Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

April 25 – Year 20xx – Friday

It was 7:55 when Petunia pulled down the screen of her phone to check the time before returning her gaze to whatever fashion video she was watching on TikTok or YouTube.Beside her was her inseparable friend. Lizzy, putting the finishing touches on her lipstick, gave herself one last glance in the mirror of her locker before closing it with a metallic sound.

She turned to her dear bunny friend and gave her a light tap on the shoulder to get her attention. “Hey, Petunia, how do I look?”

Petunia glanced up from her phone at the sudden touch, momentarily puzzled before registering the question and breaking into a knowing smile. “You’re as beautiful as always, Lizzy.”

The reply pleased the taller girl, though a faint blush tinted her cheeks at the small compliment. “Thanks, I just wanted to make sure I’m looking my best to start the day.” Luckily for Lizzy, Petunia didn’t seem to notice the slight change in her friend’s expression and responded with a nod.

“Just make sure you stay focused for math class. Miss Circle never likes it when we get distracted during her lesson.”

Lizzy let out an exaggerated sigh, recalling with annoyance the subject she liked least and the fact that it was first thing in the morning. “Don’t even get me started. What’s the point of knowing how to calculate the angle of a stupid triangle in real life, anyway?”

Petunia shared the sentiment, rolling her eyes with boredom. “Right? Add Miss Circle’s nearly incomprehensible accent, and you’ve got the perfect formula for a loss of sanity.”

Lizzy couldn’t help but laugh at the remark, which perfectly captured her thoughts about the teacher and the subject. “That’s an undeniable truth. But, honestly, I’d rather continue this conversation in the cafeteria. I’m starving.”

As if her stomach had been listening, it growled urgently, making Lizzy freeze in shock and a deep, embarrassed blush rise to her cheeks.

Petunia stifled a laugh, covering her mouth with the palm of her hand. “Ok, ok, just make sure you don’t die on the way, alright?” she teased, making Lizzy’s embarrassment deepen as she followed the bunny girl down the hallways of Paper School.

Finally, they arrived at the cafeteria doors, which housed most of the other students some deep in conversation, others focused on their meals if they hadn’t eaten breakfast earlier.

Without further delay, both girls sat down at their usual table with their trays. Lizzy was the first to dive into her food with enthusiasm, prompting an amused smile from her friend. “You really weren’t joking about dying of starvation, were you?” she said with a teasing grin, eating from her own tray much more calmly compared to the girl beside her.

Lizzy looked slightly annoyed at Petunia’s constant joking about her lack of nutrients, though she quickly brushed it off, knowing her friend was just teasing. “I was running late for breakfast because my dog got out, and I had to chase him around for a while.”

Softening her gaze, Petunia offered genuine sympathy for her friend. “Oof, that’s rough.”

Lizzy gave her an amused smile, finding the story funnier than frustrating. “It wasn’t too bad. You should’ve seen me chasing that little rascal all over the place.”

Petunia let out a soft laugh at the mental image. “Yeah, he must’ve run out of energy before you did if you managed to catch him. I never knew you had that much stamina.”

Lizzy glanced away, a faint blush rising to her cheeks, flattered by the sincere compliment. “I guess I’m tougher than I look, huh?” Both girls laughed in unison, clearly enjoying the turn their conversation had taken.

“AHEM...” Their laughter was cut short as a voice interrupted the moment between the two girls.

When they looked toward the source of the sound, they saw the familiar nerdy student from school, Kevin, who was accompanied by Cubbie. The feline student gave a casual wave as a greeting, while his friend stood with arms crossed, clearly expecting some sort of acknowledgment from the girls.

Lizzy was the first to speak, her voice making it clear she was annoyed with the smug boy. “Hi Cubbie… oh, and you too, Kevin.” Just like her friend, Petunia waved to both boys, a bit more enthusiastically than Lizzy.

Both Kevin and Cubbie took their respective seats at the round table, across from the girls. The former cleared his throat before speaking in his characteristic pretentious tone.

“So you’re a good runner? That’s surprising, given your slim build.”

Lizzy frowned slightly, not too pleased that her private conversation had been overheard — especially by the know‑it‑all, Kevin.

“Are you surprised that someone slim can have good stamina?” she asked, a hint of skepticism in her voice.

Kevin rolled his eyes, adjusting his glasses as he prepared for another one of his long‑winded explanations. “Being slim doesn’t guarantee good endurance. It depends on cardiovascular training, lung capacity, heart health–” Both girls continued listening to their companion’s rambling with sheer boredom.

“Booooo,” Petunia cut in, stopping Kevin in his tracks. He looked visibly offended.

“Whatever. You’ll need my knowledge sooner or later,” he grumbled bitterly, only to have Cubbie place a hand on his shoulder. The gesture managed to calm Kevin down a bit, knowing he had at least one person on his side.

Once the small conflict was resolved, Lizzy and Petunia returned to their conversation. Wanting to shift the topic, Petunia was the first to ask, “Hey, Lizzy, do you have any plans for the weekend?”

The question caught Lizzy off guard for a moment, a faint blush rising to her cheeks. But she quickly pulled herself together within a second.

“Well, I was thinking of inviting you to that new ice cream shop that recently opened downtown. From what I’ve heard, they have an amazing range of flavors,” she announced, before adding with a hint of nervousness, “Y‑you know… if you’re not busy this weekend.”

Petunia’s eyes widened slightly with surprise, a soft blush dusting the fur on her face. Her pupils shone like stars as they took that same shape. “Of course! I’m free. Just tell me when, and I’ll be at your door before you even notice.”

Lizzy smiled, satisfied, her heart beating a bit faster. “Count on it,” she replied, noticing out of the corner of her eye that Cubbie gave a thumbs‑up along with a knowing wink… wait… could it be that he… nah, it must just be the nerves making her overthink things... Damn, that cat knows stuff.

Lizzy’s thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the bell, signaling the start of the first class for all the students. The small group quickly rose from their seats and abandoned any conversation as they made their way to Miss Circle’s classroom.

When they arrived, the classroom was already beginning to fill with people. Like everyone else, both duos made their way to their respective desks, with the inseparable girls sitting side by side, while Kevin and Cubbie did the same.

Once settled in their seats, the conversation naturally resumed, with Petunia being the first to speak. “Hey, how are you managing math? Do you need any tutoring?”

Lizzy just glanced at her out of the corner of her eye while taking out her school supplies to get ready for class. “Thanks, Pety, but I think I’m managing fine on my own,” she replied calmly, though a hint of doubt slipped through her tone.

Petunia easily noticed this and didn’t hesitate to comment on it.

“Are you sure? I don’t have anything to do this afternoon. If you want, you can come to my house and we’ll work through any questions you have,” she offered with a friendly smile to make the invitation more appealing... God, Lizzy really loved her smile.

But before Lizzy could respond, the classroom door slammed open, grabbing everyone’s attention.

The very tall and authoritative math teacher, Miss Circle, entered the room without bothering to look at her students, carrying a stack of papers.

Maybe just some pending assignments to grade or new material for today’s class.

But any speculation died instantly when the teacher forcefully dropped the pile on her desk, silencing all remaining conversation and focusing attention on Miss Circle’s almost amused gaze.

“Good morning, students,” she began. “Today we won’t have new content. Instead, Miss Grace has asked me and the rest of the teachers to properly prepare students for the exams taking place in early May. So today, we will conduct a practice test to assess your current knowledge of the subject.”

The students’ reactions were varied. Some found the news annoying, surprising, disheartening, boring, and so on. Among the former were both popular girls.

Lizzy crossed her arms and let out an annoyed sigh. “A surprise exam? I was waiting for it to show up and ruin the day.”

Petunia gave her a playful nudge on the shoulder. “Yeah, this sucks, but get over it. It’s just a test to make sure we’re not a waste of space. It’ll be easy.” Even though the bunny girl found the situation just as annoying, she wouldn’t let that stop her from trying to support her friend.

Lizzy offered a small, grateful smile, feeling a bit more at ease thanks to her friend’s consideration. But that moment was short‑lived when Miss Circle spoke up again, drowning out any other sound. “If you’re done complaining, we can get started.”

Once Miss Circle made sure every student was a meter apart from one another, she walked around the room, placing each test paper face‑down on the desks before returning to her own. After one last glance across the room, she spoke.

“Alright, my little students, before you begin, let me make it clear that anyone caught cheating will be properly punished. Now, I wish you all success, and you may begin.”

That was enough for everyone to flip their papers and start working.

Petunia scanned her exam carefully, quickly identifying the questions she could solve easily.

But Lizzy…

Lizzy stared at the paper longer than usual. Each question felt confusing, and the longer she sat still, the more pressure she felt. Not wanting to seem like an idiot, she quickly grabbed her pencil and tried to solve the easiest equation she could find.

Once finished, she returned to where she started. The more she tried to make sense of the numbers, the more questions surfaced in her mind, making her brain work harder and harder, but yielding no results.

Frustrated, she snuck a glance at her friends to assess the situation.

Cubbie looked calm, as always, deeply focused.

Kevin was finishing the test with ease — he’d probably be the first one done.

And Petunia… she seemed to be managing well, a bit tense, but she was sure she would pass.

That thought calmed Lizzy down slightly, more concerned about her friend than herself. But when she looked back down at her paper, she remembered her predicament, letting out an annoyed sigh, knowing Miss Circle wouldn’t accept any questions at this point.

It was up to chance now.

At that moment, she thought about Petunia’s offer. Maybe she really would need that tutoring session.

After class, she’d go to Petunia’s house.

With a defeated sigh, she aimed her pencil at a new problem. At the very least, she’d try to solve as many questions as she could before turning in her paper.

And if she failed, it wouldn’t be a big deal — this was just a practice test for the real exam.

It would be okay.

Finally, Lizzy gave one last glance at her paper. Praying for a passing grade, she stood up and walked toward Miss Circle’s desk, where a growing stack of graded papers was already starting to form.

Miss Circle didn’t even bother looking up when Lizzy placed her test on the pile. Instead, she began grading the papers as quickly as possible.

The minutes felt like an eternity as the teacher scrutinized each test and acted as judge and jury for the students. Eventually, the verdict came, with Miss Circle raising her voice to get the class’s attention.

“Congratulations to most of you, although I can see some of you had certain… difficulties,” she said, her gaze resting for a fraction of a second a dark glint in her eyes that the student barely had a chance to notice before the teacher continued. “Now, I’ll call your names, and you’ll come up to collect your papers. Understood?”

The students nodded silently, earning the teacher’s approval as she began calling names and returning the papers one by one.

Kevin: A+. Not surprising for someone of his intellect.
Cubbie: B+. A solid grade for a solid student.
Petunia: C+. Not bad, but room for improvement.
Lizzy: ???

Lizzy waited patiently for her paper to be returned. Yet as more names were called and papers were handed out, hers didn’t appear, despite the fact it should have already been graded. The longer she waited, the more doubt bubbled up within her.

Once everyone (except Lizzy) had received their grade, a few minutes passed before the school bell rang, signaling to the students that their next class was about to begin.
Most of the kids got up and left the room. All except the two popular girls, who had stayed in the middle of their conversation.

“Probably fail,” Lizzy commented with a bored tone.

“Don’t say that. You’re probably just the lowest score and she wants to give you a sermon about how important it is to study for the real exam and blah, blah, blah,” Petunia tried to cheer her up with optimism.

Lizzy sighed in frustration at the mere thought of receiving a generic speech.
Although, hearing her support managed to lift her spirits a little. “I think I’m going to need that tutoring.”

Petunia’s smile widened as she heard those words. “That’s great to hear. By the time you leave my house, you’ll be like Albert Einstein.”

Her silly comment earned a small, amused smile from her friend. “I doubt you’re that good of a teacher. But whatever, maybe you’ll surprise me.”

Petunia puffed out her chest proudly and smiled with confidence. “Doubting my skills? That says a lot coming from a failing student,” she said, making Lizzy glare at her irritably which only made the bunny laugh and give her a quick hug, patting her back. “Aw, don’t be mad, I’m just joking… See you after school?”

Although the reminder of her own failure was annoying, the final question brought a smile back to Lizzy’s face. She sealed the agreement with a nod. “See you after school.”

The scene was interrupted when Miss Circle, who had kept herself out of it until now, called their attention. “Petunia, I recommend you don’t be late to your next class. Lizzy and I have a little conversation pending about her grade.”

And there it was — the sermon.

Petunia, a bit hesitant, nodded, stood up, and headed for the door. Before leaving, she gave her friend one last glance and a thumbs up.

Silence fell over the room as the bunny girl departed, leaving only Lizzy and her math teacher. The teacher fixed her with a stare that clearly spelled one thing…

Rage.

Miss Circle slowly rose from her seat, never taking her eyes off the last student left. Seeing that she remained silent, the teacher was the first to break it. “Lizzy... to be honest, I didn’t expect this from you.”

Her words fell on deaf ears, as Lizzy had already anticipated this sort of comment. So she just put her brain on autopilot, hoping this would end as soon as possible. Too bad that what came next pulled her right out of that state.

“WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!” Miss Circle yelled, making the girl almost jump out of her seat from the sudden shift in tone and volume. The teacher waved her test paper in the air, a big F scrawled across one of the top corners.

Lizzy was dumbfounded by this outburst, never in her life having been yelled at with such force. But her silence didn’t go unnoticed by Miss Circle, who spoke up again, voice rising sharply. “IS THIS THE BEST YOU CAN DO?! AM I NOT EXPLAINING THE MATERIAL WELL ENOUGH?!”

Snapping out of her shock, Lizzy tried to respond despite how nervous she felt. “N–no! Of course not. It’s just–”

Her defense was cut short when Miss Circle put her hands behind her back and started pacing from one corner of the room to the other, her voice growing louder and more intense as she spat out every word.

“IT’S ALWAYS THE SAME THING! I work hard, I commit, and I do EVERYTHING I can to make sure my students understand this subject. Even this test was easy enough for everyone to pass. But STILL, there’s always a straggler, a LOSER who lags behind the rest, someone who, no matter how many times you take the time to explain things, will never learn. That’s why losers like you are scum. If it were up to me, none of you, you little walking pieces of trash, would set foot in this school!”

Lizzy just lowered her head to avoid looking the teacher in the eyes as she kept ranting, feeling her own eyes sting with unshed tears from the harsh scolding…

No, this wasn’t just harsh. This was cruel. Every word felt chosen with the sole intention of causing pain. And for that very reason, Lizzy didn’t have the courage to raise her voice — fearing that if she did, things would only get worse. So, in silence, she let the teacher continue with her tirade of hatred.

But this wouldn’t be the end of it.

“But you know something?” Miss Circle’s voice was calm now, making Lizzy raise her head at the sudden shift in tone. The teacher’s slow, heavy steps shook the room as she drew closer to Lizzy’s desk. “Failures like you have always felt like weeds to me. You just have to…rip them out by the root, so the rest of the healthy plants that actually benefit the ecosystem can thrive.”

Even with the more controlled voice, the sheer coldness of her words froze Lizzy’s blood. Yet her fear only grew when Miss Circle stopped right in front of her desk, forcing the girl to look up at the almost feral smile that adorned the teacher’s face. The sheer presence of the towering figure was enough to make Lizzy shrink down in terror, praying desperately for this torment to end.

“And I’ve always considered myself a very good gardener.” A cold bead of sweat ran down Lizzy’s forehead at those words. This was no longer just a warning.

It was a threat.

A quick glance toward the classroom door was enough for Lizzy to consider making a run for it, hoping she might reach another room with a class in session and find some help. But that thought was torn away by a bone-chilling growl from the teacher, drawing Lizzy’s terrified eyes back to her.

As she looked up, their gazes met once more—and this time, a new feeling surged in Lizzy’s heart. A mix of murderous anger and sadistic glee reflected in those eyes.

Unable to break away, as if her pupils had been paralyzed by fear, Lizzy watched as Miss Circle raised her prosthetic compass-arm high above her head, all the while keeping that gaze fixed upon the smaller girl.

“But anyway,” the teacher began, “I have an equation for you that even the biggest idiot could solve.”

Lizzy’s heart started pounding wildly.

“What do you get when you’re a failure unable to live up to expectations, and you’re standing before the very source of those expectations… one that’s about to teach you why failure is NOT an option?”

Adrenaline surged through every fiber of Lizzy’s being, her muscles locking in anticipation.

“EXACTLY! You get…”

Lizzy’s eyes flew wide with shock and terror as the compass that served as Miss Circle’s prosthetic arm unfolded to reveal a long, sharp metal needle. The teacher’s smile widened as she concluded:

“A one-way ticket to HELL.”

Lizzy’s survival instinct kicked in, launching her out of the chair at the very last second as Miss Circle brought down her deadly weapon with brutal force.

The impact split the desk in half where she had been just moments ago, but even with her quick reaction, the tip of the spike managed to slice her cheek, making Lizzy cry out in pain as she pressed a palm to the wound.

While Lizzy whimpered on the floor, Miss Circle watched her with disdain. It was supposed to be a quick, clean kill, but it seemed her student didn’t understand that a quick death was the only mercy she could have hoped for from her teacher. Now that she’d lost that chance, Miss Circle would make sure to discipline her properly.

As Miss Circle took a step toward her, Lizzy felt sheer terror overwhelm her. The long, sharp point rose into the air once more before crashing down, and Lizzy rolled to the side, barely avoiding being impaled.

Scrambling to her feet, Lizzy jumped up and, with no time to waste, bolted for the door. She raced past Miss Circle and slammed the classroom door open with a desperate shove.

At that moment, any sort of plan Lizzy might have tried to come up with vanished from her mind, replaced by sheer terror as Miss Circle gave chase down the hall. The sound of the teacher’s pounding steps forced Lizzy’s aching legs to move as fast as they could, every nerve burning as she ran for, literaly, her life.

Why was this happening? All because of a bad grade? This was an insanely disproportionate, senseless punishment!

But she forced herself to shut down those thoughts and focus only on the goal at hand: running.

The hallway lights seemed to take on a crimson tint, as if the school itself could feel her terror and was pressing down harder with a sickly glow emanating from every bulb she passed, chasing her down the endless corridors in her frantic race for freedom.

For the first time in this nightmare, it felt as if life smiled upon her when Lizzy noticed she was slowly gaining distance from her murderer, soon disappearing from view. But that didn’t mean she was about to slow down to confirm it.

Even with terror clouding her thoughts, Lizzy remembered the route leading to the main doors. Combining this memory with her desperate speed, the massive entry doors came into view as she rounded a corner. The sight was enough to draw an elated scream from the desperate girl.

She’d made it! She’d truly found her freedom… hadn’t she? Not exactly.

Because when she pulled on the handles with all her strength, her heart sank into despair as the doors refused to budge, no matter how hard she tried.

They were locked, of course.

“ARE YOU SERIOUS?!” Lizzy yelled in exasperation, hearing the sound of heavy footsteps growing alarmingly closer. This forced her to take off running again down another hallway.

As she pushed herself forward, her breathing began to falter, and her legs felt like they were burning from the effort. The pain surged into her chest, making it feel like her heart was about to explode. It was only when she had stopped to try and force the doors open that she’d fully noticed how exhausted she really was, whimpering with every step she forced herself to take.

Because of this, her body started to slow down instinctively despite her will, and she could clearly hear Miss Circle’s footsteps growing closer and closer. The thought of looking over her shoulder and seeing her pursuer right behind, brandishing that monstrous compass, filled her with terror. She didn’t think she could bear looking into those eyes again.

With what little strength remained, Lizzy decided to hide in the janitor’s closet — a tiny room that, luckily, was right in the hallway she was running down.

She pulled the door shut quickly, grateful that it wasn’t locked, and sank down into a corner beside some brooms.

Once inside, she sank to the floor, holding her breath as if the sound of it could alert her stalker. Seconds felt like hours as the sound of heavy steps passed just outside the closet and gradually began to fade down the hall.

She was gone.

Lizzy sighed, a mix of exhaustion and relief washing over her as she sat in silence for a few moments, trying to piece her thoughts together now that she had a moment to rest.

She had lost Miss Circle… for now. But it was too soon to claim victory. There was always the chance that things could take another dark turn.

With this in mind, she decided the best thing to do was to slip out of her hiding spot and escape through one of the first-floor windows or the emergency exit.
Maybe she could even grab Petunia and the two of them could run away together.

Petunia… just thinking about her always made the butterflies in her stomach flutter wildly.

The two of them had been inseparable ever since they were little girls, but right now, she had never longed to see her more.
Even as warm memories of their time together surfaced, a heavy weight sank into her heart at the mere thought of getting Petunia involved.

She couldn’t bear the thought of Miss Circle hurting Petunia if she tried to protect her. It was Lizzy they were after, and she could never forgive herself if something happened to her best friend… No. That wouldn’t happen.

She wouldn’t allow anyone to hurt Petunia, even if it meant putting her own well‑being on the line.

With that resolve, she looked up at the door, and all her hopes died in an instant when she saw Miss Circle face peering through the gap, a wide, ear‑to‑ear smile stretching across it.

“I found you. >=D”

Chapter Text

Miss Thavel’s class dragged on with the expected slowness of a Friday, as it was the last day before the weekend and the teachers weren’t too eager to exert themselves. Even Miss Thavel practice test had been postponed until Monday. Plenty of time to prepare.

But Petunia’s thoughts were almost entirely focused on the time that had passed without any sign of Lizzy returning. She had been patiently watching the door, hoping her friend would walk through it and rejoin her. But the minutes kept ticking by, and the only sound she could hear was the clock hanging on one of the walls, marking the passage of time with the movement of its gears.

“Why are you taking so long?” she murmured to herself, catching the attention of a certain cat boy, who gently placed a hand on her shoulder, pulling her out of her trance.

When she turned her head, she was met with Cubbie’s calm but concerned gaze, realizing she had been staring at the door for far too long. “O-Oh, sorry. It’s just that Lizzy’s taking a while, and it’s kind of boring without her,” she said, trying to downplay her concern.

However, the feline gave her shoulder a slightly firmer squeeze, offering a compassionate look. Clearly seeing past the surface and straight into his friend’s inner doubts.

In all her years of friendship, Petunia didn’t think there was a person more considerate and empathetic than Cubbie. Despite being a cat of few words, he always seemed to know what was troubling you and was there for you if you ever needed to vent without judgment.

At that gesture, Petunia allowed herself to exhale a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. But even when trying to distract herself, her gaze always ended up drifting back to the doors, this time catching the attention of Nerdy Boy.

“Don’t overthink it, she probably has her reasons for being late,” Kevin said, not seeming too worried.

“And what could those reasons be?” Petunia protested, now looking directly at the boy with glasses.

“I thought you’d have a clue by now—after all, you know her better than anyone,” he said, adjusting his glasses as he seemed to think for a moment before sharing his theory. “Though, if I had to guess, some kind of emergency came up that required her presence elsewhere. If that’s the case, it might be a while before she decides to call you.”

Petunia had to admit to herself that Kevin’s reasoning wasn’t entirely improbable, however...

“Lizzy always lets me know if something’s wrong. She would’ve sent me a rushed message if that were the case.”

Kevin simply shrugged, having no reason to drag out the topic any longer. “Like I said, it’s likely—but not necessarily factual. Think whatever you want from here on out.”

Petunia, lacking the energy to argue, just nodded at her friend’s attempt at sympathy. “I guess I’ll call her later, just in case. I just hope whatever happened isn’t serious.”

Kevin nodded in agreement before returning to whatever he had been doing earlier. As for Cubbie, who had remained a mere spectator, he gave Petunia one last glance before pulling his Nintendo Switch from his backpack to kill time—taking advantage of Miss Thavel having fallen asleep at her desk.

Following the feline's example, she turned to her phone, her second best friend. Time seemed to fly by as she scrolled through TikTok, so much so that she barely noticed the recess bell ringing, followed by the sound of students' footsteps echoing through the hallways along with their lively conversations.

Unfortunately, when Petunia left the classroom and headed toward Miss Circle’s room, she found neither her friend nor the teacher. Which only increased her frustration. Wasting no time, she quickly made a call—only to be met with the voicemail three times in a row.

With a defeated sigh, she put her phone away and spent the rest of recess in the cafeteria with Kevin and Cubbie, the latter sharing his game console with the bunny girl.

What a great guy!

Still, nothing added up in Petunia’s mind. Lizzy just left without saying anything and wasn’t answering her calls. Lizzy would never leave her hanging like that! And to add even more mystery, she hadn’t seen Miss Circle anywhere either.

If anyone knew what had happened to Lizzy, it was her. Then an idea popped into the girl’s mind.

Miss Grace! The stern and disciplined principal—she could definitely help her.

With that in mind, she jumped from her seat and hurriedly said goodbye to Kevin and Cubbie, who watched her leave the cafeteria on her way to the principal’s office.

Once she was standing in front of the door, she raised her hand to give it a couple of knocks, but it turned out to be unnecessary—before Petunia could even knock, the door opened.

Both Miss Bloomie and Miss Thavel widened their eyes in surprise as they opened the door and found Petunia on the other side, fist raised, wearing the same startled expression.

The staring contest dragged on as neither side spoke a word; only a tense silence reigned, each one waiting for the other to speak first. But what raised the most doubts for the student was the glance exchanged between her teachers, carrying a certain suspicious air that Petunia couldn’t quite understand.

“Thavel, Bloomie. Why are you just standing there?” Fortunately, the firm and authoritative voice of the principal rang out behind both teachers, breaking the long silence.

At that moment, the two coworkers snapped out of their daze and stepped aside, revealing one of their students outside the office. Thus began another exchange of looks as Miss Grace and Petunia—now starting to feel embarrassed—locked eyes.

This time, however, and knowing that remaining silent would get her nowhere, Petunia was the first to break the silence, her voice tinged with nerves from having two of her teachers so close. “G-Good morning, Miss Grace. I just wanted a minute of your time to ask something… I’m not interrupting anything, am I?”

“Don’t worry, we’ve finished,” said Miss Grace, casting one last look at the teachers, who nodded in response before leaving the room. Leaving the two alone. “Come in.”

At the invitation, Petunia quickly entered the office, closing the door behind her and taking a seat in the chair across from the principal’s desk. Though she tried to appear relaxed, the almost urgent tone of her voice made it clear that she wasn’t.

“I promise this will only take a minute, okay?” She waited a few seconds for a response, but Miss Grace’s silence served as indication for her to go on. “Earlier today, during Miss Circle’s first class, we had something like a practice exam, but once we finished and—”

“You’re referring to your friend Lizzy’s absence, correct?” Miss Grace interrupted, surprising Petunia with how accurately she’d guessed.

“Yes!” she replied instantly, maybe a bit too enthusiastically. “I haven’t seen her since that moment, and I haven’t been able to find her anywhere. She’s not answering my calls either, so I wanted to know if you might know something about it.”

Miss Grace lowered her gaze toward some documents on her desk, presumably the ones she’d been reading earlier, and began scribbling on them distractedly as she gave her long-awaited answer in a flat tone. “Your friend wasn’t feeling well and said she was feeling slightly dizzy, so I called her parents, and they allowed her to leave early. She should be home by now.”

After what felt like an unbearable wait, Petunia sighed in relief. Lizzy seemed to be fine after all—or at least just a little sick. But Miss Grace’s statement didn’t explain why Lizzy wasn’t answering her calls.
She wasn’t seriously ill, and she never would have left her friend worried like that.

She would ask for an explanation later.

“Thank you very much, Miss Grace. Honestly, Lizzy had me really worried,” Petunia said, now more at ease, though still wearing a somewhat fragile look in her eyes.

Miss Grace nodded without lifting her gaze from her work, considering her paperwork more important than properly acknowledging a student’s words. “That’s what I’m here for. Now, if you have no further questions, I suggest you head to your next class. The bell will ring in a few minutes.”

With one final nod, Petunia stood up and made her way to the door behind her, unaware of the intense gaze Miss Grace cast upon her as she left. Leaving the room in an idyllic silence, just right for the older woman to finish her pending tasks.

“I just hope Circle didn’t make too much of a mess while eating,” Miss Grace muttered to herself, knowing all too well how the teacher could get when it came to disciplining her students.

The rest of the school day went relatively quickly for Petunia, now that her worries were seemingly resolved, and she didn't want to hear any sound other than the bell signaling the end of the day, which, as if answering her prayers, she rang out through the building, announcing it was time to go home.

The small group made up of the bunny girl, the nerd, and the cat-boy stepped out of Miss Sasha's art classroom, which was, fortunately, the last class of the day and everyone's favorite thanks to the lovely and affectionate teacher who taught it.

"See? There was no need to worry so much," Kevin commented regarding what Petunia had told him and Cubbie about Lizzy.

Petunia simply looked down at her hands, now stained with paint from the previous class—something that promised trouble if it dried. “Sorry for being a good friend and worrying like anyone should in a situation like this,” she said, her sarcasm thick with irritation at her friend's lack of consideration.

“I didn't mean to sound like I didn't care about Lizzy. I just didn’t want a misunderstanding to eat away at your mind all day,” Kevin admitted, one of those rare moments when he seemed to show sympathy toward those close to him.

Petunia sighed in exhaustion, though now feeling a bit more at ease after the confession, without taking her eyes off her paint-stained hands. “Thanks, I guess. But right now my priority is getting to the bathroom. Do you have any idea how awful it is to get dried paint out of fur?”

