《An Unvirtuous Path》 Chapter 1: A Completely different Person The back four moved in slowly, Sapphira furrowed her brow, glancing at the others. "We''re not supposed to be in the same class." Her voice was firm but uncertain. "Different years, different disciplines. This... isn''t right." "Indeed, why are we suddenly all here? This does not make sense." Rina, the bookworm who looked like she started from the middle of a chapter said. "The last thing I remembered was entering the clubroom..." Ayaka commented as she fixed her hair. "I think you''re missing a lot more details than that..." Holly said in her usual monotone voice "Yeah...It''s...a lot more than that...." Rina responded. The four realized the classroom is dead silent. Although they were whispering to each other, even the smallest noise pierced the air. "THE FOUR OF YOU, QUIET!" Miss Inari shouted from the front of the classroom. The four of them instantly quiet down as the lesson continued as usual. This isn''t the Miss Inari they once knew. Miss Inari used to be a kind and loving teacher who was always patient with her class. Sure, noise would disrupt lessons, but this is as strict as a drill sergeant. "But Miss In-" A pen flew towards Ayaka''s face, it caused an audible knock sound. The other students kept their eyes to the front, except the other 3 who stared at Ayaka in shock. "Miss Ayaka...NEED I REMIND YOU THAT YOU FORGOT YOUR HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT FOR TWO CLASSES IN A ROW??!!!" "Wh- no! I-" Another pen flew in the air. Although Ayaka outwardly looks like she slacks off on her word, which she does, she usually gets them done on time, if not the minute before her teacher arrives. "ONE MORE PEEP FROM YOU, AND IT INTO SPECIAL CLASS YOU GO!" Nobody tried to speak up after that. It''s probably for the best that they don''t make another mistake. This special class back in Virtuous Path Institute was reserved for those who needed extra disciplinary action. Even the mere mention of it was rare due to how much demerit someone needed to earn. It was reserved for the worst of the worst. One of which being Holly''s older brother. The bell rang, the four of them left the classroom. But a loud voice stopped them. "AYAKA, YOU NEED TO FOLLOW ME. YOUR SCORE IS UNACCEPTABLE TO CONTINUE CLASSES HERE." "Ye-yess, miss..." Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Sapphira wanted to intervene and prove Ayaka''s innocence. But the whole situation is disorienting. "Hold on." Holly said in protest. Miss Inari stopped for a moment and glared at Holly. "A single rotten apple spoils the barrel. You could have followed in your brother''s footsteps and become the next Star Student of VPI." The mere mention of Holly''s brother froze them all in place. This too is not the same person the 4 are familiar with. "Instead, you were picked up by the ringleader, Sapphira." Miss Inari shook her head in disappointment. "I''ve told you time and time again that Sapphira had been held back twice. She then got Ayaka and Rina which held them back one year. You were on track, but it seems like I have failed you too." Sapphira had enough of this. "Miss Inari, can we have a few minutes to talk about this?" Miss Inari lifted an eyebrow, "You''re finally showing me some respect after all these years? I guess calling me by my first name finally got old for you." Sapphira jerked a bit at that comment, but she quickly wiped away the reaction. "Yes, indeed, we need to sort out some things, there is a lot of weird things going on around here." "What''s weird is you, you don''t usually talk like that. You''re always hidden and never spoke to us. We thought you were a big introvert and a bad influence. But you''ve finally decided to speak up." Sapphira is shaking in both fear and rage, she keeps cringing at this totally different self that is being described. She could not fathom the idea of being hated, if not seen as a villain. "Yes, sometimes we change, Miss Inari." "All of you, follow me to the special classroom. Session is over there." Miss Inari commanded. The four followed Miss Inari. The hallways of VPI looked similar yet different. A red carpet covered the ground which suddenly stopped when they entered a new wing. This wing seems to be the area for the special class. It''s visibly more run down compared to the rest of the school.. Trash piled up in the hallway, as if the janitor was specifically instructed to dump the waste here. The place is populated by the students who had body tattoos and piercings, whispers filled the air as the 5 of them passed. However, they were going down a familiar path...as if to the clubroom they usually frequent. As they were walking, Sapphira checked her phone, and confirms, yes, the photos