Noah and Leo walk toward the school under the faint yellow lights coming from the lampposts. Leo, looking anxious, keeps glancing from side to side, while Noah stares at the ground, watching the reflections of the lights as he thinks about something.
"Shouldn't the lamppost lights stop working? Considering all the workers have disappeared," comments Leo, a bit distressed.
It takes Noah a few seconds to emerge from his thoughts, still a bit disoriented, and he reflects on his friend's question.
"Ah... You probably don't know this, since you don't live here, but Novak automated everything after he became mayor."
"Novak? Are you saying the school principal is also the town's mayor?" Leo replies, surprised.
"Considering the town was practically built around the school, it makes sense that he'd take the opportunity to run for office at some point. I wouldn't be surprised if he even tries to buy the town in the future."
The two stop talking for a few seconds for Leo to reflect on what Noah said.
"One thing nobody knows, Noah, but my father studied at Grand Four when the principal was still Elias Grand. He saw the construction of the courtyard statue after Elias passed away."
"I've never met anyone who studied at the original Grand Four," Noah replies, curious, turning his face to Leo. "What did he tell you about it? Did he know Novak when he was still a student?"
"He told me it was totally different. The classes were united and would meet every day in the courtyard to talk. Students earned extra points for helping each other. It had the most innovative vocational program in the world! My father used to say that anyone who entered the school would leave already knowing what they were born to do. It was something that caught global attention at the time. To give you an idea, my father belonged to Class D and still became one of the best lawyers in the country."
"And yes, he knew Novak," Leo continues. "He told me he was from Class A and was always obsessed with these megalomaniacal, grandiose, and modernist ideas. Other than that, he didn't tell me much about him."
Occupied with imagining what it was like to study at Grand Four in the old days, the two have their attention stolen when they hear the voices of other students and the sound of loud music. Without even realizing it, they are already at the school's entrance. Both pass by the four pillars, decorated with banners and colored lights, and head toward the courtyard, along with the other arriving students.
Walking through the courtyard, they are invited by a female student who directs them to the gymnasium, where the party will be held. Noah, looking at all the decorations, wonders how they managed to organize everything in such a short time. However, as they are about to enter, he feels a shove that almost makes him fall.
"Sorry, are you okay?" someone asks quickly, in an anxious tone.
After regaining his posture and managing to look forward, he sees Thomas holding his shoulder to keep him from falling. However, when Noah tries to respond, Thomas removes his hand from his shoulder, turns his face, and continues into the gym. Despite the brief milliseconds in which Noah sees Thomas's face, he notices that the other is clearly stressed about something.
Noah puts his hand in the pocket where his notepad is, but decides against taking it out.
Both enter the gymnasium and realize how much louder the music gets, despite having taken only one step. The environment is relatively dark, yet bright enough to see everything, due to the colored lights distributed everywhere. There are already so many students there that it's impossible to count them quickly. Some wear flashy clothes, others, fancy outfits, and others are still in their uniforms, like Noah.
Noah stops walking for a few seconds to try to read the room, but fails as he is hurried along by the students behind him who want to get in.
"I'll be right back, Noah," says Leo.
"Okay..." Noah replies, as he watches his new friend head toward the beverage table, where Thomas and other students also are.
"Damn it, Lucien..." Noah murmurs as he looks around, not knowing where to go, now alone, while people circulate around him.
Noah decides to sit on a higher bleacher to get a better sense of what's happening.
Finally managing to get a wider view of the place, he sees that although most people are in the center of the gym talking, eating, and drinking, there are also certain more isolated groups talking only among themselves.
He sees a boy in a white coat in the back, talking to five students who seem to be listening attentively to what he says.
"That must be Dante, the one Lucien talked about. His evolution, both in body and mannerisms, is truly unbelievable. How is that possible..." he says to himself.
On the other side of the gym, but still in the back, there is also a group of three people that, despite being small, catches Noah's attention. He sees two girls looking at something in the hands of a student with a mullet and a black jacket. One of the girls puts her hand in her purse and seems to be counting some bills.
