Oakridge didn't collapse.
It **bled quietly**
The rumors from yesterday had matured into consequences. Faculty meetings ran late. Phones buzzed nonstop. Names were whispered, then erased, then whispered again.
Lucien Crowe watched it all from behind glass.
Someone had touched his system.
And that someone would be **punished**.
**The First Strike**
The announcement came at 11:40 AM.
*"John Hale is suspended effective immediately for violation of conduct policy, breach of trust, and unauthorized access to restricted areas."*
Gasps filled the corridor.
John didn't move.
Two security officers stepped in. Polite. Firm. Final.
Riyan took one step forward.
Aarvin raised a hand.
"No," he said quietly.
John looked back at him, jaw tight. "This was the plan, wasn't it?"
Aarvin nodded once. "The cost."
John swallowed. "Worth it?"
Aarvin didn't answer.
Because Lucien was watching.
**Lucien's Room**
John was escorted into a narrow office. No windows. No cameras.
Lucien stood there alone.
"You disappointed me," Lucien said calmly.
John laughed once. "You threatened me."
Lucien tilted his head. "I tested you."
"You tried to own me."
Lucien stepped closer. His voice dropped.
"You should have stayed small."
John met his eyes. "You should've stayed hidden."
Silence snapped.
Lucien smiled.
"You think suspension is punishment?"
"No," he said softly. "It's **permission**."
He leaned in.
"Now I can break you without paperwork."
**The Second Strike**
That evening, Oakridge burned.
Not literally.
Worse.
* Adrien was accused of assault — fabricated witnesses.
* Riyan's scholarship was flagged — "pending investigation."
* Aarvin's family records were reopened — sealed documents suddenly unsealed.
Lucien didn't attack bodies.
He attacked **foundations**
Adrien slammed his fist into a locker. "He's dismantling us."
Riyan's voice was calm. Too calm. "Let him."
Aarvin stood silent, reading a single message on his phone.
**Unknown:**
*Lucien is using internal override authority. One move left before exposure.*
Aarvin smiled.
"Good," he said. "He's desperate."
**John's Choice**
John sat alone outside campus, backpack at his feet.
Suspended. Labeled. Exiled.
His phone vibrated.
Aarvin
If you walk away now, I won't stop you.*
John stared at the screen.
Then typed back.
*You didn't save me to be kind.*
*You saved me because you needed someone ugly enough to do this.*
A pause.
Then:
**Aarvin:**
*Come back tonight.*
John stood.
Eyes empty. Spine straight.
"Then let's finish it," he whispered.
**The Line is Crossed**
Lucien reviewed final authorization papers.
Emergency authority. Lockdown permissions. Board manipulation.
Everything clean.
Everything legal.
Then his screen glitched.
Just once.
A single file opened by itself.
CROWE_LUCIEN — PRIOR INCIDENTS (SEALED)
Lucien froze.
"No," he whispered.
Somewhere in Oakridge, Aarvin spoke softly:
"You taught me rules," he said.
"But you never taught me what happens when someone stops caring about them."
**End**
The war had changed.
No packs.
No games.
No safety.
Only outcomes.
And tomorrow—
**someone would be destroyed.**
*To be continued…*