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The air in Brighton Wisdom's Grand Auditorium was thick with expectation. It was five o'clock in the evening, and the auditorium, usually reserved for quiet assemblies, was completely full, packed with the entire student body. The spotlights were focused on the center aisle, where Gabriella stood, holding a microphone.
She looked poised and sharp, wearing a crisp, dark blazer that stood out against the hundreds of colorful uniforms. Her face, framed by dark hair, was an unreadable mask of cold composure.
In the back row, Raina, Han, Selina, and Ronnie stood together, separated from the crowd by a palpable tension.
Gabriella's eyes scanned the crowd, then settled directly on Raina. Raina stared back, a familiar cold challenge in her gaze.
Gabriella's voice, amplified by the speakers, cut through the silence. "The student who brings the Silverstorm members to me first... they will get a reward."
She paused, letting the words hang. Then she narrowed her eyes at Raina. "Especially Raina."
A collective gasp swept through the students.
From the dark, shadowed backstage entrance, a figure in a black hoodie watched. Only the lower half of a face was visible, and a thin, knowing smirk stretched across the lips.
"What? Us? For what?" Selina whispered, clutching Han's sleeve. Han just stared, his confusion a heavy weight.
"No one dare to do this," Raina murmured under her breath, her gaze fixed on Gabriella.
Ronnie, instantly furious, threw his bike key—a shining piece of metal—into the empty seat beside him.
Gabriella studied their faces—the shock, the confusion, the fear in the students' eyes. She smiled, a brittle, unpleasant smile.
"I know... you all are scared," she said, her voice dripping with mockery. "But why?"
Her tone suddenly changed, becoming venomous and sharp. "All of you can't stand against a single group—the Silverstorm! The ones who made Brighton Wisdom a nightmare for you all!"
Every student in the auditorium turned, their eyes moving from Gabriella to the four isolated figures in the back. The black hoodie figure backstage, suddenly exposed, gave a visible start, turned, and ran into the darkness.
Selina, not expecting the crowd's sudden change of focus, whispered, "Impossible..." Ronnie and Han were equally bewildered. Only Raina remained outwardly cold, though a flicker of recognition crossed her features.
Gabriella lifted the microphone high. "Chase them! Go!"
The command was a starting gun. Hundreds of students surged forward, rushing toward the back of the auditorium.
Selina grabbed Raina's hand. "Let's go!"
Raina stood still for a moment, analyzing the chaos. Ronnie, sensing something strange, didn't hesitate; he bolted, jumping over a row of seats to gain distance. Han pulled Selina, and they ran. Raina realized the danger, allowed Selina to yank her arm, and finally joined the desperate flight. The students were a tide of pursuing faces, intent on the reward.
Gabriella stood alone in the center aisle, watching the stampede. She threw her head back and laughed.
As the noise faded, only one person remained: Lara. She rushed toward Gabriella.
Gabriella pushed her away. "Why, Gaby? Why are you doing this?" Lara pleaded.
Gabriella smirked. "I'm just giving a return gift," she said, her tone instantly cold, "for what they gave me before." She turned and walked toward the main entrance. Lara followed, confusion etched on her face.
Principal's Office and Fiona's Visit
In the Principal John's office, the man himself was putting on his jacket, ready to leave for the day. A precise knock came at the door.
"Come in," he called, already weary.
When the door opened, he looked up and then his eyes widened in surprise. "You... Ms. Fiona, is that right?"
Fiona stood in the doorway, a striking figure. She wore a sleek black slit gown beneath a matching black coat, radiating an expensive, cold elegance.
She offered a small, fake smile. "Yes, Principal. You remember me."
Principal John smiled awkwardly. "How could I forget? Our old representative of Brighton Wisdom..." He leaned in and whispered to himself, "...the one who always gave me a headache."
"What?" Fiona asked, tilting her head.
"Nothing, nothing! Come, sit down."
Fiona glided to a chair. "Of course," she whispered, low enough only for herself to hear. "I still want to give you a headache."
"Your brother, Mr. Fredrick, spoke highly of you. How is your business?" John asked politely.
