Next Day — Room Zero_.
Aria walked down into the basement. The boy she'd met at the door yesterday spotted her and flashed a warm smile as he pulled it open.
"Hey," she greeted.
"Hi," he said, stepping aside.
Inside, Room Zero felt completely different from yesterday. If last time was fights, gaming, trades, and loud gossip, today was a full-on party. A DJ pounded tracks from the front; bodies moved everywhere under pulsing lights.
Aria scanned the room, unsure what to do—until she noticed a bench in the corner. A boy sat behind it with beer bottles, cigarette packs, and other stuff spread out like a tiny shop. She walked over, peering closely to check if the bottles and cigarettes were real.
"Which one do you want?" the boy asked.
Aria shot him a sharp look.
"I'm just asking," he shrugged. "Which one do you want, pretty girl?"
"Isn't it illegal to sell beer and drugs to minors?" Aria asked.
The music drowned her out. "What?" he shouted back, cupping a hand to his ear.
She raised her voice. "Why are you selling this to minors? This is a school, not a pub."
The boy laughed. "This is Room Zero, girl. Move along." He waved her away.
Aria was about to argue when a junior—maybe fourteen—stepped up, took a beer, and walked off like it was nothing. The sight shocked her; she hadn't expected KHSS to be this bad.
She moved in front of the table, blocking the boy's hands. "Stop it. If you don't stop, I'll call the police."
Right then the music cut. The silence hit hard. Heads turned. Eyes narrowed at her from every direction.
A boy who looked like security strode over. "What did you say?"
Aria swallowed, then steadied herself. "I said I'll call the police if he doesn't stop selling beer. We're students. This is a school, not a pub."
Murmurs rippled through the crowd. Some laughed. Some nodded. The security boy glanced up at the King's balcony, clearly waiting for a signal—but it was empty.
The seller scratched his head, unsure. Aria stepped forward and spoke to the room.
"Look, I know some of you are used to this. But it isn't right. We're students. This is our future. Your health matters—doing this stuff at our age will wreck you later. Maybe it feels fun now, but the damage stays."
A few kids snickered—"Okay, grandma"—but Aria didn't back down.
"You don't have to impress me," she said. "I just don't want to watch your futures burn."
A boy from the crowd shot back, voice bitter. "Easy for a golden-spoon girl to talk. We don't have a future. Let us enjoy what little time we get."
Up on the balcony, Zorvath and his crew finally appeared. The seller jabbed a thumb at Aria. "She won't let me do my business!"
Aria faced him squarely. "Business? Which class are you in? You should be studying."
He stepped closer, bristling. They were almost nose to nose; the room tightened, ready to explode—
"Stop it," Zorvath's voice cracked from above, deep and final.
"Don't you have anything better to do? Can't you stay out of a mess for a minute?" Zorvath's voice cut through the room like a blade.
Aria rolled her eyes, not backing down. "It's none of your business," she shot back.
At that moment, Sona, Danvi, and the juniors she had met yesterday pushed their way through the crowd, worry etched across their faces.
The security boy stepped forward, furious. "How dare you talk to our leader like that!"
"Yeah!" another voice rose in agreement. "He's the leader. His word is final."
Aria's chin lifted, her voice steady and strong. "Not for me. I never agreed to him as my leader—and I don't have to follow anyone. A real leader should be smarter than this. A real leader wouldn't stand by and let minors drown themselves in drugs and alcohol."
The crowd murmured, some jeering, some struck silent. Zorvath's jaw tightened, his anger visible but contained. He leaned forward from the balcony, eyes locked on her.
"Are you still burning from yesterday, baby?" he asked, his voice low, teasing, dangerous.
The memory of him kissing her in the street hit Aria like a flashfire. Her cheeks flushed red. For a second, she froze under his gaze, unable to find her voice.
The students erupted in whistles, laughter, and mocking cheers.
"Awwwwww!"
"Ooooooh!"
"Zorvath and Ariaaa!"
