Ace's POV
The bottle spun on the cold concrete floor, its rhythmic clink-clink-clink the only sound in the room until it slowed, wobbling before pointing its neck directly at Ci-N.
It spun, a blurring glint of green glass, before slowing down and pointing directly at Ci-N.
"Truth or Dare, Cin?" I asked.
"Truth! Definitely truth," Ci-N squeaked, clutching his tub of face cream. "I don't trust your dares, Supremo. You'd probably make me do fifty laps in the rain."
"Fine," I smirked. "Is it true you still have that 'Rakki' keychain Jay gave you in middle school, and you talk to it when you're stressed?"
The room erupted. Rory nearly fell over laughing. "He does! He calls it his tactical advisor!"
"It's for morale!" Ci-N defended, turning bright red."Wait, how did youu know that".
I looked at Jay . She looked at cin and gave an innocent smile. Cin gave her a look saying, Traitor
He spun the bottle next. It landed on Percy.
"Dare!" Percy barked, ever the soldier. Ci-N grinned wickedly. "I dare you to sing a love song to your reflection in that shiny metal tray."
Percy groaned but stood up, grabbing a catering tray. In a surprisingly decent baritone, he began a dramatic, heart-wrenching rendition of a cheesy ballad, making eyes at his own reflection while Freya recorded it, wheezing with laughter.
The bottle spun again, landing on Mia. She chose dare and, without missing a beat, pulled Freya in for a quick, playful peck on the cheek, making the group 'ooh' and whistle.
Then came Vanessa, who, upon landing on 'Truth,' spent five minutes giving a high-speed, technical lecture on skincare and beauty tips that had the boys looking dazed and confused.
Then the bottle stopped at Cin.He choosed truth.
"Is it true," she leaned forward, the shadows from the streamers dancing across her face, "that you once tried to use the student council's security drones to deliver a love letter to a girl in the girls' dormitory, only to have the entire thing intercepted by Madam Violet?"
The Basement erupted. Felix and Edrix doubled over, pointing at their friend. "He did!" Felix hollered. "The drone's blades shredded the rose he attached into red confetti over the main courtyard!"
"It was a tactical romantic failure!" Rory defended, his face a brilliant shade of red. "I was testing the drone's weight capacity!"
Then, the bottle slowed. Its neck settled right between Keifer and Edrix. Keifer choose truth.
Rory leaned in, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Keifer... tell us. Did you and Jay-jay finally do that?"
The room went silent. I saw Keifer's expression shift—a slow, dangerous smirk tugging at his lips. Jay-jay, who was mid-bite into a piece of cake, blinked blankly.
"Do what?" she asked innocently. "Laundary".
Everyone chuckled. Rory leaned closer. "No, Jay. The thing... you know, the thing that could give Ci-N a sibling?"
Jay-jay's brain seemed to stall for three seconds. Then, her entire face—from her neck to her hairline—turned a violent shade of crimson. "SHUT UP! you pervert!"
Keifer didn't look away from her. His grin widened, predatory yet possessive. "I'm waiting for Jay to turn eighteen," he said, his voice a low, vibrating hum. "I'm a patient man."
"KEIFER!" Jay-jay wailed, hiding her face in her hands.
The teasing was relentless until the bottle landed on Zein.
"Dare," she said, her voice steady.
"I dare you," Jay-jay chirped, recovering from her embarrassment, "to dance with the person you trust the most. And I'll provide the music!"
Jay-jay grabbed her guitar, playing a slow, soulful melody. I stood up, my eyes locking onto Zein's. Zein looked at Matt first, I feel my jaw tighten .Matt was standing just a few feet away, his expression unreadable, his hand clenched slightly. Then she came towards me and took my hand.
The air between the three of us grew thick with unspoken words—a King, his Secretary, and the loyalist who had always been in the shadows.
I took Zein's hand, pulling her close. As we swayed, I could feel Matt's presence like a physical weight. The tension was suffocating.