from the VPI she knew still existed. Pictures of her holding awards, including one where she is taking an Award from Miss Inari. Sapphira tried to look for a certain someone''s face but unfortunately, she never took a photo together with them. Miss Inari opened the door to one of the classrooms. She stomped in and sat down at the teacher''s podium. "I expect a lot of good things to hear from you. Holly, this is where you will have classes if you continue to spend time with the three of them." Miss Inari said. Rina, Ayaka, and Holly were all speechless. They sat in the silence of the run-down classroom. The classroom is old and faded, the windowpanes in pieces. Nobody cared for the classroom. Miss Inari started at them like a hawk. Not saying a word, but waiting for something. Sapphira finally got up and wanted to show Miss Inari her images. But instead of understanding, Miss Inari''s eyes glowed. "FINALLY, THE FINAL PIECE OF EVIDENCE!" Miss Inari snatched the phone from Sapphira''s hand and ran out of the room. "ENJOY YOUR LAST DAY AT VPI, SAPPHIRA." Her voice echoed through the hallways. "Looks like playing good student is not an option." Holly spoke up. "It was really irritating hearing all that about you Sapphira, forget her singling me out, I was ready to throw hands when she talked about you." Ayaka responded as she gritted her teeth. "No worries, this world''s Sapphira must have been a real pain." Sapphira reassured everyone that she is fine after that. "But at present, we will have to do our own investigations and find solutions to get back to our world. Who knows what will happen if we decide to stay here." As the evening sun set, darkness enveloped them. The 4 slipped into the shadows. Chapter 2: Shattered Continuity Sapphira rubbed her fingers on the worn-out desk, her mind racing as she pieced together the fragments of their situation. While her phone was taken from her, it was the least of her concerns. Logically speaking, she would not be able to use anything in this world. Whatever Miss Inari wanted in her phone was not there. The dust in the room was thick, as if nobody has been using it for the past decade. If this is the special class that they have known, this is the equivalent of being sent to a camp. Rina tried opening the window, but it is rusted shut. It took a bit of force but eventually gave way. A hazy cloud exited the room visible from outside. Rina hacked and coughed repeatedly as she fanned the dust away from her mouth and nose. "So, this is the special class..." Sapphira spoke out as she tried opening another window. "Its almost the same location as our usual clubroom. In its current condition, there is no way classes can commence as normal here." "I think the notion was to scare us into thinking this place will become our next class if we ''continue'' to misbehave." Holly replied as she drew faces on the windows. "That''s a real possibility indeed, I can''t imagine anything being done here." Ayaka "What should we do now?" Rina asked with concern on her face. "I don''t know, its hard to come up with a plan when we were just suddenly shoved into this situation out of nowhere. And none of us knowing how we even ended up here is not helping." Sapphira crossed her arms and closed her eyes in deep thought. "I think we just need to take a step back for now, examine the details of this huge picture." Holly trotted around the room as she spoke. "For now, we are very disoriented of all that is happening. I can''t imagine our situation improving with rash action." Ayaka dusted a desk and sat on it, "Honestly, if you think about it, Miss Inari being someone else...er... makes me see exciting opportunities." "What is it?" Rina turned her head back into the room. "Well, who knows what kind of friends you''ve made in this world?" Ayaka got off the desk and dusted herself, She realized what a mistake that was but did not skip a beat. "There is no obligation to maintain your ''current'' friendships that you have no bonds with." "Ayaka has a point there." Sapphira leaned against the open window, "but I disagree on the part of no obligations...It''s a grey area on where the people we know are but its important we adapt to it." "Mannn~ I wonder what kinds of friends I made in this new world." Ayaka started combing her hair to comfort herself. "I.... I wonder what kind of person Hannah is in this world...I...I feel lost without her..." Rina started shaking violently. Hannah is the only person who consistently hangs out with Rina and talks to her about the occult. While Rina is friend with the other 3 in the room, Hannah has always been there since she first enrolled into Virtuous Path Institute. "Don''t worry Rina, it takes time for us to adapt." Ayaka hugged Rina tightly