Zein's Point of View
Supremo had thrown everything into chaos. I was honestly shocked when he suddenly swapped partners. I ended up with him, while Matt was paired with Fritzy.
"Why are you here? Where's Matt?" I asked while watching Supremo fix the necktie of his black tuxedo. He frowned at me through the mirror. I couldn't help but feel incredibly awkward, mainly because I still couldn't stop thinking about what he'd done earlier.
"I swapped our partners. You and Matt don't look good together," he replied with a smirk before turning his attention back to fixing his hair. Damn it! What a rule manipulator!
"Why?" he asked next. "You want him? You want to see his body?!"
Fuck?! As if I could sleep after seeing yours! "Pervert!" he snapped at me, and my jaw nearly hit the floor. I'm a pervert now? He was the one who literally ripped his clothes off on stage and then came over to me just to say all that crazy stuff!
"I'd still rather have him as a partner than you." I gasped when he grabbed my waist and pulled me close to him, swallowing hard while meeting his gaze. His brows were furrowed, his lips slightly parted. How could such a devilish soul hide in such an innocent-looking body? For anyone who didn't know Supremo, his looks alone could trick them into thinking he was harmless.
"I admit it. You look good with him," he whispered, leaning closer to my face. "But you look even better with me."
"You know my name. What's the purpose of this?" Supremo complained to the organizer. He was standing up front, holding the microphone. We had to introduce ourselves one by one. There was no problem with that. Everyone did it smoothly, including me. Everyone except for the guy standing there now.
"J-just your name, Supremo," the organizer stuttered, clearly intimidated by the way Supremo was looking at him. Supremo turned to the crowd, who were all waiting for what he'd say. Some were even watching with their mouths open.
"Ms. Shion!" I gasped when he suddenly called my name. I hesitated, but I didn't really have a choice but to go over to him. What is it this time, Supremo?! "You are my secretary. Introduce me," he demanded, handing me the microphone. I gulped. "Ace Craige, the Supreme Student Government president."
Everything became a blur after. I couldn't even keep track of what happened next, and I didn't realize we'd already reached the awarding part. "Ms. Face of the Year goes to... Fritzy Saldivar."
"What?!" Supremo complained, and I had to shut my eyes, feeling both frustrated and embarrassed. "That's a fucking mistake! Ms. Shion should have won! She is so damn gorgeous compared to anyone! Damn it!"
What the heck, Supremo? Fuck you a hundred times!
"Don't worry, Supremo. You are Mr. Face of the Year—"
"Nah. I'm not interested." Then he just walked out, kicking the trophy as it broke into pieces.
After the event, everyone gathered at Wide Space and huddled around a bonfire. The weather was cold, but the heat from the fire kept us warm. It was also a free Bloody Night, something I planned, though I never thought Supremo would actually approve it.
"Today was so fun," Mia whispered. "I wish it could always be like this."
"Back to the usual grind tomorrow," Vanessa added.
Matt handed me some wood, so I tossed it into the fire. I hugged my knees. On the other side of the fire, students were laughing. Some were playfully chasing each other, others dancing.
"Ms. Shion?" I looked up when I heard my name. My heart sank when I saw Supremo standing there. I almost forgot. This is my last night. I just nodded at him, and he walked away first. I turned to my friends, my eyes welling up with tears.
"Where are you going?" Van asked.
"You guys go ahead to the dorm, okay?" I looked down to brush myself off, biting my lip to keep from crying. "Anyway, I'll go ahead."
"We'll wait for you here!" Jerome called out.
I followed Supremo, with every step I took away from my friends feeling incredibly heavy. I just wanted to run away and not face this punishment, but I knew that wasn't an option. We went behind the clinic, and Supremo turned to face me. A cold breeze blew, messing up his hair.
"So, how do we do this?" I asked, my lips trembling. I took a deep breath. "Do I get to choose how I die—"
"Beg," he said suddenly. I froze. He stepped closer, his face dead serious. I knew this was his usual expression, but this time, it was different. He looked authoritative. He was exerting dominance, making it painfully clear who really stood at the top in this school. "I want you to beg me to spare your life."
Tears glimmered around my eyes. "Do it, Zein."
I shook my head. "I-I can't..."
"But you are willing to do it for others?" His tone turned mocking. "You could beg me to save everyone else, but you can't do it for yourself."
Everything became a blur through my tears. He had done enough for me, and if he kept this up, like Ms. Kath and Onel said, it would affect his reputation too. Maybe if this happened before, I wouldn't have hesitated to beg. Because back then, I didn't care about the cost. Every time I asked him for a favor, I never thought about what it cost him. Unlike now.
"Just beg, and I'll take back your punishment." Ironically, it felt like he was the one begging.
"No. Don't save me. You'll just risk your position—"
"Risk my position?" He laughed scornfully. "Don't worry about my position—"
"I'm not worried about your position. I'm worried..." My voice trailed off, barely a whisper. "For you."
"So am I, for you!" he shouted back. "If only you knew how far I would go for you. I'll get you out of Hell University. Just don't ever come back here."
