The room was cloaked in silence as Ritu walked through the door. Every student turned toward him, their gazes a mixture of shock, curiosity, and unease. It was as if a ghost had stepped into their midst—a ghost transformed into something unrecognizable.
Ritu didn't spare a glance at anyone. His face was expressionless, the burn scars on the right side of his face casting deep shadows under the classroom lights. He moved with a slow, deliberate precision, his towering frame dwarfing most of the students. When he reached his seat, he pulled the chair back and sat down, leaning slightly forward with his hands resting on the desk.
The murmurs started softly, whispers shared behind cupped hands:
"Is that really Ritu?"
"What happened to him?"
"He's so… different."
Even those who remembered him as the quiet, frail boy could hardly reconcile that image with the man before them. His once-slender frame had grown into something almost inhuman, his broad shoulders and defined musculature a testament to an arduous, unforgiving transformation.
At the back of the class, Roéà watched the scene unfold, confused by the overreaction of her peers. Sure, Ritu looked intense, but why was everyone so terrified? He was just another person, wasn't he?
Teae, seated a few rows away, stared at Ritu with an expression no one could read. His sharp, piercing eyes studied every inch of him—the scars, the height, the unflinching coldness in his demeanor. But it wasn't just the transformation that gnawed at Teae's mind. Something about Ritu felt familiar, as though he had seen him before, in another life, another place.
And then there was the rumor.
"Could it really have been him?" Teae muttered to himself.
Roéà, sitting nearby, overheard him. "What do you mean?"
Teae glanced at her, his face unreadable. "The one who took down SKC High."
Roéà stiffened. SKC High—the school for killers, where assassins were trained like machines. The very thought of someone toppling it alone was absurd.
"Do you think it's true?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Teae didn't answer. His gaze was locked on Ritu, as if the truth was etched somewhere on his scarred face.
When the bell rang, Alonie dismissed the class, her voice unsteady as she called Ritu to the teacher's office.
Once inside, she closed the door and turned to him, her emotions barely contained.
"Where have you been, Ritu?" she demanded. "Do you have any idea how worried everyone was? The police were looking for you. Your parents—" She stopped, realizing the futility of mentioning them.
Ritu stood motionless, his expression unreadable. His silence only fueled her frustration.
"Answer me!" she snapped. "Why did you disappear? And why do you look like—like this?"
Still, Ritu said nothing. He looked past her, his eyes cold and distant.
"Ritu," Alonie's voice softened, her anger giving way to something more vulnerable. "You've been through something, haven't you? I can see it in your eyes. Please, talk to me."
She reached out, her fingers brushing against the burnt side of his face. For a brief moment, she thought she saw something flicker in his eyes—pain, perhaps? Regret? But just as quickly, it was gone.
"Don't hurt yourself anymore," she whispered, her hand lingering.
Ritu stepped back, his expression unchanged. "Can I go now? It's break time."
Alonie froze, her hand still in the air. His voice was flat, emotionless, and his words felt like a blade cutting through her concern.
"Go," she said quietly, watching as he turned and walked out the door.
The halls were crowded as Ritu walked toward the cafeteria. His towering presence parted the sea of students, their whispers following him like a shadow.
"Who is he now?"
"Did you see his face?"
"He's terrifying…"
Ritu ignored them all, his eyes fixed ahead. But as he rounded a corner, a group of upperclassmen blocked his path.
One of them bumped into Ritu with a smirk, but before the boy could even finish his first word, Ritu moved.
The sound of the punch echoed through the hallway like a gunshot. The upperclassman crumpled to the ground, blood pouring from his nose as he lay unconscious. The crowd froze in stunned silence, their eyes darting between Ritu and the boy on the floor.
"What the hell just happened?" someone whispered.
The boy's friend stepped forward, trembling but trying to put on a brave face. He glanced at his unconscious friend, then back at Ritu, who stood there with his bloodied fist still raised.
"You think you can just—"
Ritu's fist was already in motion.
But before it could connect, a flash of white intercepted it. The hallway fell silent as Teae stood between them, his hand gripping Ritu's wrist. The force of the punch had sent a gust of wind rippling through the crowd, but Teae held firm.
"What are you doing?" Teae asked, his voice calm but laced with warning.
Ritu didn't answer. His eyes met Teae's, and for the first time, something passed between them—an unspoken recognition, a clash of wills.
The crowd held its breath, the weight of the moment pressing down on them like a storm about to break.
Roéà watched from the sidelines, her heart pounding. She didn't understand why, but she couldn't take her eyes off Ritu. There was something magnetic about him, something that pulled at her curiosity despite the danger he exuded.
Teae tightened his grip on Ritu's wrist, his voice low and steady. "Whatever you're planning, it stops here."