, my stomach churned. These were the same people who never gave a damn about her when she was alive. Now, they mourned a girl they never knew, a girl they labeled me the murderer of.

    I stood on the hill, staring down at the city sprawled below. Shops and houses of various colors filled the streets, some bright and bold, others more muted, blending into the landscape. Tall buildings towered over the smaller homes, and far away, I could make out a few mansions guarded by black and gold gates. Everything looked so... normal. No "cyberpunk" future here.

    It''s not that we lacked the capability. Our technology was advanced enough, capable of pulling off the kind of feats people once dreamed of. But after AI nearly destroyed us, humanity became cautious. We pulled back, reined in our ambitions, became deliberate with every step forward. The risk was too great to let things spiral out of control again.

    As I stared at the city, I found myself thinking about that past¡ªthe world''s past, not mine. I needed to focus on anything other than the memories that were clawing at my mind. Anything to keep myself from facing what I had lost.

    As I was lost in the sight of the city below, my thoughts swirling, a rough, mature voice shattered the silence. "Enjoying the view from up here, son?" the voice said. I turned to see an old man emerging from the forest on the hill.

    He had a thick, white beard and a few strands of white hair that barely clung to his scalp. Despite his age, his posture was straight, and his body still held a solid, bulked frame that hinted at years of hard work. He was dressed in a black suit and matching pants, an odd sight for this early in the morning. It seemed that even now, in his advanced years, he was still working tirelessly.

    "Enjoying, huh? What do you know, old man?" I muttered, my voice filled with bitterness. "Can''t you see the blood? My right hand is still cut open."

    The old man didn¡¯t flinch. "I''ve noticed the blood... and your right hand, Vyom," he said calmly.

    I shot him a look, my mind buzzing with suspicion. "Despite your old age, you¡¯ve got quite the sharp hearing," I remarked, half-expecting him to be just another passerby. But there was something about him that felt different.

    "Wait... how do you¡ª" I started, but before I could finish, the old man cut me off.

    "Your name... your story, they¡¯ve reached certain ears," he said, his voice calm, yet weighted with an unsettling certainty. "I know more about you than you realize, from where you¡¯ve been to where you¡¯re headed. But trust me, suspicion is unnecessary. I¡¯m not your enemy¡ªnor am I aligned with the ones who just tried to break you."

    His calm explanation caught me off guard, but I kept my eyes on him, unsure whether to trust his words.

    ¡°Well then... why are you here?¡± I asked the old man, my voice wavering as a wave of dizziness began to hit me. I struggled to keep my eyes open, feeling the weight of exhaustion settle in. My right hand throbbed painfully, the open wound still bleeding, a reminder of how much blood I¡¯d already lost.

    As the dizziness overwhelmed me, my legs gave way, and I felt myself begin to fall. Before I could hit the ground, the old man caught me, his hands surprisingly firm yet gentle. Darkness quickly swallowed my vision, and I drifted into unconsciousness.

    The next thing I knew, I was lying on a rough but comfortable surface. I blinked, disoriented, taking in the rustic wooden walls around me. Confusion clouded my mind until I heard the old man¡¯s voice.

    ¡°It¡¯s my treehouse,¡± he said calmly, standing nearby with his hands clasped behind his back, watching me with a steady gaze

    "I want you to join my Academy, to reshape the world", does that answers your question from before

    "Why? Why me?" I asked, my voice cracking under the weight of my emotions. "How could a loser like me reshape this whole world? All these ideals you''re talking about¡ªthey sound noble, but when faced with reality, they''re just hollow words."

    I felt the despair sink deeper into my bones, my breaths growing ragged. "I lost everything in that battle... utterly. I can¡¯t even bring myself to face a computer screen anymore. My one true skill¡ªthe only thing I was ever good at¡ªis gone. And now, every time I look at my phone, all I see are Ayaan and Aaravi''s last moments. Their deaths... both of them... because of me."

    I swallowed hard, the bitter taste of guilt thick on my tongue. "How can you ask me to change anything when I couldn''t even save them?"

    "So," the old man said, his tone calm yet piercing, "what kind of life do you want to live from now on? And remember, you''re not allowed to die. Every time you make an attempt, the mafia will ensure something happens to keep you alive."

    I blinked, my mind struggling to process his words. "W-What? What are you saying?" I stammered, panic creeping into my voice. "Why... why would they do that? Why would they want me alive after everything?"

    "Just like programming has rules built into it from the moment it''s created, you''ve been assigned a rule from birth," the old man said, his voice strong and unwavering. It left no room for argument, no room for doubt. I couldn¡¯t resist or even question him.

    "Fine," I replied, my voice shaky but determined. "I¡¯ll just live a normal life then. No more getting involved in this mess. The police didn¡¯t capture my face, and only a few officers saw me for a moment. They won¡¯t be able to draw a sketch from that. If I change my name, I could disappear¡ªlive like everyone else."

    The old man¡¯s eyes narrowed, his tone turning sharp. "So you¡¯ve given up on your friends¡¯ wishes? People, when faced with desperate situations,they act rather than think, Vyom. You¡¯re just another victim of that human psychology." His words cut through me, raw and piercing. "Don¡¯t you want to know why a girl who could never be controlled suddenly sat helpless, tied to a chair? Why a friend who could read your face like an open book didn¡¯t believe you in the end? Don¡¯t you want to know, Vyom?"

    His voice thundered with intensity, and for the first time in a while, I stopped, really stopped, to think. He was right. I had been so blinded by sorrow, so consumed by rage and grief, that I hadn¡¯t even considered those questions. Aaravi... she said something before... ''This isn¡¯t your battle.'' What did she mean? What¡¯s really going on here? Something much bigger was at play than I had realized.