Zein leaned her head against my chest, but her eyes flickered toward Matt for a split second, a silent apology or perhaps a lingering bond.
For years, this Basement had been a place of cold steel, blood, and the echoes of broken bones. Tonight, it smelled like vanilla frosting and cheap perfume. I looked at Ci-N, who was currently cowering in mock terror, and then at Percy, whose face was still smeared with blue icing.
Is this what it feels like? I wondered. For the first time since I took the title of Supremo, the heavy crown on my head felt a little lighter. I wasn't a King tonight; I was just a guy with his friends. It was a dangerous thought—happiness was a luxury we couldn't afford in Hell University—but as I watched them laugh, I realized I'd burn this entire school to the ground just to keep this one moment of peace alive. They were my chaos, my headache, and, I realized with a jolt, my family.
Suddenly, a heavy thud vibrated through the floorboards from the corridor outside.
We froze. My hand went to my belt. "Stay here," I commanded.
The boys followed me out into the hall. The red emergency lights were flickering. We scanned the area, but the corridor appeared empty.
"Wait," Keifer's voice was like ice. "Where is Jay?"
We spun around. The girls were standing by the door, looking confused. "She was just with us," Freya said, her voice trembling. "I don't know..."
Keifer's POV
I didn't wait. I ran toward the back storage area, my heart hammering against my ribs. I turned the corner and stopped dead.
There was blood. A horrific amount of it, splashed across the floor and walls like a macabre painting. And in the center of it sat
Jay-jay.
Her eyes were blown wide, vacant and glassy. She was trembling so hard her teeth were chattering.
"Don't touch me!" she screamed as I stepped forward. "Don't hurt me! Please, mama, don't leave me! Kuya, save us!"
"Jay, it's me," I whispered, my soul fracturing.
She pushed me away with a strength born of pure terror, her nails catching my skin. It took both me and Percy, speaking in low, rhythmic tones, to finally get her to stop screaming. She collapsed against me, sobbing hysterically.
Zein's POV
I wanted to move, to comfort her, but I was paralyzed. I had never heard a sound so broken. Jay-jay, the girl who was the sun of our group, was flickering out right in front of us. It was like watching a mirror shatter in slow motion. I looked at the blood on the wall—it was just a distraction, a taunt—but to Jay, it was the end of the world.
Ace's POV
I stood at the edge of the scene, watching Keifer hold the shattered girl. Zein stood beside me, her hand over her mouth, tears streaming down her face.
"What happened to her?" Vanessa whispered, her voice shaking.
Keifer looked up, his eyes dark with a history I hadn't known. "She has an traumatic past She is an illegitimate child," he began, his voice hollow. "Her father left her after she was born. Her mother remarried to protect her, but she was always away for work. Her stepfather was a beast. He abused her, beat her, kept her hungry, and locked her in cages for three to four years."
The room felt cold.
"Her mother eventually found out and saved her, but months later, her mother disappeared. When her biological father finally found Jay, her memory was gone. He took her to New York to 'fix' her, then she came back last year.But the blood trauma remained. When she sees blood , she doesn't see us. She's back in that cage. She becomes dangerous—she could kill anyone in front of her because she's fighting for her life."
I looked at the blood on the wall. It was too perfect. Too staged.
I turned my head. Raze Silvenia was leaning against the far wall, a shadow of a smirk on his face.
I walked up to him, my aura darkening the room. I grabbed him by the collar, slamming him against the cold stone.
"You did this, didn't you?" I hissed, my voice a deadly growl. "You knew about her past. You triggered her just to see what would happen."
Raze didn't flinch.
"Listen to me, Raze," I said, leaning into his ear. "I am the Supremo of this school. If you ever use her—or anyone I protect—as a pawn in your sick games again, I won't just spar with you. I will dismantle everything you love until there is nothing left but your screams. Stay away from my people."
I dropped him, turning back to the group. The party was dead. The war had just become personal.