The sun was rising just like it had three years ago—soft, golden, beautiful. But to Nara, it looked like a lie.
She stood in front of the mirror, buttoning up the crisp white shirt of Elite Crest Academy's uniform. The same navy blazer, the same pleated skirt, the same ugly school crest sewn over her chest like a warning label: *You don't belong.*
Three years ago, this moment had been filled with nerves and excitement. She remembered how her mother had saved for weeks just to buy her second-hand shoes that didn't squeak when she walked. How she'd prayed quietly that the rich kids would be kind.
They hadn't been.
Now, as she tied her black ribbon, her hands moved with calm purpose. Every corner of her room, every face in the photos, every creak of the floor — all of it was a déjà vu she couldn't escape. But she didn't want to escape. This time, she wanted to live through it… and destroy everything from within.
She picked up her bag, slid her phone into her pocket, and stepped out of the apartment.
---
The school gates hadn't changed.Tall, iron bars curled like vines, as if guarding some secret garden of power and privilege. Luxury cars lined the driveway — Benz, Lexus, even a Rolls-Royce. Laughter echoed across the courtyard. Boys in polished shoes. Girls in designer bags pretending not to notice them.
But as Nara walked through those gates, something had changed.
*Her.*
She was no longer the shy scholarship girl hoping to fit in. She wasn't the quiet one they ignored until they needed someone to mock. She wasn't a pawn anymore.
This time, she was the storm.
---
"Nara!" a voice called, sweet and fake.
She turned, and there she was — *Rina Okeke*, the same girl who hugged her on the first day and called her "bestie," only to frame her for theft a week later.
"Wow, you made it after all! I heard the school almost replaced you with someone else on the list. Guess miracles still happen." Rina giggled, linking arms with her.
Nara smiled. "Yeah. Miracles… or curses."
Rina blinked, confused, but laughed it off. "You're so weird. Come on, let's find our class!"
They walked together, Rina babbling about dorm gossip and vacation trips. Nara let her talk, her face calm, but inside her mind, she was checking names off a list.
**Rina Okeke — the snake.
Kamsi — the firestarter.Daniel — the one who locked the door.
Mr. Adewale — the teacher who ignored her screams.**
She remembered them all.
And she knew exactly how each one would fall.
---
The first class was Literature. Mr. Adewale walked in, smiling, acting like the beloved teacher he pretended to be. He gave a speech about dreams, respect, and working hard.
Nara stared at him, unmoving.
**You saw me burning and you turned away.
You'll be the first.**
---
Later, during lunch, she sat at a table alone by choice. Her eyes scanned the cafeteria like a camera—mapping friendships, alliances, enemies.
The "Crest Royals" sat in the center: *Kamsi, Rina, Daniel, and the others.* Untouchable. Wealthy. Beautiful. Evil.
They laughed loudly, tossing cruel glances at scholarship students. She remembered the exact day they turned on her. The whisper Rina started. The fake evidence. The Principal who didn't bother to investigate.
This time, she'd be smarter.
She wouldn't confront them. She wouldn't beg. She'd be patient. Slow. Quiet.
They wouldn't even realize they were falling—until they hit the flames.
---
As the day ended, Nara stood outside the school gates once again, the weight of revenge tucked neatly into her smile.
A message pinged on her phone. A name flashed across the screen.*Zayne: "Yo, new girl. You left your ID in class."*
She froze.
Zayne.
The only one who had tried to save her in her past life. The boy who had died trying to help.
She looked up, and there he was — standing under the school tree with her ID in his hand and that same careless smirk.
This time, she wouldn't let him die.
This time, she'd burn the world… but save him first.
--
Nara took slow steps toward him, her heartbeat quickening for the first time that day—not from fear, but something… unfamiliar.
*Zayne.*
Tall, caramel-skinned, dreadlocks tied loosely, uniform untucked like he didn't care for rules—but his eyes were sharp. Sharper than anyone gave him credit for. In her past life, he was just another background blur until everything went wrong. He'd been the only one who noticed her disappear the night of the fire. The only one who ran into the flames.
The only one who didn't make it out.
Now here he was. Alive. Breathing. Smirking like fate hadn't already tried to erase him once.
"You always leave a trail behind?" he asked, holding up her school ID card between two fingers.
Nara took it from him, their fingers brushing for a second. A chill ran through her spine—not from him, but from the memory of his scream echoing in that burning hallway.
"Thanks," she said, slipping it into her pocket.
"You're welcome, mystery girl," he said. "You didn't say much in class."
"I don't have much to say."
He chuckled. "That's new around here. Most girls talk like they're auditioning for a drama series."
She gave him a sideways glance. "Maybe I'm not here for drama."
"Oh," he said, leaning slightly closer, "but I think drama came for you."
Her eyes snapped to his. Was he just teasing… or did he *remember* something? Feel something? Some part of him warning him about her?
"Let me guess," he continued. "You're the quiet, dangerous type. Or just anti-social?"
"Maybe both."
He smiled. "I like that."
She wanted to smile back, but her stomach tightened. This boy—this version of him—had no idea what he was walking into. The things he'd seen last time. The price he paid.
This time, she wouldn't let him pay it again.
"Thanks for the ID," she said, backing away. "See you around."
"I'll be watching," he called after her.
She didn't turn back. She couldn't.
Because for all her fire, all her vengeance… *Zayne was the one person who could melt her resolve.*
And she couldn't afford that.
Not yet.
---
*Back in Her Room…*
Nara opened her journal. Blank pages stared back. She picked up a red pen and wrote the first name:
*Rina Okeke.*
_Lie: Framed me for theft_
_Truth: Caught cheating twice, bribed a prefect, blackmailed a teacher._
_Punishment: Exposure + Isolation_
Next:
*Mr. Adewale.*
_Lie: Ignored the fire alarm_
_Truth: Had a deal with Daniel's father to protect his son at any cost._
_Punishment: Career Destruction_
She kept writing.
Line after line. Name after name. The flames in her chest burned steady, not wild.
Revenge didn't need to be rushed.
It needed to be perfect.