    "I want to know, I want to know!" I cried out. But then doubt crept in, dragging me back into that pit of despair. "But¡­ how can I? How can someone like me? A loser¡­ I have no skills, nothing left. The one thing I thought I was good at¡­ even that¡¯s gone. I¡¯m just¡­ useless."

    The weight of my own words sank into me, threatening to drown me in sorrow once again.

    "Excuses sound best to the one making them," the old man¡¯s voice cut through the fog in my mind, sharp and unrelenting. "Stop feeling sorry for yourself, Vyom! Wake up! Awaken the beast that lies inside you. It''s GO season, VYOM!"

    His words pierced through the darkness like a blade, igniting something deep within. My heart raced, and suddenly, my mouth spoke on its own, fueled by a fire I hadn¡¯t felt before.

    "Show me!" I shouted, my voice trembling with resolve. "Tell me the way to the top of this world, so I can bring everything crashing down!"

    Flashes of Aaravi¡¯s and Ayaan¡¯s faces flickered in my mind, but this time, I wasn¡¯t consumed by sorrow. No. This time, I was burning¡ªburning with the desire to destroy those who had taken them from me.

 Academy

    "The way to the top of the world, to bring it crashing down," I repeated my own words with a gentle smile.

    "Those are some big words coming from someone who called himself a loser not too long ago," the old man said, his tone laced with amusement.

    He leaned in slightly, his sharp gaze locking onto mine. "Listen, son," he said quietly, but there was an edge to his voice that made me pay attention. "Motivation? It¡¯s a raging flame¡ªblazing, but it burns out fast. Discipline," he continued, his tone softening, "is the ember that lasts. It may not seem as fierce, but given time, it can bring down empires." His eyes seemed to pierce right through me, weighing my resolve. "In my academy, you¡¯ll learn what discipline truly means. It¡¯s the difference between those who flicker and those who endure."

    He straightened up, a sly grin spreading across his face. "You want to reach the top? I''ll make you a god. Just follow me."

    I raised my hand to my head, each movement slow and deliberate, as if the very air around me had thickened. The weight of everything¡ªthe past, the future, my own words¡ªsettled heavily on my shoulders, almost crushing. When my fingers brushed against the rough texture of the bandages, I froze. I hadn¡¯t even noticed the old man¡¯s handiwork, his careful stitching of my wounds. I stared at my hand, bandaged and bruised, the truth finally sinking in. This man had saved me. He had given me another chance, and with it, I owed him my life¡ªmy future. The resolve I thought I had wavered for a moment under the gravity of that realization.

    I swore to myself¡ªI would never fail him.

    The old man¡¯s eyes flicked over me, as if he could sense the shift in my resolve. He nodded, almost imperceptibly. "Good," he murmured, his voice softening but heavy with a promise¡ªor perhaps a warning. "You¡¯ll need every ounce of that determination where you¡¯re going."

    His words lingered long after they were spoken. The weight of my situation, the trust this man placed in me¡ªit was overwhelming. "You need to leave this country," he added, his tone growing more serious. "Your enemies are closing in, and this is no joke. My academy has branches in three countries: India, Japan, and the US. It¡¯ll be best if you head to Japan now."

    Everything happened so fast that before I knew it, I was already on a plane heading towards Tokyo.The old man had covered my expenses; he knew I had nothing. But, as always, he didn¡¯t make it easy. Just before I left, he handed me a one-way ticket and a cryptic challenge. "Find the academy and enroll yourself," he said, his eyes gleaming with that same unsettling confidence. "I¡¯ll meet you again after you graduate."

    Hours of travel blurred together¡ªlong flights, tedious immigration checks, and the constant hum of strangers speaking in unfamiliar languages. By the time I stepped out of the airport, the city¡¯s towering skyline loomed over me, glittering with a cold, indifferent welcome. The bustling streets of Tokyo unfolded before me, alive with the energy of millions of souls yet utterly alien in every way. I stood there for a moment, absorbing the cacophony of honking cars, flashing billboards, and the endless flow of people, each with their own destination.And then there was me¡ªI had no clue where to begin.

    Standing in the middle of Tokyo, the weight of my situation hitting me like a ton of bricks.How in the world was I supposed to find it? It¡¯s not like I could just Google "Random Old Man¡¯s Mystery Academy" and hope for the best.

    The people around me were jabbering away in Japanese¡ªa language that might as well have been alien to me. I tried asking for directions, but my brain was so fried it felt like it had checked out and gone on vacation. I wasn¡¯t even sure what I was saying¡ªjust stringing together sounds that vaguely resembled words. ¡°Damn it!¡± I shouted, throwing my arms up in the air like a deranged inflatable tube man. ¡°That old geezer is going to pay for this!¡±

    My frustration echoed through the bustling streets, but with the crowd around me so thick and oblivious, I might as well have been screaming at a flock of pigeons. Which, honestly, were probably having a better day than I was.

    "Excuse me! Are you from India?" A sweet but assertive voice cut through the commotion. I turned to see a girl around my age, her eyes sharp and assessing, standing in front of me.

    "Y-Yeah, you too?" I replied, trying to mask my surprise with curiosity.

    "Yes," she said with a knowing smile, her gaze never wavering. "You look a bit lost. Need help finding someone?"

    "Actually, it''s like this," I said, trying to keep my frustration in check. "I was invited here by an old geezer to attend an academy, but he didn¡¯t give me a name or address. I don¡¯t even know how to ask for help!" I explained my situation to her.

    "Oh! That sounds familiar," she chuckled, brushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear. There was something in her eyes¡ªa flicker of recognition, like she knew more than she was letting on. "Are you a hacker?"

    "Y-Y-Yes, how¡¯d you¡ª"

    She interrupted with a grin that held both mischief and something else¡ªsomething calculating. "Say no more. Follow me." She turned on her heel and started walking, her stride purposeful, as if she knew exactly where this was going. Every now and then, she glanced back at me, her eyes subtly appraising, as if she were assessing not just my appearance, but my worth.