to calm her down. At the same time, Ayaka herself was hugging Rina to ease herself. Ayaka knows her family situation back at home was not the most publicly accepted. Thinking of all the possibilities is giving her a headache. As the two of them hugged, Holly and Sapphira continued strategizing. "Would the best course of action be to ignore everyone while we get our bearing of this place?" Holly suggested something as if she does not do that everyday. "Aha, you''re funny Holly, but its not entirely possible...some of us have families to go back to." Sapphira shares sentiment to everyone in the room, only Holly is living in the dorms, separated from her family. "It''s simple." Holly gave a deadpan response, "People will never give you attention unless you specifically ask for it." "That...kinda only applies to you, Holly..." Sapphira rebuttals Holly''s point, "If you have friends, they''ll talk to you out of nowhere." "Just ignore them." "I...don''t think Holly gets around often..." "Holly, I think you''re underestimating the situation here..." Ayaka lets go of Rina, "Especially with girls like us, we are sure to attract attention. That''s why we need to stick together." "Miss Inari is onto us about being together, while it is safer to be in numbers, I think we need to grasp the situation better if we go as individuals. It would paint a clearer picture of who we were in this world." Holly being matter of fact as usual. Sapphira is used to Holly''s straightforwardness, blunt, but she has a point. Sticking together will only delay the inevitable. While there is no immediate rush to get back to their original world, it is in their best interest to be careful and adapt to their surroundings. It seems all their reputations have been stained before they are even conscious, Sapphira sees an opportunity to keep going and study where this world is able to lead them. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "Holly, that''s very insensitive of you. But I get where you are coming from." This new world needs exploring, having a whole new life does seem interesting, but we are leaving the people we love back at home without saying goodbye." Sapphira sighed as if that statement finally addressed a heavy load on her shoulders. "Hm, you''re right." Holly Looked down at the floor. "It''s all right Sapphira," Rina finally let go of Ayaka, "Our options is to either find a way back to our world...or continue to live and adapt to this new one...I do not intend on laying down and giving up..." Rina said with all her courage. "Yeah, we need to stay positive and move ahead! Standing around won''t help anyone!" Ayaka exclaimed as she combed her hair to the side. "Well then, shall we take the first step outside of this room?" Sapphira returned to her confident leading tone. The literal and figurative first step is going outside of the room they frequently meet united them once again. The four exited, half expecting to see Miss Inari again, but she never returned. In silence, the four walked through the hallways, down the stairs and eventually to the main entrance. "Looks like this is where we split." Holly stated. "I think I''ll walk with Rina for a while." Ayaka told the group. "Our houses are in the same direction." "I''ll see you tomorrow, then, lets make sure we meet at the same classroom after classes to gather what we know." Sapphira told everyone. "Although its in horrible condition, the fact that it looks like it was never used is a good indicator nobody will interrupt us there." "Agreed." "That''s a great idea!" "I''ll make sure to be there..." ... ... ... The four split up, leaving Sapphira left on her way home. Felene City did not look different from how she last seen it. A working public transport system, plenty of orange streetlights illuminated the sidewalks, moderately sized highways occupied by cars. Its probably time to reconsider the road infrastructure to accommodate the city''s boom in population in the last few years. "Sapphira!" A voice called out Sapphira and a hand grabbed her shoulder as she looked through the directory for train stops. Sapphira instantly slaps the hand away. What she saw next was a disgusting homeless man. "Hey! What gives?!" The man complained. "Anyone would have been surprised by you ''greeting'' Mr. Man." "Mr. Man?! Sapphira, its me Takeru! You''re a regular to my services!" "A regular? Services? What do you mean by that?" "It seems you have a bit of amnesia, you''ve always come to me for information about leaders and hierarchies, to the captains and the standard thug." Takeru put his hands in his pockets. "Next thing I knew, something happened to someone related to that person." "Shouldn''t we be in a more secluded area to talk about this?" Sapphira shot