Zein's Point of View
Everything is different now. I'm used to the quiet, disciplined mask this school wears, but today the mask has shattered. I can feel the raw fear vibrating off every student I pass. Their eyes are restless, darting toward every shadow, every hand reaching into a pocket.
They can't skip class; the Supremo would likely hunt them down himself.
"I'm scared," Mia whispered, hugging her arms tightly as she watched the frantic movements of the people around us.
"Shh. What matters is that we're together. No one gets separated," I promised, though the words felt hollow.
"Ours," Matt added firmly, reminding us of our pact.
We were sitting in the Wide Space, the benches offering a cold comfort. The sky was bruised with dark clouds that choked out the sun, a perfect backdrop for the terror unfolding.
"Those knives I gave you are for defense only," Dave reminded us again. "Don't pull them out unless there is no other choice."
I thought about the box the Supremo gave me. I'd lied to my friends—I told them it was just another knife. I couldn't tell them it was a gun. I'd left it buried in my drawer, unable to even look at it. I wouldn't touch a weapon, not even if Ace Craige himself handed it to me.
"AHHH!"
A piercing scream erupted from a nearby classroom. We scrambled to our feet and followed the sound, joining a crowd of students who were already gathering at the door. I squeezed through the spectators and immediately covered my mouth to keep from retching.
Inside, the classroom was a scene from a nightmare.
"W-Why are you doing this?" a girl sobbed, cowering on the floor. She was already drenched in blood from a deep gash on her arm.
"Why?! Because you're a thief!" the other girl screamed, standing over her with a serrated knife.
"I didn't take anything!"
Before I could blink, the girl with the knife lunged, driving the blade deep into the other's stomach. The victim let out a choked sound, writhing in agony.
I can't just stand here! I have to help her! I took two steps forward, but Matt's hand clamped onto my shoulder like a vice, pulling me back.
"You can't save her, Zein. You'll just be her next target."
"But Matt! If I don't do something, she's going to kill her!" I pointed at the girl on the floor, who was now coughing up thick, dark blood.
"What do you think the purpose of 'Bloody Week' is, Zein? People have to die. There's nothing we can do. It's legal now!"
I looked back at the scene, my heart breaking. He was right. Killing was legal. The school had turned into an arena, and all I could do was be a spectator to the slaughter.
"Sorry. You should die now," the girl with the knife whispered. I turned away and walked as fast as I could. I didn't want to hear the final blow.
"Zein!"
I ignored Mia. I was drowning in my own helplessness. I only stopped when Vanessa stepped in front of me, her expression hard and unyielding.
"This is just the beginning, Zein," she said coldly. "You haven't seen anything yet, and you're already breaking."
The others caught up—Dave, Mia, Matt, and Jerome. They were all looking at me with a mix of pity and concern.
"I can't stand it," I admitted, my voice trembling. "I can't stand to watch them die."
"We can't stop it," Jerome said. "Stay strong, Zein. The real fight hasn't even started."
I looked down, feeling ashamed of my own weakness. Just then, two guards walked past us, dragging a lifeless body. My chest tightened when I realized who it was. The girl who had been the killer just minutes ago was now dead too. The knife she had used was buried deep in her own chest.
A double suicide? Or a final act of revenge from her victim? Shit.
The bell rang for the next period. I told the gang I was going to the restroom and watched them walk toward class. I was walking toward the CR when the "human tester" girl blocked my path. She looked even worse than before—her skin was sallow, her eyes sunken. The formula was eating her alive.
"Follow me," she wheezed.
I followed her back to the abandoned classroom area. She looked around frantically, her sweat-slicked forehead reflecting the dull light.
"The laboratory," she began, her voice a raspy whisper. "The place you're looking for is—"
THWACK.
She suddenly collapsed. A heavy industrial nail was driven through the back of her neck, protruding from her throat. Blood sprayed the floor. I almost fainted, my knees buckling as I clamped my hands over my mouth.
"Noisy."
I looked up. Nicky was leaning against a tree, idly tossing another nail into the air. She was smiling.
"She was going to die anyway," Nicky said casually. "I just eased her suffering. Besides, she knew too much. It's better this way."
"Why?!" I screamed, my voice muffled by my hands. "You crazy bitch! She was going to tell me where the lab was!"
Nicky's smirk didn't falter. "I'm saving us, Zein."
"Saving us? You just killed our only lead!" I spat. I turned and sprinted away, fueled by pure, unadulterated rage. Nicky was a parasite, always blocking my way. I had a chance to help Sir Alvarez stop this madness, and she'd ended it with a piece of hardware.
I stormed into my classroom, my face a mask of fury. My friends looked startled as I dropped my bag and slumped into my seat next to Vanessa. I didn't say a word; I just glared at the teacher, Riza, who was already in the middle of a lecture.
The tension in the room was a physical weight. Everyone was on edge.
"That's a simple question, Ms. Romualdez!" Teacher Riza snapped at a girl in the front row.
"I-I'm sorry, Ma'am," Kris Romualdez whispered.
"Sorry?! You're just stupid!" Riza yelled. It was brutal. She was humiliating Kris in front of everyone. "You're ugly, you're an idiot, and clearly, you aren't listening!"
I was about to stand up and defend her, but I froze. Kris didn't cry. She stood up and slapped Teacher Riza across the face.
"How dare you!" Riza shrieked.
"Come closer," Kris said, her voice eerily calm. She pulled a knife from her pocket.
"B-Put that down. That's not a funny joke," Riza stammered, backing away.
"Yes, I'm stupid," Kris grinned, approaching the trembling teacher. "But you? Are you smart? Then answer one simple question for me..." She leaned in close. "Guess when you're going to die."
Before anyone could move, Kris buried the knife in Riza's chest.
The teacher collapsed, blood pooling around her like an oil slick. Kris stared at her red hands and let out a blood-curdling scream, sitting on the floor and rocking back and forth.
No one moved. No one spoke. We were all paralyzed by the horror.
This "Bloody Week" was worse than I ever imagined. We weren't just being hunted; we were tearing each other apart over petty grudges and broken dignity.
I looked at my friends. Could we end up like this? I shook my head violently. No. We have no grudges. We are the exception. We won't kill each other.
If it ever came down to that—if I ever saw one of my friends pointing a knife at another—I'd rather use the Supremo's gift on myself than witness it.