    "As she led me through the sea of people, I couldn''t help but think back to that fateful day¡ªthe day I lost everything"

    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.Isn¡¯t life crazy? When I lost something close to my heart, it¡¯s as if someone resembling it completely showed up. Long black hair, black eyes, fair skin, short stature, short-tempered, always a boss, and always caring for others¡ªsomeone just like that was beheaded right in front of me. The memory flashed in my mind, clear as day. It wasn¡¯t just a nightmare¡ªit was real. And now, here stands someone with those exact characteristics.

    "Doesn¡¯t it drive you crazy, how fast life changes?" I began to sing in a low, almost murmured voice. The lyrics felt like they were written for this exact moment, the way they captured the fleeting, unpredictable nature of everything. It was a song from decades ago, one I¡¯d discovered in a dark corner of the web. It was strange how something so old could still resonate so deeply, like it was speaking directly to the chaos in my life.

    ¡°Hmmm... what was that?" she peeked back, curiosity in her eyes.

    "Nothing, just a song," I replied, pushing down the emotions that the melody stirred up. There were too many ghosts in that tune to deal with right now.

    As we walked through the city, Tokyo greeted me with a surge of sensory overload. The city was a living, breathing entity, buzzing with a relentless energy that felt almost palpable. Skyscrapers loomed like glass giants, their facades reflecting the city''s neon heartbeat. Massive LED billboards flashed with vibrant advertisements, bathing the streets below in a kaleidoscope of colors that danced on the faces of hurried pedestrians.

    The air was a mix of crisp coolness and the faint scent of street food¡ªsavory and sweet, mingling with the more sterile aroma of steel and concrete. Every corner was alive with sound: the rhythmic beeping of pedestrian crossings, the hum of electric cars gliding by, and the soft chatter of people, all spoken in a language that felt foreign and musical at once.

    Tokyo''s streets were a labyrinth of contrasts¡ªancient shrines nestled amidst modern high-rises, their traditional roofs a stubborn defiance against the tide of modernity. Digital signboards streamed in every direction, feeding the city¡¯s unending thirst for information. I found myself moving with the tide of people, each with their own rhythm, their own invisible destination, as if I had been swept into a current I couldn¡¯t quite navigate.

    There was a chill in the air that brushed against my skin, a reminder of how far from home I was. But more than the unfamiliarity, it was the sense of possibility that struck me. Tokyo wasn''t just a city; it was a sprawling, untamed network of stories and secrets. Beneath the sleek surface of technology and progress, I could feel the pulsing undercurrent of something else¡ªsomething raw, something that thrived in the alleyways and in the shadow of the towering spires.

    As I took it all in, a part of me was overwhelmed, and another part¡ªperhaps the one that had agreed to come here on a whim and a promise¡ªthrilled at the unknown. This was Tokyo, a city that didn''t just live¡ªit thrived, consumed, and grew, an ever-changing machine that left no room for the unprepared.

    My jaw dropped at the sheer spectacle around me, until she snapped me out of it.

    ''I was just as stunned when I first got here,'' she said, amused.

    ''Yeah, yeah, whatever,'' I muttered, hoping she wouldn¡¯t hear.

    She did. Of course, she did. "What did you say?" Her eyebrow shot up like she was about to call me out.

    ''N-Nothing!'' I stammered. ''Just thanking the almighty for such a wonderful guide.''

    She squinted at me, but then shrugged. ''Uh-huh. Sure.''

    And just like that, I was back to being a fish out of water, trying not to look like a complete idiot as I took in this tech wonderland.

    "And this is our academy," she said, pointing toward the building. It was massive, with pristine white walls, a rounded roof, and golden gates that looked like they belonged in some royal palace. A sprawling garden stretched out in front, perfectly manicured, the kind of place you''d expect to see in a brochure. But as my eyes trailed up to the top of the rounded roof, I saw the name and logo of the academy... which, to be honest, was pretty lame. Like, did they run out of creativity halfway through designing it?

    "It says ''Academy of Shadows'' with that pure black emblem," I noted, squinting at the roof. "You guys must be proud to study under such a lame name."

    She chuckled. "The name might be lame, but the quality here? Nowhere near it," she shot back confidently. "By the way, what''s your name, mystery complainer?"

    I had already started walking, half-tuning her out as she spoke. I didn¡¯t even realize when I began ignoring her, but I could still hear the frustration in her voice. It reminded me of... well, better not dwell on that now. I headed straight into the academy, searching for the reception desk to inquire about some real information.

    As I walked through the dimly lit corridors, the only light trickling in was from the vents above. Seriously, did they forget to pay the electricity bills or something? The floor was covered with red carpets bordered by black lines, and the white walls mirrored the pristine exterior. The hallways twisted and turned like a maze inside the circular dome, leaving me feeling slightly disoriented.

    Finally, I found the reception and asked about all my doubts, gathering details about my stay and study schedule. Turns out, I have to wake up at 4 a.m. every single day, with no restrictions on when I go to bed¡ªlike that¡¯s supposed to be a silver lining. On the bright side, the dorms are integrated into the academy for foreign students, and they don''t charge anything. I got my room key from reception¡ªnumber 506. Apparently, they put two people in one room. Great, just great. Looks like I''m in for some serious pain. I sighed.

    And this maze... seriously, what were they trying to build here? Damn it¡ªlame name, lame logo, lame schedule, unpaid electricity bill, and this damn maze. How the hell am I even going to find my room?

    I wandered around for what felt like a solid hour, struggling to find even a single classroom¡ªor any students for that matter. What is this place? I must''ve asked myself that a hundred times by now. How am I supposed to survive here? After what seemed like endless wandering, I finally stumbled upon the student dorms. A small victory, but there it was¡ªclearly labeled.