In front of Noah, on the other bleacher, there are some more introverted students talking. Among them, Noah can identify Norman, the white-haired boy who identified the red liquid in Building D.
Among the students in the center, some stand out more due to their height. It's possible to see Max, with two girls on his arms and a drink in his hand, talking with others.
Noah watches him for a few minutes and realizes that Max notices the presence of Thomas, who is still near the beverage table. He waves to the girls, telling them to wait, approaches Thomas, and says something in his ear from behind. Thomas remains static and doesn't look at Max, while the latter smiles and gives him two pats on the shoulders. Noah decides to write down what he sees, along with the time.
A few more minutes pass, with Noah distracted, thinking and flipping through his notebook, and he decides to go to the appetizer table.
Arriving there, he sees a table filled with various and diverse types of themed appetizers that look like they came from a five-star restaurant. He eats a few and is impressed by the exotic and delicious taste.
However, while eating, Noah sees Leo heading toward the suspicious boy with the mullet who is sitting in the back of the gym. Sensing something, he swallows the rest of the food in his hands at once and decides to follow Leo without being seen. Leo starts talking to the boy, and Noah concentrates to listen.
"What do you have there?" asks Leo.
"Got everything. MDMA, coke, LSD, crystal, and weed," the boy replies, showing several small bags in his hand. "Whatever your heart desires, my friend."
"How much for the ecstasy?"
"100."
"That much? Are you crazy?"
"Okay, designer jacket boy. If you're complaining, just buy from someone else," he laughs.
Leo, irritated, puts his hand in his pocket.
Noah, understanding what is happening, intervenes and places his hand on Leo's arm, which is about to pull something out of his pocket.
"Don't even think about it," says Noah, staring at Leo.
"Noah? What the fuck are you doing here?" says Leo, surprised and annoyed. "Get out of here, man, not now!"
"If you plan on buying drugs, don't even think about staying at my house."
Leo swallows dryly and starts to become visibly anxious.
"Noah, please, I need this," Leo stares at Noah with eyes full of fear. "You don't understand, I'm begging you."
"You using it isn't my problem, but you're not staying at my house," Noah replies, determined.
Leo, not knowing what to say, stammers some incomprehensible words, yanks his arm so Noah will let go, and then walks to the center to blend in with the other students.
Noah gets a close look at the face of the boy who was trying to sell drugs to Leo and sees him staring back with his head down and a malicious smile, while playing with a toothpick in his mouth and putting the bags back in his pocket.
Noah, disturbed by the situation, walks away and heads back toward the appetizer table.
"Noah?" calls a female voice from behind him.
He turns and looks Teresa up and down. First, his eyes pass over the small, luminous horns coming from her headband. Then, he sees her face, which looks at him with simple makeup and a gentle smile. And then comes a long red dress that covers her from her chest to her knees. Finally, he notices the small red wings made of feathers and fabric coming from her back.
Without realizing it, Noah had forgotten to greet her.
"Noah?" she repeats, thinking he hadn't heard.
"Hi." He coughs. "Hi, Teresa, sorry."
"Do you like it?" she asks, doing a little spin.
"Yes, I like it. You look... you look very... matching... with the outfit," he replies, awkwardly.
"Are you saying I'm a she-devil?"
"No! That's not it... it's just that..."
Teresa starts to laugh, and soon they are both laughing together.
"So, how are you liking the party?" asks Noah.
"Oh, it's been pretty fun, so far. I was talking with Sophia and the girls, until I saw you. I thought you weren't coming for a moment."
"That's cool! I was also having fun... a lot." Noah looks around. "Have you tried this sweet here?" he points to one of the sweets on the table, making Teresa come closer.
"Oh my God! How cute!" she picks up one of the sweets to get a closer look. "What are they made of?"
"I have no idea, but they're delicious," Noah laughs.
Teresa tries a piece of the sweet she's holding.
"Mmm! They really are incredible!" she replies, as she puts the rest of the sweet in her mouth.
