Anna, who had just arrived searching for her husband, immediately dropped to the ground when she saw everyone else doing the same. From a distance, she spotted Rain standing tall.
"R-Rain." Anna almost rose from the ground, but Elizabeth managed to stop her.
"Stay down or you'll die," Elizabeth whispered to Anna.
"But, my daughter?"
"Calm down. Your daughter will be fine. She's waiting for the Elite Class leader."
Not long after, a small green frog-shaped car stopped at the entrance of the field. Out came a woman. She was about the same height as Marcus. Her hair was dyed red, with a small hat, about 20 cm in diameter, perched on her head. Her skin was pale white. Her body was tiny and petite, but her face looked very old. She wore a noblewoman's style dress with a wide skirt. Behind her, an Elite Soldier held up an umbrella to shield her from the sun. She then walked quickly toward the stage, followed by the other Elite Soldiers. Despite her short legs and the rocky ground of the field, she moved swiftly in high heels.
"Is that the leader of the Elite Class?" Edmund asked Rain, tugging at his daughter's pants.
Rain shook her head. "No, Dad."
The woman climbed onto the stage and picked up a microphone lying there. She adjusted a golden star badge pinned to her left chest and slipped on her gloves. "Test, one, two, test, one, two." Her voice was extremely cute. Then she began speaking.
"Good morning. I'm Chelsea Historia. I prefer to be called Miss Chelsea, or even Sister Chelsea is fine. Just don't call me ma'am, because I've never married or had children. I'm only 41 years old. My zodiac sign is Sagittarius. My favorite food is steak. My favorite dri—"
Before she could finish, Rain cut her off.
"Hey, beautiful and gorgeous Miss Chelsea, I don't need your story. I only want to meet the Elite Class leader."
The woman who liked to be called Miss Chelsea locked eyes with the girl who had just flattered her. "I am the leader of the Elite Class."
"Damn it! Don't mess around. If Mr. Peter finds out, you'll get your head blown off," Rain shouted.
Miss Chelsea smiled at Rain. Then she said, "You're right, Mr. Peter is the true leader, not me."
"Where is he?"
"He's in a meeting with the Elite Council."
Rain immediately dropped to the ground, placing her hands behind her head.
"Hey, hey, hey, stand up," said Miss Chelsea.
"No. I'll only speak to him, because he's the one who can bring justice to the guilty."
"Even if he isn't here, that doesn't mean he won't hear your plea. Tell me, and I will deliver it to him."
Rain stared into Miss Chelsea's eyes, silent for quite a while. Only the sound of the wind filled her ears. "Please bring Billy to justice. He and his cronies must be judged fairly, because he has made this class suffer greatly," Rain said. "I hope educated people like you can become the voice between the outcast classes and the Elite Class."
Miss Chelsea looked back at Rain. "Your plea has been heard."
Immediately, the Special Forces dragged Billy away. He struggled, but their grip was too strong, and in the end he gave up. They pushed him to face the field wall.
"Ready!" one of the Special Forces shouted.
"Ready!" the others replied in unison, taking their positions.
"One, two, three!"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Billy's body was riddled with bullets mercilessly. The atmosphere turned grim, and fear spread through the people. They worried they would be the next victims.
"This is the punishment for those who leak secrets about the Star Game. We demand you all remain silent about this matter. Pretend it never happened. And for the suspected provocators, we are forced to take you all to be judged by the Elite Court," Miss Chelsea declared, her tone far less cute than her voice.
***
A few hours earlier …
Carloss and his family had visited Edmund's house. He brought along his wife and two children, Kenzo and Naya.
Seeing Rain enter her room, Kenzo nudged his father's arm. "Dad, I'm going to see Rain for a bit," Kenzo said.
Carloss nodded, allowing his son to visit Edmund's daughter.
Kenzo walked toward Rain's room carrying his bag.
Before he could knock, Rain opened the door first. "Oh, Kenzo. What brings you here?"
Kenzo looked down shyly, unable to meet Rain's eyes. "There's something I want to give you before we leave for Class A."
"What? So sudden?"
Kenzo stayed silent.
