The corridor buzzed with post-lunch chaos—voices overlapping, shoes scraping the floor, laughter bouncing off concrete walls. Caroline walked ahead, balancing the takeout bag in one hand while holding her phone to her ear with the other.
"Hi, Caroline. Where are you guys?" Daisy's voice crackled through the call, rushed but controlled.
"Just picked up the food," Caroline replied, walking steadily, eyes scanning the passing students. "We're on our way back to the classroom."
A brief pause. "Do you think we can finish eating before class starts?"
Caroline exhaled softly. "Honestly? I don't think so. Even if we rush it, students will start coming in any second."
Daisy hummed in thought. "Moving somewhere else might be risky too. And time-consuming."
Marcus, walking beside Caroline, adjusted the strap of the bag across his shoulder. "Let's not overcomplicate it," he said calmly. "We'll meet in class. Worst case, we take the last bench and finish quietly."
Caroline nodded and relayed it. "We'll occupy the last bench for the second half. That's the safest option unless we skip class."
"Last bench works," Daisy said. "I'll talk to whoever's sitting there if they come back early."
The call ended as they reached the entrance of the Sprout Well building, already moving toward the stairs that led up to the second floor.
For a few steps, none of them spoke.
Then Marcus broke the silence. "Cheez. We need to be careful going forward."
Caroline glanced at him, already knowing where this was headed.
"We don't have much verified information," he continued. "And that makes everything unpredictable. One thing's clear, though—we'll eventually need Mr. Benson at least neutral. Preferably on our side."
Caroline didn't respond immediately. Her thoughts drifted back to the canteen.
Earlier — Catenburg
"Who are you?"
The question had been direct, unhostile, but wary.
"Levi," the senior boy replied, extending a hand. "Computer Science. Second year."
The girl beside him smiled faintly. "Ruby. Same department."
"You handled that situation well," Ruby added, her gaze lingering on Caroline. "Most freshers panic."
"Thank you," Caroline replied evenly. "I'm Caroline. This is Marcus."
Marcus wasted no time. "We'd like to understand something—if you don't mind. About those seniors."
"And," Caroline added, "how to avoid becoming targets without… submitting."
Ruby and Levi exchanged a look. It wasn't confusion. It was resignation.
"Once you catch their attention," Ruby said slowly, "there's no clean escape from V3."
Levi continued, his tone turning serious. "Felix, Derik, and Kane. People call them the Vicious Three. Each has their own gang and style."
Marcus's jaw tightened. Caroline didn't blink.
He paused, then looked directly at Caroline. "Felix pretends to be friendly. That's how he lowers your guard. Then exploits it. He enjoys control—mental, physical. Especially with girls. You can't deal with him the way you dealt with Derik."
"Derik is obsession-driven. Once you escape him, he makes it personal. Chases until you submit. Ruins your first year just to prove a point."
Marcus frowned. "What exactly do you mean by making life hell?"
Levi didn't answer immediately.
"Last year," he said finally, "a few students tried hiding at night—library, senior dorms. Next morning, their lockers were destroyed. Belongings broken. Stolen."
Ruby's voice dropped. "If it wasn't an object… it was someone close to them."
Silence fell.
"One girl left the college," Levi added. "Administration covered it up. Returned her certificates quietly. Reputation mattered more than justice."
Caroline's fingers curled slowly.
"What about Kane?" she asked.
Ruby flinched visibly, hugging herself.
Levi clenched his fist. "He started all of this. The others followed later. He doesn't need to bully often. When he does… it's because he feels like it. Whoever's nearby pays the price."
He shook his head. "That's all I can say."
Ruby stepped forward, gripping Caroline's arm. "We're telling you this because you still have a chance. You escaped today—but they'll come back."
Levi nodded. "Only Felix and Derik are back right now. Which means this is just the beginning."
He looked at Marcus. "If you submit for a week, they might lose interest. Avoid isolated places. Stay in crowds. Never walk alone."
Ruby hugged Caroline briefly. "Be careful. Events are coming."
They left soon after.
Present — Classroom
Caroline and Marcus entered the classroom with the takeout.
Daisy was already standing. "You guys are late. Everything okay?"
Marcus handed her the bag. "Long story."
"Bro, wake up," Marcus nudged Kevin. "Lunch is here."
Kevin groaned, lifting his head. "Finally."
They moved to the last row. Daisy and Kevin took the last bench, facing the whiteboard. Caroline and Marcus sat on the bench directly in front of them, turning around so their backs faced the board.
"Burger's mine," Caroline declared, grabbing it instantly.
"Don't ask to share ours then," Marcus replied.
Caroline nodded, already eating. "Daisy, I sent you an audio a few minutes ago."
"I did get—"
Marcus raised a finger. "Later. Listen now. Earphones."
Daisy and Kevin put theirs in and played the audio, eating as they listened.
From the front, it looked like nothing more than idle chatter before class. Only the four of them knew the conversation was anything but casual.
Daisy froze mid-bite.
Caroline noticed instantly. Already facing Daisy, she reached forward, took the fork from the desk, scooped up a bite of pasta, and held it up.
Daisy accepted it without thinking.
Caroline watched only long enough to make sure she kept eating before taking another bite of her own burger.
Kevin listened silently, chewing, unfazed. Between pauses, he sampled the pasta, then reached for the fries, completely at ease—like this was just another shared meal, not a warning about dangerous seniors.
When the audio ended, Kevin spoke first. "So… what happened at the canteen?"
"We ran into the tanned guy again," Marcus said. "His name's Derik. We'll fill you in later. For now—first rule. No one goes anywhere alone. Always take someone with you, even inside the dorms."
Daisy swallowed. "What about tonight? You can't keep running forever."
Caroline wiped her hands, leaned forward slightly, voice calm but firm. "Daisy, Marcus and I prepared ourselves for situations like this before joining. We're not walking in blind. But this isn't the place to explain everything."
Marcus nodded. "First step—we get into the student council."
Kevin frowned. "All four?"
Caroline shook her head. "All four of us join clubs. But two of us—on top of that—need to get into the student council. We decide who before the second-half break."
Marcus glanced around as more students filtered in, voices rising. "And this isn't the place—or the time. Lunch is almost over, and this class is filling up."
Kevin followed his gaze.
Nearby, a few students cast hesitant glances at them, curiosity lingering—but no one approached.