"It's going well," Fiona replied. "I'm here to pick up my niece."
"Oh, but there's a party going on. You'll have to wait for Gabriella."
"What party?"
"Gabriella won the School Representative election," John explained proudly.
Fiona looked genuinely surprised for a moment. Then, she leaned back in the chair and chuckled. "Really? Of course, she must win. She is my niece, right?" John gave an awkward, uncertain smile.
"Well, then you can go," Fiona dismissed him easily. "I will visit my old school, and then I'll pick her up."
"Oh, yes, of course," John mumbled, grabbing his briefcase.
Fiona watched him from the first-floor window as he drove away. She whispered, "He only does two things correctly: go back to his house on time and raise donations for... this trash school." She wrinkled her nose in disgust.
She then went to find her old classroom.
The Canteen and the Alley
Han and Selina ran through the empty Canteen Area, past overturned benches and sticky floors. Selina was out of breath; she couldn't keep up. She stumbled and fell hard.
Students instantly rounded on her. Han, terrified, kept running. He left her alone.
Selina scrambled backward, fear chilling her to the bone. Then, one student stepped forward: the scholarship girl Selina had often bullied. The girl stepped down hard on Selina's fine hand.
Selina screamed in pain.
The girl grabbed Selina's hair and pulled back her head. "Do you know the pain that I feel?" she spat. Selina could only cry.
Meanwhile, Han, running through a service path, saw Gabriella and Lara standing near an exit. He stopped and marched right up to Gabriella, breathing heavily.
"Why are you doing this?" he demanded, his voice shaking with anger.
Gabriella looked casual, almost bored. She smiled, a teasing glint in her eyes. "You don't remember what you did earlier?"
Han looked confused.
Gabriella leaned in close and whispered in his ear. "Sorry, bro, this is the result of what you did. I know you also bullied students along with Raina."
Han was shocked. How did she know? "But... not now," he stammered.
Gabriella's moment of vengeance seemed to wave into a flicker of confusion, but she quickly recovered with a smile. "But you did, right? So you have to face it now."
Suddenly, Gabriella saw more students approaching from the other side of the path. "Run," she said quickly. "They're coming closer."
Han turned, stared at the approaching threat, and began to run again. Gabriella laughed softly behind him.
As Han ran past a row of unused storage lockers, a hand shot out and pulled him violently into a dark, unused classroom.
He saw a figure in a black hoodie. "Who are you?" Han demanded.
The person slowly removed the hood. "Me? Bro?" It was Jake. He smirked.
"You!" Han breathed out.
"Stay here. No one noticed you," Jake ordered. "I have to go help the others." He pulled his black mask and hood back over his face and slipped out, sneaking past the approaching students.
The Library Corner
Raina was moving quickly through the quieter Library area when she turned a corner and came face-to-face with Gabriella.
Gabriella smiled faintly. Raina's panic faded as she realized the chasing students hadn't reached them yet. Her expression snapped to one of deadly rage. She strode toward Gabriella.
Lara, standing next to Gabriella, stepped back. "She's so angry. Let's go, Gaby, it's not worth facing her now."
"Don't fear," Gabriella murmured.
Raina closed the distance and suddenly choked Gabriella's neck. Gabriella struggled slightly, but only just. Lara panicked, trying to pull Raina's hand away.
"Leave her!" Lara cried out.
Raina stared at Lara, her eyes blazing. "I am in deadly rage. Don't come near!"
Lara froze, terrified.
Suddenly, Gabriella laughed. Raina was shocked.
"Use this energy to run," Gabriella gasped, a chilling sound. "Look! They've already reached."
Raina turned. She could hear the distinct sound of shoes and multiple voices getting louder. She instantly released Gabriella's throat and started to run again.
"I won't leave you!" Raina shouted back as she fled.
Gabriella laughed again.
A group of students was about to go down the wrong path when Gabriella whistled sharply. They turned. Gabriella pointed with her hand to the path Raina had taken. The students grinned, understanding the signal, and rushed after Raina.
Gabriella watched the hunt, clearly entertained.
"Are you alright?" Lara asked, rubbing her own neck.
Gabriella nodded, still smiling.