    Each floor had 100 rooms, so my room had to be on the fourth floor, since I was still on the ground level. With no lifts in sight, I was forced to climb the stairs. After what felt like ages, I finally stood in front of room 506. You have no idea how relieved I was to find it."

    "As I reached the door, it was already open¡ªgreat, that meant they were already inside. Now what? How do you even greet someone when you meet them for the first time? What kind of expression should I wear? What am I supposed to say? My mind was racing, spiraling into panic. I hadn¡¯t interacted with anyone other than those two before¡ªhow was I going to handle this?

    Who was in there? And why did I feel like crossing that threshold might change everything? My mind raced with questions I wasn¡¯t sure I wanted answers to. How do you greet someone when you¡¯re not sure if they¡¯re friend or foe?

    I started sweating, nerves getting the best of me. ''Well, we''ll see what happens,'' I muttered to myself, trying to calm down. I took a deep breath and pushed the door open. The moment I stepped inside, my eyes nearly popped out of my head from the shock."

 Academy II

    As I stepped into my room, my breath caught in my throat. There she was¡ªperched on the edge of the wooden bed like she owned the place, legs crossed, black shorts hugging her figure, and a red top that practically demanded attention. She wasn¡¯t just sitting. She was commanding the space, casually painting her nails as if this was the most natural thing in the world.

    And then I saw her face. My chest tightened. It was her. The same girl who had dropped me off at the academy just hours ago. What¡ªtwo, maybe three? Now, here she was, as if this was just some everyday occurrence. A dream? Or was it a nightmare?

    Her gaze flicked toward me, her lips curving into a sly smile. ¡°Well, look who finally made it¡ªMr. Meany,¡± she teased, pausing mid-stroke with the nail polish, like she was in the middle of some casual conversation.

    I blinked, trying to catch up. ¡°Why are you here?¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡± she shrugged, her voice laced with light amusement. ¡°We¡¯re roommates, after all.¡±

    ¡°Wait¡ªwhat? Roommates?¡± I stammered, the word feeling foreign on my tongue. ¡°Then¡­ you knew?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I knew.¡± She giggled softly, like I was the last person to get the joke. ¡°I knew before you even touched down in Japan. Remember when I dropped you off at the entrance?I tried to tell you then. But, you just had to act all cool.¡±

    ¡°How?¡± I ran a hand through my hair, still trying to wrap my head around it. ¡°How did you know all this?¡±

    She sighed and leaned back, stretching out on the bed like it was the most comfortable thing in the world. ¡°Two months ago. I arrived at the academy, and when I got to the room, there was this note waiting for me. It said, ¡®Your roommate will arrive in two months.¡¯ And then, as if someone was playing fortune teller, it described you perfectly¡ª5''11", slim build, always in that plain red t-shirt and black lower with white stripes down the sides. Fair skin, messy black hair like you just rolled out of bed, and those black eyes that make it seem like you¡¯re always thinking about ten things at once. Oh, and the way you stand¡ªarms crossed, like you¡¯re too cool for this world. And that thing you do where you chew the inside of your cheek when you''re thinking¡­ like right now. Except for the height, you¡¯re pretty normal.¡±

    I froze. Her words spun in my head like an endless loop. ¡°Two months ago¡­?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± she said with a smirk, leaning up again. ¡°Two whole months. And now, here you are. Pretty weird, right?¡±

    I couldn¡¯t process it. Two days ago, my life was something else entirely. Two days ago, I didn¡¯t even know this academy existed. How could someone know everything about me months in advance?

    She must¡¯ve sensed my brain short-circuiting because she laughed softly. ¡°Hey, relax. I¡¯m not here to freak you out. Why don¡¯t you get some rest? You look exhausted. We¡¯ll explore the academy later, and I¡¯ll fill you in on everything.¡±

    Her words broke through my haze, and exhaustion suddenly hit me like a tidal wave. The long journey, the endless confusion, the creeping sense that nothing was as it seemed¡ªit all weighed on me. Rest didn¡¯t seem like such a bad idea after all.

    I leaned back on the bed, and the comfort was unreal. It felt like I was sinking into another dimension, one where sleep was all that mattered. My eyes grew heavy, and I was just about to drift into sleep¡¯s embrace when¡ª

    ¡°Hey, at least take a shower!¡± she shouted, her voice cutting through the fog like a witch casting a spell.

    ¡°I just took a shower two days ago. C¡¯mon,¡± I mumbled, trying to keep my voice steady despite the exhaustion. ¡°And I don¡¯t even have a change of clothes anyway.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I can see that,¡± she shot back, glancing at my red laptop bag. ¡°But at least take a shower after a long journey! Think about all the sweat! Damn it!¡±

    ¡°Whatever. I don¡¯t give a damn. Just let me sleep,¡± I grumbled, my voice barely audible as sleep began to pull me under.

    She let out an exaggerated sigh. ¡°Do whatever you want,¡± she muttered, still louder than necessary.

    I crashed for what felt like an eternity but was probably only an hour before her voice pierced my nap.

    ¡°Wake up, damn it! It¡¯s 7 PM, and if we don¡¯t leave now, we won¡¯t be back by 10!¡±

    Her shouting yanked me out of sleep. I groaned, stretching my arms and yawning, still feeling the weight of exhaustion in my bones.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go,¡± I said, forcing myself upright.

    ¡°Seriously? At least wash your face, damn it!¡± she said, just as loud as ever.

    ¡°No need. Let¡¯s just go,¡± I replied, waving her off.

    ¡°Fine, whatever,¡± she sighed, exasperated as usual.

    We opened the door, and the corridor was pitch dark. The only light came from our phones as we used the flashlights to guide our way. Of course, I had a million questions swirling in my head, but before I could ask any of them¡ª

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.¡°So, are you finally going to tell me your name, Mr. Mystery Complainer?¡± she broke through my thoughts.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not polite to ask someone¡¯s name without giving yours first,¡± I shot back.