back. "I was almost ready to scream out for security." "Don''t be ridiculous, Sapphira, everybody knows who you are and what you''ve done. Just that you''ve been able to slip away without evidence proving you''ve done it." Takeru explained. "Look around, if I was talk to someone else at your age, that security guard over there will definitely escort me out right about now." Sapphira looked over, the security guards are looking away from their conversation, confirming the situation to her. "So, what do you need from me now that you''ve called me out?" "I needed money, and I thought you needed information to buy from me." Takeru started grinning. "And you looked troubled, so I took the initiative." Sapphira thought about this for a while. She always had people in high positions telling her what she needed. It seems here she got the opposite; a homeless man, an information broker whose connections stem from the community which is always close due to their similar circumstances and everyday feeling like its their last. Sapphira has dealt with people like this before, but they always shut her out due to her connections with even the police. This is the perfect opportunity to learn more about this new world. "What are your rates?" Sapphira asked "Depends on what you need now. As usual." Sapphira though for a second, "Can you tell me how my family is doing?" Takeru reached into his jacket and whispered into it, a few seconds later he gets a response, "Hiraya family is still arguing, something about gambling away savings." Takeru had a concern look on his face, "That...does not sound good...take that as a freebie..." "I''m glad you''re sentimental. How about the O'' Rama''s ?" "They have been dead for a long time now, only Rina survived, don''t you remember? It was all over the news." Takeru responded quickly as if it was common knowledge. "That''s how you easily got Rina to follow you." "I would nev-"Sapphira stopped herself mid sentence. While recruiting a girl who is in her most vulnerable spot is not something she would do, she considered what this world''s Sapphira did and not question it further. "That would be...5 dollars." Takeru held out his hand. "Sorry, but I need a meal. "How much would information on the Ashen''s and Yuzuki cost?" "Much more than that, it can be quite complicated to even gather information on them." Sapphira considered the cost, would it be in the hundreds? Maybe thousands? She can''t risk being in debt to a man like the one in front of her right now. Who knows what he''ll do. Sapphira decided that what enough and paid Takeru the 5 dollars she owes. "I guess you don''t need anything else." Takeru said with disappointment in his face. "I''m speculating on my options for now, and it sounds like I will be needing cash, knowing the situation at home for now." Sapphira started to quickly walk away from Takeru. Although this world and her own world are similar in nature to gather information before getting what they want, they get it from opposite sides of the karma scale. She fears this world''s Sapphira has already had a substantial body count to get what she needs. And its not a reputation she wants to continue, but she might be forced to in the future. Whatever it is, Sapphira is now dancing with the shadows she once avoided. ...forced to play the role until she can navigate this world safely. Sapphira quickened her pace, the city''s glow casting long shadows as she mulled over what she had learned. The weight of her apparent reputation here, the strange shift in power dynamics, and the knowledge that her usual methods might not work in this world all sat heavily in her mind. For now, she had a plan¡ªgather more information, maintain appearances, and avoid making any reckless moves. If she truly wanted to understand this world and find a way back, she''d have to play her cards carefully. Chapter 3: The Wind Knows No Master Chapter 3: The Wind Knows No Master The familiar path home felt different, like stepping into a dream where the details were just a little off¡ªRina told herself it was only her imagination. Rina and Ayaka kept pace with each other. They never really spent time together alone like this. Usually Ayaka would be able to make conversations with anything but the occult was just too out of left field for her. To break the silence, Ayaka spotted a random car. "Huh, that car is pretty isn''t it?" "Yes...cars are quite fascinating to think about...how they revolutionized moving from point A to point B." Rina walked and yapped away. "Yeah, yeah..." The conversation seems to have gone more technical than Ayaka''s planned. "Say... what''s your dream car, Rina?" Ayaka tried to steer it back to something she can grasp. She noticed Rina seemed more reserved than