She could hear the fearful screams of her classmates filling the classroom, piercing straight through her skull, almost robbing her of the ability to think. It wasn't just her class—it was the entire school. The noise was overwhelming, suffocating. Their cries were so loud they could have reached blocks away… yet no help came.
Why? she wondered. But it wasn't a new question. It was one she had asked herself too many times before.
She snapped back to reality when her seatmate suddenly collapsed. His body convulsed violently—an epileptic seizure. Before anyone could react, the gun fired again. Cold. Unhesitating.
The men in ash-colored suits didn't flinch. "We have no use for the weak and helpless. Only the strong and capable."
The smell of blood thickened—metallic, nauseating—filling the air until every breath tasted of iron. Desks scraped across the floor as students stumbled back. Some shielded their faces, others froze in place, paralyzed by terror.
The figure who had fired didn't move, weapon still raised. Its surface shimmered like smoke trapped in glass—unnatural, unreadable. It didn't need words. Its presence alone suffocated the room.
Then another figure entered. Taller. Steadier. Its voice carried across the silence, flat and mechanical, each word delivered like it had been programmed into it.
"You will comply—whether you like it or not. All students will proceed to the assembly hall. You will be stripped of your garments and assigned identification. You will be given numbers and sorted into your houses. Non-compliance will result in immediate elimination."
Murmurs broke out—anger, disbelief, defiance. A boy at the back slammed his desk. "We're not animals! You can't just—our parents will find us! When they do, you'll pay. My father is the chief of police. You won't get away with this!"
The gun shifted toward him.
The room went dead silent.
The taller figure spoke again, unbothered. "This school is sealed by a soundproof barrier. No matter how loud you scream, no one will hear. Don't bother with your phones—as you've already noticed, there is no signal. All frequencies are jammed. And as for your families…" it paused, almost amused. "Let's just say… we have ways of replacing you. They will never even suspect you're gone. I dare not speak more against my masters' orders. The rest will be explained at the assembly."
Lyra's heart hammered against her ribs. She didn't dare look at the blood staining the floor, nor at the trembling faces around her. Her mind was consumed with one thought… Nova.
If they were gathering everyone, then he would be caught in this nightmare too. She couldn't let him face it alone. No matter how cold she seemed to others, the truth was simple—she loved her brother more than anyone in the world.
The door swung open again—not the smoke-man with the gun this time, but a woman dressed the same way. Ash-colored uniform, face hidden. She didn't speak, only motioned for others to enter. More students. Class B. Then Class C. Soon, their entire grade was crammed into one room.
The air turned heavy. You could feel it pressing down, with everyone shoulder to shoulder, desks shoved aside like they didn't matter anymore. Some students looked like they might break any second. Others stared blankly, too scared to even blink.
Lex leaned close to Lyra, his voice a whisper.
"They're pulling our whole year together. Makes it easier to control us."
Lyra's jaw tightened. "And harder to get away."
He didn't answer. He didn't need to.
For a moment, her thoughts flickered to Nova. He'd be with the younger grades right now, probably terrified, even if he tried to act brave. But she pushed the thoughts down. She couldn't spiral—not yet. She had friends here, classmates, parents at home who had no clue what was happening. She had herself. If she broke now, there would be no hope for any of them.
She and Lex went over everything they knew, piecing scraps of information together like a puzzle. Barriers. Jammers. Replacements. Every possibility was already blocked. Every route, sealed off before it even began.
"They've been setting this up for years," Lex muttered, anger in his voice.
He was right. But no matter how impossible it looked, there had to be something. Even the smallest crack in their perfect plan. After all, even the strongest opponent has a weak point.
And as the room settled into silence, Lyra realized something that made her chest tighten.
If this had been planned for years… then every move they could think of, every reaction, had already been expected and countered.
Which meant the only way out—was to do something they couldn't predict. But how? They were only teenagers, stripped of their freedom, their rights, and soon, even their names.