Kevin nodded, acknowledging his friend’s urgency. “Want us to wait for you?”

“Nah, go on without me. This might take a while,” Petunia replied, not wanting to keep her friends waiting over such a minor issue.

With that, Kevin said his goodbyes, followed by Cubbie, who gave her one last thumbs-up before heading off with Kevin toward the exit. That left Petunia alone as she quickly made her way to the nearest restroom.

She spent a good five minutes washing her hands, finally managing to remove the stubborn remnants of paint that refused to come off.

With the job done and her hands now sparkling clean, the bathroom door opened and Petunia stepped out, heading down the hall with renewed energy. Now that her only concern was getting back to her cozy home, she walked the quiet halls alone, with no sign of any other students—they had likely all rushed out of the building by now.

But at that moment, she couldn’t help but think of Lizzy again, as if she were a tiny splinter lodged in her side. She remembered they had agreed to meet at her house after class. Although, if Lizzy was feeling unwell, Petunia figured those plans were off.

Still, it wasn’t all bad. A couple of hours had passed since she last called her friend, and Lizzy still hadn’t called back—so maybe she could try her luck again.

Just one more call. That’s all.

With a bit of hope, she pulled out her phone and dialed her friend’s well-known contact. But as the call began to ring, she heard a sound nearby—one that was all too familiar, leaving her momentarily stunned.

Once she regained her senses, she quickly looked up toward the hallway ahead, her long ears—gifted with enhanced hearing—picking up a sound she recognized instantly.

It was Lizzy’s ringtone.

“What the hell?” Petunia whispered in disbelief as her eyes searched for the source of the sound, finally realizing it was coming from the janitor’s closet just up the hallway.

Seconds passed, and Petunia didn’t dare to move as the sound of both phones rang with their respective tones. Though, at this moment, only one mattered—the one echoing from up ahead.

Was Lizzy here? But Miss Grace had said... Why was her phone in there? None of it made sense in her head.

With hesitation, she slowly approached, not taking her phone away from her ear. Each step felt like walking a tightrope—at any moment she feared she might fall, while a voice in the back of her mind begged her to turn around. But the strangeness of the situation was too much to ignore. Eventually, Petunia found herself standing directly in front of the door, which, to add even more unease, was slightly ajar. But to see what was inside, she would have to open it just enough to let the hallway light pour into the dark closet.

She slowly extended a hand toward the doorknob, pausing as a deep sense of dread began to flood her body, as if every nerve was warning her not to witness whatever the hell was behind that cursed door.

But the constant ringtone—Lizzy’s ringtone—piercing through from the other side, echoed in her ears, urging her to snap out of her paralysis. With a hardened expression, she gripped the knob tightly, gave it a tug, and took a few steps back to let it swing open fully.

Petunia stood tense, watching as the contents of the closet gradually revealed themselves in the dim light. And when her eyes finally registered who was inside, her phone slipped from her hand, landing on the tiled floor with a sharp thud. Her body froze at the sight.

Almost as a reflex, her mind transported her to a moment in the past—a distant memory that, in any other circumstance, might have filled her with warmth. Now, it merely distracted her for a fleeting moment from the horror standing right in front of her.

The kindergarten has always been a place where children make unforgettable memories, forge their first friendships, and begin their educational journey.

But for a skittish little girl with bunny-like features, entering school for the first time was intimidating, to say the least. Not only did she have to deal with complete strangers, but she also had to worry about making a good impression. 

Luckily for Petunia, her father had her covered, spending a good part of the morning making sure his daughter looked presentable for her first day of school. Speaking of him, he was currently guiding her by the hand down the hallway, noting how his little girl’s wide eyes scanned her surroundings with a mix of curiosity and nervousness.

“Are you excited to meet your classmates?” asked the large, broad-shouldered man gently, his fur as deep and brown as coffee—quite the contrast to his daughter’s polar white coat.

Little Petunia looked up to meet her father’s gaze, trying her best to appear unfazed. “Uhhh… yeah. A little.”

Her father—also known as Gustavo—lowered one of his chubby hands and affectionately brushed it across her forehead. “You’ll do just fine. No need to overthink it. As long as you don’t pick any fights with your classmates, you’ll be okay,” he added with a smirk, referring to his own disastrous first day of school. Petunia let out a small, amused giggle at the thought.

With the tension eased, the duo reached their destination: a colorful and cheerfully decorated classroom, already filled with the lively sounds of children inside. As they crossed the doorway, they saw how the other kids had already begun interacting—some meeting for the first time, others laughing or playing, and a few already pulling out their crayons to craft their next masterpieces.

Petunia looked around her new classroom with wide-eyed enthusiasm, her mind quickly filling with ideas fueled by the warmth and fun the place radiated at first glance. But any mischief she had in mind was momentarily interrupted by the sudden absence of the familiar hand holding hers.

Her father had taken a step back, his gaze softening as he looked down at the smaller version of himself, knowing it was time to leave. “I’ll be back in a few hours to pick you up, you know that. Just behave, and make lots of new little friends, okay?”

With a firm nod from his daughter, he gave her one last affectionate pat on the head before turning around and walking away—leaving his little one to explore this bright, colorful new world on her own.

Wasting no time, Petunia began examining her surroundings with sharper focus, scanning the groups of kids to see where she might have the best chance of fitting in. Her eyes eventually settled on a taller girl standing off by herself in a far corner, her expression distant and sad as she watched the others play and chat.

Was she in trouble? No one would just stand alone in a corner doing nothing unless they were being punished… right?

Driven by curiosity, Petunia made her way toward the girl, who didn’t even notice her presence until a cheerful voice made her turn around.

“Hi! I’m Petunia. What’s your name?”

The girl in front of her seemed momentarily unsure, as if she hadn’t expected anyone to pull her out of her daydream. But she soon replied, a bit awkwardly.

“L-Lizzy. My name is Lizzy.”

Lizzy—that was a pretty name.

Still, Petunia’s curiosity reached further than just knowing her name. “Are you in trouble?” she asked innocently.

Lizzy’s eyes widened in surprise as she quickly shook her head. “W-What? Of course not! Why would you think that?”

Petunia simply shrugged, looking a little puzzled. “Well, you’re standing alone in the corner, and you looked kind of sad.”

Lizzy glanced sideways at the other kids for a few seconds before turning her gaze back to her classmate, wearing a sheepish expression. “It’s just… I don’t know anyone here, and I feel a little embarrassed ,” she admitted honestly.

Petunia felt sympathy for this girl, and was eager to understand her a little better. “Why are you embarrassed?” 

Lizzy hesitated again, nervously rubbing her hands together and avoiding eye contact. “I-I don’t know… I guess I’m just not good at making friends,” she mumbled in a voice barely above a whisper, unsure of what else to say.

The silence that followed stretched on for a few seconds—long enough for Lizzy to lower her gaze and assume that, now that the other girl had gotten her answers, she’d have no reason to keep talking to her. But to her surprise, Petunia gave her a friendly, confident smile.

“Then, if you don’t have any friends… I’ll be your friend.”

Lizzy’s head snapped up in disbelief. For a second, she thought she must have misheard. But the confident stance of the other girl, along with what Lizzy already considered the prettiest smile she’d ever seen, was enough to make her understand what she’d really said.

A smile—bright and hopeful—began forming at the corners of the lonely girl’s lips. “R-Really? Y-You want to be my friend?”

Petunia gave a small hop, unable to contain her excitement. “Of course! It’s always nice to have a new friend!”

Before Lizzy could even thank her, she found herself being gently tugged along by the hand. She stumbled forward, though not unwillingly. “Wait, w-where are we going?”

“We’re not staying in some gloomy corner when there are still friends to be made,” the other girl said, smiling brightly as she led them toward a small group of children—her first target, it seemed.

Even though the thought of jumping into conversation with strangers still terrified Lizzy, she couldn’t help but feel some of Petunia’s enthusiasm rubbing off on her. Maybe it was her outgoing nature, or her kindness, but something about being by her side… made Lizzy feel safe.

Maybe the idea of making new friends wasn’t so bad after all.

The rest of the day, the two girls spent their time getting to know most of their new classmates—mostly thanks to Petunia, who was always the first to speak and made sure to include Lizzy so she wouldn’t be left out. This seemed to work, as the shy girl gradually began to feel more confident and started speaking up more often.

But the one Lizzy had connected with the most—without a doubt—was Petunia. The two of them had talked more with each other than with anyone else. If someone had seen them, they might have thought they’d known each other for years, given how naturally they interacted.

It’s worth mentioning that, in addition to sharing similar tastes and interests, both were hopeless gossips who whispered to each other in secret about the various appearances of their classmates.

The hours flew by, and soon parents began arriving to pick up their children at the end of the school day. It was then that a tall, brown-furred man returned for his little girl. Seeing him enter, Petunia turned to her new friend with a somewhat dejected expression.

“Hey, they’re here to get me. We’ll see each other tomorrow, right?” she asked, trying to sound normal, but at that age, it was hard to hide true emotions.

Much like her friend, Lizzy also felt reluctant to say goodbye. But her spirits lifted when she heard the hopeful question, and she answered with certainty. “Of course! I had so much fun with you today. And thank you for being my friend! I can’t wait for tomorrow.”

Petunia smiled brightly at those sweet words, now even more excited for the next day. “Thank you! It was awesome being with you too. Bye!” she exclaimed, her energy renewed, before turning around and running toward the door where her father waited with an amused smile.

“Who's your new friend?” Gustavo asked as he glanced at the other girl patiently waiting in one of the chairs for her parents to arrive.

Petunia grabbed the hand her father offered and followed his gaze, grinning from ear to ear. “Her name is Lizzy and she’s super cool. Can we invite her to our house one day?”

The father chuckled softly at his daughter’s enthusiasm as he led her out of the classroom toward the exit. “I don’t see why not. Maybe next Sunday. But first you’ll have to ask her and see what her parents think.”

The little bunny nodded eagerly, delighted by her father's decision. “Alright!”

And as they walked down the hallways and through the doors to the outside world, Petunia thought about all the things the future held for her and her new friend. It was as if she already knew the path ahead for both of them—she could even sense that their friendship would last far beyond elementary school. Lizzy already felt like her best friend—and they had only met that very day! Who knew what adventures the future might bring them?

But one thing was certain for Petunia:

She and Lizzy would always be best friends.

The world seemed to freeze in time, and Petunia had to summon every ounce of willpower not to faint right then and there at the sight that filled her with dread.

There, inside the janitor’s closet, sitting against the wall, was Lizzy… or what was left of her.

Her body, bearing multiple signs of violence, bled from various cuts along her arms and legs, staining the floor beneath her. One of her legs, bent and broken, had the tibia grotesquely protruding through her knee. A deep, gaping wound extended from her chest, tearing through her clothes, all the way up to her chin, slightly parted to reveal the organs within.

Her face, perhaps the hardest thing to digest, was beaten and bruised, bleeding from her mouth and nose—likely shattered from the blows. And those were the mildest injuries. Because if you looked up just a little more, you’d see her lifeless, bloodshot eyes—one relatively intact, while the other was completely destroyed, leaving behind a black, hollow socket.

Her head… split open like a coconut, exposed brain matter through a fractured skull, with a missing chunk painting the wall behind her in a mix of blood and cerebral remains.

Petunia’s expression twisted into pure horror. Her mouth opened to scream, but no sound came out. Her eyes stung, yet in her state of shock, not a single tear fell. Her body, trembling as if in spasms, seemed to lose all senses—except for sight.

She wanted to run, but her legs refused to obey.

She wanted to cry for help, but her jaw was frozen.

She wanted to lose consciousness just to stop seeing… but her mind kept her painfully alert.

She wanted… she wanted to wake up from this nightmare.

As she stood there, paralyzed, it felt as if her heart were being crushed by a hydraulic press. Though honestly, she would’ve preferred that pain over the brutal anguish that only grew heavier with every passing second.

Her mind raced at full speed, desperate to find some kind of explanation—anything that could give her the answers she so urgently needed.

Was it really Lizzy lying in there? Could it have been a mistake—maybe just someone who looked like her? Who was this wretched creature pretending to be her friend?

But the evidence before her eyes was far too real to be false… and in that exact moment, she felt her world fall apart.

“Lizzy…?” she asked, her voice aching, hoping her friend would answer her—but no reply ever came.

She began to step back slowly, shaking her head as if to deny the reality swallowing her whole.

“Lizzy… L-Lizzy, please, t-talk to me…” But silence was all she received in return. And when her back hit the wall behind her, she let herself sink to the floor, never looking away from where her friend now lay dead inside that cursed closet.

This wasn’t how things were supposed to be.

They had their whole lives ahead of them. Lizzy couldn’t end like this.

Who had snuffed out her friend's life with such cruelty and sadistic amusement?

All her thoughts were cut off by the distant echo of footsteps—growing louder through the empty hallways.

Petunia quickly turned her head toward the corridor at the sudden sound, her keen hearing picking up one pair… no—two pairs of footsteps approaching steadily.

It couldn’t be students. They had all rushed out the moment the end-of-day bell rang. That left only one logical option: teachers.

And while that might’ve seemed like a good thing—adults who could handle a situation like this and maybe even bring her some comfort—the last person she saw Lizzy alive had been,of all people, Miss Circle.

That memory alone filled her with dread at the thought of speaking with any member of the faculty.

Even worse, that feeling of unease—an overwhelming fear that had warned her moments before opening the door—resurfaced now, as she sat, paralyzed on the floor, her back pressed against the wall. And those approaching footsteps, growing louder in her ears, only worsened her already overwhelming stress.

She remained frozen in place, unsure whether to stay or run.But she had ignored her instincts once before.

She wouldn’t make the same mistake again.

Petunia jumped up in a panic, knowing she didn't want to stay another second at the crime scene, or worse, come face-to-face with a teacher. Before leaving, she looked at her lifeless friend one last time, and that single glance rekindled the pain and anguish that already overwhelmed her. Seeing her reduced to such a horrific, dismembered state...

It was an image that would be etched in her mind for the rest of her life, one from which she doubted she would ever recover.

And then—she ran.

She ran at full speed, thanks to her outstanding agility, given her prey genetics, in the opposite direction to the footsteps. With each step she took, her legs ached from the strain on her muscles, but that pain was nothing compared to the pain she'd suffered moments before. And it was that same memory that drove her to leave the school that had become the source of her trauma as quickly as possible.

She made it to the main doors and burst through them without resistance, completely unaware of the small piece of evidence left behind in the emotional maelstrom of her escape:

Her phone.

Something that wouldn't be overlooked by the duo of teachers who were soon at the crime scene.

Miss Bloomie and Miss Thavel were making their way to the janitor’s closet that Miss Circle had assigned them to clean up after her last “meal”—an errand Thavel couldn’t help but complain about. “Why do we have to clean up her mess? I REALLY just wanna go the hell home already,” she muttered, clearly annoyed.

Bloomie gave her a sideways glance, cold and indifferent as always, as she walked beside her. “The pay’s good. So if you wanna finish quickly, I don’t want to hear another word from you,” she replied in her usual frosty tone, eyes turning forward again.

The wendigo growled under her breath, unable to argue against that point. “I just hope Circle left us something to sink our teeth into,” she added with a hungry grin, a flicker of nostalgia lighting up her face as she recalled her last taste of human flesh.

A similarly knowing smile crept across Miss Bloomie’s lips at the thought of another meal to curb her cannibalistic hunger.But that smile faded the moment they turned down the hallway leading to the janitor’s closet—only to find the door wide open, and a phone lying in the middle of the floor.

Both teachers froze in place, eyes wide with concern, before hurrying forward to examine the scene.

Thavel stepped into the janitor’s closet, taking in the sight of the horribly brutalized student with the same detachment one might show toward a piece of meat hanging from a hook. She glanced around with mild disinterest.

Meanwhile, Bloomie crouched down and picked up the discarded device lying on the floor just outside the door, left behind by its careless owner.
Flipping it over, she found the screen cracked and unresponsive. Her eyes narrowed with irritation as she turned to meet her companion’s gaze, silently asking whether she'd found anything more conclusive.

“Nothing here. Just blood and this tasty little girl,” Thavel said casually, jerking her thumb backward at the student they had come to clean up.

Bloomie raised the phone slightly for her partner to see. “This is bad,” she stated, voice laced with concern.

“You mean really bad,” Thavel confirmed grimly, acknowledging the very real possibility of a witness—especially considering the telltale open door and the phone left behind by whoever had fled the scene.

The two teachers stared at each other, both visibly troubled by the implications of what this might lead to. Then, with a firm, deadly serious expression, Bloomie voiced the thought they were both thinking for a situation like this:

“We need to report this to Grace.”

Chapter Text

Her heart was pounding, her breathing had become erratic, and her muscles were burning like they were on fire. All this was happening while Petunia tried to keep as much distance between herself and the school as possible.

She didn't think she had ever run so hard or for so long in her life, having never imagined she'd find herself in such a situation. So desperate, overwhelmed, in a full-blown panic.

A whirlwind of emotions raced through her mind at that moment, but the adrenaline her body had released for her frantic escape was beginning to fade—along with her strength.

Slowly, her pace began to slow until she finally stopped near a wooden bench. She hadn’t realized her sprint had brought her to a nearby park, which now seemed like the perfect place to catch her breath.

She collapsed onto the wooden edge, exhausted, taking in huge gulps of air as she clutched her chest tightly, seriously fearing she might suffer a heart attack from the intense pain spreading through that part of her body.

Rabbits—and that applied to her kind as well—possessed incredible speed at the cost of having fragile hearts, which could cause serious health problems if pushed beyond their limits.

Fortunately, the pain in her chest began to ease after a few minutes, leaving her alone with the fatigue that followed such a marathon sprint. Her breathing started to stabilize too, allowing her to breathe more normally and let out a deep sigh of pure relief.

Her bare feet were red and bruised. One might wonder why she refused to wear shoes, but again, it was a very common habit among people of her race to avoid using them. Even her father walked around barefoot, and Petunia found it ``liberating.´´

Although, she might have preferred wearing shoes for this occasion.

With some effort, she lifted her gaze from the ground to assess her surroundings, finding herself relatively alone save for a few couples walking by and some pet owners strolling alongside their furry companions.

The peace of the park stood in stark contrast to the horror she had witnessed barely ten minutes earlier. And it was the memory of that event that pushed her to get back up once again.

She had barely taken a couple of steps when her legs gave out, forcing her to lean against a nearby lamppost to avoid collapsing.

“Shit...,” she muttered, wincing from the discomfort she felt with each movement, but even so, she gathered her courage and began walking slowly.

Maybe the best option at that moment would’ve been to go straight to the nearest police station and ask for help. But Petunia was just a trembling, frightened teenager who only wanted to get home and take shelter in its safety.

And that was now her chosen destination.

A solid thirty minutes of walking passed before Petunia could finally make out her neighborhood, and near its end stood her house—a modest middle-class residence where she lived with her father.

A warm feeling bloomed in her chest upon seeing it, but it was fleeting, quickly drowned out by the haunting memories of that day’s events.

Unable to endure the tension any longer, she quickened her pace despite the aching protests from her battered body. The only thing that mattered to her now was embracing her father and finding some shred of comfort.

She stopped in front of her door, pulling her keys out from the depths of her backpack and sliding one into the lock with trembling hands. The door opened with its familiar metallic click, and Petunia quickly stepped inside and shut it behind her.

“Dad!” she called out, her voice fragile—but no answer came.

Realizing she was alone in the house, she assumed her father was still at work, which wasn’t unusual. When that happened, he always made sure to prepare her lunch and leave it in the fridge so all she had to do was heat it up.

But right now, any appetite she might have had was completely gone.

Overwhelmed by anxiety, she rushed up the stairs to her room on the second floor. She slammed the door shut and collapsed onto the floor with her back against it. Once inside, her eyes scanned the confines of her room warily. The window on the far side let in the warm midday light through the open curtains, casting an idyllic glow across the floor at her feet.

She was finally safe—at home, where nothing could hurt her... So why did it feel like she was about to die?

The answer was simple.

Up until that point, she hadn’t had a single moment of peace to process what had happened. Her body and mind had been in chaos, stirred up and disoriented ever since her escape from the school. Every action she took had been impulsive, driven by the need to flee to a place where she could finally take a breath and gather her thoughts. And now that she had made it, the inevitable had arrived: it was time to recall everything that had happened.

And that was the moment her world fell apart.

Lizzy... she... was dead. Petunia had seen it with her own eyes. There was no point in denying it.

It was... too painful. She felt like she couldn’t breathe, like her lungs were working at half capacity. The room seemed to shrink with every passing minute, and she was unable to utter a single word that wasn’t her deceased friend’s name.

“Lizzy...,” she found herself whispering, her voice low and full of sorrow. Saying her name felt like chewing spoiled food—rancid, sickening. Just imagining what her final moments must have been like twisted her stomach. Her suffering had now transferred to Petunia.

She hugged her knees tightly, burying her face between them as she finally allowed herself to cry.

Tears fell like a waterfall from her already reddened eyes. Her body felt like jelly—fragile, as though it could collapse and melt into the floor at any moment. She sobbed uncontrollably, every cry that escaped her lips a sound of pure agony.

“I-I’m sorry... f-forgive me,” she pleaded into the empty space before her, hoping that somehow Lizzy could hear her and that her guilt—for supposedly having abandoned her—might be eased.

She refused to open her eyes despite the burning in them, afraid that if she did, she’d once again see the image of her friend lying motionless in that dark room where her life had ended.

Was that really it? Lizzy had died, and she was just supposed to endure her absence?

“No...,” she murmured, a spark of resilience in her voice. This could NOT end like that.

“No!” she repeated, louder this time, as a new feeling of rage and helplessness surged beneath the layers of pain and guilt that covered her.

She didn’t know how or what she would do to achieve it, but as long as she lived and was capable, she was willing to do ANYTHING to ensure her friend received the justice she deserved.

And when he looked up, his fears were indeed realized, and the memory of Lizzy, bleeding and tortured, filled his vision again. But this time it was different, as if Lizzy were staring back at him with a determination he'd never seen before.

There was no doubt that if the roles had been reversed, Lizzy would have come to the same conclusion Petunia had now—and that thought alone rekindled the strength she believed lost within her.

Even separated by life and death, their connection had never been broken.

She stood back up, tossing her backpack onto the edge of her bed before heading over to her desk, which doubled as her study space. She sat down on the cushioned chair and remained there, resting her arms on the hard wooden surface, trying to formulate some kind of plan in her head.

To begin with—who was responsible for committing such an atrocity?
Because the brutality of the crime could only have been carried out by someone with a level of cruelty that made her tremble just imagining what kinds of twisted, malicious thoughts might be roaming inside such a warped mind.

***

The infamous trio of teachers—Miss Bloomie, Miss Thavel, and Miss Circle—sat in front of Miss Grace’s desk, the latter wearing a stern, authoritative expression as she examined the piece of evidence laid out before her: a cracked mobile device resting on her table.

While Bloomie and Thavel looked visibly tense, the annoying crunching noises Miss Circle made as she chewed on the contents of an Oreo packet resting in her lap earned her a reproachful glare from her colleagues.

Miss Circle didn’t even acknowledge them and continued stuffing herself with her treat, as if the matter at hand wasn’t something worth worrying about.

However, her little snack break was cut short when Miss Grace cleared her throat to call for attention, prompting the teacher to let out a low, annoyed growl as she reluctantly put away her creamy delights to focus on the current situation.

“Ladies,” the principal began now that the childish behavior had ceased, “would you care to explain to me in detail how we got to this point?” she asked firmly, gesturing toward the shattered phone before her.

All three women looked silently at Miss Circle, expecting an explanation, and she appeared genuinely surprised by the sudden attention.

“Huh?” he began awkwardly before replaying the day's events in his head. “Well, it turned out that that girl... Lizzy? I think that's her name, I actually forgot. She failed, and I played with her a little before breaking her little bones and feasting on her screams of pain while I devoured her brains in front of her weeping eyes.”

Miss Circle’s almost gleeful tone, along with the satisfied smile that grew with every word, made it abundantly clear that the teacher felt no remorse whatsoever. Her gaze even seemed to drift off, lost in the memory of the poor girl as she endured horrendous torture at her hands, her eyes shining with ecstasy from the sick pleasure she drew from hurting others.

Miss Grace listened to the detailed account without appearing the least bit disturbed. After all, she’d heard far more grotesque and sadistic tales come out of the math teacher’s mouth.

“Very inspiring and all, but I’m still waiting to hear how you managed to be so careless that we now have a witness roaming around who-knows-where,” the principal stated, trying to maintain her professionalism, though the irritation in her tone made it clear just how fed up she was with the headaches caused by the sadistic cannibal sitting before her.

Miss Circle looked visibly offended, throwing up both arms in exasperation. “I’m just holding up my end of the deal. My partners and I do the dirty work, and you don’t have to worry about ‘THEMΔ’ screwing it all up.”

Miss Grace felt a chill at the mention of ‘THEMΔ.’ She wasn't a person who was easily frightened; after all, she had three bloodthirsty teachers with severe mental problems working for her.

But even she knew there were certain individuals you didn’t want to upset.

Knowing there was no time to waste, the principal decided it was best to act quickly and get the situation under control. “That should be the least of your concerns. Regardless, I want the three of you to clean up the mess in that closet and make sure there are no loose ends.”

The trio of teachers nodded in agreement, and with a dismissive gesture from Miss Grace, they rose from their seats, knowing the meeting was over.

But just as they were heading for the door, the voice of the principal behind them called for their attention one last time—particularly directed at one teacher in specific.

“And Circle, one last thing.”That alone was enough for even Miss Bloomie and Miss Thavel to turn around and face Grace’s severe and merciless stare—one focused solely on Miss Circle. The latter returned her gaze, now showing a level of attentiveness she rarely displayed.

“I warn you, if you ever make a mistake like this again, I won’t hesitate to throw you back into that damned pit I pulled you out from. Is that clear?”

Both Bloomie and Thavel stiffened, their gazes now fixed on their colleague.

Miss Circle remained silent, her expression unreadable. But for her coworkers and friends, who were at her side, it was easy to notice the slight tremor in the pupils of the taller, more bloodthirsty woman.

Miss Circle was afraid. Truly afraid, like few times before in her life.

The silence stretched on for a few more seconds, feeling like an eternity as the two women locked eyes. The tension was thick, only breaking when Miss Circle finally spoke—each word leaving her lips with the grim resignation of someone chewing barbed wire. “Yes, Madam Principal.”

With the lesser issue now settled, all that remained was to dispose of the corpse and clean up to avoid a potential investigation. With that in mind, the trio left the office and began walking together toward their next task—though Miss Thavel couldn’t hold back a smug smile over what had just occurred.

“Hehehe~ Hey Circle, looks like Grace gave you a proper scolding, huh-?” Miss Thavel immediately fell silent, her grin vanishing under the death glare Miss Circle threw her way—making her shrink back at the intimidating reaction from her partner.

After that, silence reigned through the halls as they walked on. But this time, it was Miss Bloomie who broke it, believing it appropriate to voice her opinion on the matter.

“You were careless,” she stated flatly.

“I know, no need to keep repeating it,” Miss Circle replied with irritation, earning a stern look from the shortest of the three.

“I mean it, Circle. This could bring us more trouble than we can handle. Don’t you realize what could happen if that little brat who saw the mess you made with that girl causes them to start investigating us?”

Miss Circle rolled her eyes in boredom at Bloomie’s worries, still refusing to take the problem she herself had caused seriously.

“There’s no point getting stuck on tomorrow when all that matters is the now. So don’t overwork that little head of yours—we’ll have time to find that nosy pest and to dismember it 😁,” she grinned playfully at the end, hoping it would be enough to ease her pragmatic friend.

Miss Bloomie let out a defeated sigh, knowing she wouldn’t get anywhere trying to make her see the bigger picture. So, she simply remained silent for the rest of the walk.

Once they arrived, the trio stood before the janitor’s closet, whose door was now properly shut to prevent any more incidents like today’s.

Miss Circle wrapped her long arms around both teachers, pulling them in while lowering her head to be at their eye level. “Alright, ladies. Let’s get this over with quickly, and then we can go grab some ice cream. I heard there’s a new shop downtown with an incredible range of flavors.”

She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, prompting Miss Thavel to be the first to respond with a mischievous grin.

“Shit, yes. That’s exactly what I needed to hear... Bloomie?” she asked, turning to her other friend expectantly.

Miss Bloomie looked up to meet Miss Circle’s wide grin, waiting for her confirmation.

Though she wasn’t fond of how lightly her colleague treated things, she couldn’t help but let out a small smile at her enthusiasm. The minor squabbles between the three were fairly common, but Miss Circle had always been a good friend to both her and Thavel. That alone made it hard to stay mad at her when she got excited like a little kid.

“Alright, fine. Count me in,” she said, knowing a refusal wouldn’t stop the ever-persistent Miss Circle—whose smile only grew wider, with genuine happiness gleaming in her eyes.

With that, she released her hold on them and gave them one last satisfied glance before turning her attention to the wooden door in front of them.

“Great!” she exclaimed excitedly, giving both of her accomplices a firm pat on the back. “Now... let’s not waste any more time. We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us.”