    ¡°Oh, so you do know about politeness,¡± she replied, her tone playful. ¡°It¡¯s Krishika, by the way.¡±

    ¡°Vyom,¡± I said, glancing at her. ¡°Nice to meet you, Krishika.¡±

    We exchanged names as we continued walking through the dark corridor, with only our phone lights cutting through the shadows. As we reached a staircase, I was about to head down when¡ª

    ¡°We don¡¯t go that way,¡± she called out from behind. Turning left, she added, ¡°We¡¯re heading underground, and that¡¯s not the right path.¡±

    ¡°Underground?¡± I asked, confused.

    ¡°Yeah, the real academy is underground. All the classes, facilities, lights¡ªeverything you¡¯ll need. This upper part is just where students rest at night. Oh, and according to the rules, you¡¯re not allowed to roam here after hours without permission from a teacher. Hence, no lights,¡± she explained.

    ¡°Alright, that makes sense, but no lights at all seems a bit extreme,¡± I muttered.

    ¡°It is what it is. We can¡¯t change it,¡± she said with a shrug.

    ¡°Whatever, let¡¯s keep going.¡±

    As we walked, the path started sloping downward, and soon enough, the darkness gave way to bright lights overhead. The walls were stark white, and the floor was metallic, with rod lights and vents running along the ceiling. Ahead of us was a transparent sliding door, revealing a bustling scene on the other side. Students were scattered around, some with teachers assisting them, while others got scolded for causing trouble.

    This lame, haunted house vibe just a few steps ago was now turning into a real academy.

    ¡°See there?¡± Krishika pointed at a biometric machine near the entrance. ¡°You¡¯ll need to scan your fingerprint and ID to get through. Don¡¯t worry, your ID arrived while you were passed out earlier.¡±

    ¡°Oh, thanks. So, are we going in?¡± I asked, curiosity getting the better of me.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the whole reason we came down here, you moron,¡± she teased, smirking.

    I chose to ignore her jab this time¡ªno point in wasting energy. All I really wanted was to see where my classes were. Everything else? Didn¡¯t matter much to me at the moment.

    She led the way, pointing things out as she explained each area. I learned where my classes would be held and where we¡¯d go for computer practicals. The space was massive¡ªenormous classrooms, and the computer labs? I couldn¡¯t even find words to describe how huge they were. Just looking at the machines, I could tell they were monsters, each one a beast of a machine, probably not far off from a quantum computer. They even had a 3D-projection system that helped students visualize computer architecture in ways I¡¯d never seen before.

    She also showed me the essentials¡ªwashrooms, the canteen. By the time we reached the canteen, our legs were about to give out from all the walking. We decided to rest there for a bit, sitting at one of the tables.

    While we rested, she told me that most of the students here had arrived two months ago, with a few showing up a month later. I was the only one who arrived this late, meaning I had zero time to adjust. I¡¯d just have to jump in, because classes for us first-years started tomorrow.

    First year. Four years. The weight of it hit me like a ton of bricks. I wasn¡¯t ready for that. Tears welled up in my eyes, but before I could blink them away, I felt a gentle pat on my shoulder.

    Surprisingly, her touch was soft¡ªalmost comforting. Maybe witches could be gentle after all.

    We lost track of time, engrossed in everything around us. The buzz of activity had gradually faded, leaving only a handful of students scattered around. When we finally checked the time, it was already 9:45 PM. Panic kicked in, and we rushed back to our room, barely making it in the nick of time¡ª9:57 PM, to be exact.

    As soon as the clock struck 10, the doors automatically locked with a mechanical hum that sent shivers down my spine.

    ¡°Yup,¡± she said, sounding almost too calm. ¡°If we hadn¡¯t made it, we¡¯d be stuck wherever we were, with the giant ACs dropping the temperature down to 5 or 10 degrees Celsius.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s brutal,¡± I muttered, recalling the warnings about the academy¡¯s harsh rules. ¡°So that¡¯s what he meant by ¡®every ounce of determination.¡¯¡±

    She smirked, but didn¡¯t say anything.

    ¡°We should get some sleep if we want to be up by 4 for classes,¡± she said, flipping off the lights. Exhaustion hit me like a wave again, and I collapsed onto the bed.

    Once more, the comfort of the mattress was too tempting to resist. She settled into the bed beside mine, at a respectful distance, and I let sleep pull me under¡ªgrateful, at least, for the brief reprieve before the madness of tomorrow began.

    A few hours later, I woke up to the unsettling sensation of someone¡¯s sharp stare cutting through the silence. Slowly, things began coming into focus, though the harsh lights above hit my eyes like a blade. Squinting, I managed to adjust, and that¡¯s when I saw her¡ªKrishika, standing at the foot of my bed.

    She was holding a knife.

    Its blade glinted menacingly in the light, pointed downward. At first, I thought it was just another one of her weird jokes, maybe an intense way of preparing breakfast. But then I saw her face¡ªtears streaming down her cheeks, her chest rising and falling with ragged breaths. In her other hand, she clutched a crumpled letter close to her chest, like it was the only thing keeping her tethered to reality.

    Her expression was a storm of anger and despair, completely consuming her features. This wasn¡¯t a prank. Something was deeply, horribly wrong.

    "You¡ªYou damn bastard!" Krishika¡¯s voice trembled as the words escaped her lips. She bit down hard, almost like she was trying to keep herself from losing control. But then, with a shaky breath, she continued. "How could you... How could you do this?" Her voice cracked, repeating the words as if they were the only thing keeping her from breaking entirely.

    "What¡ªwhat''s wrong, Krishika?" I managed to ask, still half-lying down, my body frozen in place. My hands gripped the edge of the bed, knuckles white, as if holding on for dear life.

