Meanwhile, Samuel and Newton continued their routine.
Every day looked the same from the outside.
They trained. They ate. They returned to their room.
Nothing about them drew attention anymore.
Students passed them in the corridors without a second glance. Some even laughed quietly when they saw them. To most of the level, Samuel and Newton had become irrelevant.
Two boys who had fallen apart after Stella's death.
Two lost losers who slowly drifted away from the group.
People whispered about them sometimes.
"They used to follow Stella everywhere."
"Now look at them."
"No friends. No influence."
Newton heard the whispers often.
He never reacted.
Samuel didn't either.
They simply continued walking.
Training.
Studying.
Sleeping.
But inside their silence, something else moved quietly.
Brian was dead.
Justice had already been served on him.
Only Maxwell remained.
One evening they left the training arena later than usual. The sun had already dipped low, and the corridor lights had begun flickering on one by one.
Their muscles ached from hours of practice.
Samuel rolled his shoulder as they walked.
Newton walked beside him, silent as usual.
Then they heard it.
A struggle.
A sharp voice.
"Let me go!"
Newton stopped instantly.
Samuel stopped too.
The noise came from a corner hallway ahead.
Newton turned instinctively.
There they were.
William and three of his boys.
They had pushed a girl against the wall.
Mendy.
Her back pressed against the cold surface as she struggled against them.
"Let me go!" Mendy said again, her voice shaking now.
William only laughed.
He stepped closer, grabbing her arm harder.
The other boys blocked the hallway, watching with hungry smiles.
Newton's body moved before he could think.
He took a step forward.
Samuel's hand shot out and grabbed his wrist.
"No."
Newton turned sharply.
"They are hurting her," Newton said through clenched teeth.
Samuel nodded once.
"I know."
Mendy struggled again.
William shoved her harder against the wall.
But Samuel's grip on Newton tightened.
"Control your emotions," Samuel said quietly.
Newton's jaw locked.
Samuel's voice remained calm.
"We do not want attention on us now."
Newton's chest rose and fell.
The sound of Mendy's struggle echoed down the corridor again.
For a moment Newton looked like he might break free anyway.
But then he stopped.
Slowly he nodded.
Samuel released his wrist.
Newton turned away from the scene.
Together they walked down the hallway.
Behind them Mendy's voice faded into the noise of laughter.
That night the dormitory went quiet as usual.
Students drifted into sleep.
But inside Newton's room, something shifted.
Samuel was already asleep.
Newton sat on the edge of his bed.
The darkness in the room felt thick.
Slowly he stood.
He opened the small locker near his bed and pulled out a folded Ninja attire.
The black cloth moved silently as he wrapped it around himself.
He covered his face.
Only his eyes remained visible.
Newton reached for his sword.
The blade slid free without a sound.
For a moment he stood there, perfectly still in the darkness.
Then he moved toward the door.
His voice was barely above a whisper.
"William dies," Newton said quietly.
He tightened his grip on the sword.
"Tonight."
Newton moved silently through the corridor. The dormitory was deep in sleep. Doors were shut. Lights were dim. Only the faint humming of the building's systems floated through the hallway.
He walked like a shadow.
The black Ninja attire clung to his body. The cloth wrapped around his face left only his eyes exposed. In the darkness they looked colder than usual.
His sword rested in his hand..William's room was only a few doors away.
Newton slowed his steps as he approached. He listened first.
Inside, he could hear breathing. Several breaths. Heavy. Uneven. Careless.
The door stood slightly open..William and his boys had slept without caution. Newton pushed the door gently. It slid open without a sound.
Inside, the room smelled of sweat and alcohol. Four beds. Four bodies.
William lay closest to the door. One arm dangled off the mattress. His mouth hung open slightly as he slept.
Newton stepped forward. Slow. Precise. His breathing remained steady.
He stopped beside the bed. William shifted slightly in his sleep. Newton's hand moved instantly.
