3:55 AM.
Da Luu Academy.
Clack clack.
The sound of suitcases hitting the stone pavement echoed across the academy courtyard.
Waves of students filed inside.
Thump—
Quick footsteps behind.
"Tu Muc!"
Duong Tieu called from behind.
"What?"
"Did you finish the homework the teacher assigned? Today's the deadline."
"Done already."
"Please let me copy. I forgot."
"You always forget like this. Every single week."
Tu Muc grumbled.
Every week Duong Tieu copied his work, and it was starting to get on his nerves.
"It's because the teacher assigns homework every day—too much to remember."
Tu Muc pulled out his notebook and handed it over.
The academy was vast.
Surrounded by academic buildings.
Some bore classical architecture, others newly built in modern style.
Gray brick walls, slightly yellowed with age.
But the windows had been replaced.
Gleaming metal frames set against the aging
walls.
Tu Muc looked up.
The sky was overcast, gloomy.
But that was a protective veil.
Shielding against the harsh light.
"Hey, did you hear?"
"Hear what?"
"There's a new student today. I heard he'll be staying in the dorm with us."
Tu Muc frowned.
"Sharing a room?"
"Probably. I just hope he's not messy."
The two chatted idly.
Then entered the academy with the others.
RING RING RING—
The bell rang.
A spacious room.
Rows of desks arranged in tiers, rising from low to high.
Like a theater.
The classroom was dim, with only a few lights illuminating the lectern.
The faint scent of chalk and damp wood lingered in the air.
Students in the class chattered noisily.
Suddenly, heavy footsteps sounded outside the door.
The classroom fell silent immediately.
Professor Ly entered.
Bald head, high forehead taking up nearly his entire face.
He stood ramrod straight.
His eyes swept across the room.
"Quiet down, will you?"
A hoarse, low voice rang out.
"I have something to announce."
"Our class time will change slightly. Four AM will become three-forty."
"God, every week they make us start earlier."
"Do they want students dead?"
Voices from the back row muttered.
"I heard it's because—"
CREAK—
The students' complaints were suddenly cut off by the classroom door swinging wide open.
All eyes turned toward the entrance.
A figure stood leaning against the doorframe.
Clothes disheveled.
Breathing hard.
"You're late."
Professor Ly's voice was stern.
"I'm sorry..."
Duong Nghich Luu replied.
Trying to avoid the stares fixed on him.
"Get in. Quickly."
He entered the classroom. Descended the steps.
The sound of wood creaking echoed with each step as he walked down the stairs.
"Sit there."
The professor pointed toward a row of desks roughly in the middle.
But his eyes remained fixed intently on something outside the window.
Nghich Luu retreated to a desk in the corner.
A place swallowed by shadow.
The stares gradually withdrew, and he breathed a sigh of relief.
He opened his bag.
Took out books and notes to prepare for class.
"Hey."
A cold voice sounded beside him.
A girl sat huddled against the wall.
Her entire body was shrouded in shadow.
Only her eyes showed, staring straight at him.
And something gleaming—sharp.
"Are you afraid of pain?"
Her voice was calm.
Light flashed in rhythm as she turned it in her hand.
Enough for him to recognize it.
A box cutter.
On her hand were scratches. The blood had dried.
"A total psycho."
Now he understood why the whole class avoided this spot.
He scooted away, turning his face to avoid her gaze.
Tried to focus on the lecture.
Professor Ly opened his book.
"Today we continue with 'The Law of Refraction.'"
He picked up chalk and wrote on the board.
The handwriting slanted, clumsy.
The first line was wiped away by his hand.
Then written again.
Erase. Write again.
As if he couldn't remember what he meant to write.
"When light passes through two different mediums... it will..."
He paused.
Looked out the window.
Outside, still uniformly gray.
"...Be refracted. You understand, right?"
The classroom was silent.
He continued, head bowed.
Writing on the board.
RING RING RING—
The bell rang.
Morning class ended.
He was putting away his books.
A voice rang out from behind.
"Hey, you're Nghich Luu, right?"
Two classmates came closer and greeted him.
"Professor Ly said you'll be sharing a dorm room with us."
"Might as well introduce ourselves."
"I'm Duong Tieu, and this fat guy is Tu Muc. Roommates should help each other out from now on."
"Sure. We'll help each other."
Nghich Luu replied offhandedly.
His mind kept thinking non-stop about what happened at home.
"The dorm building is pretty far from here.
Want to see the room?"
Duong Tieu asked.
Pulling him from his thoughts.
"Yeah, sure."
The three entered the dormitory hallway.
Not a soul in sight.
The space was dark, silent.
A few lights flickered.
Nghich Luu's eyes scanned around.
Peering deep into the shadows.
Tu Muc suddenly spoke.
"The school started renovations last month."
"Don't know why they waited until mid-semester to do it. Probably related to those recent news reports."
"The dorm rooms aren't too bad, are they?"
"The dorm rooms were prioritized for renovation, so they're already done."
"Almost there."
Duong Tieu inserted the key into the lock.
The door creaked open.
The room was spacious enough for four people.
Bunk beds stood near the window.
Where a metal curtain was drawn shut.
Above the door, a warning light was mounted.
"The room was just renovated, so there's some modern stuff."
"You take the top bunk."
Duong Tieu pointed to the bed on his right.
"There's one bed left empty?"
"Oh, that's Tieu Minh's spot. Haven't heard anything from him lately."
He was about to ask more.
But seeing their expressions, decided against it.
He organized his things onto the bed.
Lay with his arm propped up, restless for a long while.
"Almost time to eat and you're still planning to sleep?"
Duong Tieu asked.
"No, I'm just lying down to rest a bit."
"By the way, where do you live?"
"A few blocks from school, not too far."
"Then why were you so late this morning? Lucky for you the professor was lenient today."
"It's because my mom..."
Nghich Luu hesitated.
The image of the missing knife flashed through his mind.
"You live with your mom?"
Tu Muc, lying on the bottom bunk, laughed mockingly.
"What are you, a mama's boy?"
The tension in the room began to escalate.
"Stop it." Duong Tieu intervened. "Plenty of people still live with family."
"Family?"
Tu Muc scoffed coldly.
His eyes showed discomfort at the mention of family.
"Childish."
Nghich Luu didn't respond.
An intense discomfort rose inside him, unbidden.
His palm clenched tight.
"He's just joking."
He tried to breathe deeply.
Though he didn't feel angry.
Perhaps this feeling had always been there.
Now it was finally erupting.