Stella's eyebrows furrowed. Her breathing was uneven. "How can you be so sure?"
Newton forced a smile. It stretched across his lips painfully. He gestured weakly around them.
"Look around." His voice almost disappeared. "Does this look like somewhere not monitored?"
The white walls. The smooth floors. The silent ceilings.
Watching.
Always watching.
"Everything is well structured," he continued "They won't let us go that easily."
Stella followed his gaze. Her eyes moved slowly.
Taking it in.
Understanding.
The truth settled inside her. She nodded faintly. "You are right," she muttered.
Her strength vanished completely. Her body collapsed from his arms. Newton lowered her gently.
She did not resist. She did not speak
Meanwhile, Rebecca reached the entrance door. Her fingers slammed against its surface.
Searching. Feeling desperate.
She found no handle.
She hit it hard. "Open this God damn door!" Her scream echoed violently. "I need to go back to my mother."
Her voice broke. Her fist slammed again.
Tak! Tak! Tak!
Again, and again.
Her skin reddened. Split. But she did not stop..She hit until her strength died. Until her arm fell. Until her knees gave out.
She collapsed against the door, sliding down. Her head was hanging behind her..
The others stood frozen. Watching. Nobody moved. Nobody helped. Because they already knew.
Brandom's voice trembled. "We didn't even get to the gate"
Phil broke. His sobs tore through the silence. "We are stuck here." The word stuck echoed.
Stuck.
Trapped.
Owned.
They rested, not by choice, but by force..Their bodies refused to move.
After a while, they rose again.
Slow, and broken. Dragging themselves back to the corridor.
No one spoke. No one asked. They simply stared at the returnees. Because deep down, they already knew. There was nowhere else to go.
Hunger continued, worse now. Sharper, and crueler.
Samuel peeled the dry skin from his lips. He chewed it slowly, in desperation.
Others watched. Some followed. The taste of their own flesh was better than nothing. Newton closed his eyes, listening to the sounds.
Chewing. Crying. Breathing. Dying.
Then, Stella stood. Her movement was sudden, and violent. "Damn it."
Her voice echoed. Anger burned inside it. "If we can leave here," She swallowed, her chest rising sharply, "They should at least give us food."
Her hands clenched. "And if they won't." Her eyes hardened. "Then we have to do something about it."
Newton looked up at her, fear creeping in. "What can we do about it?"
Stella smiled.
But there was no warmth in it. Only resolve. "We take the food by force."
Newton's heart slammed violently. His stomach dropped. "No."
He shook his head. His voice trembled. "No! Don't tell me, it is what I am thinking."
Stella nodded "Yes." Her voice was steady, and cold.
"Violence"
The word settled heavily. "It is either we get the food."
She paused. Her breathing was sharp. "Or we die trying."
Newton grabbed her hand. His grip was weak, and desperate. "Please." His voice cracked.
"Don't do anything stupid."
His fingers tightened. "The robots won't think twice before they kill you."
Stella looked down at his hand. Then at his face. Something hardened inside her. She pulled free. And pushed him.
Newton fell.
His body hit the floor hard. Pain shot through him. "It is better than sitting here."
Her voice rose.
"And watching my life slip away." She turned, facing the others. Her shoulders were straight.
Her chin raised. "Who is with me?"
Silence
Heavy, and terrible.
They looked at each other. Fear reflected in every eye.
Then, a whisper. "I am with you"
Cole stepped forward. His legs were shaking but his eyes were firm.
Everyone turned to him. Then another voice said "I am with you."
Then another. "Me too."
One by one, they stood. Choosing risk, madness, survival.
"I am with you"
"I am with you"
Until only Newton remained sitting.
Alone.
They turned to him, waiting. He shook his head slowly. His chest tight "No" His voice soft, and broken. "I would never support violence."
Stella stared at him. No anger, just disappointment. Just distance. "Fine," she said. Her voice was empty.
"You may remain"
She turned away. "And die with your morality." The words cut deeper than any blade.
They rose together. A broken army, marching toward death. Toward hope.
Newton stayed on the floor, watching them leave. Unable to stop them. Yet unable to follow them.
They reached the restaurant. The doors stood silent, and waiting.
Some picked up chairs. Their hands trembled. Others clenched their fists. Their knuckles white.
Their breathing heavy Their faces no longer looked like children They looked like survivors. Or monsters.
Ready to either die, or eat.
Stella moved first. No hesitation. No glance over her shoulder.
She walked straight to the show glass where the food trays sat behind polished transparency. Steam pressed faintly against the inner surface. Rice. Meat. Bread. So close it almost felt like a joke.
Two service robots rolled forward in smooth, synchronized motion. White frames. Black visors. No expression.
"Stretch your wrist to purchase food."
The mechanical politeness scraped at something raw inside her. Stella exhaled slowly through her nose.
"I am not here for your games," she said, voice low, dangerous. "If I cannot get food, then I will destroy you."
The robots did not blink. Did not tilt. Did not retreat. "Stretch your wrist to purchase food."
Behind her, footsteps gathered. Chairs scraped. Metal legs shrieked against tile. The students drifted closer, drawn by hunger and the smell of cooked meat thickening the air. Some carried broken chair legs. Others clutched metal trays like shields. Eyes hollow. Cheeks sharper than they had been four days ago.
"Attack!" Stella shouted.
The word cracked through the hall. Wooden splinters rose. Metal lifted. A dozen bodies surged forward.
And then, everything froze.
A translucent blue screen burst into existence above them. Letters forming in cold, glowing precision.
SYSTEM NOTIFICATION.
The air seemed to thin.
TASK: BEAT UP YOUR NEIGHBOR
TIME ALLOWED: ONE HOUR
REWARD: 50 NINJA COINS.
The words hung there.
Fifty.
A number heavy enough to taste.
Nobody moved.