"Are you... smiling?" Lara asked, shocked.
"It's so much entertaining," Gabriella replied simply.
The Playground
Ronnie had run too fast. He was about to faint and collapsed onto the ground in the deserted playground area.
A hand touched his shoulder. Ronnie flinched, terrified, then turned and exhaled in relief. It was Jake, still wearing his hoodie.
"Bro, you! Why are you feared of me?" Jake asked.
"Because you'll be feared of anyone who touches you now," Ronnie panted, turning to catch his breath. "I want water."
"No. This time, I already saw some students over there. Come with me," Jake urged.
"I can't," Ronnie groaned.
"If you don't come, you'll get caught! It's all because of your—" Ronnie stopped himself. "Your girlfriend, that mad girl!"
Jake didn't reply.
"Wait here, I will drink some water from the purifier," Ronnie insisted. He staggered toward the water fountain. Jake watched him.
Suddenly, Jake heard a noise and turned away. When he turned back to Ronnie—only ten steps away—he watched in horror as Ronnie was caught by a swarm of students. Jake moved backward immediately.
"Sorry, bro," he whispered, and ran away, vanishing from the playground.
The Ultimate Retribution
Fiona had reached her old classroom. She was just looking around when she saw a group of students running past the window. "What's going on? Why are they in such a hurry?" she whispered. She stepped out and followed them, intrigued by the chaos.
The Back Area
Raina stopped running in the Entrance Hall. She was exhausted. "Why should I run?" she whispered to herself.
A sudden, fierce anger overtook her. She shouted, "I won't anymore!" She spun around.
A group of students were staring at her, blocking the exit.
"Let's go, former School Representative," one boy sneered, grinning widely.
"No," Raina hissed. "How dare you do this to me?"
A girl stepped forward. "We are doing this because... you bullied us."
Raina froze. "Do you know who I am?"
The students laughed. "That's meaningless now," the girl said, and she grabbed Raina's hair and pulled. Other students grabbed her arms.
Ten minutes later, the three captured Silverstorm members—Raina, Ronnie, and Selina—were dragged one by one to the back area of Brighton Wisdom. It was a desolate patch of concrete behind the utility buildings, the exact place where they had once bullied Andria.
Other students surrounded them. Raina, Selina, and Ronnie were forced to kneel.
The students started to kick and slap them. Selina's hair was messy, her eyeliner fudged and running down her face. Ronnie was drenched in dirty water, shivering. Raina, despite the terror, maintained a cold, angry glare. They couldn't fight back; the whole school was against them.
After several minutes of brutal punishment, the students backed away. The three Silverstorm members leaned on each other, battered and close to fainting.
Suddenly, a figure appeared on the roof above the school building. It was Gabriella. She was enjoying the spectacle, laughing freely.
Lara appeared next to her. "I haven't seen you like this before," she said, her voice filled with shock.
Gabriella turned. "What? My smile?" She smiled widely.
"No," Lara said. "A vengeance. A girl who is eagerly hunting her enemies." Gabriella's smile vanished. "Are you worrying for your boyfriend?" she asked, staring at Lara.
"Yes, but... I can feel it," Lara insisted, catching her breath. "You wouldn't hurt them unless they hurt you before. Are you also bullied by them?"
Gabriella didn't reply. She turned back, looking down at the kneeling figures. "Let's enjoy the show. Join with me. Otherwise, you'll regret that you didn't watched it."
Lara was confused. "What...?"
Gabriella stared intently at Raina, who suddenly looked up and widened her eyes when she saw Gabriella. Gabriella smirked.
"When you get your lost memory back," Gabriella called down, her voice echoing, "you must thank me."
Gabriella turned to Lara and said, "What I did now."
Lara looked shocked.
Gabriella gazed back down at Raina, Ronnie, and Selina, and she began to laugh again, a sound that echoed across the grounds. She was ecstatic, her revenge almost complete... but not yet.
From the ground, watching the laughing figure, Raina whispered, "Andria."
One female stood above, laughing because her revenge was almost complete. But from the ground, another female—Raina—was just beginning to ready her own revenge.
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