A final, wicked smile spread across her face. They still had unfinished business to take care of—like the corpse lying in the closet and, more importantly, the runaway witness whose identity remained a mystery. But for Miss Circle and her co-conspirators, it was obvious the witness had to be a student. After all, if it had been one of the staff members not in on their secret, they would’ve immediately reported the discovery to their superiors instead of fleeing like a scared little bitch.

Miss Circle’s first guess was Abbie, the shy, crybaby student who hung around Engel’s group. She had always found it entertaining to torment that adorable and pathetic boy—especially since it was so easy to squeeze out those deliciously terrified expressions she found absolutely hilarious.

But she dismissed the idea that it could be him—after all, if it had been, he probably would’ve left a puddle of his own piss behind, like the sniveling little shit he was.

In conclusion: Miss Circle had no idea who the slippery little rat could be.Though one thing was certain in her mind—if the person in question was bold enough—or rather, stupid enough—to set foot in this school again...

They better be ready for the fate that awaited them.

***

Petunia was conflicted.

On one hand, she was certain the school staff—especially the faculty—had been complicit in this crime, and who knew what other shady dealings they were part of.

On the other hand... Were people like Miss Sasha or Mister Demi really involved too?

They had always been so kind—especially Miss Sasha, who radiated a maternal aura. Even Mister Demi, though she couldn’t quite consider him a second father the way she did Sasha, was empathetic and truly dedicated to his work.

They both seemed like good people... But weren’t the vilest monsters the ones who hid behind friendly masks?

Petunia covered her face with her hands and shook her head. What was she thinking? Miss Sasha would NEVER hurt the students she treated like her own children. And Mister Demi was basically a saint—far too pure to commit such an atrocity.

As much as her anger toward the staff lingered and clouded her reasoning, Petunia ruled those two out—both because they didn’t fit the profile of sadistic psychopaths, and because she needed to keep some faith in humanity.

Then there was Miss Emily—who was, in every sense, just a normal teacher. She had her kind moments, and it was obvious she genuinely enjoyed teaching—or at least enough not to sigh in frustration every morning before work. Everything else about her, though, was a mystery.

Petunia was still unsure about her, but for now, she placed Emily on her mental list of suspects.

When it came to Miss Grace, there wasn’t much room for debate. It had become clear the moment she lied about Lizzy—the principal couldn’t be trusted. Without a doubt, she was involved—probably the head of the snake.

But there was one thing Petunia couldn’t get out of her head: the why.

Did they have some kind of personal vendetta against Lizzy? Who else, aside from the obvious ones, was aboard this cursed ship? Were some students involved too? What did they gain from doing all of this?

So many questions, and Petunia didn’t believe she’d get the answers she so desperately needed anytime soon.

She forced herself to repress those uncertainties, for the sake of her sanity. With that in mind, there were only a few people left on her list.

Miss Bloomie, Miss Thavel, and Miss Circle had always carried a certain aura of authority over their students. But instead of fear, it was more a matter of respect—or so it had seemed. However, after what the traumatized girl had discovered... that sentiment had flipped completely. Their true personalities had been exposed, and the reality was far darker than she’d ever imagined.

The one who made her tremble the most—whether from fear or rage—was the math teacher.

She had been the last one with Lizzy. She was the only teacher Petunia hadn’t seen for the rest of the day. She had to be the one who witnessed Lizzy’s final moments.

Without realizing it, tears had already begun to stream down her face, falling silently into the carpet at her feet. She clenched her fists so tightly that her nails dug into her palms, leaving trails of blood that stained her white fur with deep red.

“You... you wretched monster,” she sobbed, imagining the teacher’s smug smile.

Someone capable of such a vile act couldn’t possibly feel an ounce of remorse. And that only made Petunia’s determination grow stronger—she would make that monster pay.

She knew Miss Circle was the culprit—deep in her soul. But she wouldn’t be at peace until she heard the woman admit it herself.

And if Miss Circle was working with Miss Grace, then surely Miss Bloomie and Miss Thavel had to be on their side too. Those two were always stuck to the intimidating math teacher like minions, supporting her in everything she did.

They were just as despicable as their ringleader, and Petunia would be thrilled to see them all rot behind bars for the rest of their miserable lives.

Unfortunately, she had no evidence of what had happened—nothing she could use against them. And she seriously doubted her word would mean anything with so many enemies stacked against her.

Maybe... she could call the police now and report what she had seen. It wasn’t such a bad idea. At the very least, they'd send someone to check it out and, with any luck, catch those bastards before they managed to get rid of the incriminating evidence.

Just as she reached into her pockets, her eyes widened in panic when she noticed her phone was gone.

‘Where the hell is it!?’ she screamed internally, frantically checking every part of her clothes. If it wasn’t in her backpack either, that could only mean one thing...

Petunia had never wanted the earth to swallow her whole more than in that moment.

“Fuuuuuuuck...” she cursed under her breath, her voice trembling with despair. Her fur bristled from the anxiety as she started pacing across the room, hands gripped tightly behind her head.

HOW COULD SHE BE SO STUPID!?

Amid the chaos at school, she hadn’t realized she’d dropped her phone... and foolishly left it behind during her escape.

Fantastic!

She had left, right at the crime scene, a perfect testimony of her presence. Now not only would the police be of no help—since the culprits would be on alert—but they would also be actively hunting down the person who saw something they weren’t supposed to.

Petunia felt panic starting to devour her from the inside. This was practically a death sentence if they found out the phone was hers.

And no, that wasn’t an exaggeration. Had already witnessed what those psychopaths were capable of. Didn’t even want to imagine what they would do to her.

She was on the verge of hyperventilating when she finally collapsed onto the soft mattress of her bed, sitting down as she tried to reorganize her spiraling thoughts.

Yes, had been incredibly careless and had messed up in a catastrophic way. But in her defense, she’d been scared and confused—OK!? Anyone in her position would’ve forgotten even their own soul.

And at the same time, it was highly unlikely they’d figure out the phone belonged to her. It was literally a model from like three years ago, and without a case. There was no way they’d know that piece of junk was hers—it was impossible...

Petunia let out a relieved sigh at that reasoning. For now, her life wasn’t in danger. But only for now, because she still had many obstacles ahead if she wanted to bring justice for her friend.

Even if that meant getting her hands a little dirty.

Just when she thought life was giving her a moment to breathe, Petunia looked up at the sound of soft knocks on her bedroom door, followed by the rough, familiar voice of her father.

"Sweetheart, are you in there? I thought you'd be downstairs for lunch by now. You didn’t like the food? I can make something else if you want," her father called gently from the other side, his voice full of that distinctive paternal warmth.

Petunia froze for a moment.How hadn’t she heard him come in, especially with her sharp hearing? The answer was simple.

In the middle of her near panic attack, she had disconnected from reality again—just like she did when she witnessed Lizzy’s fate.

"N-No, nothing like that. I'll be right down, give me a minute," she assured, perhaps raising her voice more than she intended out of nerves.

Could almost picture her father nodding quietly behind the door.

"Alright, I’ll be waiting downstairs," replied, and she heard the heavy footsteps of the older rabbit descending the stairs, leaving her alone with her thoughts once again.

She turned to the mirror inside her closet and looked at her appearance.

Her hands were still stained with dried blood, her eyes glassy and red, her fur bristled from stress, and her long ears hung limp on either side of her face.

She couldn't let her father see her like that or he'd go crazy!

With that in mind, she hurried to make herself presentable. She started by wiping the blood off her hands with a small cloth she usually used to remove makeup. Then she forced herself to calm down, taking deep breaths and exhaling slowly, until her fur settled back into something less wild.

The only thing harder to hide were the red rings around her eyes from crying. But now that she had calmed down, the color had faded a bit.

She’d be okay—for now.

After about a minute, she opened the door and made her way downstairs, finding her father in the dining room with two freshly reheated plates of food set in front of their respective seats.

Petunia gave him a weak smile and sat down, pretending everything was normal.

Truthfully, she had zero appetite after everything she’d witnessed just over an hour ago, but she couldn’t just sit there staring at her plate. So she took a bite and, with great effort, swallowed it.

She just had to get through a bit more of this, then she could excuse herself and go back to her room.

Unfortunately for her, the tense silence that filled the dining room—paired with her clumsy attempt to act nonchalant—was more than enough to catch her father’s attention.

"Hey, sweetheart. Is everything okay?" Gustavo asked gently, looking over at his beloved daughter, who lifted her gaze from her plate and met his concerned eyes.

“W-What? Oh, yeah, everything’s fine. Just... kinda tired. Long day,” Petunia replied, blatantly evasive—something that did not go unnoticed.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he offered, trying to understand what was weighing on his child, even if she seemed reluctant to open up.

“It’s nothing, seriously. Can we talk about something else, please?” practically pleaded, her voice tight with emotion.

Her words earned her a disappointed look from her father, and it made her heart ache. Pushing him away like that filled her with guilt. He just wanted to understand what was wrong, and she kept shutting him out.

But she couldn’t dump everything on him at once and expect him not to explode.She needed time—to think about what course of action to take before everything came crashing down.

And she needed time for herself... to heal.

Thankfully, her father seemed to pick up on the hint and decided to give her some space. If things kept getting worse, he’d double down on his efforts. But for now...

“Okay, okay. No pressure,” he said, softening his expression, which brought a wave of relief to Petunia.

Changing the subject, Gustavo’s face lit up a little, trying to ease the tension in the air. "Your mom’s coming to visit next weekend. She couldn’t make it this week because of work stuff, but she promised to be here next week."

Petunia perked up instantly, her long floppy ears rising with excitement.

It had been quite a while since her mother’s last visit, and she was starting to miss her.

However, she wasn’t sure if it was news she should feel happy or anxious about. If it was already hard enough to hide the truth from her father, then doing the same with her mother would be a mission impossible level task.

It’s not like she could deny her entry either. It was basically an inevitable event—one that, though a part of her longed for, she had no idea how she would manage.

“That’s great. I’ve really wanted to see her again,” Petunia said with some sincerity, masking her true thoughts between the lines.

Gustavo smiled warmly, unaware of the almost-forced smile on his daughter’s face. “I’m glad to hear that. I’m sure she’s also dying to see her little baby girl again,” he chuckled, amused by her embarrassed reaction before going back to his food.

Aside from the occasional joke, the rest of lunch passed in relative silence, both of them eating—or at least pretending to eat, in Petunia’s case—until their plates were clean.

Gustavo, being considerate, gathered the dishes to wash them, which gave Petunia the perfect opportunity to slip back upstairs and continue working on a plan.

But just as she was halfway up the stairs, she stopped when she heard her father’s voice calling from below.

“Petunia.” Turning around, Petunia saw her father peeking out from the kitchen, his hands still soapy as he offered her a gentle smile filled with warmth. “If you ever need someone to talk to, I’ll be right here downstairs. Don’t hesitate to come to me with anything you need, okay?”

Looking into his eyes, Petunia felt those words pierce her. Wanted to tell him everything—every last detail—just so she could finally let herself cry in his arms and feel the comfort she so desperately needed.

That would be the easiest thing to do right now... but she couldn’t allow it.

If he knew the truth, he wouldn't hold back from causing a scene to make it public. And that would place both of them right in the crosshairs of the same people she was trying to take down.

And if those people decided it was more convenient to get rid of her and her father...

Didn’t think she could bear losing another person she loved.

“Thanks, Dad. I’ll keep that in mind,” replied, the words stinging as they left her lips. She watched him simply nod solemnly before disappearing back into the kitchen to finish washing the remaining dishes and utensils.

Once the interruptions were over, Petunia quickly climbed back up to her room, letting out a relieved sigh as she closed the door and confined herself once more within the familiar four walls.

His gaze scanned the familiar room again, finding his desk as the optimal place to put his brain to work.

He sat down like the first time and opened his laptop, which was already on the table. At least he had one with which to start all the work that awaited him from now on.

The glow of the screen lit up her face, but she was already used to the brightness. She stared at the blank interface for several minutes, thinking about what she should do first. And in that time—while she weighed her options—a thought slowly emerged in her mind.

Could she really do this alone?

It wasn't that she doubted herself or had any intention of giving in. But the mission ahead was, to say the least, too much for one person. And even more so for someone in her current emotional state.

What would happen if he gave in to his impulses and ended up attacking a teacher? Or Miss Circle just on sight?

Needed someone rational and level-headed—someone who could help her keep her volatile feelings in check.

And what if there came a moment when she simply broke down and just wanted to drown in her sorrow? Someone like that wouldn’t be enough either.

Also needed empathy. Someone who could be a pillar of support when things became hopeless.

Where was she supposed to find someone who fit all those criteria? Did someone like that even exist? She seriously doubted it...

“Wait...” she found herself murmuring aloud, not even realizing the thought that was crystallizing in her mind.

No way! She couldn’t possibly put them at risk too. That was the very reason she hadn’t told her father anything.

But this was different. It felt different.

Her father would try to keep her away while he dealt with everything else himself—which, paradoxically, would only put both of them in danger, considering the threats hidden within the school.

But they weren’t just her friends. Like her, they also had a reason to get involved.

Lizzy.

More than anyone else, they deserved to know why their friend had suddenly gone silent, why she wasn’t answering her phone, why she’d stopped showing up to class.

It felt wrong to even think about dragging them into something so seemingly reckless. But no matter how much she didn’t want to involve those closest to her, the truth was undeniable. She needed them. And they needed to know the truth.

If there had ever been another way to bear the weight of this responsibility, it was too late now—because the moment she entered her laptop password and the system granted her access, she opened the messaging app she shared with her friends and found herself staring at the only two contacts who could join her on this odyssey:

Kevin and Cubbie.

Chapter Text

Kevin stepped through the doors of his residence, a beautiful house located in an upscale neighborhood, with a large wrought-iron gate guarded by several security personnel who welcomed the young owner with due reverence.

Far from acting arrogantly toward the staff—as one might expect given how he behaved with his peers—Kevin merely walked past with an indifferent expression, unimpressed by the elegant front garden or the statues adorning the exterior, a showy display his family used to flaunt their wealth to visitors.

As he made his way through the mansion, various members of the cleaning staff greeted him warmly, though he ignored them as he usually did.

He passed by the portraits of his parents lining the hallways. Paintings in which he stood beside his formally posed parents, recalling how they had spent literal hours standing still while the artist captured their likeness on canvas.

That was a very boring day.

Back in the present, he arrived at the dining room, where a silver tray laden with all kinds of delicacies awaited him. Once again, his parents were absent, too busy with their own affairs to join him for lunch.

Not that he really minded. He had grown used to these solitary meals, with only the old butler to keep him company at the table.

"Welcome back, young Master Kevin. How was your day?", asked the elderly man with a cheerful smile.

Kevin dropped his backpack onto one of the elegant chairs and took a seat across from his plate, responding without turning to face the other man. "Miss Circle surprised us with a pop quiz. Nothing I couldn't handle."

The butler seemed pleased by the news, as shown by the way his eyebrows lifted along with his smile. "I would expect nothing less from someone of your standing."

For some reason he couldn't quite identify, those words tasted... bitter.

Naturally, great things were expected of him. After all, he was the only child and heir to the family fortune, and would one day be responsible for running his parents’ companies once they retired.

However, the constant reminder of the success he was practically obligated to achieve made him tense for no apparent reason.

Failure simply wasn’t an option for him—and he knew that all too well. What other reason would he have to push himself so hard to remain one of the top students in school?

Top grades.

Perfect attendance.

Impeccable behavior.

All those accomplishments were his, and he couldn't help but smirk to himself. Aside from that troublesome group of bullies—and, of course, Robby—no other student could match him. And that thought only served to inflate his ego even further.

No one else was on his intellectual level.

He took his time finishing his plate; there was no reason to rush. He chewed slowly between bites, savoring the texture of the tender meat and the crisp, steamed seafood he consumed with deliberate calm.

Once done, he grabbed a napkin and dabbed his lips. Without needing to speak, the butler took the empty tray and carried it off to be washed, leaving Kevin alone in the dining room. Picked up his backpack once more and headed straight for his room on the upper floor.

Climbed the stairs and made his way through the long hallways until he reached a familiar door leading to his bedroom. Just as he arrived, an elderly woman exited the room, pushing a cleaning cart—presumably having just finished tidying up the young master’s quarters in anticipation of his return.

“Good afternoon, youngster . Everything’s clean and in order for you”, the woman said, part of the cleaning staff, as she opened the door for him.

Kevin barely seemed to acknowledge her, murmuring a half-hearted “Thanks” as he walked past and shut the door behind him.

His room was just what one would expect from someone born into wealth: spacious, visually pleasing, full of luxuries.

At the center stood a bed large enough to fit three people comfortably, with thick, warm sheets perfect for winter. On the right, a massive TV was mounted to the wall, and just below it, a full collection of gaming consoles and categorized game titles lined the shelves. Along with several beanbag chairs in front of the bed, it looked like every video game-addicted teenager's dream.

Although Kevin wasn’t really a fan of video games, preferring the kind of entertainment only a good book could offer. The only times he ever touched those consoles were when Cubbie came over, knowing his friend enjoyed pixels far more than he did.

And honestly, it was fun when they played together.

To the left side of the room—and Kevin’s personal favorite area—was a small library filled with his favorite books. Each volume perfectly arranged and categorized, alphabetically and by genre.

There was nothing he enjoyed more than reading. He could spend hours upon hours immersed in books without ever getting bored. To some people—whom Kevin considered uncultured swine—literature held little appeal, whether out of laziness or sheer disinterest. But for Kevin, those books had shaped a large part of his childhood and the person he had become.

Once he finished taking in the sight of his room, Kevin walked over to one of the shelves, running a finger along the spines of the leather-bound books as he pondered which one would be the perfect companion for a relaxing afternoon read. Paused at a thick hardcover that stood out from the rest—one he’d started a few weeks ago, mainly because it had caught his eye with its striking design.

“You”, murmured in a low, dramatic tone as he pulled the book from the shelf and carried it over to the bed.

He made himself comfortable, casually tossing his backpack aside, expectant. He opened the cover and flipped through the pages until he found the bookmark he'd left days ago to remind himself where to continue.

But just as he began to mentally recite the first paragraphs, a vibration in his pocket brought him out of his concentration. It was none other than his phone, announcing a new message.

Kevin groaned in irritation, cursing himself for forgetting to silence it. Of course someone had to interrupt his precious reading time at such a perfect moment.

What the hell did they need now?

Annoyed, he closed the book and set it aside, pulling his high-end phone out of his pocket and unlocking it to see a new message from Petunia in the group chat he shared with his friends.

“If this turns out to be something stupid, I swear I’m blocking you for a few days”, Kevin muttered irritably as he opened the messaging app and tapped into the group chat.

To his surprise, the message was much longer than he expected. Petunia didn’t usually send long, carefully worded texts, so it had to be something important.

🤓😺Team Rocket🐰💄

Petunia🥕:
•Guys, I need to talk to you about something urgent. I need to do it now, and it’s too much to explain through text, so I’m asking you to meet me at the abandoned warehouse. You know, the one we found a few months ago and joked could be our secret hideout. I’m already on my way. Please, I really need you right now... I’m serious. Come as soon as you can.

 

...

Kevin reread the message a couple of times, frowning with a mixture of concern and curiosity. Couldn’t remember Petunia ever sounding so desperate—and that could only mean whatever she had to say was serious.

Maybe even more serious than anything he could have imagined.

Threw the blankets aside and got to his feet in a rush, quickly typing a reply.

Kevin📚:
•I'll be there in 10 minutes. It didn't take long.

 

Once he sent the confirmation, left his room and hurried down the stairs, reaching the front door and stepping outside. There, spotted one of the security guards leaning against the outer gate wall and called out to him.

“Hey! You, the one with the sunglasses!” shouted impatiently.

The burly man jumped at the sudden voice and turned around, trying to appear alert—as if he hadn’t just been slacking off a moment ago. “Y-Yes, young Kevin?”

“I need you to take me somewhere”, Kevin replied flatly, offering no further explanation.

The security guard looked confused for a moment before seeming somewhat reluctant to follow the request. “Sorry, kid. But I have to stay here, it’s my job—”

“Tell me, who pays your salary?” Kevin interrupted, frowning as the other man began to look more and more nervous with each word. “If you don’t want me telling my parents that you were lounging off during your shift, then I suggest you start moving. I’m in a hurry.”

The security guard, well aware that this wasn’t a job he could afford to lose unless he wanted to end up living on the streets, quickly became far more cooperative. “Y-Yes, o-of course. I-I’ll take you right away, young Kevin.”

The two of them moved toward the guard’s parked vehicle. The man hurried to open the passenger door for his young master before getting into the driver’s seat and starting the engine to head toward the specified location.

***

Cubbie strolled calmly along the dirt path toward his home, getting closer by the familiar sight of the brick houses built by its poor residents, decorated with metal sheets that served as roofs and, as expected in a marginal neighborhood, trash scattered everywhere.

There’s no place like home, Dorothy once said… though of course, anyone would get emotional if their home wasn’t the leprechaun shack his happened to be.

His walk ended the moment he reached the porch of his humble house, with the unkempt front yard and the shed full of all kinds of tools being the first things to catch his eye.

Walked past them, casually dodging pieces of scrap metal strewn across the ground that looked ready to infect him with tetanus if they so much as scratched him, until he reached the front door. Stepped inside, immediately greeted by the aroma of food being prepared.

Spotted his mother in the kitchen, spoon in hand, stirring the pot she was working on.

Upon seeing her son peek in from the entrance, her expression softened with affection. Like Cubbie, she didn’t say a word—silence was as natural as breathing in their household.

Cubbie approached and gave what looked like a chaste kiss on her forehead, to which his mother responded in kind with a brief hug before returning to her task.

Didn’t need to be told to start setting the table, only to be surprised by his father when he turned around to grab the plates.

The feline patriarch placed one of his fluffy hands on his son’s shoulder as a greeting, letting go a moment later and helping him with the last of the cutlery while the matriarch finished her mysterious concoction.

Another member of the family emerged from behind a door, drawn in by the delicious scent wafting through the house. He seemed to float into the dining room like a cartoon character being lured in by an irresistible smell.

Tom, Cubbie’s older brother, joined the rest of the family for lunch. As per usual, not a single word was spoken, making the scene resemble something out of a silent film.

The meal was as exquisite as always—a meat stew generously seasoned, filling both the stomach and the soul with its divine flavor.

And just as the table had been set, it was also cleared, with Tom using the authority granted by being the older brother to send Cubbie on a mission to wash the dishes.

Naturally, Cubbie frowned, clearly unhappy with the arrangement. But since his brother brought money into the household with his mouse-catching work, he had no choice but to obey.

Several minutes of scrubbing and soaping followed—time Cubbie used to reflect a little on his day.

Just like Petunia, he’d been worried about Lizzy’s absence. Still, he’d found some comfort when their bunny friend told him and Kevin in their last class what had happened to the taller girl.

She’d just gotten sick and gone home—though it was a bit strange, considering Lizzy seemed perfectly fine that morning.

Chalked it up to nerves from Miss Circle’s exam, which had been harder than expected. But he still scored a good grade, which left him feeling pretty upbeat.

Maybe he’d send her a message later to check on her.

Once every dish had been through the sink and sponge, he dried his hands and headed to his shared bedroom. His brother was gone—he’d left right after lunch to hang out with some friends.

Cubbie collapsed onto his hard mattress, comfort being a luxury his family couldn’t quite afford. Luckily, his body was already used to the firmness of his bed.

Rummaged through his backpack for his beloved Nintendo Switch, a gift from a few years back courtesy of Kevin—one he cherished and took care of with great love.

Remembered it had been on his birthday. Kevin and the rest of their friends had come over to celebrate. His eyes had lit up with pure joy when he unwrapped the gift and saw the brand-new gaming device.

Kevin’s satisfied smile still lingered in his memory—clearly a gift meant to show off a bit of his wealth. But Cubbie could see the genuine happiness in his friend’s eyes when he realized how thrilled the feline boy was with the generous present.

Deep down, Cubbie knew that Kevin, even if he didn’t show it openly, truly cared about his friends and their well-being.

Held the console in his hands and got comfortable for an afternoon of pixels—just him and his beloved Nintendo. Nothing could ruin this perfect moment—

*Beep Beep!*

Cubbie glanced away from his console at the unmistakable sound of a message notification. He reached into his backpack and pulled out his phone, instantly spotting the group chat alert.

Upon opening it, he carefully read through Petunia’s long message—the one asking them all to meet urgently at the abandoned warehouse they had discovered months ago.

His heart sank at the desperation conveyed in her words, knowing that anything Petunia needed to say this urgently—and face-to-face—had to be serious.

And if she or any of his friends needed him, then there was no time to waste.

Before leaving his house, he confirmed his presence with a GIF in the group chat.

Cubbie🔇:

Threw the covers aside with urgency and tucked his console back into his backpack, leaping off the bed with a somersault and landing gracefully on the stone floor.

Exited the shared bedroom and gave his parents a quick farewell as he passed through the door, sprinting toward his destination.

Didn’t care if anyone gave him strange looks as he ran—at that moment, the only thing that mattered to the feline boy was answering his friend’s call as quickly as possible.

Because if there was one thing that truly defined Cubbie, it was that he was always there for the people he cared about.

No matter what it was Petunia had to say, he would be by her side. That’s what friends do.

***

Petunia paced back and forth with anxiety, keeping an eye out for anyone outside the lonely warehouse she found herself in.

All around her, scattered boxes cluttered the spacious place—likely filled with nothing more than trash or other discarded junk, just like the abandoned building where she waited impatiently for the rest of her friends.

Every minute without a sign of them arriving only heightened her stress, making her too restless to simply sit down in one of the equally worn plastic chairs around her.

How was she supposed to explain everything if she couldn’t even hold herself together?

Maybe she could start from the beginning, go slowly and let her friends digest the information calmly. Or perhaps she should just get straight to the point and drop the news right away… No, that would be too shocking.

But she didn’t think she could hold back the emotional flood that was threatening to burst if she laid out every single detail of the events leading to today’s discovery.

She was supposed to stay strong, not collapse from anguish in the middle of her announcement.

Petunia brought her hands to her face, hiding behind her furry palms as another wave of dark emotions threatened to surface and swallow her whole.

This was going to be painful to explain.

Thankfully, when she glanced up through one of the cracked windows, she spotted Cubbie in the distance, cautiously approaching the warehouse. Judging by the beads of sweat trickling down his forehead, Petunia figured her feline friend must have run the entire way.

Meanwhile, a black car pulled up in the distance, right at the entrance of the complex. From the passenger seat stepped out their other friend. Kevin appeared alert, scanning his surroundings in search of any other presence. That’s when his eyes landed on Cubbie, who stood frozen in place, staring at the warehouse.

Gave a few final instructions to the guard who had driven him, telling him to wait in the car, before making his way toward his friend.

Upon hearing footsteps behind him, Cubbie turned to find Kevin approaching. They exchanged a look—one of quiet understanding—until a voice from inside snapped them out of their silent conversation.

"Guys! Over here!" shouted Petunia, leaning out the same window she had been watching them through from inside the abandoned building.

If this were a horror movie, Petunia would be the monster luring secondary characters into a trap, disguised as someone familiar before slaughtering them. But since this was real life, the scene wasn’t nearly as suspicious.

The two friends exchanged one last concerned glance before heading toward where their friend awaited.

They passed through the large doors with ease, using the natural light filtering through the windows to guide them through the gloom toward the area where the bunny girl was waiting.

Climbed a short flight of stairs and reached what appeared to be a small office on the upper floor. Upon entering, they found Petunia leaning against one of the worn-out walls, her eyes cast downward, her expression clearly uncomfortable.

"Petunia?" Kevin was the first to speak, hoping she would finally reveal what had brought them here in such a rush.

The girl on the other side of the room flinched at the sound of her name. She remained silent, seemingly too anxious to respond.

Cubbie took a few cautious steps toward her, noticing how Petunia kept avoiding eye contact. Carefully, he placed a hand on her shoulder. The gesture finally prompted her to lift her eyes from the floor and look at her two friends. Her gaze was full of uncertainty, as if she were seriously reconsidering whether to say what she had come here to say.

Petunia opened her mouth to speak, but the words got stuck in her throat. This only deepened the feline’s concern—and the nerd’s growing curiosity.

Tired of the endless silence, Kevin stepped forward, frowning at his friend. “I don’t want to downplay whatever it is you have to tell us, but it’d be great if you could get on with it already.If my parents find out I ran away, I'll be severely punished.”

Cubbie turned his head toward the bespectacled boy, frowning slightly—clearly displeased by his friend’s lack of tact. However, Kevin’s words seemed to be just what Petunia needed to snap out of her stupor.

“S-Sorry, I just don’t know where to start”, Petunia admitted in a low, fragile voice.

Kevin crossed his arms, his attention now fully focused on getting answers from his friend. “You could start at the beginning.”

“It’s not that simple”, she replied, a hint of frustration in her tone.

Kevin raised an eyebrow, now even more drawn in. “Does this have something to do with Lizzy? I doubt you’d be this serious if it didn’t.”

Just hearing Lizzy’s name made Petunia’s expression shift rapidly into one of anger. Brushed past Cubbie and stepped toward Kevin.

“Don’t start with your stupid assumptions. I’m trying to organize my thoughts before saying anything.”