Aria's stomach twisted. She couldn't take their stares, their teasing voices. Without a word, she turned and pushed her way out of the suffocating crowd, her heart hammering as the mocking and shipping followed her like an echo.
Aria sat on the rooftop bench, her knees pulled close, eyes fixed on the edge where the city lights bled into the night.
And then—like a knife—memory struck.
The crack of a cane across her palms.
"Hold it out! Don't pull back, useless girl!" the tutor snarled.
Hands yanking her hair, forcing her to the ground.
"You can't even finish your lessons? Pathetic!" a maid hissed, kicking her side.
Her mother's voice, sharper than the blows.
"You'll never fit into this family, Aria. Weak. Worthless. A shame to my bloodline."
Another slap, ringing hot across her cheek.
"Loser. You can't even stand against servants—how will you ever carry the Varma name?"
Each word echoed louder than the pain.
Loser. Weak. Shame. Worthless.
Aria squeezed her eyes shut, clutching her chest as the rooftop lights blurred. The cruel voices of her past refused to die, no matter how far she ran.
"Are you okay?"
The voice pulled Aria out of her spiral. She turned, startled, to see Leo standing behind her. For the first time since she'd known him, his face wasn't wearing its usual smirk of teasing or flirtation. Instead, it carried something unfamiliar—genuine concern.
He stepped closer, crouching in front of her. One hand gently cupped her cheek, the other steadying her by the shoulder.
"Aria… you're sweating. Are you… crying?"
Her breath caught. She looked deep into his eyes and, for a flicker of a moment, she felt something strange—familiarity. Like someone she had once known lived in the depth of his gaze.
"I'm okay… thank you," Aria whispered, sitting up straighter and gently moving his hand away.
Leo cleared his throat, trying to hide his unease. "Were you absent because of what happened in Room Zero?" he asked .
"Maybe," Aria said, her eyes darkening as she turned away.
Leo stood there for a moment, at a loss for words. Before he could speak, Aria continued, her voice low but heavy.
"It's not that they didn't listen to me… it's that they're destroying themselves. And no one is stopping them. No one is even warning them."
Leo let out a long sigh and sat down beside her. His usual playfulness was gone, replaced by a quiet weariness.
"Aria… your world and our world are completely different. You'll never understand our pain—no one ever has. Those things you saw in Room Zero… that's the only way we know how to enjoy what little time we get. Because the rest of our lives…" He paused, his eyes dimming. "…the rest of our lives are already hell. We know it. We know we're destroying ourselves."
Aria turned sharply toward him, confusion and worry lacing her voice.
"What do you mean your life is going to be hell, Leo?"
Leo gave a faint smile, his eyes holding hers. "Just like they all say, Aria—you were born with a golden spoon in your mouth. You don't understand what it's like for us."
Aria rolled her eyes, her tone sharp with mockery. "Right, of course. Rich girl, no problems, perfect life. If that helps you sleep at night, go on believing it."
For a moment, Leo's grin slipped. He studied her carefully, noticing the steel behind her sarcasm. "You know… you're not what I expected. Most people would crumble if half the school mocked them the way they mocked you. But you—" He chuckled softly, shaking his head. "You bite back harder."
Aria smirked, but her voice was steady. "I don't break easily, Leo. And if that surprises you, then maybe you don't understand me either."
He leaned back, laughing under his breath. The teasing edge returned to his tone. "Maybe not. You're too much trouble for me, Aria."
"Good," she said flatly. "Stay out of trouble then."
Leo grinned wider. "Oh, but trouble's more fun with you around."
Aria shot him a look that was half-annoyed, half-amused, but before she could fire back, she added, almost casually, "Speaking of trouble… what about you and Sona?"
Leo froze for just a second, his smirk faltering. "Sona?" he echoed, his voice carefully neutral.
Aria leaned back against the bench, eyes narrowing. "Yeah. You pretend to flirt with everyone, but the way you avoid her name… that says more than all your jokes combined."