The cafeteria was silent.
A few minutes ago, it had been chaos—tables overturned, trays scattered across the floor, bodies groaning in pain.
Now, the entire hall felt like a courtroom waiting for a verdict. Twenty boys from Hostel 7 lay on the ground, groaning or motionless.
Alexander stood in the middle of them. Breathing steady. Unshaken.
Akshat leaned back in his chair, slowly unwrapping the lollipop in his hand. The plastic crinkled in the silence. Every student in the cafeteria stared. No one dared to speak.
They weren't looking at Alexander anymore.
They were looking at Akshat.
Fear. Suspicion. Expectation.
They were all thinking the same thing. Tae Jin is gone… now this guy will be worse.
Akshat placed the lollipop between his teeth and stood. Calm. Controlled.
"Listen carefully," he said. His voice didn't need to be loud—the silence carried it everywhere.
"Hostel 7 had a rule." He glanced at Tae Jin's unconscious body. "Every student paid one hundred euros every month." Protection money.
The most pathetic form of power.
"From today…" He paused. Every head turned. Every eye fixed on him.
"That rule is gone."
Confusion rippled across the room. Some exchanged uncertain glances. They hadn't expected that.
"Tae Jin called it protection," Akshat continued calmly. "But it was just looting."
No one argued. No one defended him. Everyone knew it was true.
He turned slightly to Alexander. The boy's golden hair caught the cafeteria lights, framing him like a statue carved from pure discipline.
"From now on," Akshat said, voice deliberate, "Alexander Vane is the leader of Hostel 7."
Alexander didn't respond. He didn't need to. He stood like a silent pillar.
The students slowly nodded—not out of respect, not yet. Fear made them obedient. But loyalty… loyalty would come later. Or not.
It didn't matter.
Hostel 7 was only the beginning.
The war inside this school had just started.
---
Later That Night
Tae Jin woke with a groan. His ribs still ached from Alexander's precise punches.
The alley behind the dormitory was empty. Cold wind cut between the walls, carrying a quiet threat.
Slow, deliberate footsteps echoed.
Tae Jin's head snapped up.
A tall figure emerged from the shadows. Black coat. Hands in pockets. Face hidden. Calm. Dominant.
Tae Jin's eyes widened.
"You… you…" he stammered. "The leader of Hostel 1…"
The man didn't speak at first. He simply studied Tae Jin, as one observes a broken toy.
"So," the stranger finally said, voice flat, controlled. "You're the one who lost to the new kid."
Tae Jin's teeth clenched. "I wasn't—"
"Pathetic."
The word cut him off, slicing deeper than any punch.
Something snapped inside Tae Jin. "Shut up!"
He lunged instinctively. Jiu-jitsu. Years of training. His body moved on autopilot, aiming to choke the man down.
But the stranger moved.
Just once. One precise motion.
Tae Jin's vision exploded in white light. His body slammed into the concrete wall. He crumpled, unconscious.
The man adjusted his coat calmly. His voice, barely a whisper:
"Hostel 7… interesting."
Then he vanished into the darkness as if he had never been there.
---
Midnight
Akshat moved quietly through the girls' dormitory corridor. Technically, he wasn't supposed to be here—but rules had never impressed him.
The hallway lights were dim. Most rooms were dark. Then he saw her.
Aavya.
She stood by the window at the end of the corridor. Her back was to the door. Moonlight spilled over her trembling shoulders.
For a moment, he froze. Something tightened in his chest—a feeling he rarely allowed himself to acknowledge.
He stepped closer. "Aavya."
She spun around quickly. Red-rimmed eyes. Tears she tried to wipe away. Pretending nothing had happened.
Too late. He had seen.
And for some reason… seeing her like that hurt more than any punch he'd ever taken.
End of ch 28
To be continue...
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