Kevin didn’t flinch at her approach or the venom in her voice. In fact, he seemed to welcome the challenge. “You think it’s stupid to point out the obvious? Judging by your reaction, I already know I’m right.”

Petunia clenched her jaw tightly, her teeth showing in a bitter expression as her fur began to bristle. “Wow, your ego really has made it all the way to your brain. Can you also guess what I had for lunch based on my breath?”

Kevin scowled, now visibly annoyed. “I’m just stating the only thing that makes sense. Or is it about something else?”

Petunia had to restrain herself from punching him, her eyes starting to glow with rage at her friend’s arrogance. “If you knew the gravity of the situation, you wouldn’t be acting so damn smug!”

“I don’t think I can keep dealing with your hostility if you keep refusing to explain why you called us here with such urgency,” declared the glasses-wearing boy, clearly growing impatient as the conversation grew more intense.

That was the breaking point for Petunia. She took a few steps forward, ready to put Kevin in his place once and for all. But before she could raise her fist and aim for his face, Cubbie’s figure stepped between them.

Blocked her path, staring at Petunia with a firm, intense gaze—halting her just in time.

Petunia stared at her feline friend, waiting for him to move—but Cubbie didn’t budge. He stood firm in place, much to her dismay. Everything was spiraling out of control, and Petunia had no one to blame but herself.

Her expression shifted to one of shame as she realized both boys were only putting up with her behavior because they cared about her. Had to avert her eyes; she couldn’t bear to look them in the face. Cubbie noticed this, and his expression softened.

The feline lowered the arms he had raised to form a barrier between Kevin and Petunia. He stepped closer to her and, unexpectedly, pulled her into a gentle hug.

Petunia’s face showed clear surprise—obviously, she hadn’t expected such a sudden, yet comforting gesture from the usually quiet boy. Even Kevin looked slightly stunned, never having imagined he’d witness a scene like this.

Seconds passed, and the girl being comforted by Cubbie didn't know how to react. She had frozen, unable to articulate words due to the vortex of emotions swirling through her head, stirred by the embrace filled with genuine concern for her strange behavior, which was nothing more than a way for her to release the anguish she still felt over her tragic loss.

Before she realized it, new tears began streaming from her eyes. It was simply impossible to hold back while the feline held her in his arms.

Damn... now she was crying for no apparent reason.

Cubbie, of course, noticed the dampness beginning to soak his shoulder where Petunia had rested her head. But as one would expect from someone like him, he didn’t flinch or move to push her away. Instead, he held her more tightly, pulling her closer, allowing her arms to wrap around him as well.

Kevin watched the two of them in solemn silence, unable to look away from the touching moment. Even though part of him was still impatient, his more sensitive side decided it was best to let them have this time together—so Petunia could finally calm down.

Once Petunia’s silent sobs had subsided, she gently pulled away from her friend. Cubbie looked at her with concern, clearly worried by her earlier outburst of repressed emotion.

There was no point in hiding the truth anymore after what had just happened.

"Petunia," Kevin began, his tone softer and less inquisitive, enough to catch the attention of the white-furred girl. "You might think I'm insensitive when I say this, but all we’re doing is wasting time. I think it’s necessary that you let out whatever you're holding in. Believe me, it’ll be easier for everyone that way."

Petunia, far from looking angry or resentful at her friend’s words—which sounded more like a clumsy attempt to be supportive—simply nodded in agreement.

Wiped the moisture from her eyes with one hand, took a shaky breath, and let out a heavy exhale.

Alright... if couldn’t start from the beginning, she’d just have to cut straight to the point.

“Lizzy is dead...” whispered, barely audible.

“Hm?” Kevin tried to make out what she had said, but it had been so quiet it could’ve passed for a mumble. Even Cubbie, who was closer, strained his ears, hoping to understand.

Tried to repeat herself but found herself unable to utter a sound. Just saying it felt like she’d been punched in the gut, leaving her breathless. And Petunia truly believed she wasn’t getting any oxygen, given how hard it was to breathe at that moment.

“Petunia, could you maybe say that again, but a little clearer—” Kevin’s comment was abruptly cut off as Petunia, who had until then hidden her face in her hands, dropped her arms and suddenly shouted with a force and volume that made the boy step back, startled—her reaction not unlike a lion’s roar.

“Lizzy is dead! Was that loud enough for you!?” Screamed, overflowing with rage she had kept bottled up like a dam that had long been cracking and now finally gave way.

Her friends’ reactions were exactly what you'd expect upon hearing such a devastating revelation erupt from Petunia like an atomic bomb.

Cubbie’s eyes widened so much they looked like they might pop out of their sockets. He jumped back instinctively, clutching his chest as if he’d been shot straight through the heart, frozen in a state of shock.

Kevin, on the other hand, also went wide-eyed. The words he had just heard seemed to knock him out of reality for a moment, his vacant stare betraying how disoriented he felt before it slowly returned to the hunched, hysterical figure of his friend.

“What...?” the nerdy boy asked weakly, in disbelief—desperately trying to make sense of what he’d just heard.

Petunia tried to keep her composure, but it was too late—had already tasted the satisfying relief of letting her anger out. Did it even matter if she’d said it calmly? At that moment, couldn’t care less.

“God, you’re even dumber than I thought! I’ll say it one last time: Lizzy... is... D-E-A-D”, Spelled out the final word to drive her point home, too far gone to notice that Cubbie had already begun trembling from the horrifying revelation he’d been unfortunate enough to hear.

Kevin, completely stunned, struggled to process her words. Petunia had to have lost her mind—there was no way what she was saying could be true. “Petunia! What the hell!?”

“I’m not lying!”, Snapped, unwilling to entertain any doubt. “It was today, right after school. I came out of the bathroom and found Lizzy in the janitor’s closet and… and… fuck!” Frustrated beyond belief, punched one of the walls with all her strength, leaving a small hole in it due to its already decayed state.

Couldn’t bring herself to describe the condition she had found her in, even though she remembered every single detail. The image of her friend’s body, killed so cruelly, was too awful to even speak of. So, for the sake of her own sanity—and her friends’—she skipped over that part.

After leaving her fist buried in the wall, she slowly pulled it back, noticing the blood beginning to seep from her knuckles. Curiously, she didn’t feel any pain, attributing it to the adrenaline rushing through her from the extreme stress and emotional overload.

When she turned her head toward her friends, her heart sank with guilt upon seeing Cubbie already in tears, looking at her with indescribable sorrow.

Kevin, although the calmest of the three upon hearing the news, looked visibly shaken. His mouth was slightly open, frozen mid-thought as he tried to form words—anything—but every sentence he planned fell apart under the growing sickness blooming in his gut.

And then he vomited.

Petunia jumped in surprise at the sudden reaction, expecting him to keep denying the truth or launch into another argument. But instead, she rushed over to his side and knelt beside him as he emptied his lunch all over the floor.

Kevin coughed harshly, feeling the retching slowly subside, leaving only a bitter taste in his mouth. When he finally finished spitting out the last remnants of his dignity, he looked up to see Petunia next to him, gently patting his back to help him get it all out.

Managed to get back on his feet, wiping a hand across his face and under his glasses. Accepting what Petunia had told them wasn’t easy—and precisely because of that, he still had a few lingering doubts.

“What happened? H-How did this even happen?” Kevin's tone had shifted into something nervous—an unusual sight for someone like him.

Petunia clenched her fists, trying her best not to explode in anger again just from remembering their math teacher. “I’m not exactly sure how it happened, but I’m a hundred percent certain that the one who did it was—”

“Miss Circle...”, Kevin interrupted coldly, leaving Petunia stunned.

“How do you know?”, asked clearly shocked.

The sharp-minded boy stared out one of the windows with an unreadable expression, seemingly lost in the kind of deep reasoning that demanded his full focus. “Who else could it have been? The last time we saw Lizzy was in Miss Circle’s class this morning. If it wasn’t her, then she’s at least involved somehow.”

Petunia followed his gaze, seeing that his eyes had locked onto the sky, which was now starting to darken with heavy gray clouds. A storm was approaching—soon the rain would begin, falling relentlessly and without pause.

It was the kind of weather Petunia could see herself reflected in.

When she turned to check on her other friend, she noticed that Cubbie had retreated into a corner, sitting on the rotting floor with his knees pulled to his chest, arms wrapped tightly around them. His gaze was distant and blank, the usual spark in his eyes now completely gone, leaving behind only a hollow, desolate look.

Petunia approached him cautiously, kneeling in front of him. “Cubbie...”, said softly, trying to reach him with his name. But the feline boy didn’t even seem to notice her presence—had shut himself off from the world around him.

It was painful to see him like that—once so alert and now reduced to a figure that evoked nothing but pity.

The news had utterly broken him. Hadn’t doubted Petunia’s words for a second—no one would lie or exaggerate something like this, and the way she’d expressed herself earlier left no room for doubt. Her words carried only one thing: a devastating truth.

He wanted to see Lizzy again. He wanted to apologize to her for brushing off Petunia’s concerns, and to Petunia herself for the same reason. Felt unworthy of even looking her in the eyes.

But contrary to his expectations, his bunny friend sat beside him and, as if returning the favor, extended a hand and gently ran her fingers through the fur on his head. The gesture momentarily startled Cubbie, gathered the courage to meet her gaze. And when did, saw no trace of resentment or rancor—only the same pain he himself was feeling from the loss of their friend.

Softly, Cubbie let his head rest on Petunia’s shoulder, and she didn’t stop caressing his forehead. Stayed like that for a couple of minutes, leaning into each other in silence.

It wasn’t enough to chase away the anguish in their hearts—but it was a beginning. Especially for Petunia, who had to be suffering the most from their friend’s death.

Would never be able to tell her how much she loved her. How her absence had taken a large piece of her happiness. And now, she had lost her forever... for eternity. Had lost her for the rest of time, and felt a void in her chest that no one else could ever fill.

But somehow, knowing that others shared her sorrow comforted her in a way that words couldn’t describe.

Cubbie was beside her, sharing her tears.

Kevin was across the room, sharing his condolences.

No matter how she looked at it, she wasn’t alone. Had her friends. And no matter what awaited her from this point on, there were no others she’d rather cling to with all her strength.

“I doubt you called us here just to give us the bad news, did you?” Petunia raised her eyes at the sound of Kevin’s voice was still turned away, looking out the window.

“Under any other circumstance, I’d be annoyed you were still overanalyzing my intentions”, Petunia replied without hesitation. “But this time, I’m glad to have someone like you on my side.”

Kevin might have allowed himself a satisfied smile if his face hadn't been fixed in such a deadly serious expression. "What's on your mind?", asked bluntly.

“I want you both to help me get to the bottom of this.” Petunia’s declaration made Cubbie—who had kept his gaze on the floor—lift his eyes to look at his friend sitting beside him. Her gaze, full of determination, was fixed on the back of the boy with glasses.

Kevin didn’t even turn around, remaining just as still as when he’d first stood in front of the glass. “So basically, you want to play detective”, said with skepticism.

Petunia didn’t flinch at her friend’s almost mocking remark. “If that’s how you want to see it, then yes. I want justice for Lizzy, and you’re the only ones I can count on to get it.”

“And the police?” Kevin asked, still unconvinced.

“They won’t help. The people responsible already know someone witnessed the crime scene.” Those words gave Kevin a new perspective on the whole situation. Had assumed it would be enough to simply report what happened and let the authorities take over.

But since he’d reached the same conclusion as Petunia—that whoever killed their friend would be extremely careful to avoid being discovered—then he and his friends were probably the only ones who could truly do something about it.

“You’re losing your mind.”

“Maybe.”

“There’s too few of us.”

“The three of us are enough.”

“We have no idea what we’re getting into.”

“They had no idea who they were messing with.”

“This is a guaranteed failure.”

“Not if I have someone with your intellect on my side.”

Kevin went silent after those last words, pondering whether this idea—which still considered more a delusion born from grief and helplessness—was even remotely plausible.

And when finally turned around to face the girl, didn’t just see her standing there, also saw Cubbie, now upright beside her, sharing the same determined look in his eyes.

“Cubbie!?” Kevin blurted out. “Don’t tell me you think this justice fantasy is even remotely doable. This isn’t some fanfic written by a schizophrenic crack addict who believes three teenagers can take on the actual depths of hell.”

But Cubbie just crossed his arms in response, standing firmly beside Petunia, with no intention of leaving her to face this alone. Met Kevin’s gaze with intensity.

“Cubbie, no”, Kevin objected in a scolding tone.

Cubbie’s gaze only grew more intense.

“Don’t even think about it”, rejected again.

The feline’s expression began to shift.

“Don’t you dare give me those sad puppy eyes!” Kevin warned, exasperated.

But his words came too late. Cubbie was already staring at him with the most heart-wrenchingly adorable expression imaginable. The pressure was unbearable—and Kevin finally gave in.

“Okay, fine! I’m on board, alright!?” Snapped, throwing up his hands. “Just… stop looking at me like that, for God’s sake”, muttered a string of barely audible complaints under his breath, his pride clearly taking damage.

Cubbie dropped the ridiculously effective expression and raised his eyebrows in smug satisfaction, clearly pleased to have his other friend officially involved.

Petunia simply gave Kevin a warm, genuine smile and stepped forward, standing directly in front of him. “Thank you, Kevin.”

Even though he still clung to the idea that this whole thing was a massive waste of time, something in Petunia’s sincere gratitude sparked a kind of warmth in his chest. Maybe he should’ve listened to reason and let his friends figure out for themselves that this ``mission´´ made no real-world sense. And yet, here he was, joining them like they were the cast of some online RPG party.

It was ridiculous… but for some reason he couldn’t explain—at least not logically—this strange, statistically doomed odyssey Petunia had proposed also felt… freeing.

Whether it was because he wanted justice for Lizzy too, or because this was just a wild excuse to step out of his comfort zone and gather new knowledge to brag about later—it didn’t matter.
There was no point in resisting now.

Wearing an expression of dramatic resignation, Kevin moved between his two friends and made his way to the office door. Stopped just in front of it, turning back to face Petunia and Cubbie, who stood behind him, watching expectantly—clearly hoping their brilliant friend already had something in mind.

“All right, what are we waiting for? We’ve got a conspiracy ahead of us threatening everything we know and all that epic speech nonsense.
Let’s get to work on a plan of action. Now!”

Chapter Text

Monday – 7:47 A.M.

The paper school began to come into view as the three friends approached the private institute. The sun had already risen, casting its morning light over the path they walked together on their way to school. It looked like an ordinary day, except for the unmistakable tension hanging in the air around the group.

Petunia didn’t lift her gaze from the ground during the entire walk, shoulder to shoulder with Kevin and Cubbie. She was overwhelmed by the sense of repulsion crawling under her skin at the thought of setting foot back inside the school building.

It would’ve been easier—and faster—if they’d taken the bus. But it was Petunia who had insisted on walking instead, to have a little more time to privately go over the plan they had put together for the day.

Okay… all she had to do was act normal once they got there and avoid raising suspicion. The teachers responsible for the tragedy that had occurred just days ago were likely watching their students closely for any out-of-place behavior.

She couldn’t let her emotions take over again and risk ruining everything, nor could she give in to the burning temptation tormenting her to confront people like Miss Grace. And especially not Miss Circle.

That would end in disaster.

“You seem distracted, is something wrong?” Kevin asked, causing Petunia to look up from the pavement and turn her attention to the boy on her left.

Putting her concerns aside for a moment, she replied without hesitation, "I-It's nothing, I'm just a little nervous about the plan. Since we're on the subject, could you go over it again? Just to clear up any doubts."

Kevin narrowed his eyes slightly, unsure whether to believe that her concern was solely due to the plan. Still, he put his suspicions aside and focused on reviewing the action plan they had prepared days earlier.

“If that helps you stop distracting yourself, fine,” he began, adjusting his glasses as he always did. “During the first break, Cubbie and I will create a distraction that will force Miss Grace out of her office. Then you'll sneak in and look for anything that will help us frame them. Simple.”

Petunia seemed willing to cooperate with her part of the plan, but she still had some doubts about her friends' roles. “And what exactly are you two going to do? I remind you that Miss Grace only comes out of her cave if something serious happens.”

Kevin just smiled smugly, totally convinced of his own unmatched intelligence. “Oh, Petunia, don't you know that I always think of everything?” He then rummaged through one of his pants pockets and pulled out a mysterious USB stick that immediately caught her attention. "Inside this small USB data storage device, I have loaded a malicious program destructive enough to transfer it to one of the computers in the computer room. It will be more than enough to get our principal to come out and check the problem."

“Wait a minute, where did you get the malware? As far as I know, you're into books. This seems more like something Robby would do.”

Kevin frowned slightly when he heard mention of the young engineer whom, although he would never admit it out loud, secretly envied. “I'm more than capable of working efficiently with computer programs. And don't compare me to him. Just because he managed to build a talking robot that everyone now calls Ruby doesn't mean my skills are any less impressive.”

Petunia rolled her eyes, well aware of how Kevin got every time someone questioned his intellectual abilities. Although in this case, he was getting a little upset.

“Okay, relax, no one is calling you Robby's shadow. But if you say it will work, I trust you,” she said with a small knowing smile that brought Kevin back to his senses.

Once the explanation was over, Kevin glanced sideways at his other friend. “Cubbie will lend you his phone.”

“What for?” asked Petunia, puzzled, as she took the phone offered to her by the feline.

“I'll keep an eye on Miss Grace's movements and let you know when it's safe to go in. You'll also need it to take pictures of any evidence you find.”

Since his own phone had fallen into enemy hands, this would be his only means of communication during the operation. With a determined expression, she put her friend's phone in one of her pockets.

It would have to do for now.

With nothing else to discuss, the group continued on their way until they reached the familiar main gates that welcomed the young students to the school. By then, almost no one was entering; most were already inside, walking through the hallways or eating breakfast in the cafeteria.

The trio passed by the rest of the students and headed straight to Miss Emily’s classroom for their first period—just in time, as the bell rang shortly after, marking the beginning of the school day.

As she reached her seat, Petunia felt a tightness in her chest when she saw the empty desk beside her—the place where Lizzy used to sit, always at her right during every class.

But now, they would never share conversations or laughter again.

Up until that point, she had only felt the pain of loss and kept her mind occupied with thoughts of justice for the one she loved so dearly. Now came the moment to truly feel her absence—to confront the void her heart was suffering, a void that could never be filled.

It was a horrible feeling, but she had to stay focused on the plan. She couldn’t afford to fail now—not during the first steps of the operation.

She forced herself to move her legs and sat down, alone. The classroom soon filled with the rest of the students, followed by the enthusiastic teacher who entered with an excited expression on her face.

“Greetings, my young apprentices! I hope you all made the most of your weekend,” Miss Emily began, her tone growing more excited by the second. “Can anyone guess today’s topic?”

Silence fell over the classroom, which seemed to irritate Miss Emily slightly—though not enough to dampen her spirits. “Looks like the cat’s got your tongues, huh? No worries, here’s a hint... the Spartan Empire!” she announced enthusiastically, met with general indifference from the class.

Truthfully, Petunia couldn’t have cared less about the sexual practices of Spartan soldiers among themselves. Her mind was entirely consumed by the task ahead once it was time to act.

As Miss Emily rambled on about how big and muscular the gladiators were—complete with a slight blush during her overly detailed explanations—Petunia didn’t notice any strange or suspicious behavior from the teacher.

Naturally, after what had happened on Friday, one would expect the staff involved to be watching for any students acting particularly anxious or behaving unusually. That included Miss Emily, whom Petunia had listed as a possible accomplice of the principal.

But the teacher was the same as always—lost in her fascination with tales of ancient Rome, sharing them passionately with her students. As a result, the likelihood that she was among the ``bad guys´´ now seemed much lower.

“And so, children, this is how infanticide was commonly practiced in ancient times to forge their future war machines,” concluded Miss Emily, much to the discomfort of her students. And before she could share any more disturbing details about the Spartans, the bell rang loudly throughout the building.

“Oh dear, it seems we're out of time. Well, you can go to your next class now... and remember, this will be on the exam!” she exclaimed hurriedly as most of the students rushed out the door and fled the classroom.

Mr. Demi's class was next, and like Miss Emily's, it went by relatively quickly, as the cheerful teacher delivered his lesson to the beat of the instruments he loved so much.

When the class ended, the recess bell rang through the hallways, which were already beginning to fill with movement. At that very moment, Kevin, Cubbie, and Petunia exchanged knowing glances while no one was watching. Petunia left the group and headed for Miss Grace's office, which was waiting to be ransacked by the determined rabbit. 

It didn't take him long to find the door with Miss Grace's name inscribed on the glass, with the silhouette of the headmistress visible behind it. There was no one around, as it was a little-used corridor, frequented mainly by teachers who came to visit their superior.

Hid behind one of the corners of the hallway, keeping an eye on the door, as she anxiously waited for a distraction that would allow her to sneak in and find the evidence was looking for....

...

It seemed like her friends were taking too long to do their part.

...

Maybe something had gone wrong?

...

Why are they taking so long?!

***

Once Petunia walked away, Kevin and Cubbie quickly made their way to the empty computer lab, making sure they weren’t seen before slipping inside and approaching one of the powered-on monitors.
Everything was perfectly set, as if served on a silver platter; now all they had to do was stir up a bit of chaos.

“Perfect”, said Kevin with a wicked smile as he faced the defenseless computer, ready to be hacked.

Cubbie, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with his friend, gave him a thumbs-up in solidarity while Kevin pulled out the flash drive and inserted it into the port. But just before the students could transfer the virus to the computer, the lab doors suddenly flew open, startling both boys and forcing them to quickly hide the drive.

Turning around, they saw Miss Bloomie entering the room with a suspicious look on her face, her eyes instantly locking onto the students seemingly tampering with one of the PCs.

“Kevin, Cubbie, what are you two doing here?” the teacher asked calmly, though with a hint of intrigue

Kevin discreetly slid the flash drive back into his pocket, keeping his gaze fixed on his teacher. “Nothing special, just saving our assignments from the last class… and you?” replied smoothly, while Cubbie stood a bit more nervously, clearly shaken by how close they were to getting caught red-handed.

“Same”, she replied curtly, having noticed the change in the feline’s expression and the subtle way the bespectacled boy had concealed something in his pants. “What do you have there?”

“A pendrive”, he admitted, not seeing the need to lie. After all, by his earlier explanation, they weren’t technically doing anything wrong.

Miss Bloomie narrowed her eyes, unconvinced by the response. But as she studied her student’s face, she found no cracks in his expression. He spoke with confidence, showing no trace of hesitation. Combined with the boy’s spotless academic reputation, the teacher had no further grounds to continue pressing the issue.

Shifting her attention, she now focused on the feline beside him. Of the two, it was clearly him who appeared tense—constantly averting his eyes, a telltale sign of nervousness or anxiety.

“Is that true?”, Miss Bloomie asked Cubbie, who turned his gaze to meet his teacher’s and nodded.

Though still intrigued by their presence, she dropped the questioning for the time being, having found no additional signs to back her suspicions. With one last serious glance, she approached one of the computers and took a seat to attend to her own business. Kevin and Cubbie took advantage of this time to leave the classroom and resume their conversation when they were sure they aren't being heard.

“Damn it, with Miss Bloomie inside we won’t be able to do anything,” muttered Kevin, visibly irritated that his plan had been foiled. “I guess we’ll have to try again another time.”

However, Cubbie’s expression now contrasted sharply with the one he had shown in Miss Bloomie’s presence. He stared at his friend with intensity.

“You have a backup plan?” The sudden display of cleverness from his feline companion genuinely piqued Kevin’s curiosity. He was eager to know what Cubbie had in mind.

Cubbie nodded frantically, and Kevin didn’t hesitate to follow him, trusting the confidence with which the cat-boy had just crafted a new plan barely a minute ago.

They ended up at the doors leading into the gymnasium—a wide and unusual location that left Kevin puzzled. “Wait, what exactly are we going to do? I don’t think throwing balls at people is enough to make Miss Grace come out.”

But contrary to Kevin’s assumption, they didn’t enter the gym. Instead, Cubbie calmly walked over to the fire alarm lever located just beside the side doors and lifted the plastic cover.

That’s when Kevin realized what his friend was actually planning. “Cubbie! What are you—!?” he tried to stop him, but it was already too late.

Cubbie yanked the lever, and in an instant, Kevin’s voice was drowned out by the shrill sound of the alarm, followed by the spray of water from the overhead sprinklers. The screams of students—whether in the cafeteria or chatting in the hallways—soon echoed throughout the building as many began to evacuate.

Kevin could only look at his friend in exasperation as the two of them were drenched. And, as expected, the commotion was more than enough for all the teachers to start either helping students evacuate in an orderly fashion—or rushing to locate the nonexistent fire.

“Cubbie, remind me never to trust your plans again”, said resignedly as watched his friend seem pleased to see the success of his great idea.

***

While she was focused on waiting for the right moment to infiltrate, looked up at the ceiling in pure disbelief as a relentless downpour from the sprinklers soaked her completely and the blaring sound of the alarm pounded against her sensitive ears.

Was this their damn distraction plan!? What happened to the whole USB idea!?

As stupid as it may have been, it actually worked. Because right through the door she had been keeping her eyes on, the very annoyed principal stepped out. The moment she entered the hallway, she too was drenched by the water—Although that was clearly what irritated him the least.

It didn’t take long for Petunia to see Miss Grace walk off down the opposite corridor, evidently going to investigate the source of the chaos, as was her duty. Once she was out of sight, the time to strike had arrived.

Petunia rushed toward her target and locked herself inside, relieved to find there were no sprinklers in the room. The office had a minimalist design—just what was necessary to carry out her duties.

A desk, shelves, file drawers, a monitor, a chair comfortable enough to prevent early arthritis, and so on. But the most striking element by far was a display case in one corner, where a mannequin proudly showcased a dark green U.S. Army uniform—presumably worn by Miss Grace during her service.

Petunia had to admit that with that uniform on, Miss Grace could probably silence even the most talkative executive. And if she was strict now, she couldn’t imagine what she must’ve been like barking orders at her squad of rookies.

Shook her head—It wasn't the time to imagine someone else's exploits when she herself had her own war to fight.

She rummaged through the drawers, but they held only paperwork and irrelevant items. So the filing cabinets were her next target. Tried not to be careless, carefully putting back every document examined.

Once again, her search didn’t yield what was looking for. All she found were files on her fellow students—tempting for a bit of snooping, but ultimately useless as evidence.

The only thing left to check was the computer, which of course would be protected by some ridiculous password standing between her and the juicy info she was after.

But thinking about it, she doubted Miss Grace—given her age—would’ve picked a difficult password. It was probably something easy to remember.

With nothing to lose, powered on the computer, and the screen lit up, asking for the password. She thought for a few seconds about what to try—maybe her birthday, or her full name?

“Come on... What password would you pick if you were an evil old who’s an accomplice to infanticide?” she muttered to herself. Went with the most basic option… and her eyes lit up with excitement as she typed 1234 into the input bar and was accepted.

“Aha! In your face, you fossilized witch!”

But her expression quickly shifted from joy to bitterness when, after digging through the files extensively, she found nothing relevant. Just more documents about finances and other administrative crap.

Whatever valuable information Miss Grace kept on her computer was probably encrypted—and Petunia didn’t have the time to randomly hit keys and play hacker. That was more Kevin’s territory.

Frustrated and furious, she slammed her fist hard against the desk. Didn’t care about the noise it made; the alarm was still blaring outside, so could afford to be a little loud.

Just as she was about to give up, she noticed something strange—the wood she’d hit had moved. Curious, she reached back to the corner of the desk and instantly realized could lift the panel.

When removed the cover, it revealed a small hidden compartment built into the desk. Inside it were a series of brown envelopes, each one labeled with a date and year written in red marker.

Jackpot!.

Without wasting a second, pulled out the entire stash and opened the envelope labeled with the current year. Her eyes widened in a mix of surprise and confusion at what found inside.

But before she could read any further, the phone in her pocket buzzed with a new message—none other than Kevin. And it wasn’t something could afford to ignore.

Kevin📚:
• Hey, you’d better hurry up. Cubbie’s buying us time, but I don’t think it’ll last much longer.

He was right. She’d already spent more time there than should have. She had to finish up before Miss Grace got the idea to come back and caught her snooping.

She wouldn’t even know where to begin explaining if that happened.

With that in mind, she started taking photos of everything she could, opening envelope after envelope and capturing the contents with her friend’s phone. Asw orked through the files, couldn't help but wonder what her partners-in-crime were up to at that very moment.

***

In the library, not far from the principal’s office, an emotional yet frustrating scene was unfolding, depending on the observer.

“Don’t be scared, little one, everything will be fine. Just jump into my arms, I’ll catch you”, said Miss Sasha, holding her arms out toward the feline student who had gotten himself stuck at the top of one of the tall bookshelves.

Cubbie, taking advantage of the chaos that had been stirred up earlier, had climbed up—assisted by Kevin—to one of the highest shelves. He could easily come down on his own at any moment thanks to his natural feline grace and ability to always land on his feet, but the longer it took them to get him down, the more time he was buying for his friend to finish her infiltration.

Afterward, Kevin went to find a teacher to ``help´´ get his friend down. He just happened to run into Miss Sasha—followed by Miss Grace and Miss Circle—who had already deactivated both the alarm and the sprinklers.

