He crushed the blue book in his hand. His knuckles turned white as he stared at the number written in red ink.
"32.5."
Neo closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he spread the exam booklet across his desk. Each page bled with red marks — notes, X's, and circles carved by the merciless pen of his law professor. He flipped through it, faster and faster, as if somewhere between the pages he'd find mercy. He didn't.
There was no hope. He had failed his midterm exam — the one subject everyone feared the most.Constitutional Law I.
His law school days were numbered.
"I'll make it up in the finals," he muttered, jaw tight. "This isn't over yet."
He pressed the blue book flat on the desk. At the back cover, written in cold, unforgiving handwriting:
Subject: Constitutional Law IName: Neo SicarroRating:FAILED
Neo stared at it, disbelief etched on his face.
"This is only my first year," he whispered. "Not even three months in. And I'm not giving up. Not yet."
He stood up, his knees aching from kneeling too long. He raked a hand through his hair and took a deep breath.
"This exam won't stop me," he said, voice low but steady. "I'll ace the next one. I'll show that professor who I am."
He grabbed his jacket, stepped outside, and slammed the door behind him.
"It's a shitty day anyway," he muttered. "I deserve a cigarette."
Neo crossed the street in a rush—
BAM!
The sound split the air. A speeding truck had hit him. His body soared twenty feet before crashing back onto the pavement.
"Motherfu—" he gasped, blood filling his mouth. "This... this isn't the end—"