Rain pulled him inside her room and seated him in a chair. Kenzo glanced at the pile of books on Rain's desk. "Have you read all the books I gave you?" he asked, trying to change the subject.
Rain nodded.
Kenzo pulled a book from his bag and handed it to Rain. "Take this. It's filled with articles about the classes. It belonged to my father. The author is Mr. Peter, the new Elite Class leader and also an Elite Judge in the Elite Court," he explained.
"Again, him?"
"Yes," Kenzo said, scratching his arm nervously. "The term for an Elite Class leader is four years, unlike the Class Leader elections held every two years. But Mr. Peter has held power for nearly 50 years."
Rain's eyes widened. "Fifty years? That's insane."
"Yeah. He's been around since the Star Game was founded," Kenzo said, adjusting his breathing. "From what I've read, during his rule, there's an unwritten rule that every class must follow, including the Elite Class itself."
Rain leaned closer, her face serious. "What is it?"
"We are forbidden to badmouth the Elite Class and its officials. They must always be praised. We must appear loyal to them, even if our paths differ. We also can't criticize any of their programs. In short, we have to keep praising the Elite Class, its officials, and its programs, including the Star Game," Kenzo said. He stood and peered out Rain's window, visibly restless, glancing at her from time to time.
"What's wrong, Ken?"
Kenzo shook his head, then sat back down.
"Now that we know their weakness, we can infiltrate their government. Change it from within," Kenzo said, sneaking glances at Rain's soothing expression. "That's why I want you to study too, Rain. I promise, once I graduate and earn my own money, I'll make sure you can attend formal school like me and my family."
Rain smiled happily at the promise. "Can I hold your hand?"
Kenzo nodded.
Rain grasped his hand, soft as silk. "Alright, I'll follow your words. Slowly but surely, I believe we can reach our goal together," Rain said. "And thank you for wanting to pay for my schooling."
Kenzo quickly pulled his hand away. "Oh, right, I forgot. I'm sorry about Felix."
"Don't worry. He'll be fine wherever he is."
Kenzo stood, slinging his bag back on. "I should head home."
"Of course. Thanks again for all the books, Ken."
Kenzo nodded. "Ah, one more thing you should know."
"What is it?"
"Miss Chelsea. She's very narcissistic and loves to be praised. Her voice may sound small and cute, but she's cruel and ruthless."
"Who is she?" Rain asked.
"The Elite Class deputy. She's always been Peter's right-hand. Not many know about her. Be careful."
Rain nodded.
Kenzo stood to leave. Before he got too far, he said, "Rain, I love you." Then he left.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Rain froze, stunned by Kenzo's sudden confession.
"This isn't a dream, right?" she whispered to herself. "Yes, I love you too, Ken."
She hurried out to find Kenzo in the living room, where he and his family were preparing to leave.
"Sir, we'll be going now," Carloss said, shaking hands with Rain and her parents.
Kenzo stepped up to shake Rain's hand. But Rain only smiled as she met his gaze.
That night, Kenzo and his family finished their goodbyes and entered their car. Slowly, the car drove away from Class F. Suddenly, it stopped when four gunshots rang out in Rain's ears.
"Dad! Mom!" Rain screamed. "Someone shot Mr. Carloss's family!"
"What?" Her parents were equally shocked.
Rain and her parents rushed toward the halted car. As they got closer, the windows were shattered, and the family lay dead inside.
Tears streamed down Rain's face. "Kenzo …." She mustered her courage and pulled a bullet from Kenzo's head.
"Type X bullet. This belongs to the Special Forces," Rain muttered, scanning the area. But no suspicious figure was in sight.
---
News of Carloss's death spread quickly to his family. His and his family's bodies were immediately taken back to Class D for burial.
***
Note:
Each army is divided into three:
1. Special Forces – Air Force unit. Their bullets bear the X symbol. They wear black uniforms.
2. Elite Soldiers – Ground Force unit. Their bullets bear the Y symbol. They wear cream uniforms.
3. Armada Troops – Naval Force unit. Their bullets bear the Z symbol. They wear gray uniforms.
Purpose: To guard and regulate class stability.
***