“Trust Miss Sasha, just come down slowly using the shelves for support”, Miss Grace ordered from below, addressing the student who still hadn’t budged from his high perch.

Cubbie tried to comply, but quickly shook his head, refusing to come down as he pretended to be terrified of the height.

Miss Grace let out a tired sigh, beginning to find the situation increasingly irritating. She turned to the other student, who watched his friend with his usual unreadable expression, and decided maybe he could talk some sense into the cat.

“Kevin, would you mind trying to talk to your friend?” the principal’s voice prompted Kevin to shift his focus to the woman beside him.

The boy simply shrugged, looking resigned. “I already tried, but as you can see, it didn’t do much.”

At that response, Miss Grace raised an eyebrow. “Really? I thought you’d be more persuasive, considering you know him better than anyone. But I suppose I’ve been overestimating you all this time.”

Naturally, Kevin tensed up, visibly offended. If there was one thing that really got under his skin, it was someone questioning his abilities.

“I don’t see you doing much to fix this either,” he snapped, gesturing with his thumb at his friend, who was still perched at the top while Miss Sasha continued offering kind encouragement.

Far from being offended by the student’s remark, the principal simply shot him a stern look. “Believe me, after all my years of dealing with children, I know perfectly well that boy won’t come down unless someone he trusts tells him to”, Miss Grace turned her eyes back to the scene, now focused on the feline. “Though I suppose I'll have to call his parents to convince him since clearly, you're incapable of doing that.”

Her words hit the mark, as Kevin’s eyelid twitched involuntarily—a nervous tic betraying his irritation at the constant provocations he was falling for, thanks to his own ego.

“That won’t be necessary”, said the increasingly annoyed boy in a low, pretentious voice. “Leave it to me. We’ll waste less time that way.”

“Oh? Weren’t you the one who already tried talking to him and failed?” Miss Grace asked, just to pour a little more fuel on the fire.

Kevin responded defensively, clearly annoyed. “I wasn’t really trying. I was hoping you adults might take some responsibility for your students’ safety. But I see I’ll have to step up my efforts.”

Having finished his little monologue, cleverly disguised as a critique of faculty inefficiency, Miss Grace silently observed as the boy walked over to where his friend needed him. She couldn’t help but let a small, smug smile form on her lips.

Everyone has a weakness—and if you knew how to exploit it, they’d practically do whatever you wanted.

Kevin arrived at the scene and looked up at his friend, who was still perched high above, staring down at him with a puzzled expression, unsure why Kevin looked so serious all of a sudden.

“Hey, Cubbie, quit messing around and come down already,” he said, pointing to the ground at his feet to emphasize his point. “Come on, at least do it for me.”

Cubbie’s gaze shifted into one of uncertainty, not entirely sure if his friend was being serious or just acting to avoid suspicion. But trusting his instincts and sticking to the plan they’d come up with, he shook his head again and didn’t move an inch.

That only made Kevin look even more anxious. He was tempted to climb up there and drag his friend down by the ear himself. From the corner of his eye, noticed Miss Grace still watching him, unmoving, her sharp gaze dissecting his every move.

Refusing to give her the satisfaction of being right, Kevin tried a new angle. “Look, just come down and we’ll go get ice cream. My treat. Sound good?”

Despite the friendly smile that accompanied the offer, it still wasn’t enough to change the feline’s mind. Kevin began to slowly lose his patience. “Cubbie, could you please just come down? We don’t have all day to—”

Both Kevin and Cubbie froze as the bookshelf the latter stood on suddenly wobbled from side to side. Glancing behind him, the feline spotted Miss Circle—who had remained in the background while Miss Sasha’s attempts to coax him down had failed—now shaking violently the shelf in an effort to knock him down from the top.

“If you won’t listen the nice way, maybe you’ll get the message the hard way, you little furball”, growled Miss Circle, having lost all patience with how slow this whole scene was playing out.

Cubbie tried to cling to the edges with all his strength to avoid being knocked down, which only made the math teacher even angrier. Without hesitation, she shook the structure more violently. Eventually, Cubbie couldn’t keep his balance and stumbled toward the edge, plummeting straight to the ground… only to be caught—thankfully—by Miss Sasha before he could get hurt.

“I caught you!” the art teacher exclaimed happily, cradling the student in her arms as if he were a baby. She shot a reproachful glare toward the other teacher on the opposite side of the shelf, clearly disapproving of her brute-force approach.

By contrast, Miss Circle smiled back with ironic amusement from the other side. “What’s with that look? He’s down, isn’t he? Mission accomplished.”

“You’re lucky I reacted in time or he could’ve gotten hurt”, Miss Sasha replied in a protective tone, hugging the student tighter to her chest like a pirate holding a treasure chest.

Miss Circle’s expression turned exasperated, not understanding—or rather, not caring about—her colleague’s very justified concerns. “Oh, get over it. He doesn’t even have a scratch on him. Honestly, I think you should be thanking me for having that much faith in your reflexes”, she argued vaguely, without a shred of remorse.

As the two women continued bickering, Kevin sighed wearily. He didn’t approve of Miss Circle’s methods either, but he mentally thanked Miss Sasha for the successful catch. All that was left now was to keep distracting Miss Grace for the remaining time so that...

As he turned to look for the headmistress, saw she was already walking through the library doors, making her exit. With the matter of the student “trapped” resolved, she must have figured her presence was no longer needed and there was only one place she would return to after all the commotion:

Her office.

“Damn it…” he muttered as began to follow Miss Grace, determined to prevent her from walking into an unexpected surprise once arrived.

Cubbie, watching his friend and the headmistress move away, tried to follow them too. But since was still imprisoned in Miss Sasha’s arms, he couldn’t break free as the teacher turned and, like the others, exited the library in the opposite direction from where he actually wanted to go.

“Poor thing”, said Miss Sasha in a motherly tone as she looked down at the student in her arms. “You must’ve been so scared up there. But don’t worry anymore, I’m taking you to the nurse’s office so they can give you a lollipop, okay?”

Unable to object with words—not because he was mute, but simply because he only spoke when absolutely necessary—he tried to squirm free. However, his caretaker misinterpreted the gesture.

“It’s alright, little one. I know you’re still a bit anxious. But I promise, it’s all over now. You’re safe with me”, she said with a sweet smile, holding him even tighter.

With their next stop already decided, he had no choice but to travel in his rescuer’s arms all the way to the infirmary, silently hoping that his friends would have more luck than him in finishing their current mission.

***

With her task complete, Petunia put everything back in its place. She replaced the wooden cover and returned the envelopes to the hidden compartment, making sure to photograph everything she’d found before doing so.

There were still things that didn’t quite add up in her mind regarding the information she had uncovered. The only certainty was that her mission to bring the wrongdoers to justice now extended far beyond what had originally anticipated.

She would be able to discuss it more thoroughly with her friends later, once showed them what she’d found.

Turned her gaze toward the door—her only way out of the windowless room—and quickly moved to begin her successful escape. But she stopped midway when her friend’s phone, still in her hand, began to vibrate, signaling an incoming call.

Just as was about to leave, Kevin was calling. She didn’t hesitate to bring the phone to her ear to find out what he had to tell her.

What she didn’t expect was the low but urgent tone in his voice. “Hey, are you still in the principal’s office?”

Petunia, already starting to feel anxious from spending too much time in that room, answered with equal seriousness. “Yeah, I’ve got everything, and I’m about to leave.” But just as reached out to grab the doorknob, Kevin’s voice came through the speaker again—this time, even more alarmed.

“Don’t go out!” he warned frantically, causing the girl to stagger in place from the sudden outburst barely had time to process.

“What happened—?”

“Miss Grace is in the hallway, right in front of her office.” That statement made Petunia freeze on the spot.

Sure enough, she could already hear footsteps coming from the corridor on the other side of the door. And as if that weren’t already the worst possible scenario, saw the silhouette of the principal through the frosted glass of the door.

She was about to come in… FuckFuckFuckFuckFuckFuckFuck!

While Petunia stood paralyzed, on the other side Miss Grace reached for the doorknob, just about to enter—until a voice called out to her, almost desperately.

“Miss Grace, wait a moment!”

Turning around, she saw Kevin speaking to her pleadingly. It was something that surprised the principal, as she didn’t expect such strange behavior from the usually sharp-minded student.

The woman’s silence only encouraged the bespectacled boy to keep talking. “It’s just that… I wanted to take the chance, now that we’re alone, to ask you… about Lizzy.”

Even though Miss Grace’s face remained as stoic as ever. Kevin could easily spot the change in her eyes, grew sharper at the mention of the girl.

“I’m listening”, she replied, now giving him her full attention.

Perfect. He had her right where wanted. Now all he had to do was come up with any excuse to lead Miss Grace away so Petunia could have the chance to escape.

“Well, it’s just that since Friday, my friends and I haven’t heard anything from her. So I wanted to know if…” he began, regaining his composure from earlier. But his words trailed off when, behind Miss Grace, the door behind her began to slowly and carefully open. Petunia’s head peeked out little by little as she tried to make as little noise as possible.

What was she doing!? She was supposed to stay inside while he kept Miss Grace busy!

What nerdy boy didn’t know was that, now that the principal was distracted talking to him, Petunia had snapped out of her daze and decided—trusting her instincts—that it was best to sneak out while Miss Grace’s back was turned to both her and the door.

There was no guarantee the older woman wouldn’t decide to go in anyway, so while her plan was risky, it could work… depending on how well Kevin managed to keep her attention.

And Petunia had full faith in her friend.

Back outside the office, Kevin glanced sideways at his friend with a mix of disbelief and irritation. First Cubbie, and now Petunia had also come up with a stupid—and above all, overly bold—plan.

He wanted to tell her to go back inside, but it was already too late. Miss Grace was starting to frown with impatience, waiting for the student to continue speaking. He had no choice but to resume the conversation.

“U-Uh… yeah, I just wanted to know if you were aware of her disappearance. It’s been a few days since we last heard from her.”

Miss Grace remained impassive, unaffected by the news. “I’m aware. Her parents have already informed the authorities, although unfortunately, her whereabouts are still unknown”, she said, her words laced with false compassion—something that only made Petunia feel even sicker as silently slipped farther out.

“Really? There should be some kind of lead. A witness who saw where she went, or maybe the school’s security cameras. I find it hard to believe there’s nothing to go on”, the boy argued, trying to see how his principal would defend herself against the indirect accusation.

However, Miss Grace responded calmly, as if she already had the answers prepared ahead of time. “I understand you’re worried about your friend, but I assure you everything possible is being done to find her. Also, the surveillance cameras have been under maintenance for a week now. I’ve already scheduled a technician to come and fix them as soon as possible.”

There wasn’t a hint of dishonesty in her voice, and that frustrated Kevin even more. He couldn’t find a single crack in her explanation—something that would help him confirm the idea that the principal was hiding something behind the scenes.

By now, Petunia had gotten half her body out while Kevin kept stalling. “What about the street cameras?”

Miss Grace just shrugged with resignation. “From what I’ve heard, they didn’t capture anything useful either. Though if you ask me, I also think the police could be doing a better job.”

Just a little more and Petunia would be free...

Kevin sighed, pretending to be frustrated. “Maybe my family will hire a private investigator. It could really help.”

“You’d be wasting your time and money”, replied, a hint of danger in her voice. “There’s no point if there’s not even a lead to follow. It’s harsh, but I suggest you move on with your life.”

Petunia held back the urge to throw a punch at the woman standing with her back to her. Every word that came out of Miss Grace’s mouth only made her already towering contempt for the principal grow even more. She swallowed the woman’s excuses in silence, brimming with helplessness.

“I don’t need your advice. I know how to deal with this on my own”, he replied, not realizing the hostility in his tone.

Miss Grace’s expression hardened. “I only want what’s best for you, and from what I’m hearing, you’re being quite foolish for someone with your intellect.”

The conversation was slowly turning more confrontational as both exchanged passive-aggressive comments. Until… finally!

Now outside, Petunia closed the door slowly behind her as she slipped through. Silently thanked whatever deity might be listening that the hinges were well-oiled and didn’t make a sound.

Step one complete. All that was left was to tiptoe away and disappear around the corner.

As the bunny girl entered stealth mode, she continued to hear the argument behind her. “I understand your concern to some degree, but I doubt sitting around doing nothing will help either”, said the boy with glasses.

“Listen, I know you think you can handle this on your own, and…” Miss Grace suddenly paused, seeming to reflect on something she had just remembered. “How odd.”

Kevin raised an eyebrow. “What is odd?”

“Petunia.” Hearing her name made the bunny girl freeze in place once again. Afraid had been caught, she glanced over her shoulder with a resigned expression. But contrary to her fears, Miss Grace never took her eyes off Kevin as she kept talking. “I haven’t seen her. She’s always with you all, and I didn’t even see her in the library helping your friend earlier.”

Knowing couldn’t mess up now that Petunia was so close to getting away, Kevin quickly made up an excuse for her.

“She left when the sprinklers started tormenting us. By the way, do you know what caused that?” He already knew the answer to that question. The only reason he asked was to make sure they weren’t the prime suspects.

Miss Grace sighed with irritation at the memory of the earlier events, already having the culprits in mind. “If I had to guess, it was probably Oliver and his friends. I’ll have to call them to my office before I forget.”

“Why don’t you expel them? They’ve already proven they only cause trouble”, asked with genuine curiosity. Everyone knew how much that trio of bullies would do just to annoy others.

“It’s not as simple as it seems”, she replied, offering no further details, leaving Kevin even more intrigued about the true nature of his principal. Unfortunately, just as was about to dig a little deeper into the subject, the woman turned around and placed a hand on the doorknob with a clear intention. “In any case, I have to get back to my responsibilities. It was a… pleasure talking to you.”

Her final words carried a hint of suspicion that Kevin couldn’t quite decipher. “Likewise, thank you for giving me some of your time”, With nothing more to say, he watched as his principal stepped inside her office. Glancing around, he sighed in relief upon confirming that Petunia was nowhere in sight.

Good thing everything had gone more or less well and his friend had managed to escape, because this whole situation was already draining both the physical and mental energy of our nerd.

Now it was time to see what kind of information his friend had been able to gather.

***

Outside, in the school’s parking lot, patiently waiting for her friends to arrive, was Petunia. Leaning against a wall, stared distractedly at the sky, counting the seconds with growing impatience.

It had already been a few minutes since she’d successfully escaped, and now all that remained was for her partners to join her so could share her findings.

Fortunately, he didn't have to wait much longer, as from his spot he saw Kevin and Cubbie arrive at the same time, the latter holding a colorful lollipop in each hand and another in his mouth. Courtesy of his previous visit to the infirmary.

Once they were close enough, Petunia didn’t hesitate to approach and greet them. “Guys, you have to see what I found. It’s weird as hell and—”

Before she could finish her sentence, Kevin raised a hand in her direction, silently asking for a moment to speak.

Once granted, he took a deep breath and exhaled slowly before speaking. “First of all, I’d like to clarify something.”

Petunia nodded, prompting Kevin to continue, now visibly more irritated. “Could they tell me what you two were thinking when you did those stupid things?”

Petunia looked confused, just like Cubbie. “What are you talking about?”

Kevin brought a palm to his face, unable to believe how foolishness his friends were. “The sprinklers”, said, pointing at Cubbie first, then turning toward Petunia. “And you... risking going out when Miss Grace was right outside!”

Both the feline and the bunny reacted with a mix of embarrassment and offense, with Petunia stepping in to defend them both. “Well, I don’t know what happened while you guys were doing your part, but I’m sure Cubbie had a really good reason for what he did.”

To reinforce the point, Cubbie nodded vigorously. Combined with his bright anime-like eyes it was impossible to question his heartfelt conviction about the idea of causing rain.

Unable to argue with that, Kevin turned his gaze to his other friend. “And your reasons?”

Petunia crossed her arms, seemingly confident in her previous decision. “It was way riskier to stay inside, so I don’t think I made a mistake by sneaking out while I had the chance.”

Her response only frustrated Kevin further, who pinched his forehead and shook his head. “Did you not think Miss Grace could turn around at any moment for any reason outside our control and catch you snooping through her office, and then realize I was only there to distract her?”

When Petunia opened her mouth to protest, she didn’t know what to say. So she closed it again and looked down at the ground.

Put that way, her plan really had been pretty stupid.

“O-Okay, I’m sorry. I got a little carried away, and yeah... I almost messed everything up”, admitted reluctantly, hating the fact that she was being scolded like this.

“Look, if we’re going to keep doing all this, you need to start taking it seriously. Same goes for you”, added, turning to Cubbie, who met Kevin’s gaze and nodded begrudgingly, just as resigned as Petunia.

However, Petunia didn't entirely agree with friend words and made sure to let her know. “Of course I take this seriously. The original plan didn’t account for something like this, and I managed to adapt thanks to your help. In a way, we both did a good job.”

Even if Petunia’s argument made some sense, it wasn’t enough to change Kevin’s mind. “It also didn’t account for what happens if we get caught, which means we either succeed or we fail. There’s no middle ground. And your ‘plan’ had way more chances of failure than you think.”

Petunia placed her hands on her hips, wearing a defiant expression. “Hey, we’re a team, aren’t we? We’re supposed to have each other’s backs. But all you ever do is criticize my decisions. By the way, where’s that ‘super flash drive’ you bragged so much about, huh?”, added with pointed sarcasm.

“Miss Bloomie almost caught us installing the virus. So, much to my regret, we had to improvise”, said Kevin in a way that, admittedly, could sound a little hypocritical. Something Petunia wouldn’t let slide.

“Oh, really?”, said with feigned surprise. “So I guess Cubbie’s idea doesn’t sound so stupid now? From what I saw, it worked pretty well.”

Kevin was starting to lose his patience with all the back-and-forth between them. It was already stressful enough to be tangled up in things he had no business getting involved in—he didn’t need his judgment questioned on top of that.

“Believe me, I could name at least ten reasons why triggering the sprinklers was one of the worst possible decisions.”

Still eager to throw more fuel on the fire, Petunia kept doubting her friend’s claims. “Yes, I can just picture the mental list floating around in your head, full of overly specific details. Don’t waste your time explaining.”

That was the last straw for Kevin, who didn’t hesitate to respond—this time with the intent to end the argument decisively. “For starters—”

But he didn’t expect his supposed winning point to be cut short when Cubbie, fed up with the escalating argument, forcefully shoved one of his lollipops into Kevin’s mouth, silencing him instantly.

Though still annoyed, Petunia couldn’t hold back a laugh at Kevin’s misfortune. Big mistake. The moment she opened her mouth, she suffered the same fate—demonstrating that Cubbie was completely impartial when it came to dishing out punishment to both bickerers.

Both Kevin and Petunia turned to look at Cubbie, who shot them a disapproving glare. If there was one thing the feline couldn’t stand, it was pointless arguments. Surprisingly, it worked. The silence helped cool down the tension between them.

Petunia slowly pulled the candy out of her mouth and turned toward Kevin while reflecting on their earlier conversation. She knew both of them were right about certain things—it was easier to recognize her mistakes during this temporary truce. So, with her head bowed, she was the first to apologize, dragging a trace of sadness with each word.

“...I’m sorry about all that. I’m still getting used to Lizzy not being here. It’s weird, just being the three of us now, and… I still have a hard time accepting that she’s not around to help me keep my temper in check.”

Cubbie looked at his friend with sympathy. He understood exactly how she must be feeling in the wake of Lizzy’s death. Still had to come to terms with the loss himself—and given how close Petunia had been with her, it was clear her pain far exceeded that of the rest of the group.

Just like the feline boy, Kevin softened his expression. He still held a certain firmness in his face—being the most emotionally resilient of the three—but now there was a subtle hint of empathy in his features, something wasn’t used to showing for anyone.

With his usual calm demeanor, Cubbie stepped closer to Petunia and took one of her hands in his, squeezing it gently as a gesture of support. It was the least he could do after she had offered him a shoulder to cry on just a few days ago in the storage room. The bunny girl acknowledged the gesture with a solemn nod.

Kevin also stepped forward, positioning himself in front of her. “I admit I wasn’t entirely fair”, confessed, catching Petunia’s attention—she hadn’t expected the egotistical boy to acknowledge his own faults. “Even though I’m still not totally on board with your crazy ideas, I have to say you both did a better job than I expected.”

Petunia let out a dry laugh, knowing her friend well enough to recognize that he had done his best to express an apology. This was Kevin, after all—and for him to admit that someone besides himself deserved praise was a small gesture she truly appreciated.

“Nice to hear,” she smiled at him, followed by Cubbie, whose face lit up with satisfaction at seeing his two friends make peace again.

With no more arguments to get in the way, Kevin moved on to the matter that had brought them together in the first place. “So, what did you find in there?”

Petunia’s expression turned serious. She stepped slightly away from her feline friend and pulled the borrowed phone from her pocket. Opening it, went straight to the gallery and held the device up so the three of them could clearly see the pictures she had taken.

Cubbie recoiled at what he saw, gripping Kevin's shoulders as he squinted, studying the image with a mixture of reflection and bewilderment.

Petunia, on her end, stared firmly at the phone screen, showing the large number of brown envelopes marked with red ink, each labeled with dates, that she had found in Miss Grace’s office.

But what really sparked the group’s varied reactions was one particular phot that revealed the contents of those envelopes. Inside were lists of names formatted as official documents. Among them was Lizzy’s name, written on a document dated with the very day they were living.

And the heading of those lists read, in bold letters:

MONTHLY SACRIFICES

Chapter Text

Once the sprinklers stopped working, there was no longer any reason to keep hiding from the relentless rain that had caused chaos throughout the school just moments ago. The only good thing about the situation was watching the rest of the students scatter like headless chickens, which earned more than a few laughs from the group of bullies who had taken shelter under their desks.

Zip peeked out from her hiding spot and gave her friends the all-clear. Like her, they stepped out one by one and followed her into the hallway.

Edward wiped the moisture off his glasses with the hem of his shirt, letting his breath fog them up briefly before polishing them with his elbow and placing them back on his face.

Oliver, on the other hand, shook his head vigorously, flinging his long hair side to side like a dog fresh out of the shower, scattering droplets of water everywhere. This forced Edward to clean his glasses all over again.

“Hey, if you keep doing that, I’m putting a leash on you”, Edward warned irritably. Oliver didn’t even seem to notice the mess and simply grinned shamelessly.

“I didn’t know you were into that kind of fun~”, he said in a teasing tone, earning a murderous glare from Edward.

“Don’t even start with your sadomasochistic fetishes”, the scientist grumbled, in no mood to entertain the sick ideas already swirling in Oliver’s mind.

“Come on, don’t be like that, bro”, Oliver insisted, noticing how uncomfortable the topic made his friend. “I’ve got a toy that’s kind of like a whip, but instead of a leash, it has fifty… and it’s made of steel~. You’d love it.”

Edward's face twisted into a grimace of extreme revulsion, instinctively rubbing his back. Luckily, Zip stepped in between them to rescue him.

“Alright, save your unresolved kinks for later”, the girl said with a smug grin, clearly amused by how flustered Edward was becoming. “Got any ideas for how to kill time? I’m so boooooored.”

Oliver brought a hand to his chin, thinking. “Man, there’s barely anyone left to mess with around here... oh well, guess I’ll go check on my beautiful princess.” A goofy little smile began to form on his face, and his eyes sparkled with longing.

Just the thought of spending time alone with his beloved girlfriend always triggered the same lovestruck reaction in him—as if it were the first time their eyes had met. It was an intoxicating feeling, and the longer his mind drifted into anything related to Δlice, the more detached he became from the world around him.

Both Zip and Edward let out a dramatic sigh, fully aware of their friend’s obsession with a certain goth-looking girl. “Again? Dude, that woman is draining your soul. You should spend more time with us so we can detox you,” said Edward, slinging an arm around Zip’s shoulders.

Oliver’s gaze returned from his daydream to reality, observing his two friends smiling at him with complicity. “But my girl is probably even more eager than I am to spend some time together”, Oliver countered, unwilling to change his mind.

“The girls need a little alone time now and then away from their boyfriends to start missing them. Trust me, I know what I’m talking about”, Zip said, her words carrying more weight as the only girl in the group.

“You don’t even have a boyfrie—Ow!” Edward’s objection was immediately silenced by a sharp elbow to the stomach, courtesy of Zip, who kept her gaze locked on Oliver, her smile unwavering.

Oliver hesitated for a moment but eventually gave in, knowing how persistent Zip could be when she wanted to convince someone. “Fine. I’m in for your dumb ideas. Just hope it’s worth it.”

Edward, still recovering from the treacherous attack, nodded in sync with Zip. Now they just had to decide what to do with the rest of the day. Maybe they could wander the area looking for a student to mess with—or head to the veteran’s home and set off firecrackers to reignite their war trauma.

That last one was just as entertaining as you might imagine.

“Oh, I got it!” Zip exclaimed, her eyes lighting up with excitement—and a hint of malice. “Let’s fill a bucket with spiders and leave it above Mister Demi’s classroom door!”

“Any reason it has to be Mister Demi’s classroom specifically?” Oliver asked, starting to enjoy the idea more and more.

Zip’s grin widened. “So we can scare both the idiot who opens the door and Mister Demi himself.”

The trio exchanged glances for a moment before nodding in unison. They didn’t need further instructions to spring into action—moving like a hive mind acting as a single entity. It wasn’t the most chaotic thing they could come up with—especially not Oliver, whose twisted imagination was capable of dreaming up far crueler pranks that skirted the edge of extreme.

Edward made sure to check the chosen classroom, finding it completely empty. A few minutes later, Oliver joined him, carrying a large bucket, with Zip walking just behind him.

The girl peeked into the bottom of the bucket and dropped in the contents of a plastic bag she was holding—filled with a bunch of toy spiders. Just to be safe, she poured in two more bags full of the same.

With the bucket now overflowing with the fuzzy little insects, Zip climbed onto Edward’s shoulders and carefully set the trap on the upper edge of the door, ready to spill its contents on whatever poor soul dared to enter.

The group exchanged high-fives as they admired their simple, but effective, prank. “Who do you think is gonna trigger it?” Edward asked Zip.

Zip chuckled under her breath. “Hopefully Claire~ It’d be so fun watching her flail around on the floor, trying to shake the little critters out of her hair.”

Oliver raised an eyebrow with a sly grin. “Are you trying to get her attention by bullying her because you're terrible at flirting?”

Zip’s cheeks turned a light shade of pink as she put on an angry expression. “Of course not! I just think it’s funny seeing that hateful face she makes every time we get on her nerves.”

Despite her declaration, her friends still had their doubts. It wasn’t the first time Zip got defensive whenever the topic came up, and she always insisted on denying whatever they were implying.

“I see, internalized homophobia,” Oliver said as he placed a hand on Zip’s shoulder and closed his eyes with a falsely understanding tone. “Don’t worry, Edward and I will be with you on the journey toward acceptance. We’ll share every hardship, every obstacle, every kiss with Claire—Ow!”

This time, it was Oliver’s stomach that received Zip’s punch, much stronger than the one before. If you listened closely, you could clearly hear the crunch of bone from the impact.

“Bunch of idiots”, Zip muttered, more flustered than before, her face now completely red.

“Hey! I didn’t even say anything!” Edward protested, hands raised in innocence.

"I know exactly what you're thinking, don’t test me", she warned, pointing first at one of her knuckles and then at Edward’s face. The scientist swallowed hard; the message was loud and clear.

A screeching noise suddenly caught the group’s attention. They turned toward the classroom door just in time to see it opening. The three troublemakers smiled in unison. Someone was about to fall for the trap in record time! The only thing Oliver regretted at that moment was not pulling out his phone fast enough to capture the memory.

Minor regrets aside, the unlucky victim who walked through the doorway to receive their well-earned prize was… Miss Grace.

As the door opened, the principal’s vision went dark when the bucket landed squarely on her head, completely covering her. She didn’t move afterward, remaining frozen in place under the group’s now-worried gazes.

There was nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. All they could do was hope the punishment wouldn’t be too harsh.

Slowly, Miss Grace raised her hands to either side of her head and removed the bucket, letting it fall to the ground at her feet. Her white hair was now decorated with dozens of plastic spiders—a sight that nearly made Edward burst into laughter, had it not been for the swift elbow Zip jabbed into his stomach to keep him from getting them into even deeper trouble.

“Hellooooo… Miss Grace”, Oliver greeted with a big, cheeky smile and a charming tone, all while the older woman’s glare grew increasingly furious. “Rough day, huh? Sprinklers and all. But don’t worry, we were just leaving… By the way, nice haircut. Did you go to the salon recently?”

“My office. All three of you. Now”, Miss Grace commanded with such firmness it left no room for negotiation. Her voice rose like that of a drill sergeant barking orders at new recruits. There would be no debate—only obedience.

Both Zip and Edward shrank where they stood, overwhelmed by the power behind the woman’s words—an authority they were well familiar with but could never quite get used to. The only one unaffected was Oliver himself, whose grin remained intact as he walked past the principal, followed by his two reluctant friends.

And just like that, in the blink of an eye, the trio found themselves in Miss Grace’s office, seated directly in front of her desk. Naturally, the situation had two of them noticeably tense, fully aware—unlike Oliver—of the kind of reprimand that awaited them for their little prank.