His palm clamped tightly over William's mouth. William's eyes flew open. Confusion flashed across them. His body jerked. But Newton was faster.
The blade moved once. Clean, and silent.
The sword slid across William's throat. A thin line appeared. Then blood poured out.
William's body convulsed under Newton's grip. His scream died inside Newton's palm.
The room remained quiet. The other boys continued sleeping. Newton held him down until the movement stopped. William's eyes froze open.
Newton slowly released his mouth. The body remained still. Blood soaked into the pillow.
Newton wiped the blade against the blanket. Then he stepped away. The entire room remained asleep. He moved back to the door.
Slipped out, and closed it gently. The corridor outside remained silent. Newton walked calmly back toward his own room.
When he entered, Samuel still slept. Newton removed the Ninja attire carefully.
Folded it. Placed it back into the locker. Then he slipped into his bed. He closed his eyes.
Within minutes his breathing slowed. It was as if he had never left the room.
Morning arrived with chaos. One of William's friends woke first. He stretched lazily.
Then turned toward the nearest bed. His eyes froze. William's body lay twisted against the sheets.
His throat had been slit open. Blood stained the mattress. For a moment the boy didn't move. Then he screamed.
"William!"
Another boy jumped out of his bed. "What is it?"
Then he saw the body. "William!".The room erupted into panic. They rushed toward the bed. One of them stumbled backward in horror.
"His throat.."
Frank ran straight for the door. "We have to tell the king!" They burst into the hallway and sprinted down the corridor.
Students turned as they passed. Theo's door stood at the end. They hammered against it violently.
Inside, Theo groaned. "Fuck off," he roared from inside. "I am still sleeping!"
But the knocking continued. One of the boys shouted through the door. "Your Highness, William has been murdered!"
The words struck Theo like a thunderbolt. Inside the room, the bed creaked loudly as he jumped up. "What did you just say?" Theo shouted. His voice carried sudden panic.
Outside the door the boy repeated the words. "William has been murdered!"
Theo rushed to the door and yanked it open. His hair was messy. His eyes wide. "Where?" he demanded. The boys didn't answer. They simply ran.
Theo followed them immediately. They reached William's room seconds later. Theo stepped inside. His eyes landed on the bed. William's body lay exactly where Newton had left it.
The slit across his throat glared red against the white sheets.
Theo's jaw tightened. He walked slowly to the bed. His fists clenched. For a long moment he simply stared. Then he bent down and lifted the body.
Blood stained his hands. He carried William into the corridor. Students gathered quickly. Whispers spread again. Another body. Another death.
Theo stood in the hallway holding the corpse. The silence lasted only a few minutes. Then the robots arrived. They moved through the crowd without emotion.
Their metallic arms reached for the body. Theo let go. The robots lifted William and carried him away.
Within seconds the hallway emptied again. Theo stood there breathing heavily. His boys gathered around him. Fear and confusion sat on their faces. "Who is doing this?" Theo asked.
His voice sounded hoarse. No one answered immediately.
Then Franklin spoke. "Maybe it is one of those girls he molested yesterday." Several boys nodded.
But Oman shook his head. "No." He crossed his arms. "That girl couldn't have done it."
Theo looked down the hallway. His eyes narrowed slightly. "Maybe there is a way we can find out."
Every head turned toward him. Jeffery leaned forward. "How?"
Theo looked at each of them slowly. Then he spoke. "I want you all to molest the same girl in open after the lecture."
The hallway fell quiet. A few boys exchanged glances. Theo continued. "If this killer had killed William because of her, he would come again."
His lips curled into a thin smile. "And this time we will be waiting."
The idea settled over the group. Slowly their expressions changed. One by one they began to smile.
Jeffery nodded first. "Then we get the killer tonight." The others agreed. They all smiled. The trap had been set.
That morning the tension across the academy felt heavier than usual.
Two mysterious deaths within a month. Students whispered everywhere.
But routine continued. Grieving stopped. Classes resumed. Students filed into the lecture hall.