Teresa and Noah spend some time together, trying various foods from the table while talking and trying to figure out what they're made of. Over time, they begin to feel more comfortable and gradually get closer to each other.
Now, with time passing quickly, Noah forgets all his worries that something might happen at the party.
However, suddenly, some students start moving strangely, seeming to try to get away from something happening in the vicinity. Some screams are heard.
"Get back!" one of the students comments. "He has a knife!"
More screams are heard, and the students form a circle to see what is happening. Noah and Teresa enter the circle. They see a boy with dilated pupils confronting a girl with long, wavy blonde hair.
"Sophia!" Teresa screams, frightened. "Someone help her!"
"You wretched bitch! I'm going to kill you!" yells the boy, irrationally, holding the knife with both hands, pointing it at Sophia.
Sophia screams, shutting her eyes tightly, turning her face, and trying to protect her vital parts with her arms.
More students approach to see what is happening; even those who were outside the gym are drawn by the commotion.
"I'm going to cut you up so you suffer just like you made me suffer, you slut!" the boy yells, now louder, as he gets closer.
"I didn't do anything! I swear!" replies Sophia, crying and hiding her face.
"Please, someone help her!" screams Teresa, as she moves closer to Noah for protection.
The boy attempts a long-range attack, which grazes Sophia's arm and causes a few drops of blood to fall to the floor. He stumbles but quickly regains his posture and goes back to holding the knife with both hands.
Some students try to intervene to disarm him, which makes him spin the knife around him, forcing them to retreat.
Noah's hands and legs begin to tremble. He is determined that he should be the one to stop the boy, but his body refuses to move.
The boy continues to approach Sophia and raises his arms to attack. Sophia begins to cry even louder.
The moment is now. Noah manages to take a step forward and...
"What the fuck is this?" asks Max in an indifferent, though slightly annoyed tone. He enters the circle, bumps into Noah, and stops right behind the boy who was preparing the attack.
The boy hears Max behind him and turns to attack him.
Max reads the movement and catches the boy's arm in mid-air without much effort. He squeezes the arm, making him drop the knife, which falls to the floor.
Sophia is still crying with her hands over her face, and Noah's hands are still trembling.
Max grabs the boy, locks his neck between his arms, and lifts him off the ground.
Carrying him by the neck, he walks toward the gym's exit, and the people make way for him to pass, while everyone is still staring at the scene.
Outside the gym, Max puts the boy's feet on the ground, holds his neck with one hand, and prepares a punch with the other.
"Never..." says Max.
He punches his face, disorienting him.
"...ruin..."
He punches again, making his nose bleed.
"...the fun..."
He punches, now making his mouth bleed.
"...of others."
He releases his neck, causing the boy to fall to the ground, nearly unconscious.
Everyone stares at what is happening from inside the gym. Teresa begins to cry and hides in fear in Noah's arms.
"This is what Grand Four does to those who threaten to hurt its students," says Max as he wipes his knuckles, standing over the boy's body.
One of the students who seems to be closer to Max comes out of the gym to call him back inside. He touches Max's shoulders, who is still staring at the boy on the ground. However, when he turns toward the entrance, he stares at something that appears to be on top of the gym door.
"Um, Max?" he tries to get his attention.
"What?" Max replies, looking at his friend.
He points to something above the entrance door, making Max look where he's pointing.
Max, upon seeing what is there, begins to clench his teeth and narrow his eyes, showing a rage not seen before.
"Bastard!" he yells loudly. "And get this piece of shit off my courtyard!" he says, while pointing at the boy on the ground.
Max enters the gym quickly, and all the students, confused and afraid of what he will do, make space for him to pass.
Upon reaching the center of the gym, he scans the surroundings like a beast hunting its prey. He spots Thomas, sitting on the bleachers, head down with a drink in his hand. Max tenses his fists with such force that his veins pop, and he goes directly toward Thomas, staring him down.
The students again follow him to see the confrontation.