Zip swung her legs in front of her seat, unable to stay completely still. Edward fidgeted with his glasses, making tiny adjustments here and there. Oliver… was munching on paperclips from the desk like they were snacks.

Miss Grace was the last to arrive, taking her seat near the back of the room behind the wooden desk that stood between her and the students. Her hair was still covered in numerous dark, fuzzy specks. It didn’t take long before Oliver was the first to speak, clearly attempting to soften the heart of their merciless principal.

“Oh, Miss Grace. I swear this is all a big misunderstanding”, began the boy with an A+ written into his hair. “You see, my colleagues and I spotted that bucket full of spiders—we don’t know who put it there—and we were completely frozen because… we’re arachnophobic! So really, I should be thanking you for saving us! You’re a hero!”

Miss Grace didn’t blink once as she listened to the colorful version of events, her expression unreadable. Zip and Edward both facepalmed. Oliver was only making things worse with every word he uttered.

“Don’t listen to him,” said Zip with a forced smile, trying to salvage the situation. “It was just a harmless prank. I mean, you were young once too, right? Surely you pulled a few pranks yourself.”

“No”, Miss Grace said sharply.

“Little mischiefs?”

“Child, you know we only speak when strictly necessary, don’t you?” she asked seriously, clearly hoping Zip would take the hint.

“Of course! Why do you ask?” Whether Zip was being genuine or just playing dumb was impossible to tell. Miss Grace let out a weary sigh—something that had become routine these past few days—and rested her elbows on the desk, forming an arch by clasping her hands together.

The principal remained silent for a full minute, likely contemplating the trio’s punishment—or so they assumed. But what came next was quite the opposite.

At last, Miss Grace lowered her arms, clearly having come up with a plan to make the most of the situation.

“You three”, began the ex-sergeant, with a commanding air of her former glory still lingering in her words. “I’ve spared you the chore of cleaning the entire campus. In return, you’ll do me a favor.”

“Come on, Miss Grace. I’m sure we can come to some sort of mutually beneficial arrangem— What?” Edward cut himself off mid-negotiation. Was Miss Grace… letting them off the hook? That was, at the very least, completely unheard of coming from her. Especially since the principal was known for not giving second chances to anyone.

Oliver immediately blushed like a shy schoolgirl, turning his gaze away while placing a hand on his cheek. “M-Miss Grace... I didn’t know your nights were so lonely and cold. Luckily, my friend Edward is single and has no problem keeping your bed warm~”

“W-What?!” Edward’s initial confusion was written all over him. Then, as the implication dawned on him, he slowly turned toward Miss Grace, beads of sweat beginning to form on his forehead.

Miss Grace closed her eyes tightly and pinched the bridge of her nose. Sometimes, she was truly amazed by the depths of human stupidity. “That’s not the kind of favor I’m talking about.”

Edward sighed in relief, while Oliver’s face returned to its usual color, having thoroughly enjoyed embarrassing his friend. “What kind of favor are you referring to, then?” asked Zip, raising a curious eyebrow.

“I need you to keep an eye out for any unusual behavior from the other students. Especially from Kevin’s little group”, Miss Grace’s statement caught Zip off guard. It was a rather... strange request, but it didn’t seem particularly difficult.

“What’s this all about, if we may ask?” Zip’s curiosity got the better of her, with Oliver and Edward leaning forward in their seats, now fully attentive.

Miss Grace straightened her posture, her back firm and unyielding in the chair—impeccable. “I have a hunch they’re hiding something. I can’t give you more details. I’ll only say that this conversation must remain within these walls. Understood?”

Zip didn’t quite grasp why her two friends didn’t seem even slightly surprised by the deal Miss Grace was offering. Not that she really minded spying on some of their classmates—if anything, it gave her the perfect excuse to stalk the gorgeous Claire. She didn’t have many reasons to refuse.

“Hmmm... Do we have immunity to use any methods we deem necessary to gather information?” asked the reptile-tailed girl, as a final check of the terms and conditions.

Miss Grace narrowed her eyes slightly, already suspicious of the wicked ideas this trio could potentially unleash. “I never said anything about gathering information, only observing... but if you do find something worthwhile, I might reward you.”

“Deal!” exclaimed Zip with a grin.

“Say no more”, confirmed Edward, adjusting his glasses.

“Reward included? Just tell me where to sign~” concluded Oliver, raising his pencil-shaped arm while flashing his usual smug smile.

Miss Grace’s nod was the definitive seal on the agreement. “Good. I’m counting on you from now on... don’t disappoint me.” That final phrase echoed in the room with a weightier presence. Its meaning was lost on most of the group—except for one of them.

At the end of the meeting, Zip and Edward stood from their seats and headed for the door. The latter turned to look at Oliver, who hadn't moved from his spot. “Dude, what are you waiting for?”

Oliver didn’t even turn around. He kept his gaze fixed straight ahead, eyes locked on the principal. “Go on ahead, I’ll catch up with you in a moment.”

Edward exchanged a look with Zip, who merely shrugged, before the two of them left the office without asking further questions. Now it was just Oliver and Miss Grace, the two facing each other—one with a steely glare, the other with his ever-present smirk.

“What do you want?” asked Miss Grace after a moment, ensuring they were alone and couldn’t be overheard. Her tone had turned abruptly sharp, laced with distrust toward the boy before her.

Oliver chuckled under his breath. “Hey, what’s with the hostility? I haven’t even said anything bad yet,” he said, that mocking grin never leaving his face. “You’re nervous about Lizzy, aren’t you?”

Miss Grace wasn’t the least bit surprised that Oliver knew about what had happened to the girl. After all, he was also well-informed about the goings-on deep within the school.

“She’s just one of many things I’ve had to worry about these past few days”, she replied, picking off some of the plastic spiders still clinging to her white hair.

“By the way, where’d you dump the body?”

“Landfill”, was the only answer she gave. “Why do you ask?”

Oliver looked visibly disappointed, his expression twisting into a grimace of dissatisfaction. “Man, the least you could’ve done is leave it for me to treat my girl.”

Miss Grace scowled severely at the mention of the girl whose name irritated her to even think about. “We’ve got a loose end if you didn’t catch the point of the original deal. We had to get rid of the body quickly, so your girlfriend can go a little hungry for now. There are more pressing matters on the table.”

The thug let out a low, annoyed growl, only to quickly shake it off and return to his previous mocking demeanor. “I see, cleaning up after the mess your little pets made,” he said with a sardonic smile, much to the principal’s displeasure. “Seriously, you should consider hiring new staff—ones that are more efficient and a lot less... unpredictable than Miss Circle.”

With her hair now clean again, she had to admit the boy’s words made sense—no matter how she looked at it. But for some strange reason, one she couldn’t quite understand herself, there was a faint, nearly imperceptible feeling that surfaced every time she thought about the infamous trio of teachers.

Hatred? Contempt? Disgust?... Affection? No, that last one was impossible. Those three abominations, while competent at their jobs (more in murder than education), had always been a ticking time bomb in her eyes. She’d known one day they’d bring her trouble. The kind of stress that now crawled up her head and made her rub her forehead from the pain it caused.

Maybe she should have sent them back where they came from when she had the chance.

It took her a while to respond, distracted by memories of the past involving the teacher trio, but she eventually shook off the doubts and returned to the conversation. “They do their part, and that’s enough for me. You, on the other hand, tell me what it is you want from me. Now.”

Finally reaching the part that interested him most, Oliver propped his feet up on the desk, completely ignoring Miss Grace’s piercing stare, and placed his hands behind his head in a relaxed posture. “If you want my partners and me to do a good job… give me the Crown of Doom you stole from Δlice.”

Miss Grace instinctively glared daggers at him. How did he know she had it? She doubted anyone had told him. “When I found it, it belonged to no one. It was floating in that infinite darkness the moment I claimed it.”

Oliver raised a finger and wagged it, his red eyes now glowing faintly, the danger in his tone clearly rising. “You’re not wrong, Miss Grace~. Maybe everyone was asleep back then, but that doesn’t mean the tenants of that place didn’t notice it was missing. ‘THEYΔ’ want it back.”

Miss Grace clenched her fists beneath the table, suppressing the shudder that always came with the mention of... she didn't even dare think about such individuals. And now Oliver expected her to simply hand it over, just like that? Not even she knew the true destructive potential of that artifact, which was no more than a few feet from her position, hidden beneath one of the floor tiles in that same office.

She didn’t know what Oliver would do if the crown fell into his hands. Or worse, if it ended up in Δlice’s possession. No matter what threats the boy made, she would keep that crystal relic exactly where it was.

“The answer is no, Oliver”, Miss Grace said firmly. “And I’d rather not resort to more exhausting methods to remind you of your place in the hierarchy.” She met his gaze head-on, unwilling to be cowed by a mere thug who only pretended to wield more power than he truly had.

The two of them held each other’s gaze, waiting for the other to back down. But Miss Grace stood firm, and after a few tense seconds, Oliver’s expression shifted. The sinister gleam in his eyes faded, returning to its usual, natural red. “Alright, alright, maybe I went a bit overboard with the theatrics. You’re the boss after all”, he said, jumping up from his seat with a grin still plastered on his face. He turned around and headed for the door leading to the hallway.

Halfway there, Oliver suddenly stopped. He slowly turned his head to the side to glance back at the director over his shoulder; the sinister glow in his eyes flickering back as his smile took on a more manic edge.

“I promise you we’ll find your suspects... by whatever means come to mind”, Oliver said, each word laced with a barely contained laugh. As expected, Miss Grace didn’t flinch in the slightest at this display of the boy’s psychopathy.

With that, Oliver finally stepped through the door and disappeared from view, leaving her alone once more. Alone again, surrounded by the four walls of her office. Everything returned to how it always was.

She had so many things swirling around in her mind at that moment that none of them truly took form. Just a tangled mess of countless stressors. She had been dealing with the same problems for years, and now new difficulties piled on, preventing her from living her so-called “ideal” life—if it could even be called that.

She figured age had become a deciding factor in her growing unease. Every day she felt slower, more tired, stuck in the past. She touched her face and instantly recoiled at the feel of dry skin and wrinkles. She hated looking so weak, even after all her efforts to remain in good health and shape.

Whether she liked it or not, she was far too old to handle this situation on her own. So all she could do was place her trust in Miss Circle and her two accomplices, as well as in the youthful adaptability of the group of thugs, to get the job done.

And still... she didn’t trust Oliver. That boy was hiding his true intentions, not even bothering to pretend otherwise. Quite the contradiction, when you thought about it.

No matter. Once she got rid of the meddling witness (or witnesses, if her theory about them being a group turned out correct), she’d get rid of Oliver, too. And with that, no one would ever interfere in her affairs again. No one would make that kind of mistake ever again—she’d make sure of it.

Everything would return to normal.

***

“Monthly sacrifices...?” Kevin repeated in a whisper. If there were still any doubts in his mind about the truth behind Petunia’s conspiracy theories, it was now more than clear that something was happening behind the scenes at the school.

Something dark, no doubt.

Cubbie remained behind him, peeking over his shoulder and digging his claws into both of Kevin’s collarbones. Kevin could feel the lingering fear in his eyes as they scanned the evidence now displayed before the three of them.

Beside him, Petunia was seething with silent rage. She didn’t take her eyes off the screen, where Lizzy’s name appeared in the column for that same month—April. She could feel her veins swelling as she clenched one fist tightly, a thirst for justice once again surging through her chest and lodging itself deep in her heart.

“So this is what it’s all about?” she asked aloud, not expecting an answer. At that moment, Petunia had lost a small piece of her humanity. “Was Lizzy just another name on the list for them?”

Kevin turned his head to carefully observe his friend, whose growing instability was becoming increasingly apparent the longer she stared at the device. “This is... pretty revealing, no doubt”, he said, deliberately ignoring Petunia’s rising resentment to focus on the data—still shrouded in unanswered questions.

Seeing the girl lost in her thoughts and their other friend silently running through every possible theory, Cubbie moved, now clutching Petunia’s shoulders from behind. The sensation of his claws pricking her skin snapped her back to reality.

Petunia shared a brief look with Cubbie before nudging Kevin lightly in the side with her elbow. The boy instantly understood that his attention was needed and turned to face them again, more focused than ever, knowing it was time to speak.

“You think this counts as evidence?” Petunia was the first to ask. The answer, though obvious, still disheartened her.

“Unfortunately, we’d need something more concrete and less speculative. But it’s still a lead”, he confirmed what both had already suspected at first glance. “Is this all you were able to find?”

“There was also a computer. Obviously, there was nothing relevant in the files, but I suspect any juicy info is encrypted.”

Kevin nodded in agreement. If he’d been the one to search the office instead of Petunia, maybe he could have done more. Though given how little time they had, the outcome likely would’ve been the same. Plus, they’d need the digital key—something they didn’t have—and it was doubtful Miss Grace would’ve written it down for anyone to find.

Kevin adjusted his glasses, preparing to explain his idea. “If that’s the case, I could try using a brute-force attack to crack whatever’s hidden. To put it simply, it’s about guessing the correct string of characters by trying every possible combination.”

Petunia, even though her knowledge of computers was nonexistent, nodded anyway. “So basically, you throw in a bunch of random numbers and hope it works. Got it.”

The way the nerd looked at her made it clear he didn’t share her overly simplified view of the process. “It’s a bit more complex than that. It would still take me a while even with an external program, so distracting Miss Grace for just a short time won’t cut it,” Kevin said, ruling out the option of poking around the computer. There was just no way to keep the principal out of her office long enough for what they needed.

Petunia’s long ears twitched at the disappointing news. She had really hoped they could do more, but they barely had anything to work with. That computer had to contain what they were looking for. They were so close to finding the evidence on their own. They couldn’t let a small obstacle like that stop them—there had to be a way...

Suddenly, an idea—just as risky as the ones they had already pulled off that day—lit up like a lightbulb over her head. Her ears perked back up, and she clapped her fist into her palm. “I’ve got it!”

Behind her, Cubbie perked up at his friend’s hopeful declaration. And if it turned out to be the same idea he had in mind, he might need to get a DNA test with Petunia to make sure they weren’t siblings separated at birth.

Kevin, of course, grew suspicious at the sudden excitement from the two. If this was another one of their dumb ideas, he’d have to book a good therapist to help with the stress. “Please, tell me it’s not burning down the school. I’m begging you now, just as a personal favor.”

Petunia rolled her eyes at the desperate plea. It’s not like she’d actually thought about it... well, okay, she had, but the plan she now had in mind was different. “I promise it’s nothing like that”, she assured him, prompting a sigh of relief from Kevin.

“Thank you, for a moment I thought y—”

“We’ll break in at night and uncover all her secrets!” Petunia declared, her smile gleaming with confidence. At the same time, Cubbie jumped excitedly, seeming to grin. Yep, they had to be siblings.

Kevin opened his mouth to respond, but quickly gave up and shut it again. There was no point in arguing anymore. His mental exhaustion had caught up to him, and he wasn’t in the mood to start another debate.

“Why am I not surprised...?” Kevin muttered, offering no further resistance. Cubbie, noticing his friend’s discouragement, moved beside him and gave him a couple of pats on the back in consolation—prompting the glasses-wearing boy to let out a bitter groan.

Why did no one ever listen to him!? He was supposed to be the mastermind!

With the new plan now on the table and no objections raised, Petunia handed Cubbie’s phone back to him. He took it, sharing a knowing look with his friend. “Tomorrow night?” she asked Kevin, who simply shrugged.

“I’ll get a few things ready for tomorrow. Still, I expect you both to be properly prepared”, he said, giving them a stern look. If they were going to commit this illegal act, the least he expected was a bit of responsibility and planning.

Cubbie gave him a thumbs-up—his favorite way of responding to most situations. Wherever his friends needed him, whether it was for breaking and entering, or anything else for a good cause, he’d be there.

Petunia nodded with determination. All that really mattered to her was making those responsible for taking her friend away pay for what they’d done. And as she had already shown, she was willing to do whatever it took to make that happen. “No need to repeat yourself, captain. We’ll strike Miss Grace and her cultish cronies right where it hurts,” she added with a smug gesture, pointing finger guns with both hands.

The group exchanged glances as the sun warmed their faces overhead. And while they talked over the details of their next step in exposing the truth... none of them conscious of the red eyes that open in the darkness.

Behind a door that should never be opened.

Chapter Text

Tuesday? – ??? A.M.

A gentle breeze tickled the softness of Petunia's fur. The spring sun bathed her face with the pleasant warmth of the afternoon—blazing, but not enough to irritate her skin. A variety of trees stretched across the meadow, creating small pockets of shade where one could take an undisturbed nap at the foot of a trunk.

On a hill that wasn't too steep stood a massive tree, the sturdiest and strongest in sight, offering a perfect spot to settle down and enjoy an ideal picnic. And so, with the promise of serenity and tranquility whispered by the wind as it swept through the surroundings, the girl approached, leaving a trail of footprints across the grass on her way to the top, where a view of the horizon awaited her arrival.

She unfolded the blanket she had tucked under her arm, replacing the green surface of the grass with a red checkered pattern lined in white. As she sat down, she looked up toward her companion, who still hadn't caught up, and hurried her along. "Hey, Lizzy! I think I found the perfect spot. Hurry up and see for yourself!"

Lizzy, who had been enjoying the scenery with her eyes closed, opened them and turned her head toward her friend's voice. “Coming!” she called out, raising her voice above the sound of the wind before hurrying up the hill with a basket full of all sorts of snacks. "Wow... you're right, this is the spot. Nice work, Scout."

Leaning against the colossal trunk, Petunia crossed her legs, one hand shaped like a gun as she fired an imaginary bullet at her companion. “I know, I’m awesome. No need to remind me—it’s in my DNA.”

Lizzy’s smile widened as she took her time to observe the details of their surroundings—the blue of the sky, the green of the meadow stretching around them, the red of the blood staining her shirt. Instinctively, she breathed in the clean oxygen floating through the air, filling her lungs for another rush of life.

No classes, no noisy classmates. Today, it was just her and Petunia, enjoying a beautiful picnic afternoon together.

As she sat down on the blanket, she set the basket she was carrying between them. Its lid opened, and Lizzy began taking out its contents—several drinks along with all the necessary ingredients for making sandwiches.

While the ribbon-haired girl prepared the food, humming a cheerful tune, Petunia idly watched the clouds drifting above their heads. For some reason, the shapes of those fluffy atmospheric pillows felt familiar. She could make out one in particular—shaped like a triangle with two horizontal lines running through it.

That symbol seemed… familiar, even though she had never seen it before.

“Want one?” Lizzy’s voice pulled her out of her stupor. The girl, now only a few feet away, had approached without her noticing and was offering her a delicious-looking sandwich.

With a hungry look in her eyes, the rabbit girl took the offered snack and examined it closely. It had all the most appetizing ingredients available—cheese, ham, tomato, lettuce, brain matter, mayonnaise, and two slices of sandwich bread.

Delicious~

Taking a big bite of her sandwich, Petunia chewed eagerly on the combination of flavors, only to stop mid-bite and make a face of disgust as she tasted something spoiled. “The cheese isn’t expired, right?”

Lizzy frowned slightly, taking a more cautious bite of her own sandwich, though she didn’t show the same disgust her friend had. “Tastes fine to me. But I can make you another if you’d like.”

Petunia shook her head timidly. “Nah, leave it… I think I’ve lost my appetite anyway.”

Her distant gaze, along with the fading tone of her voice, was enough to squeeze Lizzy’s heart. Something was wrong—before, she had been brimming with confidence, but now there was a trace of discouragement in her demeanor.

“Pety… is something wrong? You seem distracted.” Lizzy’s gentle yet worried voice made Petunia lift her head to meet her friend’s gaze. It was true—countless thoughts of varying weight swirled in her restless mind, constantly clashing with one another.

It was useless to deny it. After years of shared memories and experiences, Lizzy could read her like an open book. And yet, avoiding the topic seemed so much easier in that moment.

“Just… thinking,” was all Petunia managed to reply—something that clearly wasn’t going to stop the person beside her from digging deeper in her attempt to get to the root of her doubts.

Lizzy let out a small chuckle, apparently amused by the excuse she had heard more than once before, while slowly shaking her head. She shifted, kneeling sideways, resting her hands on her knees without taking her eyes off the other girl. “Come on, lie down and tell your problems to your qualified therapist.”

Lizzy’s faint smile was like a blade cutting the air in Petunia’s lungs for a split second. Those lips, curving upward at each side, became magnets for her most intimate desires. Her eyes, reflecting nothing but love for her and her well-being, seemed to timidly venture into her soul.

All that was left was for her to accept the invitation and open the gates to whatever her heart had to say.

Add to that the chance to use her beloved’s thighs as a cozy pillow, and the offer to confess her insecurities became much more tempting.

Under Lizzy’s persistent urging, the anthropomorphic rabbit reluctantly moved from her spot. She began by crawling over, lying flat on her back on the blanket that served as a bed, and rested the nape of her neck between her friend’s knees, one of her ears brushing against the hem of the beautiful pink spring dress that fit Lizzy’s figure perfectly.

The instant her head touched the surface of Lizzy’s skin, Petunia felt the girl’s delicate hands come to rest around her face—one gently caressing the contour of her forehead while the other softly cupped her cheek.

The sensation of her touch made Petunia close her eyes as her body relaxed, a faint, low hum of satisfaction escaping her lips. When she opened her lashes again, she found herself once more wrapped in Lizzy’s warm, penetrating gaze—looking down at her like a goddess observing a mere mortal.

The words caught in her throat when she tried to speak, too focused on admiring the view before her eyes to say anything. For her part, Lizzy continued tracing imaginary lines along the fur on her face, patiently waiting for the girl beneath her to recover from her moment of fascination.

“S-Sorry, I spaced out a bit”, Petunia apologized nervously, feeling a blush creep up her cheeks before clearing her throat to begin. “Lately… it’s been hard. I mean, so many things are happening in such a short time, and I’ve barely had small moments to process it all.”

Lizzy nodded solemnly as she listened, giving the cheek she held in one hand a light squeeze to show she was paying attention. In response, Petunia continued explaining her situation, keeping her tone calm but tinged with a hint of uncertainty as she went on.

“It’s confusing, you know? Having all this pressure on your shoulders. With every eye fixed on you. One single mistake could be fatal, and even though I have no plans of giving up, I’m still trying to find a small sliver of hope in all the darkness surrounding me.” She paused, letting her gaze drift toward the green, life-filled field stretching endlessly into the horizon before returning her eyes to her friend’s and asking a question laden with desperation.

“But how am I supposed to find hope when I can’t even see the light at the end of the road myself?”

When she finished, Petunia once again felt that tightness in her chest—something that had become a recurring sensation in recent days. It reminded her of her own weakness. How insignificant she was compared to the threats that, sooner or later, she would have to face head-on.

When her friend finished her bleak statement, Lizzy also paused her caresses, locking eyes with Petunia in silence. For a few long seconds that felt eternal, she seemed to be deep in thought about the question she had been asked.

“Lizzy…?” Petunia prompted after her friend had remained quiet for what felt like far too long.

“I think I have the solution to your problems,” Lizzy finally said, snapping out of her thoughts, her voice still carrying the same sweetness that had been present in every word she’d spoken so far.

But just when Petunia thought she was about to receive some sort of comfort or reassuring words, her view of the world around her changed in an instant. She barely blinked, and in the fraction of a second her eyes were closed, the green grass that had covered every inch of the ground around them turned black, looking as though it had been devastated by fire. The sky, once a harmonious shade of blue, was now dyed an intense, blood-like red, and though she didn’t even have time to register it, the sun crumbled and died, becoming an enormous, lifeless black star.

The great tree that had once provided them with pleasant shade now had every leaf withered, its trunk shriveled and dead. The clouds had turned as dark as the sun, their shapes twisting into faces locked in eternal agony, while the same triangular symbols with two lines through them became far more frequent—now each one bearing a single eye staring down at the earth below.

And Lizzy—who just a blink ago had been smiling—had turned into something resembling a rotting corpse. Her dress was stained with blood, bones jutting out from beneath her skin, her cadaverous face crawling with worms, and her exposed, split-open skull was the sight that greeted Petunia when she opened her eyes.

Before she could even find the time to scream, Lizzy spoke again. Her voice, once full of life, now echoed in her ears with an otherworldly resonance, the kind that nearly stopped her heart when she realized it was an amalgamation of the voices of everyone she had ever known, spilling out of the mouth of the girl who might once have been more than a friend.

“Why don’t you just put a bullet in your head and join me, Pety~?”

“Aaaahhhh!” Petunia jolted upright in bed, completely terrified. She panted heavily, trembling with every desperate breath. She could feel sweat seeping from every inch of her body, as well as the tears welling up in her eyes, clouding her vision.

Quickly wiping her face with one arm, Petunia scanned her surroundings once more. There was no green meadow, no towering tree, no picnic blanket—only the bedsheets she was clutching so tightly.

As the initial panic slowly began to fade with the passing minutes, the rabbit girl pushed the blanket off herself and stumbled on unsteady feet toward her bedroom window, pulling the curtains open to gaze at the night sky bathed in the moon’s glow.

Once she had the final confirmation that she was truly back in reality, she closed the blinds again. Still carrying traces of her earlier anxiety in her features, she walked the few short steps to her desk and took a seat.

With a single motion, the light of her laptop flared to life, illuminating the darkness of her room and almost blinding her with its glare, burning into her reddened pupils. It was around 4 a.m., as she saw on the taskbar—something that drew a weary sigh from her lips.

She had suffered another nightmare, that much was obvious from the scream she’d let out upon waking—one that, thankfully, hadn’t roused her father from his deep sleep. But this had been the most horrific one yet.

Ever since she had begun her little detective adventure, not a single night had passed without her being tormented by dreadful nightmares—though until now, they had been nothing more than recreations of the moment she first opened the janitor’s closet and saw Lizzy’s fate for herself.

But this one wasn’t just different in many ways—it could also be interpreted as the decline her own mind was going through because of recent events.

Seeing Lizzy’s beautiful face once again, only to be replaced by the last memory she had of her, had to be the cruelest, most twisted joke her mind could have orchestrated.

Without realizing it, as if by mechanical reflex, she opened her laptop’s gallery, full of past events sealed by the camera’s lens, and the moment her hand moved the cursor to enter one of the folders, she immediately regretted the images now covering her line of sight.

The screen showed photos from the past, distant times when everything was brighter, less stormy than now, and above all, when she still saw a plausible future for herself.

Mostly they were selfies taken in different places with her friends, but as she scrolled down, she felt new tears starting to form beneath her eyes as Lizzy’s presence became more frequent in each picture.

Usually, it was just the two of them, except for those photos with the whole group, and she got to admire her smile once again. No matter where they were—whether a selfie in the school halls, sitting together on a park bench, shopping, at festivals, or any other situation they were in at those moments—there she was, wearing that magnetic smile Petunia had learned to adore fervently.

A part of her still clung to her naivety, unwilling to accept what had happened—that her friend, her soulmate, would never smile at her again. It wasn’t fair.

They had their whole lives ahead, so many dreams to fulfill, endless moments to share and later remember fondly...

She was so stupid.

Did she really believe she could have something like that? A peaceful life without tears, free from the emptiness that corroded every fiber of her being? Ha! That was the most childish thing she could have ever imagined.

And while she suffered, those responsible for taking away one of the people she loved most—whom she could now only visit in the midst of her nightmares—rejoiced in her agony. Mocking her with those disgusting smiles, waiting to claim Petunia as their next victim.

She hated them to death.

Just like her late friend, based on her findings from the previous day, many other children like Lizzy had also become victims at the hands of the killers the school called teachers. Some of the dates marked on the envelopes revealed that they had been carrying out their atrocities for at least more than a decade to satisfy the whims of whatever deity they worshipped.

Literally, the lists were titled "monthly sacrifices," so Petunia’s theory that Miss Grace was the leader of some satanic cult was the only plausible explanation for the death and mysteries surrounding the woman in green, who sat behind her desk within those four walls she called an office.

And if, for reasons beyond her understanding, it turned out that her theory was wrong, who was the bloodshed for?

That last part didn’t matter now; the only thing that left Petunia’s mind stunned was the fact that her principal had been taking the lives of her students every month for the past 10 years... that was a significant number of corpses that must be rotting in some nauseating hole, hidden somewhere in that same city.

With great effort, she forced herself to push away any thought related to her principal. Because if she kept digging into anything connected to the school and the monsters that inhabited it, she doubted she could contain her rage and might end up making too much noise.

And yet, she still felt some tears sliding down her cheeks that she hadn’t bothered to wipe away.

No matter how hard she tried to stay confident in front of her friends, inside she was nothing but a tangle of conflicting feelings. Where devastating sadness and destructive anger clashed every time Lizzy’s name crossed her mind, trying to dominate the other.

Although Petunia hated being caught in that internal conflict, the pain and helplessness she felt, she couldn’t afford to break down or give in to either of the two. She had already done that once in the storage room and it had been disastrous. Staying strong was the only thing preventing her spirit from collapsing.

Lizzy would have stayed strong; she always had a determination greater than Petunia’s.

Before she could continue wandering through her thoughts about her own strength, Petunia wobbled in her seat upon hearing a familiar voice coming from the other side of her bedroom door. “Uhh... sweetie, is everything okay in there?”