usual. "I''d say something modest like a Sedan, nothing too fancy..." Rina looked like she was holding back something, her eyes darting back and forth on a bad feeling. But she tries to ignore it. "Aw c''mon Rina, let''s hear what you have to say! I wouldn''t be surprised to hear that a hearse would be your kind of car!" Ayaka said in a teasing manner, this is her best effort to shift the conversation away from anything related to relationships. "Actually...that would be...never mind....um...yup.... a Sedan is just enough!" Rina let out a small laugh before proceeding. "What about yours Ayaka?" "I would definitely go for a sporty car! Especially those with convertible roofs!" Ayaka excitedly spurred. "Imagine how the cold night air would feel in your hair as you speed down the freeway!" "That...does sound...thrilling..." Rina muttered, but her mind was elsewhere. The conversation faded. The closer they got to her street, the heavier the silence became. Every step they took felt dreadful, the air felt thick, and it was a bit hard to breath. As if something was missing. Rina couldn''t shake this feeling no matter how much she tried to disregard it. Rounding the corner, the street was empty, no other citizens were present, were the houses also abandoned? The citizens that were at the boundaries of the street stared at the pair. The two ignored the stares and went ahead. As they approached, the faint smell of smoke got stronger and stronger. Rina''s mind got wilder and wilder. It can''t be, can it? Why would that even be a possibility in this world? As they got into view, there''s no more denying it. Rina fell onto her knees as she watched the derelict right in front of her. There is no other way of putting it, all of what she had ever known, all burnt to ashes. The site even felt like it was recent, as if it happened just a few days ago, and the surrounding grass had yet to recover. But why did an isolated fire incident cause the entire street to evacuate? Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. Those thoughts came to Rina which calmed her down a little. Rina always had a fascination of finding reasons behind the madness. While its obvious what happened to the house, how it happened sparked the part of her mind that finds answers in curiosity. But that want to search for an answer is short lived as a hearse pulled up behind them. Ayaka turned around and instant recognised the hood ornament. It was similar to the Yuzuki clan symbol, but with small alterations. The clan''s symbol used a fruit does not present locally in Felene City nor the country. The symbol is mainly used to highlight the foreign nature of the Yuzuki clan as they cook and sell unique dishes not found elsewhere. For the Yuzuki clan to own a hearse... that seems out of nowhere. The doors of the hearse rolled down, men in suits came out to greet her. "Mistress Ayaka, we''ve been looking all over for you, the Elders has been trying to contact you for many hours now." Ayaka was taken aback by the title of ''Mistress.'' She had discouraged those working under her from even calling her ''Princess.'' Ayaka always preferred the casual tone that the Yuzuki clan shared. While there''s various business operations necessary for the clan to keep going, it never came down to anything violent. A hearse suggests a Funeral Home service, which allows for more ''potent'' operations to commence under cover. Ayaka gulped before giving a response. "My apologies," Ayaka took a second look at who was addressing her, its her usual bald servant who has been keeping watch on her since middle school, but now he has more scars than ever before. "Please tell them I had important business to conduct." "Understood Mistress, but the Elders are demanding your presence now, it would be wise to follow their orders, Mistress." Ayaka froze, Elders? Those ranks are only present back in the country of origin. Why would Elders need to oversee operations of foreign lands? This overwhelming power in front of Ayaka is new to her. Elders...that word alone made her throat dry, they are supposed to be figure of tradition. There was a reason they were hands off from Felene City''s operations. If they were here...the whole hierarchy has changed. While her dad has been a strict leader, a whole forum of Elders is something else, like a nightmare coming true. "I will enter, but please, allow my friend to follow, I don''t think she''ll cause any harm." Ayaka used all her energy to give an authoritative tone, a voice she was trained to use but never had to put it into a real scenario. "We can arrange that, Mistress." The servant opened the door to the hearse, and waved them in. Rina followed, she picked up on the tone change, while she doesn''t understand the