---
*POLICE STATION — EARLY MORNING*
Fluorescent lights flickered dimly above. The cold tiled floor echoed with every step of passing officers. Nao sat on a steel bench, a thin blanket wrapped around her trembling shoulders.
Tears streamed down her face. Her fingers fidgeted with the edge of the blanket as she struggled to speak.
"I-i saw… I was just… he was already… I—" she stammered through sobs, trying to explain to the officer sitting across from her, but the words wouldn't come out in full.
Her voice cracked. "He was… just lying there… blood—he…"
The officer gave a sympathetic glance but said nothing, simply jotting something down in a notepad. Others in the station passed by with rushed movements and hushed whispers.
Outside, the road near Imperial's gate was now blocked off with yellow tape and police cruisers. The area had been swept and the body taken away.
Nao couldn't stop shaking.
---
*IMPERIAL'S ADMIN RESIDENCE — SAME TIME*
The room was dark, save for the soft glow of a table lamp beside a glass of whiskey. The curtains were drawn, and soft jazz played in the background. Mr. Williams, head administrator of Imperial's Musical, leaned back in his chair with a calm but cold expression.
He was on the phone.
"Our problem," he said slowly, "is not who killed him."
A pause. He swirled the liquid in his glass.
"It's how this incident might *affect the school's reputation.*"
He stood, walking to the large window that overlooked the city.
"Say he jumped," he continued, casually. "Out of study-induced brain rot. Stress. Students tend to do that."
On the other end, Mr. Jay, a sharp-looking man in his early 30s and head of student affairs, replied quietly, "Understood, sir. But… there was a witness."
Mr. Williams turned slowly, his voice now colder. "Who?"
A pause.
Mr. Jay hesitated, then answered, "…a girl. Her name's Nao Asano."
There was a long silence. Mr. Williams exhaled.
"…Leave her to me," he said, voice unnervingly gentle. "I'll handle her."
He ended the call, placing his glass down, then gave a thin smile.
"She wanted to be part of Imperial so badly…" he whispered. "Let's see how far she's willing to go."
---
*LATER THAT DAY — NAO'S NEIGHBORHOOD*
The sun had just started to rise, casting a dull orange glow over the narrow streets of Iceberg District. Nao walked slowly, still wrapped in the thin blanket the police had given her. Her eyes were red, her steps heavy, her mind replaying the scene over and over.
She reached her building and climbed the old stairwell like a ghost, barely noticing the world around her.
Just as she reached her door—
*"Miss Asano."*
She froze.
A figure stood just down the hallway, half-shrouded in shadow, sharply dressed in a black coat. Nao turned slowly.
It was him.
*Mr. Williams.* The administrator of Imperial's Musical. Elegant, composed, and terrifying in the calmest way.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, her voice barely audible.
He stepped forward, hands behind his back, eyes sharp but polite.
"I heard what happened," he said smoothly. "A terrible, tragic situation. I can only imagine how traumatic it must have been for you."
Nao didn't reply.
"I wanted to speak with you… privately."
She stepped back toward her door, instincts telling her something was off. "I already told the police everything I saw.""Yes, of course," he nodded, still smiling. "But the school… we're deeply concerned. Rumors spread fast, especially in prestigious institutions. One story becomes another. Things… spiral."
"What are you saying?" she asked, brows furrowing.
He looked directly at her now. Cold. Measured.
"I'm offering you a chance to protect yourself. To avoid unnecessary attention. All you have to do… is stay quiet."
Silence.
Nao stared at him, heart racing.
"And if I don't?" she asked quietly.
He gave a soft chuckle.
"Then Imperial will no longer see you as a dreamer," he said, stepping closer, lowering his voice. "But as a problem."
He slipped a card into her hand.
"Think about it," he said, before turning to walk away. "You wanted to be part of our world… Now you are."
--
*IMPERIAL'S MUSICAL ACADEMY — SCHOOL HALL*
The grand hall buzzed with chatter. Students huddled in groups, their whispers thick with tension. Phones were out, some googling news, others nervously scrolling chats.
"Did you hear?"
"They say someone *died*."
"Outside the school gates…"
"Vince, wasn't it?"
"Like… *Vince from the pools?*"
"God… do you think it was—?"
---
*EMPTY CLASSROOM — WEST WING*
Far from the noise, in one of the quiet, rarely-used classrooms, two students sat, pale and trembling.
It was *Juno*—the girl with thin glasses and trembling fingers—and *Kai*, the boy who once stood among the punished at the school pool.
"Vince is… *dead*," Juno said shakily, her voice cracking. She sat on the window ledge, nervously biting her nails, knees bouncing.
Kai clenched his fists, glancing at the door as if someone might be listening.
"This is definitely Viki," he said under his breath.
"She *killed* him," Juno whispered. "I know it. He… he was the one who told the Violence Committee. He reported the bullying. This—this was revenge."Kai looked away, guilt flickering in his eyes. "And now he's dead. We're next if she finds out we know."
Juno's eyes welled up with fear. "We have to do something…"
---
*VIKI'S HEADQUARTERS — ABANDONED MUSIC ROOM TURNED HANGOUT*
On the other side of the school, in a hidden soundproofed chamber repurposed into a private lounge, Viki lounged across *Nathan's lap*, her glossy black boots crossed in the air, head resting lazily on his thigh.
"Baaabe," she cooed, "You're not watching the movie."
Nathan didn't look up, fingers scrolling through his phone with bored precision.
"Ugh… I'm busy."
The massive screen in front of them flashed colorful lights from some action flick, but no one paid attention. The room was littered with open snack bags, half-empty soda bottles, and cigarette stubs.
*Konan* leaned back with a smirk, tossing chips into his mouth. "What does he even *do* on that phone anyway?"
*Tashiba* smirked. "Stares at girls finer than Viki."
They both burst into low laughter.
Viki's eyes snapped up. "Pray you stay the night,"voice sharp as broken glass.
"Oh relax, Viki," Tashiba chuckled. "Your makeup still saves you… *a bit*."
Before he could dodge, Viki lunged at him with a growl, dragging him into a half-playful, half-violent scuffle.
"Fuck you tash"