It felt like my tears froze. "Did you hear me, Zein? That's the only way to save you, and I'm doing it now." He reached for my arm, but I pulled away and stepped back. "No," I whispered.
"It's almost over, Zein. I don't want you getting caught up in this."
"Whatever you're talking about, I've been caught up in it for a long time. No, Ace. I'm not running."
"Fuck!" He ran his hands through his hair in frustration. There was a moment of silence until I heard him laugh. Softly... then it grew louder and louder. I just stared at him as he laughed genuinely.
"What?" I asked, confused.
"I don't regret choosing you as my secretary. I knew you would do well. Maybe I just underestimated you." He was still trying to stifle a laugh. "I underestimated your potential."
What was he even talking about?
"Because right now, Zein..." He bit his bottom lip. "I know you could do so much more. I'd ruin everything I've worked for if it meant keeping you safe." He closed the distance between us, then he cupped my cheek and gently wiped away my tears. I had never been held so gently before. How could the most dangerous person around make me feel this safe?
"If you're just going to send me out of this hell, I'd rather die."
"I should have done that a long time ago, if I only could. Now all I can do is take back the punishment I gave you, but on one condition. Be with me. Be mine. Be my everything. I'll give you my world."
My tears started falling again. Why did he make it sound so easy? I'd heard the secret conversations. Every time Supremo gets close to me, he's putting himself in danger.
"What will happen if I choose to be with you?"
"As long as you're mine, everything doesn't matter. Because... you'll be my everything. I just want you to trust me."
When we got back, everything was in total chaos. I went over to see what the crowd was looking at. I collapsed to the ground, covering my mouth as I looked at the person sitting in the chair—lifeless, her tongue sticking out, marked with the BBG symbol. Celine.
"Zein!" Mia pulled on my arm. "Where have you been?"
I couldn't answer. I just kept staring at Celine's body... with rage. I was burning with rage.
"Are you okay, Zein?" Matt asked, then stopped short in shock as I turned to face him with piercing eyes.
"Zein, why are you looking at Matt like that?" Dave asked.
I tightly grabbed Matt's arm and pulled him away to a place where no one was around. He stayed silent, mouth hung open, while I felt like I was about to explode with anger. "What do you have to do with Celine's death?" I asked him straight out.
I didn't see any reaction from Matt. Not even a hint of surprise. "Answer me, Matt."
"I didn't do any—"
"Liar," I cut him off. "I trusted you, Matt. Out of everyone, I thought you were the kindest person, but you played me. You tricked all of us!"
A bitter smile formed on his lips. "I didn't trick you. I never turned my back on you guys."
"Then why?! Why did you have to join the Black Blood Gang?!"
"Everything has a reason, but I cannot tell you right now."
"A reason? You joined a gang just so you'd have someone to save you? Just so you wouldn't die?"
His jaw fell open in shock. I'd never regretted accusing someone so fast, yet the words were already out. I wanted to take it all back, but my strength left me when a tear rolled down Matt's face.
"M-Matt—"
"You're right. I joined the gang to be safe, but not for myself. I joined the darkness to protect my friends, especially the most important person to me."
I just sank to the ground, overwhelmed by what I'd heard. "I don't regret anything I did. And I can't blame you if that's what you think my reason was. Just remember, I could never disown or turn my back on my friends... even if it kills me."
I looked down, my hands digging into the soil. I couldn't do anything but cry out the pain. How could I have made such an assumption? Especially about Matthew.
"Hey!" Matt suddenly hugged me. I looked at him. He was smiling, but something felt off. "I-is there something wrong, Matt?" I asked. He just shook his head.
"Can you stay still and close your eyes? No matter what happens, don't open them. Can you do that? Please?"
I didn't know what for, but I obeyed, and Matt's grip loosened as he let go. I suddenly felt people surrounding us. Every step, every motion was clear, followed by the sound of people collapsing one after another. Matt let out a soft groan, as if he'd been hurt.
"Matt! What's happening?!"
"N-nothing! Just keep your eyes closed!"
Everything was a haze behind my closed eyes for a few minutes, tears running down my face. I could tell Matt was still fighting. After a while, the surroundings went quiet, so I opened my eyes. Matt was there, slowly walking toward me while holding his bleeding arm. I felt sick seeing him in that state. When Matt collapsed, I sprang up and hurried to his side. "Matt!"
Someone's Point of View
I lit the cigarette I was holding, took a drag, and blew the smoke into the air. The end is near.
"Leader. We've done what you ordered."
I nodded at my subordinate before he left the room. Then I looked outside where everyone was in a panic. "Everything you worked for will be mine. You can't stop me, not even you, Supremo. You can't handle me. I hold your secret. I know what you're hiding. You can't fool me. Raze, huh?"
I watched the students carrying an unconscious guy. Following them was a girl who looked dazed but clearly worried sick about him. "Zein Shion. Thanks to you, everything will be much easier. You're the reason for it all. You are the weakness of these demons."
I turned away and closed the window. "The end is near..."