Room Zero___..
The chairman moved with surprising speed. Aria hurried after him, her footsteps echoing down the empty corridor. At first, she thought he'd get lost—most teachers didn't even know where Room Zero was. But the way he turned corner after corner without hesitation chilled her.
He already knows, she realized. He's known all along.
By the time she reached the hall, she was several steps behind. The security boy who usually guarded the door was nowhere in sight. Aria barely had time to wonder where he'd gone before the chairman shoved the heavy door open and strode inside.
Chaos exploded around him.
Students packed the dark room, their cheers rattling the walls as fists flew in the center pit. In one corner, bottles of alcohol and small packets of powder lay stacked on a table, the boy selling them caught off guard by the sudden intrusion.
The chairman snatched one packet, tore it open, and sniffed it. His expression darkened instantly.
Rage bled into his eyes.
His gaze shot upward to the balcony—where Zorvath and his circle stood watching the fight like kings.
Without warning, the chairman stormed up the stairs. The whole room seemed to hold its breath. When he reached Zorvath, he didn't speak. He raised his hand—
Crack!
The slap echoed like thunder.
Every student froze. No one had ever dared lay a hand on Zorvath before. Aria gasped, covering her mouth. She hadn't expected this. She had hoped the chairman would warn them, maybe threaten them—but this? Striking Zorvath in front of everyone?
The room was stunned silent.
"I trusted you," the chairman's voice shook with fury. "Is this how you treat my children?"
Zorvath said nothing. He only lowered his head, his jaw tight, eyes burning.
The chairman turned on the others. "And you—what do you think you're doing here? Who do you think you are? I am working day and night to keep this school alive, and you—every one of you—are tearing it apart!"
No one dared answer.
"Out," he thundered. "Every one of you—OUT!"
The crowd glanced at Zorvath. When he gave the slightest nod, they obeyed. Even that small gesture made the chairman's anger flare brighter—his authority meant nothing here, not compared to Zorvath's.
Still, the students filed out. Aria was swept along with them, her heart racing. Just then, Sona, Danvy, and Sreya appeared in the corridor, rushing to her side.
Sona leaned close and whispered, "Aria… what have you done?"
Aria couldn't answer. Her chest felt hollow, her throat dry.
Behind them, the chairman dragged a heavy chain and lock from the wall. With a loud clank, he sealed Room Zero shut. The echo of the lock rang through the hallway like a verdict.
His voice carried one last warning.
"No one opens this door. Not ever again."
And with that, he turned and left, leaving only silence and wide-eyed faces behind.
Aswin's voice broke the silence, raw with fury.
"Are you happy now, Aria?!" he roared, pointing at her. His glare snapped toward Zorvath. "Zorvath, I told you—she's a spy from GHSS! Why won't you believe me? Look what's happened. It's all gone!"
The crowd's anger shifted, burning toward her.
Whispers turned into accusations.
"It's her fault…"
"Because of her, Rahan sir got angry…"
"She ruined everything."
A girl stepped forward, her voice sharp. "Yes. Because of her, the chairman is against us now!"
Dozens of eyes bore into Aria like knives.
Ritul moved as if to step forward, but even he froze under the weight of the moment.
Aria lowered her head, her hands trembling at her sides. For a long moment, she said nothing.
Then she lifted her gaze, and her voice cut through the noise.
"Stop it."
The room fell quiet.
"Do you really think I caused all this?" she asked, her tone steady but laced with fire. "He wasn't angry because of me—he was angry because of you. Because of the drugs. Because of the alcohol. Because of what you've turned this place into."
She took a step forward, eyes blazing.
"You brag about fighting other schools, about victories and rivalries. But one day, you're not going to lose to them. You'll lose because of your own mistakes. Because of what you're doing here."
Her voice cracked, but she pressed on.
"If all you want is to hide in this room, waste your futures, rot yourselves away—fine. But don't you dare blame me for trying to stop it."
Aria's hand shot out, grabbing a steel rod from the corner. With a sharp clang, she slammed it against the floor, the sound reverberating through the basement.
"I did this for you!" she shouted. "For KHSS! Because if this continues, I'll watch every one of you get thrown out, broken, humiliated. And the schools you once defeated will laugh as you sink lower than the dirt beneath their shoes."
Her breath came fast now, her voice shaking but unrelenting.
"I can walk away. I can transfer tomorrow, build a future somewhere else. But you? This is your school. This is your fight. And in this world, everyone is waiting for you to fail. The only ones who can choose to win… are yourselves."
Silence crushed the room when she finished.
Without another word, Aria turned and stormed out, her footsteps echoing just like the chairman's moments before.
The students were left standing in stunned silence—some confused, some shaken, and a few, perhaps, unwillingly convinced.
....
It was nearly dark.
The school grounds hadn't emptied—students still lingered in corridors and verandas, some in classrooms whispering about what had happened.
Aria sat alone on the rooftop, the door locked behind her so even her friends couldn't disturb her. She wasn't crying, she wasn't angry. She just sat in silence, trying to process everything that had unraveled in a single day.
Footsteps broke the quiet.
She stiffened, turning quickly.
Zorvath.
Her eyes darted to the door—still locked from the inside. How did he get in?
As if reading her thoughts, he said calmly, "This is my place. I've found enough ways to get in here."
Aria didn't reply. She turned away, sinking back into her seat.
Zorvath walked toward her, slow and deliberate, then sat beside her, mirroring her posture as though he belonged there.
Her voice was sharp. "What now? Are you here to force yourself on me again?"
His answer was cold. "If I wanted to, I wouldn't be sitting like this."
Aria frowned. "Then why are you here?"
He ignored the question. His tone dropped low, bitter. "Do you know how it feels to be hit by that man's hand? To take a slap like that in front of everyone?"
Aria met his eyes steadily. "You deserved it. As a leader, you shouldn't have allowed this."
Zorvath scoffed. "And what should I have done? Forced them to study? Even if they study, Aria, they have nothing. No books. No teachers. Nothing. All they have is this room, this moment, to feel alive."
Aria rolled her eyes. She had no energy left to argue with him.
For a moment, silence stretched between them. Then Zorvath leaned in, a small smile tugging at his lips.
Before she could move, he pressed a brief kiss against her cheek.
Aria froze, stunned. Her body went rigid, her mind blank.
"You smell good," he murmured with a smirk, standing up casually.
Just then—Bang!
The rooftop door burst open.
Sona, Danvy, and Sreya rushed in, their faces tight with worry. Their eyes fell on Aria first, then flicked to Zorvath.
The air grew heavy.