    Her growl cut through the air. "What happened?" She paused, chest heaving, and then her cries tore through the room, raw and desperate. "Why? Why?!"

    Her voice fractured into pieces, tears streaming down her face like a relentless storm. "Why did you kill my twin sister?" The accusation hit like a slap, her scream vibrating through the walls, each word heavier than the last.

    Twin sister...

    My mind went blank for a moment, disbelief sinking in. ¡°Are you...¡±

 Twin Sister

    <i>"T-T-Twin sister¡­ What is she¡­ talking about? Wait¡­ is she actually¡­?"</i>

    The words bounced around in my head, too fast, too loud. My chest felt tight, like the air had been sucked out of the room. Every time I tried to swallow, it hurt¡ªlike my throat was closing in on itself. I couldn¡¯t think straight. Sweat clung to my skin, cold and sticky, making me shiver even though I felt like I was burning up.

    I wanted to scream. To shout. To ask her what the hell she meant. But all that came out was a stuttering, pathetic attempt.

    <b>"Are you¡­?"</b>

    My voice cracked, barely audible. The second I met her eyes, the words froze in my throat.

    Her eyes weren¡¯t just filled with anger. They weren¡¯t just sad. They were something else entirely¡ªsomething impossible to describe. It was like<b> Death </b>itself was staring at me, pulling me apart with every second that passed. Her pain, her fury, her grief¡ªit was all there, raw and unfiltered, and it hit me like a tidal wave.

    And then I realized: she thought I¡¯d done it. She thought I killed her sister.

    My heart started pounding so hard it hurt, the sound echoing in my ears. I wanted to defend myself, to explain, to beg her to listen, but nothing came. I couldn¡¯t find my voice.

    And then, the worst thought hit me.

    Am I really going to die like this? Accused of killing someone I swore to protect? Is this really it?

    She took a step closer. Slow. Deliberate. Each step was a countdown to something I couldn¡¯t stop. My legs felt like lead, my breaths shallow and rapid, my mind spiraling further into chaos.

    And then¡ª<b><i> brrrrrring.</i></b>

    The sound shattered the moment like glass hitting the ground, sharp and jarring. My head snapped toward the table beside the bed, where an old, uncovered <b>phone</b> buzzed noisily.

    For a second, neither of us moved. <i>The phone kept ringing, sharp and loud, cutting through the silence. </i>My eyes darted to the table beside the bed, where it buzzed and rattled against the wood.

    <b>Krishika</b> looked at it too. She hesitated for a moment, then walked over to it. Her steps were slow, careful, like she was forcing herself to stay calm.

    She picked it up, the vibrations stopping as soon as her hand closed around it. Turning it over, she stared at the screen. The faint glow lit up her face, but her expression was hard to read.

    ¡°<b><i>Unknown number</i></b>,¡± she said softly, almost like she wasn¡¯t sure if I needed to hear it or if she was just saying it out loud for herself.

    Her thumb hovered over the screen. For a second, she just stood there, holding the phone tight, like she wasn¡¯t sure what to do. The speaker on the back hummed faintly, and then<i> I heard it¡ªa man¡¯s voice.</i>

    It was deep and rough, like he might be in his 30s. ¡°<b>This boy¡­ isn¡¯t your culprit¡­</b>¡±

    The words were muffled, but I caught just enough to make my heart pound harder. My breath hitched, and I strained to hear more, but before I could make out anything else, Krishika turned on her heel and headed for the bathroom.

    ¡°<i>Sorry</i>,¡± she muttered under her breath, her voice cold and distant, as if the apology was meant for the air around her, not me.

    The door clicked shut, leaving me alone with a head full of questions that only made the room feel smaller.

    <i>Who was he? And what did he mean by that?</i>

    <i>What was in that letter?</i>

    And the most terrifying thought of all¡ª<b>were we being watched?</b> Was someone out there, an unseen force tracking our every move?

    <i>What was happening here?</i>

    <i>What was really going on?</i>

    The silence hung heavy in the room after <b>Krishika</b> locked herself in the bathroom. My mind was still racing, the man¡¯s voice echoing in my head. This boy isn¡¯t your culprit. What did that even mean? And why the hell did she walk off like that after everything?

    I stayed frozen, staring at the door, trying to piece it all together, but it was like trying to solve a puzzle with missing pieces. A few minutes passed, the muffled sound of water running barely registering in the background.

    <i>Then the door opened.</i>

    Krishika stepped out, her face calm and collected, but her eyes¡­ They still carried that storm, like everything she felt was right there, bubbling just under the surface. She crossed her arms and gave me a look that could cut steel.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t want us to be late for class, hurry up, have your breakfast, and let¡¯s go. Today¡¯s the first day, and <i>I don¡¯t want to look bad because of an idiot scaredy-cat like you</i>.¡±

    <i>She didn¡¯t stop there. Oh no. On and on she went, ranting about punctuality, appearances, and how my existence was apparently ruining her life.</i>

    Seriously? You just pointed a knife at me, accused me of murder, and made me think I was seconds away from dying. <i>I was ready to piss my pants</i>, DAMMIT! And all you said was ¡°<i>Sorry</i>¡±? Now you¡¯re lecturing me about being late to class? What kind of messed-up justice system is this?

    Of course, I didn¡¯t say any of that. After staring death in the face, my survival instincts kicked in. I just nodded like the world¡¯s most obedient puppy, muttered something incoherent, and shuffled to the bathroom.

    I brushed my teeth, shoved some breakfast into my mouth, and followed her out the door like a fool. First day of class? Great. Let¡¯s add <b>traumatized</b> to the list of things I¡¯m bringing to academy.

    "<i><b>You skipped your bath again, didn¡¯t you?</b></i>" Krishika asked, her tone dripping with mockery as we walked down the corridor.