Apparently, her loud awakening earlier had indeed pulled her father out of his daydream, and if that wasn’t enough to make her feel guilty, now he had also gotten up at 4 in the morning to check that everything was alright... damn parents who actually care about their kids.

Immediately, Petunia turned off her laptop screen and, as fast as she could, slipped back under her blankets. “A-All is fine here! There’s absolutely nothing to worry about!” she shouted while settling back under her covers, covering her entire body except for her head.

As expected, Petunia waited for some sort of scolding from her father figure for making noise at such an hour. But, of course, the response she received was the last thing she wanted to hear in that situation. “And the scream I heard coming from this room, with the voice of my daughter, isn’t something to worry about?”

Again, damn good parents. Why did hers have to be so attentive and devoted!?

“Uhhh... Did I have a nightmare?” Petunia’s voice sounded muffled from the distance. Since when were her words tinged with such aching sadness?

At that moment, it didn’t really matter; she just wanted this conversation to end already.

The man, still patiently on the other side of the door, softened his expression as he understood what had happened. It almost reminded him of those times when his little daughter knocked on his bedroom door in the middle of the night because she’d had a nightmare.

But his daughter was no longer a little girl, no longer scared of thunder or monsters hiding under her bed. Much less a nightmare. So after a few moments of silence and without fearing rejection, he asked again.

“Can I come in? I mean, only if you want to talk about it.”

Sensing that whatever she said wouldn’t stop her father from coming in, and that refusing would only raise more suspicion because of her evasive behavior, Petunia sighed resignedly before answering. “It's okay, but only for a little while and then everyone goes back to their burrows.”

Upon that confirmation, the door knob turned, and behind it appeared a large brown-furred man who didn’t hesitate to enter the room, closing the door behind him.

His gaze settled on his daughter as he approached, immediately noticing the heavy dark circles that added even more worry to Gustavo over his daughter’s deteriorated appearance. “Daughter! What happened? Have you been crying?”

At first, Petunia didn’t understand her father’s sudden urgency. But after a few seconds with a confused expression, a growing feeling of panic appeared as she realized her own appearance must be, at the very least, unfavorable.

Her eyes were red from so much crying, her eyelids droopy and lacking their former beauty. Even her face, despite being covered by snow-white fur, looked pale, and her gaze seemed dull and distant from everything around her.

All these signs were alarming, and Petunia cursed herself inwardly for not realizing them sooner. She had to come up with an excuse! And fast!

“I-I... uhh... It’s nothing, just... j-just...”

Despite her best efforts to invent something, the words got stuck in her throat. Simply speaking was horribly difficult, because the truth behind her suffering, the decline of her former happiness, came to her every time she forced herself to remember what had happened.

But the most desperate part of all this was that, in front of her, stood the man who had seen her grow up, the one she knew she could count on for everything, except this.

Her father’s ignorance was one of the few things she felt relieved about, mixed with guilt.

Didn’t he deserve to know the truth too? Maybe she had rushed to remove him from the equation out of too much fear of what might happen? Because if there was something Petunia truly feared, far more than her pursuers, it was the uncertainty that covered the future with a thick fog.

Everything could change drastically due to one bad decision, a few wrong words, even circumstances beyond her control. There was simply too much to lose along the way, and as she and her friends ventured deeper into this point of no return, she seriously doubted there was any light at the end of the tunnel.

“Petunia...” Suddenly her father’s voice pulled her from her pessimism, as he grabbed the chair from her desk and brought it next to the bed, sitting down.

The older rabbit’s gaze locked with hers, not with harshness or suspicion, but with the love only a father could feel for his child and the sense of responsibility he carried in his role as guide.

Because if Petunia’s father could be labeled a stereotype, it would be as a man who lived for and by his family. Maybe he wasn’t the most qualified to give advice, but what he lacked in wisdom, he made up for in tenacity—and precisely now, when his daughter seemed lost in turbulent waters, it was no time to back down.

He had done so once before. Now it was time to dig a little deeper.

With the softest voice he could muster, Gustavo continued where he had left off. “You know I’ll always be here to talk about anything, right?” Upon his daughter’s resigned nod, he asked again, “So... do you want to tell me what’s going on?”

There it was, the question Petunia feared the most. The one that was basically the final blow to break down the emotional walls she had fought so hard to keep up— all because she wasn’t strong enough herself.

It was over, wasn’t it? Everything she had worked for until now would crumble because she wasn’t able to bear the weight on her shoulders, to deal with the guilt eating her up like red ants nibbling every inch of her body.

But, even though the consequences of her decisions had caught up with her, there was still a way out. No matter how small and risky, there was only one option to get through this while keeping her father out of it all.

However, the chances of it working could be counted on one hand. She could even hear Kevin’s voice in her head jabbering about how reckless it was.

She suppressed that annoying little voice and prepared to roll the dice again. In theory, each of her ideas had been risky, but she had always come out victorious in the end.

Tempt luck one more time? Here we go.

“I can’t...”, Petunia said when the silence between them had dragged on too long. Her tone was pleading, uncomfortable talking about a topic that threatened to make her shed more tears.

Obviously, her father frowned with greater concern. “Petunia—” but before the older rabbit could continue, Petunia’s voice rose over his, this time with more desperation.

“Dad, please, you have to trust me!” Silence once again took over the room as Petunia’s declaration stopped her father dead in his tracks, who was visibly stunned, not initially understanding those words.

Seizing her chance, Petunia spoke again, each word pouring out like a wild chorus.

“I know you want to know what’s been happening to me lately and I don’t blame you, I’d love to tell you everything, every detail. B-But I can’t, it’s too much to process even for me! So please, just this one time in my life, I need you to trust me and stay away! You’re the best dad there could be for caring so much and I couldn’t wish for a better one than you, so when this is over, I promise to tell you absolutely everything… please, don’t hate me.”

Petunia felt her throat dry as she finished, her hands trembling beneath the sheets and her chest aching from the amount of air she had taken in to say that whole monologue in one breath.

She closed her eyes tightly, holding back tears as her breathing became choppy with each sob. Wanting to put even more barriers between herself and her father’s gaze, she also covered her face with one of her pillows, trying to hide the mixture of shame and self-loathing she felt after finishing her text-heavy outburst.

It was horrible to ask her father to do something like that, to basically leave her to deal with her mysterious problems with only an empty promise in between. But, under all the pressure she was experiencing, no other words came to mind, so she chose the most selfish option imaginable to protect at all costs one of the few people she loved most in this world.

Gathering courage, knowing she couldn’t stay sheltered in her fortress forever, she slowly poked a small part of her head out to spy on her father’s reaction, who hadn’t said a word since Petunia had finished her previous speech.

Gustavo’s face had frozen in a look of bewilderment, his mouth slightly open, unable to find words, his expression shifting from initial confusion to guilt, then frustration, followed by distrust, then a little fear, and finally settling in worry.

All of it happened in less than a split second, which Petunia barely had time to process before her father snapped out of his daze, his voice trembling with uncertainty as he apparently understood the meaning of his daughter’s request.

“Petunia, you... a-are you pregnant?”

Petunia’s reaction was to wait.

“W-What!? No! Where did you get something like that!?” she shouted without thinking, her cheeks redder than ever. Maybe that excuse would’ve been the best (or worst) option to ease the older rabbit’s curiosity, but Petunia would rather die right there than have to hold a lie like that.

She didn’t even like boys to begin with! And for her father to think at first that she’d slept with someone was by far the most embarrassing thing that could have happened to her.

Besides, Petunia was saving her «first time»  for someone special... someone whose touch she would never feel again. Someone whose memory was stained with blood and regrets over feelings never confessed.

“Okay, okay, I’m sorry!” he hurried to calm the situation before his daughter started throwing anything heavy at his head. “I-I just don’t quite understand what you mean. I mean, could you at least give me a little hint?”

Recovered from her outburst, Petunia bit her lip anxiously. It was now or never to stop her opponent in his tracks, but the feeling of unease was sharp, like a knife stabbing into her chest.

“Dad...”, she began, unable to hold back the fragility in her voice, which rose barely above a whisper filled with vulnerability, capturing all of her father’s attention. “I-I’m sorry if I hurt you, I never wanted to cause you all this pain, and I’ve only been unfair.” She paused to make sure her father was following her, and seeing that he was, she gathered the courage to finish what she had started. “But I swear I’ll fix this, no matter what happens. Now, I just need you to answer me this... Dad, do you trust me?”

Once again, Gustavo faced an internal conflict. Of course, he trusted his daughter—with his life, even. But what kind of father would he be if he let the girl under his care walk through what was essentially broken glass? From what he understood, Petunia might be involved with some gang. Or worse, the Italian mafia! He knew firsthand what happened when you got mixed up with those mustached plumbers.

He wished his ex-wife were there with them. Without a doubt, Olivia would know how to handle the situation better than he could.

Yet, when he looked again into his daughter’s eyes—the windows to her soul—he knew exactly which side of his internal battle would win. Because those very eyes, once clear and filled with a deep sorrow with no clear source, now shone with a burning passion that could scorch him. A look he had seen only once before—the fierce gaze of a queen whose will made even the darkest shadows tremble.

Petunia had her mother’s eyes.

While Gustavo was entranced by those eyes, Petunia grew impatient, clenching her fists tightly with a sense of power she had never felt before.

Had some superpower just awakened in her, or was this the determination buried deep within her spirit, overflowing with helplessness and roaring for justice? Whatever it was, finally her father spoke after what felt like an eternal wait. His words reached her deeply; now she could only listen to the impact they had on him.

“Sweetheart... you know I’ll always be honest with you, right?” Gustavo lifted his head solemnly, looking at his daughter with an air of authority as she silently awaited his next words. “I can’t say I agree with you hiding things from me so personal you can’t even bring yourself to say them out loud.” Petunia’s long ears twitched slightly at the reprimand, but it wasn’t enough to discourage her from listening. “And make no mistake, I have no intention of standing by as a mere spectator if things get out of control or you get hurt.”

Petunia threw the sheets aside abruptly and sat on the edge of her bed, unable to hide her frustration. “But Dad, you have to understand th—!” she stopped mid-sentence as a plump hand gently rested on her shoulder, its fingers squeezing it lightly in a comforting gesture, allowing the man holding her carefully to finish his decision.

“But...” her father closed his eyes and paused briefly as if weighing his next words one last time. When he opened them again, his expression softened as he saw the hope shining in his daughter’s eyes, a sad smile forming as if disappointed in himself for losing this battle of wills. “I have no doubt you were born with the best qualities of your mother, and if I’ve learned anything in all the years we spent together before you even existed, it’s that no bar made of the strongest steel can cage the persevering flame you carry inside... Petunia... if you don’t understand what I mean by that, I’ll be clearer... I trust you.”

That was the moment Petunia’s emotional dam broke. Tears came flooding back as she processed what she had just heard. The mere mention of her mother added even more emotion to the moment, filling her with what could only be described as raw happiness.

Her father believed in her, and that meant more than words could ever express.

Without another thought, Petunia threw herself into the arms of the burly man before her, burying her face in his shoulder as she sobbed softly. Her nails dug into the furry back of her relative, feeling the warmth of his body like a giant teddy bear with a built-in heater.

Gustavo hugged his daughter back, wrapping his strong hands around her waist and pulling her close. He could feel her trembling at times, triggering his paternal instinct, lifted a hand to stroke her long hair as she recovered from the comforting embrace.

After a few minutes—during which Petunia had finally let out all the feelings she’d been holding back—she slowly pulled away and sat back on the edge of her bed. A few tears still slid down her face, which she wiped quickly; the moisture made her face shine softly in the darkness, lit only by the moonlight filtering faintly through the curtains.

“Feeling better?” her father asked after releasing her.

Petunia nodded, returning the affectionate look they shared. “Much better.” Her smile grew wider as she felt his lips gently press a chaste kiss to her forehead before he stood up, giving her one last satisfied smile.

“I’m glad to hear that… and I guess my time here is up. Everyone back to their burrows, right?” he chuckled to himself as he headed for the door. Just as he was about to leave, he turned his head toward Petunia with a firm expression. “But if at any moment you change your mind and want to talk, I—”

“I’ll be downstairs”, Petunia finished the sentence she had heard so many times over the years, etched in her mind like an old VHS tape, unable to hide an ironic smile.

Her father let out a dry, amused laugh. “Yeah, looks like you’ve got the idea… just make sure you get some sleep, alright? I’ll wake you when it’s time for school, so don’t worry.”

With a final nod, Petunia watched her father open the door, pause for a moment in the doorway, then step through and close it behind him, leaving her in reflective silence.

That was over… much better than she had expected at first. She even felt… stronger than ever.

That talk really affected her, not just because of the heartfelt exchange of words, but also because of the fierce boldness she apparently possessed. Not that Petunia was entirely convinced by that claim herself—was she really that… stubborn?

Yet, the admiration reflected in her father’s eyes when he looked at her left no doubt. It was as if the only thing that came from his mouth was an unwavering truth full of hope directed at his daughter, seeming certain that nothing could stop her, no matter the obstacle.

Petunia couldn’t help but place a hand over her chest, clutching the fabric of her pajamas where her beating heart lay. She stayed like that for a few moments, reflecting on what the day ahead held.

She just had to get through a day at school, then buy some useful things for that very night, and when the sun set, leaving behind a starry sky, she and her friends would storm the school and then… Boom!

Seize the evidence so Miss Grace and her accomplices would rot in jail forever!

A flawless plan.

She could already picture her principal being dragged to the back of a police car, her expression resigned and furious while Petunia watched with a mocking smile from the top of the school steps, accompanied by Kevin and Cubbie.

Didn’t that make them some kind of national heroes? I mean, Kevin probably wouldn’t stop bragging about how crucial his role was in solving the crime. And Cubbie could finally use all the attention as an excuse to ask Bubble out.

And it wasn’t that Petunia minded the fame—she would get used to it after the initial shock... But even with the pats on the back she’d receive, or knowing Miss Grace would never hurt anyone again, it didn’t spark any excitement like she’d thought it might at first. All she felt was... an emptiness in her chest.

But that didn’t matter! This wasn’t the time to daydream about events that hadn’t happened yet.

Because as long as her heart pumped blood through her body, as long as it beat, as long as that conviction to fight for what she believed was right remained alive, nothing could extinguish that persevering flame burning inside her.

All her effort… it was for Lizzy. She must never forget that.

At some point during her inner monologue, Petunia felt her eyelids growing heavier and heavier. Sleep began to gain ground as fatigue blurred her vision, pulling her irresistibly into its realm.

Finally, when keeping her eyes open became too colossal a task, she let herself fall back onto the mattress, which cradled her gently, until her sight darkened and her senses faded as she lost the battle to the basic need for sleep.

This time, there were no nightmares.

***

On the other side of the door, having patiently waited in place to make sure his daughter fell asleep, Gustavo stared seriously down the hallway that stretched beyond the room he had left minutes earlier.

The path to the stairs was dark, filled with the constant fear of stumbling over invisible obstacles on his way back to his own bedroom.

But his worry went beyond simply misstepping and falling onto the rough floor. The true unease weighing on his mind as he descended was centered entirely on Petunia.

His daughter was not well; it was easy for him to see that. Though her eyes were stubborn, they no longer felt the same as before, as if a part of her had been permanently damaged.

The worst part? Gustavo had no clue what was going through his daughter’s mind. His own need to help her grew stronger, and yet he became increasingly frustrated by his inability to convince her to let him in.

But just like Petunia, her father was a determined person too. What exactly did she mean by “staying away,” anyway? A distance between countries? From here to school? One or two meters? Quite ambiguous if you asked him.

Feeling a bit guilty for bending their agreement like this, Gustavo decided he couldn’t just stand by while his daughter got herself into trouble. It wasn’t like he planned to bother the girl peacefully sleeping just a few meters away, but he could still find out what was really going on on his own.

He could start by... maybe... talking to Miss Grace about his daughter’s unusual behavior, hoping she might say something that would help him get to the bottom of it all. After all, the principal and he were old friends, so he trusted her to guide him toward the root of Petunia’s worries.

Good parents, after all, watched over their children from the shadows, even when those children refused to accept help. Certainly.

And just as his hand rested on the doorknob leading to his own room, Gustavo wished with all the love he felt for Petunia that he had made the right decision.

Chapter Text

Time had passed since Petunia had let herself be overcome by exhaustion. This time, the absence of any kind of dream or nightmare sped up the process of waking up after a few hours which, although not enough to fully restore her energy, gave her a sense of peace she hadn't thought she could feel so easily.

Ironically, as she left her room and went downstairs to the first floor, she could hear snoring coming from her father's bedroom—he still hadn't gotten up after what had happened earlier that same morning.

Wasn't he the one who was supposed to wake her up? Well, it wasn't as if she could blame the man for wanting to sleep five more minutes. Without a doubt, she'd use this to tease him a little; it was only fair.

Once Petunia had taken care of breakfast and woken up her father—who looked visibly embarrassed when he jumped out of bed after realizing the time—they emptied their plates together before properly getting ready to begin the day ahead.

It wasn't long before they had to part ways for their respective destinations, the school being her next stop. And just like yesterday, Petunia dismissed the idea of taking the bus to shorten the trip, preferring instead to walk again, a habit she had begun to adopt ever since everything that had happened recently.

It helped her clear the worries that constantly circled her busy mind, nesting there like parasites at every opportunity they got.

Since Kevin and Cubbie were nowhere to be seen, Petunia assumed they had made the reasonable choice of hopping onto the yellow bus for a shorter ride. It wasn’t something that bothered her anyway; she’d see them later, both at school and at night.

Speaking of the plan for that very evening after sunset, she still hadn’t decided what exactly she would need to buy to prepare. She had saved up a bit of money, so... A mask to hide her identity? From what she had overheard in Kevin and Miss Grace’s conversation yesterday, the school’s security cameras were under maintenance, making that unnecessary.

A tool kit, maybe, to force the entrance door? Petunia didn’t even know how to pick locks, other than smashing them with a hammer—which was far too noisy for the occasion.

Maybe... oh, fingerless gloves! If she was going to steal, the least she could do was dress for the occasion. She could even buy an all-black outfit to add more style! Her friends could handle bringing the rest of the boring stuff—she, on the other hand, would add the aesthetic factor, which was absolutely necessary.

For a fraction of a second, as her lips curved into a smile at the brilliant idea, she felt the urge to high-five the person next to her, which wasn’t possible, since Lizzy...

Petunia’s expression fell as her gaze drifted to the right and she felt her friend’s absence once again.

From that moment on, she continued her way to school in an uncomfortable silence, one she thought she could get used to. But despite her best efforts not to think about her, there were so many things that still reminded her of the absence of someone important in her life.

It was best not to think about it—so it wouldn’t hurt too much.

It wasn’t long before the school’s gates came into view, approaching with that sense of repulsion it always gave her just to look at it. That building, seemingly harmless, was nothing but a façade, and Petunia would be the one to tear it open and show the world the horrible secrets hidden behind its walls.

When she arrived, everything looked as normal as ever. The entrance was quickly filling with the rest of her classmates, though Kevin and Cubbie were nowhere in sight. From what Petunia could guess, they had hurried ahead to the cafeteria to avoid being swept away by the wave of students desperate for Tuesday’s breakfast pancakes.

But the moment her feet climbed the entrance steps and crossed the threshold of the side doors, Petunia’s sharp hearing caught the distant echo of what she could only interpret as a confrontation, filtering through the mundane chatter around her because of its intensity.

Driven by curiosity at this sudden change in atmosphere, she veered off course halfway to follow the source of the sound, which only grew clearer as she picked up an ongoing conversation.

“Don’t mind if I borrow this, four-eyes?” Oliver’s unmistakably mocking tone was the first thing Petunia could make out before the thud of a body hitting the floor made her quicken her pace.

“Bastard!” This time it was Kevin’s voice, ringing out loudly in one of the corridors up ahead—the spark that pushed the rabbit girl’s legs into a run down the hallway with rising concern.

Was the gang of bullies picking on them? Petunia thought she had made it plenty clear long ago that she and her friends weren’t easy prey, so if those same thugs had suddenly chosen them as their next victims, she would make sure to put that band of brutes in their place.

The girl’s sprint came to a halt as she rounded the corner and witnessed a scene that triggered her protective instincts. She could no longer endure her helplessness, letting the rest of her body move on its own toward the bullies standing right in front of her.

In the middle of the hallway was Kevin, sprawled on the floor with several cuts on his face, wearing an expression that was both furious and powerless as he glared up at the thug in front of him, who held his glasses in one hand—without them, his vision was severely impaired.

Oliver smiled down at the boy at his feet with superiority, unfazed by his hostility, reveling in the frustration in the nerd’s eyes as he struggled to defend himself in his current state. When he glanced forward, his companions returned a malicious grin while keeping a tight hold on the feline student.

Cubbie had been bound up in a mess of extra-thick yarn, unable to come to his friend’s aid with all his limbs painfully entwined. Despite his best attempts to break free, both Zip and Edward cut off any chance he had to snap his restraints.

It was a prison as cruel as it was irresistibly fun to play with.

With no remorse, Oliver dropped Kevin’s glasses in front of his eyes, only to crush them under the powerful stomp of his boot. He brought a hand to his mouth with feigned sympathy. “Oh no! I’m sorry, it slipped~ But I’m sure with all your parents’ money you can afford the best eye doctors to get rid of that pesky cloudiness.”

Zip and Edward snickered under their breath, which only infuriated Kevin further. He wasted no time firing back with equal sarcasm. “I’d rather appeal to my generous side and pay you a good psychologist. Though I highly doubt that twisted mind of yours even has a known treatment.”

A dry, amused laugh escaped Oliver’s lips as he crouched down to Kevin’s level on the floor. “Hey… kid, let me tell you something.” Slowly, he moved his pencil-shaped arm dangerously close to Kevin’s face. And blurry as his vision was, Kevin could still clearly make out with dread the sharp tip of the weapon, where tiny drops of blood from his earlier wounds dripped down from its end.

Savoring the nerd’s anxiety, the bully dragged his pointed substitute limb across Kevin’s bleeding cheek, his grin widening as the boy grimaced at the unpleasant sensation of his skin being cut while the pencil traveled upward until it stopped right at his tear duct.

Less than a centimeter was all that kept the tip from stabbing directly into his cornea, so even the slightest movement, no matter how delicate, would bring with it a very painful trip to the emergency room. And Kevin was not exactly on board with the idea of reconstructive surgery. With sweat dripping down his forehead, he simply kept listening to the sociopath’s declaration.

“Your kind… has always been such a nuisance to me.” Kevin stifled a groan when the pencil pressed harder against the edge of his eye. “Do you think you’re untouchable just because you wipe your ass with hundred-dollar bills every morning? Well, I don’t see any of your bodyguards around here. In fact, you don’t even bring security to school.” Oliver leaned in closer this time, flashing his perfect teeth as he asked with evident satisfaction, “I wonder if that’s because they make you feel… uncomfortable? Do they remind you of something you don’t like~?”

Kevin opened his mouth to respond… but any counterargument he might have formed vanished instantly.

Why couldn’t he say anything!? There was no way this… brainless thug’s words were actually getting to him! …Yes, it was simply more convenient to stay quiet and not tempt fate by toying with this lunatic’s temper. Still, he wasn’t going to stoop down to this troglodyte’s level… then... why this bitter feeling?

“Hey, rich brat!” Edward’s voice instantly caught Kevin’s attention, though for obvious reasons he couldn’t turn to look at him. That didn’t stop the scientist from voicing his impatience from a distance. “We don’t have all day, so make it easy and spit out what we want to hear. Are you conspiring against Miss Grace or something?”

At that incriminating accusation, Cubbie squirmed nervously in his bindings, redoubling his efforts to break free… and he was succeeding! Little by little, he used his claws to cut through key intersections, giving him more room to maneuver. In just a few moments he would be free and… and…

The feline’s eyes widened as Zip, noticing his escape attempt, pulled a bundle of catnip from his backpack and rubbed it against his nose. A sudden euphoria overwhelmed him the moment the recreational plant brushed his whiskers, followed by an absolute wave of relaxation that threatened to carry him straight into dreamland.

“Pretty kitty~”, Zip purred while stroking Cubbie’s forehead, whose eyelids struggled to stay open.

Cornered and with no way to fight back, Kevin knew he couldn’t afford to fail in that situation. His mind was already racing to piece together some kind of argument strong enough to satisfy his captors’ curiosity, since they apparently knew—or at least had a vague idea—that he and his friends were plotting something.

And even if Oliver still wasn’t fully convinced and decided to see just how far he could stab with his pencil to make him talk… it wasn’t as if Kevin’s parents would be by his side when he woke up in a hospital bed anyway. In his mind, there was no point in risking saying something counterproductive when he had a safer option right in front of him.

He would get through it—he always did. Both the physical wounds… and the invisible ones.

Oliver frowned, starting to grow bored. Every second the threatened boy kept his mouth shut was time wasted that he could be spending doing something far more entertaining. On the brink of his patience, he asked again, his irritation spilling over.

“Hey, rich brat, you’d better start talking before—”

“Hey, idiots! What do you think you’re doing!?”

Startled, Oliver turned his head to see one of the school’s popular girls staring directly at him and his crew. Judging by her firm stance, arms crossed and wearing the fiercest scowl you could imagine, it was obvious she was more than just angry.

Completely unfazed by the young lady’s piercing glare, the bully leader gave her a charming smile as he waved. “Oh! Petunia! What a pleasant coincidence, both groups of friends crossing paths in the same hallway.” His smile faded into a thin line. “Do you need something?”

Petunia’s expression hardened at the bully’s barely disguised irony, which only fueled her disdain for the older boy.

“Me!?” she pointed at herself with feigned incredulity. “Nothing in particular, just asking you and your buddies to haul your asses somewhere else before I give the three of you a beating.”

Her threat, entirely serious, was enough to make both Zip and Edward take a cautious step back. Even though they outnumbered her, they weren’t stupid enough to mess with one of the most influential people in the whole school.

Especially Edward, who knew from personal experience that angry girls hit harder.

Against all reason—whether because he didn’t care about the consequences of his actions or because he was blinded by his own egocentrism—Oliver met Petunia’s stare head-on. His crimson eyes locked on hers, searching for any exploitable weakness, any hint of hesitation he could use to his advantage.

And from the way Petunia’s nose wrinkled every time Oliver pressed his pencil against Kevin’s face, he got a precise idea of exactly where to keep digging to make her lose her composure.

“Seriously?” he nearly let out a laugh at her warning. “But Harry Potter and I were just discussing a new spell to defeat Voldemort.” Kevin clenched his jaw as he felt that sharp pain again, a thin trickle of blood starting to slide down from the exact point where the pencil was about to turn him into a cyclops. There was no need to see Oliver’s face to notice how his lips curved into a cruel grin. “So, unless you want to find out what my magic wand can do, I’d suggest you get out of my sight.”

Petunia looked at her friend with deep concern, wanting to rush to his aid as quickly as possible, but even someone as impulsive as her knew it would be a mistake to make any sudden move that could serve as a signal for Oliver to cause irreversible harm.

Barely containing her urge to lunge at this lunatic, she had no choice but to go cautiously. “What do you even want from us to begin with?”

The instant Petunia let that question slip into the air, Kevin’s expression shifted from one of suffering to alarm, his eyes darting straight at his rabbit friend as if she had just made a huge mistake.

Oliver’s grin only widened.

“Look, I know I probably shouldn’t say this, but… screw it! No one tells me what I can or can’t do.” As if to bizarrely prove his point, the bully rummaged through one of his pockets, pulling out a small bar of soap. He stared at it for a moment, licking his lips with ravenous appetite, before shoving it into his mouth, letting the rest of his words tumble out between bites. “Miss Grace… chomp… kinda… mmm… thinks someone might be trying to dig up her dirty laundry, so to speak… and… damn, that’s good… and she’s got a preference for you guys in particular. So don’t make this any more tedious than it already is, and spill something juicy… or face the consequences… munch munch.”

Petunia’s face reflected her bewilderment at what she’d just heard. It wasn’t possible they had been caught so easily… well, not yet, but anything she said now could be used against them later. And that was precisely why Kevin was visibly tense—because, unlike him, he wasn’t sure his friend could avoid letting slip key details that might put them at risk.

Add to that the fact that Oliver seemed more than willing to make good on his threats, and we had a situation between a rock and a hard place. Leaving our protagonists in a very bad spot, with no good options—or at least none that could be trusted to work.

With no choice but to answer in order to avoid a bloodbath, Petunia couldn’t help but falter as she spoke. “I-I have no idea what the hell you’re talking about. I couldn’t care less if the principal secretly collects antique stamps or some crap like that. Just let my friends go, or else—!”

“Or else what? You gonna beat us up?” From the back, Edward, realizing he wasn’t in any immediate danger, dared to cut her off with a mocking grin on his face.

Zip’s laughter followed soon after, which only pushed Petunia further toward her breaking point. At this point, they were literally laughing in her face, and that alone was enough to drag out the worst in her.

If only she could put this gang of idiots in their place—it would be the most satisfying thing she’d done in a long while. But that was impossible… wasn’t it~?

Suddenly, Petunia’s frown and rigid stance shifted dramatically in just a matter of seconds, as an idea she had overlooked came rushing into her mind—one that would now become her trump card.

She placed her hands on her hips, her gaze locked on Edward’s, her expression morphing from restrained fury into one of amused anticipation. “Hmmm… I think I’ve got better ways to make you realize the mistake you’re making by messing with us~.”