Max pulls Thomas up by the collar of his shirt, leaving him on his tiptoes and making his cup fall. Thomas lifts his head, completely dizzy, and tries to look at Max.
"What did you do?!" Max yells in Thomas's face.
Max raises his arm, preparing a punch, and his hand begins to tremble.
"Wait!" shouts a girl from among the students. "He didn't do anything!"
Max continues to stare at Thomas, holding his shirt with one hand and with a fist ready in the other.
"Thomas hasn't left the gym the whole time!" the girl screams, desperate. "He's been with me the entire party!"
Noah knows that Thomas really hadn't left the gym at any point, since, whenever he remembered, he would look over at him to try to spot any suspicious behavior during the party.
"I know this piece of shit has something to do with it," Max replies, still staring deep into Thomas's eyes, following the sway of his dizzy head.
Max takes a deep breath, and his arm begins to stop shaking.
"You were actually right, Max," says Thomas, his voice slurred and stumbling.
Max furrows his brows, confused and irritated.
"I really am too stupid for this," Thomas continues, with a sad smile and a slurred voice.
"Please, let him go!" the girl repeats.
"Humph," grunts Max, releasing Thomas's collar and lowering his arm.
Noah and Teresa see some students leading Sophia toward the courtyard to calm her down.
"Noah... I want to go home..." says Teresa, frightened.
"Okay, I want to as well. I just need to call my friend first."
Noah locates Leo among the crowd, also a bit altered by the drink, and calls him to leave. He agrees. Both go back to meet Teresa at the gym exit and walk toward the way out. As they are leaving, they notice that the boy Max assaulted has already been removed from the ground.
Noah looks back and sees something written above the gym entrance in large letters and with the same red liquid from the sentences on the whiteboards. He reads "Gates of Hell," along with an arrow pointing to the gym door. Noah puts his hand in his pocket and pulls out his notebook.
"Damn, does anyone know the time?" asks Noah.
"It's 12:30 AM..." Teresa replies, looking at her wristwatch.
He begins to write in his notebook and only finishes when they are already leaving the school.
At the school's entrance, they can hear the music from the gym getting even louder, and they conclude that although many students have left, the party will continue.
"Where do you live?" asks Teresa.
Noah points to the left.
"I live to the right... but it's close..." she continues. "Would you mind walking me?"
Noah looks at Leo, who shrugs and stares at the ground, seeming sulky about something.
"Alright, we can walk you."
The three walk toward Teresa's house in silence, still absorbing everything they have just witnessed.
Walking through the dark and empty streets, after short yet long minutes of silence, Noah and Teresa, who are walking in front, begin to hear sniffles coming from behind.
"Dammit, Noah," Leo sniffles.
Noah turns his face to see Leo and finds him with his head down, tears streaming from his eyes.
"Leo? Are you okay?" asks Noah, concerned.
"No... How... how can you be so calm in this situation?" Leo replies, raising his face and the tone of his voice at the end of the sentence.
"Leo, please, not now..."
"You just carry your notebook around, taking notes like you're Sherlock Holmes or like this is some kind of game!" Leo continues, practically screaming.
Noah realizes it's no longer possible to stop Leo's outburst.
"Don't you realize we're completely fucked? Everyone in town has disappeared! Doesn't it cross your mind that we might have to live like this forever?!" Leo takes a breath for a second. "Our future is over! Everyone we know and our families must already be dead!"
Teresa begins to cry with all the force of her lungs, causing Leo to fall silent. Noah just looks at Leo, his eyes glazed with anger.
Between a brief sigh amidst the cries, Teresa tries to say something.
"My house is here! Get away from me!" she screams, and goes back to crying.
When Noah tries to say goodbye, she slams the door in their faces, and afterward, only her crying can be heard from inside the house.
Noah looks at Leo with anger, who looks back at him with eyes full of fear.
"Let's go," comments Noah, in a direct and dry manner.
Thus, Noah and Leo walk to Noah's house without saying anything. Leo tries to apologize on the way, but Noah ignores him and continues on his way as if he doesn't hear him.