    ¡°<i><b>Four in the morning. December. You seriously think I¡¯m jumping into ice water for fun?If I''d bath I''d die</b></i>¡±I shot back.

    "<i><b>Well, I took a bath, and look¡ªI¡¯m alive, you moron</b></i>," she said with a smirk, flipping her hair for dramatic effect.

    "<i><b>Yeah, well, witches don¡¯t die</b></i>," I muttered under my breath.

    Her steps faltered ever so slightly, the smirk fading from her face. For a moment, I thought I¡¯d scored a point, but then I noticed her expression. It wasn¡¯t anger¡ªit was something heavier, something that made my stomach twist.

    "<i>Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean¡ª</i>" I started, my voice faltering as I realized my joke might¡¯ve hit a nerve.

    "<b><i>So, how did you know my sister?</i></b>" she asked, her tone quiet but sharp, like the question carried more weight than it seemed.

    I hesitated. The lightheartedness of our banter evaporated in an instant. Finally, I answered, "<i>Long story short?</i> She was my best friend¡¯s best friend. That¡¯s how we became best friends, actually." My voice cracked, and I blinked back tears that threatened to spill over.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Krishika¡¯s expression softened, but her eyes carried a different kind of pain now. "<b>He told me everything. The man who called¡­</b>"

    My steps faltered. I froze mid-stride, the words sending a jolt through me. "What did he tell you?" I asked, though a part of me already dreaded the answer.

    "<b>How my sister died¡­ what it had to do with you¡­ and about that boy, Ayan</b>," she said, her voice trembling. Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears as she continued, "He told me how brutally they died right in front of your eyes. It must¡¯ve been hard."

    Her words hit me like a sledgehammer. Each one dug deeper, the weight of them pulling me under. My chest tightened, and my thoughts spiraled into a dark, endless void.<b> Who was this man? How did he know all of this?</b>

    My jaw hung open, but no words came. I couldn¡¯t move, couldn¡¯t breathe. It was like I¡¯d been turned to stone.

    Krishika, lost in her own thoughts, kept walking. It wasn¡¯t until she noticed I wasn¡¯t with her that she turned around and called my name.

    Her voice cut through the fog in my mind, sharp and grounding. I blinked, startled, her call pulling me back like a jolt of cold water to the face.

    I glanced at her, expecting another sharp remark, but she simply turned and kept walking. My feet followed on autopilot, the echoes of her voice still rattling around my head.

    When we reached the classroom, the stark simplicity of it almost felt jarring¡ªa sharp contrast to the tension that had gripped me moments ago. The room was nothing special, just the basics: a blackboard at the front, a teacher¡¯s desk, and a worn wooden cupboard tucked in the corner. Rows of paired desks stretched across the room, sturdy but uninviting.

    Small placards etched with names dictated where we¡¯d sit. My spot was near the window¡ªfourth from the front and third from the back. The room was divided into strict rows: boys on the left, girls on the right. The setup felt both calculated and strangely old-fashioned, like two minds with vastly different priorities had created the rules.

    <b>Krishika</b> had been assigned a seat at the very back corner. She didn¡¯t seem to mind, already flipping through one of the academy-provided textbooks with the same focus she¡¯d had earlier. Meanwhile, I sank into my chair, my mind still juggling the tension from our earlier conversation.

    The classroom buzzed with energy as students trickled in, the hum of murmured introductions filling the space. My seatmate was a boy named <b>Shura</b>, his bright orange hair immediately catching my attention. It wasn¡¯t just the color¡ªhe carried himself with a certain swagger that seemed too effortless to be rehearsed.

    ¡°<b>Yo, Vyom. You look like you¡¯ve seen a ghost</b>,¡±<b> Shura </b>said with a lazy grin, leaning back like he owned the place.

    ¡°<b>Hi</b>,¡± I replied, glancing at the manga clutched in his hands.

    As more students filed in, the chatter built to a low rumble. <b>Shura</b> alternated between flipping through his manga and cracking jokes with the boys in the row ahead, his charisma already drawing attention. I could see why some might find him charming, but to me, he seemed more like the class clown gearing up for his big debut.

    <b>By 4:30 a.m</b>., the room went still as a tall woman stepped inside. Dressed in sharp black and grey, her hair pulled into a neat ponytail, she exuded authority. Without so much as a greeting, she strode to the desk, set down a stack of books, and opened a thick register.

    ¡°I¡¯m <b>Matsumoto Yuki</b>, your instructor,¡± she said, her voice cutting through the quiet. ¡°<b><i>Let¡¯s begin. Roll call first.</i></b>¡±

    She called out names with brisk efficiency, marking attendance as the classroom fell into a disciplined hush. When she finished, she set the register aside and addressed us directly.

    ¡°<b><i>You¡¯ll introduce yourselves. State your name, key skills, and motivation for joining this academy.</i></b>¡±

    The first few introductions were forgettable¡ªgeneric names and vague ambitions that barely made an impression. But as the line moved forward, a few stood out.

    <b>John</b>: <b><i>Offensive Security</i></b>. Sabotaged a nuclear facility with a virus rivaling<b> Stuxnet</b>.<b>

    Nick</b>: <b><i>Malware Development</i></b>. Creator of <b>MalHouse</b>, one of the most infamous malware networks.<b>

    Shura</b>: <b><i>Social Engineering</i></b>. Spent two months impersonating a high-ranking official to manipulate a police department.<b>

    Krishika</b>:<b><i> OSINT</i></b>. Tracked down over 100 kidnapped children, succeeding where law enforcement had failed.

    Their achievements weren¡¯t just impressive¡ªthey were intimidating. The stark contrast between them and the rest of the class was enough to send a ripple of unease through the room.