gravity of the situation, shaking someone like Ayaka from being a happy-go-lucky person to someone worthy of being a leader had peeled away some of the fa?ade Ayaka has always seem to hide from everyone. All Rina could do now is follow along for the ride. Ayaka and Rina sat in silence in the hearse. There is no joking matter with a party of strong men. They were driving for a long time. Way past what used to be Ayaka''s family restaurant. The drive brought them into the mountains, streetlights few and far between, leaving spots of darkness for the mind to play its tricks on. But nothing will beat the sight of an fully enclosed estate. Ayaka had heard of plans about building something like, but to see it in full for the first time is another experience. The gates to the estate opened automatically as they approached, as if already expecting the hearse. Anxiety filled the air as Ayaka dressed herself up to be presentable once again. The jacket she usually wears around her waist is in wrinkles but at least it shows a little more formality than a white-collar shirt. Rina unconsciously combed her hair at the sight of such a magnificent structure. A structure that commanded respect. The door to the hearse opened and the two got off. In front of them, a mighty structure that had a whole lit up garden they are currently standing on. Chapter 4: Gilded Shackles Chapter 4: Gilded Shackles Holly squeezed the pen in her hand, her knuckles whitening with frustration. She had been sitting here for the past 3 hours grinding through quizzes. Whenever a paper is not 100% correct, a new one stuffed with another 100 more questions gets added to the pile. Holly had failed the first sheet, and then the second, and is now on her third. There is no end to the nightmare. Her precious laptop, one she always had with her since her childhood, had been taken away from her and deemed a ¡®distraction.¡¯ Without it, Holly felt like she lost a part of herself. Even in elementary, Holly had a fascination with computers, her optimism with technology had her get in trouble for stealing her teacher¡¯s phones and jail breaking them, claiming that she¡¯s helping them with a much more versatile software. Multiple near expulsions stacked up to the point where her family finally folded and let her have her own device at a young age. On the condition Holly does not steal anyone else¡¯s ever again. Holly wasn¡¯t ¡°pencil smart¡±¡ªshe was computer smart. Her studying had always been assisted by programs she coded herself: digital highlighters, personalized flashcards, searchable libraries of notes. Sure, she admitted that physical highlighting was more interactive, but it couldn¡¯t beat the efficiency of her digital setup. No heavy books. No messy stacks of paper. Just clean, indexed knowledge. Without her laptop, Holly was slower, clumsier. Her handwriting was barely legible after years of typing. The world Holly grew up in leaned into digitalization. But this world? Same people, different tech timeline. Everything was slower, clunkier, wrapped in dusty books. Honestly, with how bad the organizational systems were here, it was no surprise someone like Miss Inari turned out the way she did. Holly had even taken off her jacket, she didn¡¯t want lead stains on it from the constant scribbling. The only computer in the room was an ancient CRT monitor, barely powerful enough to run a game from twenty years ago. She leaned back in her chair, fingers sore, eyes burning. Her thoughts drifted to him. Her supposed older brother. Class-wise, he was a totally different person here¡ªpolished, praised, adored. But underneath? Same controlling attitude. Same manipulation. Same brother. Different methods. Holly took a sip of water, letting the memory of her last encounter with Haytham surface. ... ... ... Holly sighed to herself. She stood in front of what should¡¯ve been her dorm room¡ªbut something was off. This wasn¡¯t hers. She stared at the name on the door. Rina O¡¯Rama. A shadow engulfed her, and a hand violently slammed right next to her head ¨C hard. Too close. ¡°My dear sister,¡± came a syrupy and cold voice,¡±we know what you¡¯re trying to do sneaking to Rina¡¯s room. Just give it up already...¡± Holly internally jolted at the sudden slam but outwardly, nothing. She turned to the all-too-familiar voice, wearing deadpan expression Haytham. Seconds passed. The clock on the wall ticked softly. Muffled sounds from the adjacent rooms bled through the silence. Holly said nothing. No fear. No anger. No reaction. That alone irritated Haytham. It became an impromptu staring contest. Holly tilted her head slightly, almost curious, as if waiting for him to continue his dramatic monologue. Eventually, he had to break the silence. ¡°Not scared today, are we?