Chapter 151
THE HEART
A knock echoed sharply against the dorm room door, cutting through the air that had hung over the room like a fly.
IAM and the others perked up immediately.
None of them spoke. A few seconds passed. The air in the room shifted from calm to alert in an instant. All three of them sat still, as if frozen.
The room held its breath.
The knock came again. Lighter this time—but not gentler.
Reuel stood up slowly, his expression unreadable as he made his way toward the door. The soft thud of his feet against the ground sounded louder than usual. As he approached, the smart panel beside the door lit up with a quiet ding, the rectangular screen glowing to life and displaying the live feed from the hallway camera.
From where IAM and Yohan were sitting, the screen was turned just out of sight. They couldn't see the image. Couldn't tell who it was.
IAM narrowed his eyes and asked, "Who is it?"
Reuel didn't respond right away.
He looked at the screen for a moment longer, his posture stiffening slightly. Then he turned his head halfway toward them and said, flatly, "We are beyond finished."
Without another word, he turned the knob and opened the door.
The tension in the room climbed so high it could've reach Mount everest. IAM's jaw tightened as the door creaked open, and both he and Yohan leaned forward slightly, watching closely.
A figure stepped inside.
It was Henry.
His eyes swept across the room the moment he entered. His eyes immediately found IAM.
"You stepped on people?" he asked immediately.
It wasn't a shout. There was no anger in his voice, not exactly.
His face looked as though he was trying to figure out how to feel. His brow was faintly furrowed, but he didn't raise his voice.
IAM didn't answer right away. He could see it in Henry's eyes—he didn't approve.
Henry almost wanted to scold IAM. But he also remembered that it was him who had told IAM to get involved in the first place. That fact held him back. It was like he wanted to give IAM a proper telling-off but couldn't justify it.
He had watched IAM walk into that mess.
So he didn't say more. He held back.
So instead, silence settled over them.
IAM glanced toward Yohan, and their eyes briefly met. There wasn't much to say. They both turned to Reuel—who simply raised a brow and let out a short, amused giggle as he casually disappeared into the bathroom without a word.
The door clicked shut behind him.
…
IAM had just barely made it in alongside the rest of the group when they arrived at the classroom.
They were late.
They'd been so exhausted, so drained from everything the day before, they hadn't managed to get up before the smart panel.
So after Reuel had once again spent a ridiculous amount of time in the bathroom, no one had time to eat and so they could only run out the door.
But the moment they stepped into the classroom, they realized their luck had already run out.
Vanessa was early.
She just stood up the moment she saw them, tilted her head slightly, and told them to report to an office in the main hall.
No one argued.
...
The ride to the main hall took only a few minutes, but the silence inside the small vehicle made it feel like it stretched forever.
The mini car's engine buzzed softly as it glided down the path, but inside the cabin, it was suffocatingly quiet.
IAM sat near the window, his gaze distant—fixed on nothing in particular. Buildings and trees passed by in a blur, but he wasn't really seeing them.
Reuel sat behind the wheel, tapping the side of the steering column with his index finger, humming under his breath. A strange little tune with no rhythm or melody. It was like he was trying to distract himself.
Yohan sat quietly beside IAM. But then again, Yohan was always quiet.
Henry sat in the passenger seat. He didn't speak. But he kept glancing over his shoulder, eyes lingering on IAM longer than necessary. He hadn't said anything since that first question at the dorm. But it was clear he was still thinking about it.
But on his face, there was only calm. A mask he wore well.
...
When they arrived, the building loomed taller than usual.
They made their way through the main hall and stepped into an elevator that took them to the highest floor.
Something changed in the air as the doors opened. It wasn't just elevation. It was something more.
The space felt separate from the rest of the academy—quiet and reverend, almost like they had stepped into a place not meant for regular students.
The walls here were smooth and pale, made of fine white marble that shimmered faintly under the soft lighting. A deep red rug stretched down the center of the hallway, muffling their footsteps.
Chandeliers hung from above, swaying slightly in a way that made them look almost weightless, like they were suspended from the sky itself.
None of them said a word.
Then they stopped.
Ahead of them stood a wide, ornate door.
The plaque read:
THE HEART
IAM stared at it for a moment, his eyes tracing the bold letters. The name alone was enough to send a quiet chill through them.
They all understood what that meant. This wasn't a disciplinary room. This wasn't a standard office.
This was one of the vice principals.
And if they were being called up here... the situation maybe way worse than they thought.
IAM stepped forward and pressed the small circular button next to the door. It gave of f a clean, crisp ring.
They waited.
A long moment passed.
Then a voice came from a hidden speaker.
"Come in."
The four boys exchanged looks.
No one moved at first.
Then IAM reached for the handle and pushed the door open.