    Just as the introductions began to lull, <b><i>Matsumoto Yuki</i></b> spoke again, her words cutting through the tension like a blade.

    ¡°<b><i>Congratulations</i></b>,¡± she said, her tone calm but weighty. ¡°<i>By the end of this course, most of you will rise to unprecedented heights¡ªor leave here in ruins.</i>¡±

    Her statement hung in the air, heavy and unrelenting. It wasn¡¯t a threat. It was a promise.

    For a moment, the room felt suffocating, the quiet amplifying the weight of her words. This academy wasn¡¯t just a place to learn. It was a proving ground, and the stakes couldn¡¯t have been higher.

    Then came the announcement.

    ¡°<b>There are 30 students present in the class, correct?</b>¡± <b><i>Matsumoto Yuki¡¯s</i></b> voice rang out, sharp and deliberate. ¡°<i>You will be divided into six teams of four. Your task: to destroy the other teams. This exercise will begin today, Monday, and continue until next Monday. By the end of the week, only two teams will remain standing. Only the eight students from those teams will be allowed to continue taking classes at this academy.</i>¡±

    The room erupted into gasps and murmurs. A collective shock swept through the students like a wave. No one had been expecting something so intense, let alone on the first day.

    But me? I could barely contain my excitement. My heart raced¡ªnot from fear, but from exhilaration. A grin spread across my face before I could stop it, and to my surprise, I noticed my seatmate, <b>Shura</b>, wearing a similar expression. Maybe this guy and I weren¡¯t so different after all.

    ¡°<b>I have a doubt, Miss,</b>¡± a student said, breaking the tension. He raised his hand hesitantly.

    ¡°<b>Yes?</b>¡±<i><b> Miss Yuki</b></i> replied, her tone even and patient.

    ¡°<b><i>If there are 30 of us, and we¡¯re divided into teams of four, that leaves six students unaccounted for. What happens to them?</i></b>¡±

    Miss Yuki¡¯s lips curved into a faint, knowing smile. ¡°<b><i>Sharp question. Those six are Double Agents. They¡¯re not tied to any team. Think spies¡ªthey can jump between teams, mess things up, steal info, or play both sides. By the end of the week, their survival depends on whose side they¡¯re really on.</i></b>¡±

    ¡°<i>Any more doubts?</i>¡± <b>Miss Yuki </b>asked, her sharp gaze scanning the room.

    No one said a word. The weight of her announcement still hung heavy in the air.

    ¡°Good,¡± she said, her voice clipped and efficient. ¡°<i>Let us proceed with dividing the teams.</i>¡±

    She opened the register in her hands, flipping through the pages until she found the names she wanted.

    ¡°<i>Team 1</i>,¡± she began, listing off the names with precision.

    The room buzzed softly as students exchanged glances and sized each other up, but I stayed quiet, waiting for my name to be called. I didn¡¯t care much about who was on the other teams. All that mattered was mine.

    ¡°<b>Team 4</b>,¡± Miss Yuki continued. ¡°<b>Vyom, Krishika, Shura, and Bianca Ferrari.</b>¡±

    I instinctively glanced around, curious about the last name. It didn¡¯t take long to spot her¡ª<i>a petite girl with short blond hair sitting near the back of the room. She looked like she wanted to disappear into her chair.</i> Her wide blue eyes darted nervously around the room, avoiding direct eye contact with anyone.

    When she realized everyone was looking at her, her face flushed bright red. She shrank a little further into herself, clutching the edges of her desk as if it were the only thing keeping her grounded.

    ¡°<b>Bianca, huh?</b>¡± <b>Shura</b> whispered to me, a bemused expression on his face. ¡°<i>She looks like she¡¯d faint if you said boo.</i>¡±

    I shot him a warning glance. ¡°<i>Don¡¯t.</i>¡±

    ¡°<i>Uh¡­ hi</i>,¡± <b>Bianca</b> mumbled, her voice barely audible. She gave a small, shaky wave before looking away, her face turning beet red under Krishika¡¯s glare.

    <b>This was our team?</b> I glanced at Krishika, who looked unimpressed as always, and at Shura, who was now grinning like he¡¯d just found his new favorite target. This was going to be¡­ interesting.

    As the teams settled into their assigned groups, a thought crossed my mind. Glancing around, it became clear¡ªmost of the students here didn¡¯t have family names. It wasn¡¯t just me. <i>Even in my own team, Bianca was the only one who carried one. The thought gnawed at me. Why was that? Was it a coincidence¡ªor something more deliberate?</i>

    <i>Before I could dwell on it further, Miss Yuki¡¯s voice pulled me back to the present.</i>

    ¡°So, if everyone is assigned to a team and those chosen as double agents are clear on their roles, let¡¯s move on,¡± she said, her tone sharp and commanding. ¡°<b>We need to discuss how this exercise will work, how you¡¯ll fight, and the rules you¡¯ll follow.</b>¡±

    The room went silent, every pair of eyes fixed on her as she laid out the details.

    ¡°<i>As stated, this will be a seven-day exercise, running from 4 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. No activity is permitted outside these hours. Each team will be assigned a computer lab equipped with five computer systems and one quantum computer system. That quantum computer will be central to your task¡ªit will be named after the leader your team selects. Its name will remain hidden from the other teams.</i>¡±

    Her gaze swept over the room, her words growing heavier.

    ¡°<i>Your objective is simple: breach into another team¡¯s quantum computer, retrieve the key(encrypted value) stored within it, and submit it to the portal running on the fifth computer system in your lab. The first two teams to successfully complete this task will move forward. However, there¡¯s one condition.</i>¡±

    She paused, letting the weight of her next words sink in.

    ¡°<b>Your team will only be registered if you name your quantum computer after your chosen leader. This must be done by today, 10 p.m. sharp. Failure to do so will result in your immediate elimination from the academy.</b>¡±