¡± he scoffed. ¡°I heard you caused Miss Inari some trouble, hanging out with Sapphira again. Tsk, tsk, tsk¡­ Girl, why are you so stubborn? We have an image to uphold. Associating with someone who sells her body is the last thing we want from you.¡± He spoke as though scolding a child¡ªcondescending, smug, expecting the usual fiery pushback. But again¡ªnothing. More seconds passed. Tick. Tick. Tick. Holly glanced toward the clock, then back at Haytham. Her lips parted. Haytham readied himself for the inevitable rebuttal. ¡°Unlike you, the ticking actually serves a purpose.¡± It took him a second to register it. She had just devalued him lower than a wall clock. ¡°You know,¡± he said sharply, ¡°sharp tongues only work when they¡¯re understandable.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just stating the fact,¡± Holly replied coolly. ¡°A clock is consistent. Predictable. Clear. You? You just make noise.¡± Haytham stormed off angrily, Holly sighed ¨C her brother was a no better snob in this world than the last. She wanted to move on but noticed chaperons on both ends of the hallway. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°My dear sister is rebelling again; can you please take to the study room?¡± Haytham commanded. The two chaperones approached Holly and grabbed her by both arms All Holly can do was just be dragged along the carpet They brought her toward a secluded room deep in the VPI dorms. Spartan. Quiet. Just a bed, and a study desk and an outdated computer humming. The chaperones sat Holly down and locked her in, and left ... ... ... Holly sat at her desk. Her legs still ached from the cold grip of the restraints. Apparently, trying to visit Rina was enough of a crime to warrant this treatment. She hadn¡¯t expected the name on the door to catch her off guard. Rina O'' Rama. Holly blinked at it once¡ªno hesitation, just recalculating. Same floor. Same hallway. It should¡¯ve been her room. And the second Haytham came into view, something jammed in her mind. A glitch. A blank screen. Then the ticking filled the silence, and her mouth moved before her brain did. Now, here she was. They have set up an unnecessarily complicated system in front of her. Her legs were locked to the seat by thick metal brackets¡ªsecure, unmoving. Struggling was pointless. On the desk: a stack of paper, an old computer, a mouse, and a scanner. The instructions on the screen were simple but cruel¡ªprint each question, answer it by hand, then scan it in for evaluation. Each question was its own sheet. Each one layered with multiple subjects, disguised in complex, winding scenarios. Holly squinted at the system. Clunky. Inefficient. Overengineered. But that wasn¡¯t even the worst part. She glanced under the desk. A bottle of water. A bucket. They weren¡¯t expecting her to leave this seat. Not for a while. Not for anything. This wasn¡¯t discipline. It was conditioning. Holly sighed. The work was stacking up by the minute. She¡¯d never studied these subjects seriously before. Of course there¡¯d be mistakes¡ªeven after multiple rereads. No textbooks. No references. Some questions hinted at answers from earlier ones... but by then, it was too late. Each failure reset the cycle. By the third failed attempt, Holly slouched back in her chair, defeated. She grabbed the bottle, took a sip. Wiped her mouth with her arm. She didn¡¯t want to think about the bucket. Holly let her eyes drift to the monitor - blank, flickering slightly. An idea sparked. Maybe this ancient thing could be broken through. She reached for the keyboard. Pressed ESC. ... Everything was in fullscreen after all. No actual lockdown protocol¡ªjust a program running in kiosk mode. Technically, she could exit the application at any time. But doing so? That felt like a trap. Like the kind that leaves you strapped to a chair for the rest of your life. And for all she knew, Haytham could already be monitoring her every move¡ªfrom that one button press alone. Time was ticking. If she was going to get out, she''d need to figure something out before the restraints are the least of her worries. ... Desktop. Web browser. The computer was connected to the internet. Seriously? She typed the name of the program. ¡®VPI¡¯s most intense study helper¡¯ quoted one of the lecturers. Built by Haytham and his team during their first year. A glorified passion project. No login screen. No authentication tokens. Just a folder. Containing every question... and answer. Holly blinked at the screen. This¡­ couldn¡¯t be real. Even a first-year student would know better cybersecurity than this. No, it''s not even cyber security, its basic knowledge! Why go through the trouble of coding an entire program for other students - with restraints- and then leave it wide open like this? She looked under the desk. The restraints didn¡¯t appear to be hardwired into anything¡ªnothing connected directly to the scanner, either. Wireless, maybe. But that loosened things up in her mind. She decided to play along. Answer a few questions. While doing so, she opened the task manager¡ªlooking for activity whenever a submission was made. ... No indicator of correctness. No progress bar. Just a blank, endless stream of questions. Four hundred of them. ¡°What a waste of time,¡± Holly muttered under her breath. She¡¯d make no more mistakes. Every answer from here on out would be perfect. But someone might already be on their way. Her little digital footprints could be raising alarms as she sat here pretending to study. She flipped the current question sheet over. Started sketching. Routes. Scenarios. Escape vectors. The restraints. How were they controlled? An external program? Admin connection? Power-based override? What was the trigger¡ªand where did it originate? No answers. But... maybe she could catch an outgoing signal. Yes. Leave a breadcrumb. Lure the program to trip itself. Holly answered another question¡ªcarefully, correctly. Then she watched the command prompt. There. A local program. No remote admin. No live monitor. She stared at it in disbelief. It was automated. Telling it to open when all... All questions were set to true. When one false is detected...it added another 100 questions. Well then. If they wanted perfection, they¡¯d get it. And now, she wasn¡¯t just a student. She is now the principal of this twisted study session. Without hesitation, Holly redirected the trace back to her terminal. Marking ¡®true¡¯ for every question. And with the final answer processed. Click. The restraints released with a hiss of disengaged metal. She was free. ... Holly stood up and stretched. An audible crack echoed throughout the room. Holly stared back at the computer in disbelief. No encryption. No login screen. No firewalls. No audit logs. Just... layman¡¯s idea for a secure program. The entire system could have been breached with just a simple remote access. And after everything, the restraints, isolation ¨C this is what Haytham can do? A program Holly can make infinitely better ¨C yet purposely build like a torture device, quick, crude and ancient. Was this laziness? Arrogance? Or all the above. Haytham had many loopholes in the supposed VPI standard of studying. Holly CAN coded a much better one on this very computer and take over the throne overnight. But that''s the least of her worries now. There is a believable stack of papers to indicate a completed assignment, but Holly had no heart to cover all her tracks. She completed the questions until number 69. A smirk curled her lips. She turned off the monitor. If someone were to peek into the room right now, it will give off an illusion Holly completed everything, and the computer went to sleep. It would buy Holly at least 5 seconds to slip away. Holly pondered her next move. With internet connection she can figure out more details of this world. But it''s too risky, someone might enter at any time. Friends? Holly never made any other than Sapphira. Rina and Ayaka tend to become white noise. Maybe Robin? They have hung out a lot, maybe they are another friendly face in this world. She collapsed onto the bed. Harder than expected. No clear path forward. Getting home was the goal¡ªbut right now, she lacked even the map. That¡¯s why they split up in the first place. Holly could only guess what the other three were doing. Maybe they¡¯d show up tomorrow. Maybe not. But one thing was certain¡ªshe wouldn¡¯t. Coming back to class? Pointless. They¡¯d just shackle her like some obedient pet again. Back home, at least, she could move on her own terms. An objective is set. Getting her laptop. There is no clue on where it will be. But since the incident, Holly remembered a glimpse - tucked inside the desk, where the 4 of them originally found themselves in. Can it still be there? Maybe someone confiscated it. It is alien tech judging by the ¡®best¡¯ software this room has to offer. Nobody is breaking into her laptop. She approached the door. There¡¯s...no lock... The lengths this VPI goes through and omits security even in its most basic form is still baffling, insulting even. Like they believed she wouldn¡¯t even think of leaving the room even after completing all the questions. But no time to waste Haytham is a status symbol. Holly roaming around unchecked would raise every alarm. She needs to run; she needs to hide. And while she finds answers, she will lurk like she does on forums Only this time, it''s for survival. They will search high and low for her. But Sabotage? That is Holly¡¯s specialty.