Edward himself seemed to waver for a moment at her sudden display of confidence, but unwilling to look like a coward in front of his friends, he replied with a cocky air. “Pffff, and what are you gonna do? Stab us with a carrot?”

Petunia didn’t so much as flinch at the provocation. Instead, she raised a hand in his direction, pointing her finger squarely at him, her lips curling into a smug smile. “Well, maybe you’ll change your mind once everyone finds out it was you who reprogrammed Ruby into a bloodthirsty robot two weeks ago.”

Edward’s grin vanished instantly, his mouth falling slightly open before he broke into panic, his head snapping around in every direction to make sure no one else was listening. 

“How the hell do you know it was me!? Who told you!?” he shouted in rising dread. Exactly two weeks ago, he and his friends had installed an malware into Ruby’s internal system. A prank so elaborate that everyone assumed it had just been a simple programming glitch. So it wouldn't be good for Edward to have a two-meter-tall, tungsten-coated, and very spiteful automaton wanting to rip his head off.

Angry girls hit harder… and they hit even harder when their fists are the equivalent of wrecking balls made of metal and the word  «delicacy» isn’t coded anywhere in their internal dictionary.

At the scientist’s desperate insistence, Petunia lifted the back of her hand to rest her chin upon it, striking a glamorous pose. “Let’s just say… I have my sources.”

What none of the bullies, not even their friends, knew was that during their brief stay in Miss Grace's office the day before, searching for evidence, they had found various confidential information related to the students inside some filing cabinets. Including records of recent events at the school.

Why the principal kept this sort of data, along with a collection of extremely compromising secrets about the students? Petunia couldn’t say—other than assuming Miss Grace used it as blackmail material, befitting the villainess role she played in this story. Nor did she know how the older woman had discovered that the culprits behind that particular incident were none other than the infamous trio of troublemakers, given that note she found had singled out Edward as the main offender.

Though, to be fair, it wasn’t exactly hard to use Oliver and his cronies as scapegoats for any disaster that occasionally struck that institution.

Back to the matter at hand, Petunia’s fierce gaze locked onto Zip, who at that moment was staring at her own friend while trying to stifle a laugh. When their eyes finally met, the reptilian-tailed girl grinned brazenly, utterly unconcerned.

“Go ahead, say whatever you want about me. I’m not someone who’s easily impressed,” said Zip. And given her shameless nature, there weren’t many secrets about her that she actually cared about being exposed. That was precisely why she made sure to write down the most important ones in her diary so no one could—

“You like Claire,” Petunia said flatly, finding it far more entertaining to study her nails than to look at the predictable reaction of the now-flustered bully.

“W-What—!? That’s not true! Why would you even assume that!? Where’s your damn proof!?” Zip completely lost it, her face as red as a thermostat set to max while pointing an accusatory finger at the bunny girl. And just like Edward, she took a moment to scan her surroundings, making sure no eavesdropper was hiding nearby.

Petunia couldn’t hold back a sly laugh, covering her mouth with the palm of her hand to conceal the wicked smile spreading across her face. “I don’t even need to resort to my sources to know, it’s way too obvious. The whole school probably knows by now… everyone except Claire.”

If there were a single word that could capture the mix of anger and embarrassment Zip was feeling in that moment, it would fall short of truly conveying the latent urge to smash absolutely anything in sight.

Her eyes blazed like twin bonfires doused in gasoline, and after a few seconds that felt like she was about to explode, she expelled a small jet of fire from her mouth before spinning on her heel and sprinting down the corridor, vanishing around the corner.

“Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!” she screamed as she disappeared from view, which was enough to snap Edward out of his stupor and send him chasing after her with equal frenzy.

“Zip! Wait a second, don’t go without me!” With that, two of the three bullies had been intimidated. Only one remained—the most dangerous of the trio—who had spent the entire time watching his friends fall one by one with evident amusement.

Once again, Oliver locked eyes with Petunia, his pointed arm still hovering perilously close to Kevin’s eye, leaving no room for the nerd to move forward. Time seemed to slow with every passing second, the tension of what might happen intensifying for Kevin’s misfortune.

“And what can you tell me about me?” Oliver asked after a few moments, once his friends had fled. His tone, stripped of the usual masked hostility or mockery, carried genuine curiosity about what Petunia might reveal.

“You… uhhhh…” Unfortunately for Petunia, she hadn’t uncovered much about Oliver in Miss Grace’s office. And by ``little´´ it meant almost nothing—as if the records had been erased or never filed at all, which made no sense. Unless the bully standing in front of her was a ghost, she couldn’t explain it.

“You… uhhhh…” Oliver echoed, mocking the cracks appearing in Petunia’s confident façade, growing impatient once more.

Still uncertain, Petunia opted for the answer that made the most sense in this high-risk situation. “You’d… be expelled and sent to jail for mutilating one of your classmates’ eye?”

Silence followed—one even more unsettling than before—as Oliver stared at the ceiling, apparently weighing Petunia’s words seriously. Then, just as it seemed the warning might not deter him, and as his pencil-hand hovered dangerously close to Kevin’s eye, something completely unexpected happened.

“¡Hahahahaha!” Oliver laughed heartily, as if Petunia’s argument had reminded him of something obvious that he had ignorantly overlooked. “Man, I don’t know how I missed something like that. I’ll take the warning.”

Kevin let out a sigh of pure relief when, much to Petunia’s own comfort, Oliver lowered his spear to a safe distance without stabbing and stood up, allowing the nerd to rest his head on the tiled floor from exhaustion.

With her friend’s well-being no longer in jeopardy, Petunia also exhaled in quiet relief. But just when everything seemed like it couldn’t get any worse, Oliver fixed his gaze on her, tilting his head with a small, mocking smile as he looked over her shoulder and noticed a missing member of their group.

“Hey, now that I think about it… weren’t you guys supposed to be four?” He already knew the reason for Lizzy’s recent disappearance, but that didn’t mean these losers knew he knew. He couldn’t resist having a little fun with their reactions before leaving.

At that moment, Petunia turned her gaze to the side, unable to hide the trace of deep sorrow etched into every feature. She didn’t have the courage to look to her right and face the pain of her loss again. It was utterly demoralizing even to think that her friend existed only in memory, and the last thing she needed to heal was for someone to remind her of the missing number in their team.

And, especially, if that someone was an insensitive jerk.

“Can you just leave already before I kick your ass?” Petunia said, her voice low but audible, with clear hostility that only seemed to encourage Oliver’s teasing further.

“Jezz! And here I thought you were a proper lady”, the crude words brought him a small chuckle. “But seriously, where’s that pretty girl? You know: long hair, bows, wearing that lipstick that complements her… let’s say, prostitute look. I think you get the idea who I mean.”

Petunia’s eyes filled with renewed fury as she glared at the bully. Her fur bristled and her hands clenched into fists, ready to strike Oliver’s handsome face.

“Say that again if you dare, ritardato!” Her anger brought out the Italian accent inherited from her father, laced with a sharp insult in the same language.

Unfazed, Oliver stepped forward. “Look, fuzzy ears, first and foremost, I’m a gentleman, so hurting a woman isn’t really my thing, but…” He lifted his trusty pencil, his tool of torment to assert dominance, holding it in front of his face to cover half of it while the other half showed a disturbing smile as he watched his prey cautiously take a step back. “Maybe you should start watching your tone when you speak to me. Your father is a good man, and I’d be very sorry if he had to bury his only daughter over a little incident.”

Petunia would never admit it, but at that moment, she was scared. No matter how much courage she had to defend the people she cared about, Oliver simply seemed like a demon trapped in the body of a student, eager to get his hands on her and do all sorts of unspeakable things.

The way he looked at her said more than words could describe—so confident in himself and yet excited by the anticipation of making her writhe on the floor while repeatedly using his pencil to pierce her skin.

Was this how Lizzy must have felt in her final moments? Facing a superior force that made her feel small and helpless? Petunia’s heart sank at the thought, now realizing she was experiencing the same fear in front of the bully who was slowly taking small steps toward her, forcing her to retreat at the same pace, her previous courage evaporating completely.

“St-Stay back! I-I’m warning you!” Her pleas fell on deaf ears, because Oliver simply ignored her and continued advancing, chuckling through clenched teeth as drops of blood fell from the tip of his spear after his encounter with Kevin, leaving a trail behind him.

“And what if I don’t want to do that?” he asked dryly, taking another step forward. “Are you going to beat me up like you said before?” Petunia’s back hit the wall at the end of the hallway, with no escape in sight. She assumed a fighting stance, which was useless since she didn’t know how to fight—her only result would be making Oliver laugh even harder.

“Do you really think you have a chance against me!? Don’t you realize how stupid you look right now!?”

For a fraction of a second, as the thug waited for a response from the rabbit-girl, Petunia came to a painful conclusion…

Oliver was right.

He outmatched her in strength, height, and confidence. And one of the biggest differences between them—the thing that would prevent her from coming out victorious—was that she didn’t have the same conviction to harm others, which he had in abundance. She had no chance of standing up to him, no matter how hard she tried. Her opponent was… invincible.

There, cornered, trembling, and with her hands raised—not to attack but solely to defend herself—Petunia barely held back her tears as she watched, hopeless, Oliver lower his pencil, pointing it toward her, preparing to stab it against her. Not without first delivering some macabre words.

“Anyway, I guess if you’re not going to tell me the information I’m looking for about Miss Grace… I’ll have to make you talk… the hard way~.”

Determined to follow through on his words, Oliver lunged forward, intent on causing harm, when… something—no, someone—stopped him by grabbing his elbow.

Confused, he turned his head to see who the fool was interrupting him. “Eh—? Aghhh!” In just a fraction of a second, while his guard was down, a fist smashed into his face with brutal force, sending Oliver staggering back out of reach, slamming against a nearby wall. As he briefly recovered from the blow, he lifted his eyes to meet those of his attacker.

Cubbie’s chest rose and fell with each rapid breath. His fist, stained with Oliver’s blood, trembled while his large anime-style eyes, blinded by a rush of adrenaline, locked onto the bully’s with unmatched courage.

While his friend faced the enemy leader, and taking advantage of the fact that the watchers had left, the feline had freed himself from the bindings that had prevented him from rushing to the rescue. Now a free cat, anyone who wanted to reach his comrades would have to go through him first.

Petunia watched with her mouth agape, in awe, as Cubbie appeared before her and landed a well-deserved punch on the student she had thought unbeatable. Which immediately filled her with a deep sense of indebtedness to her friend of nine lifetimes.

For his part, Oliver raised a hand to his face, covering most of it in the process. But everything changed when he felt a metallic-tasting liquid gush from his broken nose and, when he realized it was his own blood, a feeling of complete disbelief washed over him.

They… had… hurt him? Him? The great Oliver!? That was… impossible. He had never felt so humiliated in his life. And who was responsible? Well, he had them right in front of him—one of the same losers he hadn’t had any trouble subduing just a minute ago.

“You!” Oliver’s scream shook the hallway. Cubbie flinched genuinely at the pure hatred radiating from the bully’s eyes, which glowed a deep, menacing red, and at the sight of his blood-streaked teeth as Oliver hissed each word, dripping with murderous rage. “H-How… h-how dare you touch my beautiful face with your filthy hands!? You’re going to pay for this!”

But before Oliver could lunge and tear Cubbie apart, an authoritative, irritated voice echoed from the other end of the hallway, halting the fight instantly.

“You’d better all stop your little brawl, you rowdy kids, unless you want me to get involved and kick all your asses.”

Miss Circle strode toward the group, each step echoing sharply against the floor until she stood in front of the small cluster of students, fixing them with a severe glare. Oliver, rubbing his nose, forced himself to look away from the feline and face his teacher.

“I’m not going to repeat myself, so listen carefully”, Miss Circle demanded, capturing everyone’s attention, including Kevin, who was barely getting to his feet with Cubbie’s help. “Everyone—and I mean everyone…” She paused for a few seconds, staring directly at Oliver. Once he reluctantly nodded, she continued. “You will go to your next class before the first bell rings. I suggest you start moving now, or I’ll personally drag you to Miss Grace’s office… understood?”

The silence that followed served as an answer. Miss Circle glanced sideways at Oliver as he passed, shooting a furious look at the feline before disappearing, presumably to catch up with her own group.

However, she noticed one student at the end of the hall, head bowed and trembling, seemingly unaware of her presence—a difficult feat considering Miss Circle’s steps echoed and her voice carried to even the most distracted students.

“Hey, bunny, did you hear what I said?”

No response came, which only made her angrier.

“I asked you…” With a swift movement, she grabbed the girl’s chin and, to Petunia’s shock, lifted her head sharply to meet her eyes. But just as Miss Circle was about to scold her, it was as if a sudden realization struck her.

Petunia couldn’t speak, frozen in place as she came face-to-face with her friend’s killer. Her pupils shook with the shock coursing through her, mirrored by the rest of her body. Her mind went blank, eyes locked on her teacher’s confused gaze—though Miss Circle’s surprise stemmed from an entirely different reason.

Miss Circle studied every detail of the student in front of her. The raw, palpable fear radiating from Petunia brought memories of all her previous victims rushing back. The way the girl stared at her, as if Death itself had knocked on her door, left no doubt about who she was. In that instant, as their eyes met, Miss Circle knew—her mind clicked, and she couldn’t look away.

Both were so absorbed in each other that Petunia barely flinched when Kevin, wearing his spare glasses, reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling her along with Cubbie out of the hallway.

“Let’s go, or we’ll be late,” the nerd said calmly, though a trace of worry for his friend’s catatonic state slipped through his usually monotone voice.

Even after they had left, Miss Circle remained standing alone in the corridor, her gaze fixed on the spot where Petunia had just been. After working through a mental puzzle of sorts, a sly, feline smile spread across her lips as she reached a satisfying conclusion.

She had found her target.

***

• BONUS:

After wiping the blood from his nose in the bathroom, Oliver turned off the faucet and stepped out to reunite with his friends at the back of the school, their usual hangout spot.

When he arrived, he saw Edward and Zip beside a destroyed vending machine, casually carrying a pile of snacks that clearly hadn’t come from that machine—especially not after the girl with the reptile tail had used it as a punching bag to vent her frustration from earlier events.

“Saved me anything?” Oliver asked as he approached, catching a bag of chips tossed his way.

“Dude, you took forever with those brats. At least tell us you got something,” Edward said first, referencing the reason they had gone through all the trouble in the first place, disappointed by Oliver’s reply.

“Nothing at all, but we’ll have another chance to get back at those freaks later.”

Zip couldn’t help but notice the irritation in her leader’s tone, so she laughed between bites and commented on the obvious. “Get back at them? You mean they said something embarrassing about you too~?”

Oliver narrowed his eyes, more annoyed at his friend’s teasing expression. “Keep talking and you’ll get more than just a bag of chips.”

Zip’s laugh made it clear she wasn’t worried in the slightest about the threat, though she restrained herself from pushing further against the guy who had something akin to a dagger in place of an arm.

With his hunger gnawing at him, Oliver used his deadly pencil to rip open his package of salty snacks, pouring everything in one go—including the bag—straight into his mouth. “So… what now?… munch… Are we skipping classes to hit the skate park or something?... munch munch.”

“Why are you saying ‘munch’ out loud?” Edward asked, confused by his friend’s strange behavior.

Oliver looked at his companion as if he were foolish for asking something with such an obvious answer. “The author can’t properly represent the act of chewing in the middle of dialogue, so they write ‘munch’ instead, duh.”

Edward looked even more confused than before. “What author? What are you talking about?”

Oliver’s smile only widened at the existential doubts of his friend. “C'mon, Edwy, seriously? Don’t you realize none of this is real? That we’re just fictional characters and all our decisions aren’t ours—they’re already predetermined to steer the story in a specific direction?”

Edward took a step back, looking around, beginning to panic. This couldn’t be fake; he had memories of his life, a family waiting for him at home, even people he didn’t know going about their daily lives in the city. “B-Bro, you’re scaring me. Could you, I don’t know, stop with this terrible joke?!”

Oliver simply shook his head, determined to make Edward understand the truth once and for all. He gently placed a hand on his friend’s shoulder in a comforting gesture before dropping the most shocking revelation.

“Edwy… bro… your mom isn’t real. She doesn’t even have an actual design.”

Unable to believe what he was hearing, the scientist stared at the floor, his gaze lost, as tears rolled down his face. “B-B-But… she made me breakfast this morning…”

“Whatever! Let’s all go to the skate park!” Oliver patted him on the back a couple of times, then shoved his hands into his pockets and walked off toward their next destination.

“Yippee!” Zip exclaimed, raising her fists in joy and following Oliver closely along the way.

Completely alone, Edward stood staring into space for a long time, unable to shake the flood of questions about his own life that had suddenly appeared in his mind.

“My mom is real, my mom is real, my mom is real…” As his legs began moving to follow the rest of his friends, he kept repeating the same phrase on loop, trying to convince himself that his existence still had meaning.

Chapter Text

That same night

Petunia’s head wouldn’t stop spinning as she changed out of her usual outfit into the new set of clothes she had bought earlier that afternoon after school. It was hard not to feel nervous, since she was preparing herself properly for the next big step of the plan—and it was even harder to stay focused after what had happened that very morning.

For starters, she couldn’t stop thinking about how she had cowered in front of Oliver, that ruthless bully who had managed to break her down almost effortlessly with just a couple of threats. In the process, she had also failed her friends, who were forced to save her before the situation completely collapsed on her.

Looking back, it was pretty pathetic, since she hadn’t even been able to stand up to the thug, becoming more of a burden than anything else in that moment. It was easy to guess that Petunia was furious as she replayed those events in her head—though not so much because of Oliver (don’t get it wrong, Petunia held a deep contempt for that idiot), but rather because of herself.

After the brief talk she had with her father, she thought she could handle anything, that the «persevering flame» within her would let her overcome any obstacle. In fact, Petunia almost believed it herself when Zip and Edward ran off scared by the power of gossip... but that fantasy quickly crumbled when danger refused to back down.

She wasn’t as strong as they made her believe.

She couldn’t overcome every obstacle.

She couldn’t help her friends when they needed her most.

And you want to know the worst part of it all? Petunia had no one to blame but herself.

She was supposed to be strong, the one to lead her group to victory. But deep down… she was afraid… no, she was truly terrified. At times she felt lost, with no visible direction, and admitting that was far too humiliating.

And in the middle of it all, how had she gotten into this mess in the first place? One day, everything seemed normal, she still had a reason to smile… she still had Lizzy. But all it took was her curiosity pushing her to open a door she should never have opened, uncovering a dark secret she was never meant to know, for her entire life to take a 360º turn.

If only she had remained ignorant, if she hadn’t meddled in matters that weren’t her concern, maybe—just maybe—her life could have returned to some sort of relative normalcy.

No more paranoia.

No more fear of what could happen to the people she cared about if they were ever discovered.

This game of hunters and prey would finally come to an end.

It was a beautifully tempting thought—and yet completely unrealistic. Because, realistically, she would never have found peace in that scenario. She could never truly overcome what had happened if she just turned a blind eye and carried on with a life stripped of purpose. Only she and her friends could bring the truth about the school into the light.

Only they could bring justice for Lizzy… for everyone.

But if there was one thing Petunia overthought more than anything else, it was her encounter with Miss Circle. She hadn’t seen her since Friday, that fateful day when her world came crashing down, when the math teacher had been conspicuously absent from the first class and for the rest of the school day.

In the days that followed, after telling her friends what had happened, Petunia had been preparing herself mentally for a possible confrontation with the cruel woman. But despite believing she was ready to face her, when she actually stood before her, locking eyes… her mind went completely blank.

In that moment, when their gazes clashed in the hallway, she wanted to run away, to attack her teacher with unbridled fury, and to curl up into a ball in her place—all at once. But she couldn’t even move, nor speak a single word, nor do the bare minimum—anything at all—to free herself from that piercing stare that dragged forth an endless flood of painful memories.

She failed, and once again had to be rescued by her friends… Was she really that useless?

At the very least, it served to reaffirm one thing: she could not complete this mission alone. Her friends were essential pieces, and as long as they stayed by her side—so long as they remained united—Petunia knew with certainty that everything would end that very night.

Because that very night… would mark a before and after for the rest of her life.

A final glance at her reflection in the wardrobe mirror was enough to make sure she looked flawless. She was dressed perfectly for the occasion: a black t-shirt under a leather jacket of the same color, light pants with blue stripes down the sides for comfort, and a pair of fingerless gloves that made her look every bit the bad girl… oh, and she also wore bright pink sneakers... Well, maybe her footwear was a little too flashy, but sacrificing a bit of stealth in favor of style was a fair price to pay.

And of course, the accessory that could never be missing from any of her outfits: the plastic crown resting on her head, an obvious display of the status she held at school.

The only times she ever took it off were when she showered or went to sleep. She wore it most of the time, even at home, as if it were just another vital part of her body needed to keep her functioning properly.

The reason behind this obsession with the small object? It wasn’t hard to guess—it was a gift from Lizzy, given to her a couple of years ago. Coincidentally, the crown Lizzy always wore was also a Christmas present from Petunia, a mutual gift exchange that had once been nothing more than a funny coincidence.

With no more time to waste, Petunia adjusted her crown and prepared to sneak out of the house. Obviously, her father would never let her go out at this hour for any reason, but if he didn’t notice her absence, then he couldn’t scold her. A pretty simple logic.

Besides, the older rabbit was surely in a deep sleep by now, given that it was nearly midnight, so the chances of being caught were practically impossible.

Determined, Petunia walked over to her bedroom window, opening it and letting in a gust of cold night air that made her shiver, along with the glow of the moon, her only witness that night.

In front of her, a large tree stood in the backyard, its branches conveniently close to the window frame, practically inviting her to use them to swing down.

And she did.

Petunia gathered momentum, gripping the ledge before bracing one foot on the metal frame and leaping forward with the strength of her powerful legs. Just when it seemed she might not make it, she stretched her arms to their limit, managing to catch the sturdy branch by just a fraction.

Once she secured a solid grip, Petunia hugged the trunk and began to climb down the rough bark until the fall was no longer dangerous. She then let herself drop, landing on the freshly cut grass with her arms spread wide, a smug smile on her face at her successful landing.

“And without breaking a sweat”, she said to herself, considering that her physical condition was remarkably good thanks to practicing parkour in her free time. A pastime inspired by her mother, who been an expert at all kinds of risky yet breathtaking maneuvers.

Taking a few steps forward, Petunia lifted her gaze to the sky when she felt raindrops splash against her face. It was barely a light drizzle, but according to that morning’s weather forecast, a thunderstorm was expected later that night.

She would have to hurry if she didn’t want to get caught in a downpour—something far from pleasant, given that her fur and water didn’t get along very well.

Petunia kept walking, passing by the side of her house until she reached the street, making her way toward the school on foot. The icy wind stung her face, and the relentless drizzle forced her to pick up the pace. On the way, she was grateful she had worn sneakers, because she would definitely have to run back home to avoid getting drenched by the storm. Either way, she could always ask Kevin to bring her back. Her friend wouldn’t leave her wandering alone at this hour of the night, right?

In any case, keeping her mind focused, Petunia caught sight of the school’s silhouette in the middle of the night and, to add even more drama, a lightning bolt illuminated the sky, revealing for a split second the imposing building rising before her eyes.

Once her feet reached the entrance steps, Petunia glanced over her shoulder at the sound of an engine shutting off, followed by the screech of tires coming to a stop across the street.

The chauffeur of the BMW quickly stepped out and rushed to open the door for his young master, who also left his seat—though not before giving his employee a sharp glare.

“Remember, not a word about bringing me here, or you’re fired. Got it?”

The guard—who happened to be the same one from last time—nodded frantically, beads of sweat rolling down his forehead. “Y-Yes, sir. Whatever you say, s-sir.”

Kevin smirked, satisfied, before gesturing for him to return to the car, which the driver obeyed without a word. Turning his eyes forward, spotted his rabbit friend at the foot of the steps, and without needing further thought, he began moving toward her until he reached her side.

“Oh, I didn’t expect you to be the first one here. You must be really excited”, the nerd remarked with a rare touch of irony, earning a reply in the same spirit.

“I imagine you’re just as eager. Normally you’re punctual, but you showed up a minute later than we agreed”, Petunia retorted, a hint of annoyance seeping into tone as her impatience grew with every passing second of inactivity.

That defiant attitude didn’t faze Kevin in the slightest; he remained impassive. “Save your complaints. We’ve got better things to do than start another argument.” His eyes scanned her new look, immediately noticing something that stood out against the rest of her stealthy attire.

“Got something to say about it?” Realizing the way him friend was scrutinizing her, Petunia raised both brows, fixing him with an interrogative stare that challenged him to comment on her fashion choice.

After a few seconds of silence, carefully weighing his next words, Kevin went with the most diplomatic answer he could come up with.

“Your sneakers are pink.”

“So?”

“While the rest of your outfit is black.”

“And?”

“Also, you didn’t bring anything, expecting me to carry all the useful stuff.”

“Anything else you want to point out?”

“I’m so shocked I can’t even think logically, so not.”

Petunia declared herself the winner of this exchange, smirking smugly at Kevin’s expressionless face. He knew her friend well enough to understand just how ignorant she could be.

Not like him—he had anticipated this very scenario and made sure to pack his backpack with everything necessary for their mission to succeed. Once again, his brilliant mind proved vital in leading the team forward.

“By the way, what happened to Cubbie? I thought he’d be with you”, Petunia asked, glancing around in search of the only missing member of their trio.

Kevin shrugged, seemingly unconcerned about their friend’s absence. “No idea, he was supposed to be here already. But if I know him well enough, he’ll show up any momen—Ow!”

As if the universe itself were playing a joke, Kevin stumbled forward when someone bumped into him, nearly knocking over. Turning around, there was Cubbie, wearing a ski mask far too big for him, blocking his view entirely.

If Cubbie had truly walked all the way from his house to the school with that mask on, as Kevin suspected, then it was nothing short of a miracle he’d arrived alive and in one piece.

The feline was also clutching a rusty crowbar in one hand, likely pulled from his shed—about the best his financial situation could provide.

Furious, Kevin snatched the mask off Cubbie, restoring his friend’s vision of the world around him, the first thing he saw being the nerd’s scowl.

“Could you stop making like a fool and take things seriously for once!?” Kevin snapped. Faced with the feline’s embarrassed expression, however, he forced himself to calm down again. The only comforting thought was that, hopefully, tonight would mark the end of it all.

If all went well, they would get something relevant to expose the principal and finally put an end to this nightmare that had dragged on for too long. He would use all his connections to turn this into a national scandal, so everyone would realize that Kevin Smith was more than just a rich kid and truly understand his true worth.

Stuffing the ski mask into his backpack, Kevin jerked his head toward the entrance, a signal the group immediately understood. They followed him until the three stood before the side doors, locked shut with an old-fashioned padlock.

“Well? How do we get in?” Petunia tilted her head, staring at the lone obstacle barring their way.

Excited, Cubbie began bouncing lightly on his feet, holding the crowbar high over his head with both hands to draw attention.

This was his chance to shine, to put into practice the burglary skills he’d trained with so diligently the night before. His iron bar would be the key to hope, a sword of justice that would cleave through evil and—

“We’ll use this.” To the feline’s crushing disappointment, Kevin unzipped his backpack, rummaging inside before showing the others what he had in mind.

“Liquid nitrogen?” Petunia asked, eyes widening as Kevin gave a firm nod. She examined the cylindrical container fitted with an aerosol nozzle and a thin metal tube. “Cool. Let me try it!”

“No”, Kevin refused flatly. “I only have two, and I doubt you know how to handle a cryogenic liquid without freezing your own hands. Leave the work to an expert.”

Petunia scoffed. “I don’t see one anywhere.”

The nerd rolled his eyes, unwilling to play along. From his backpack he also pulled out a pair of thick thermal gloves, slipping them on before crouching down in front of the padlock. The liquid sprayed out in a pressurized stream the moment he pulled the trigger, flowing directly into the keyhole through the thin tube, freezing the internal mechanisms with ruthless efficiency and releasing a cloud of white vapor throughout the process.

Despite what movies might suggest, liquid nitrogen doesn’t instantly freeze metal—it needs about an hour of exposure before it becomes brittle enough to break. Luckily, the padlock was old and already showed signs of decay, its orange tint and flaky rust not unlike Cubbie’s crowbar. With the freezing agent working from the inside out, Kevin estimated the job would take no more than twenty minutes at most.

“I’ve got gloves too”, Petunia muttered minutes later, puffing out her cheeks and crossing her arms in a pout as she watched him friend handle the substance. But her expression gradually shifted into one of slight concern as she noticed the nerd’s face more closely. “Hey, Kevin… how’s your eye?”

Kevin didn’t even glance at her, keeping his focus on the obstacle demanding all his attention. “I’m fine.”

Petunia wasn’t convinced. Such a short reply was unusual for him. Most of the cuts on his face were small, covered with little bandages. But one stood out more than the rest—a deeper wound running from his cheek to just beneath his eye, covered with a gauze patch.

From what little Petunia could recall of that morning, after slipping into a catatonic state, Kevin had been in a foul mood for the rest of the school day. He’d stayed relatively quiet, and the reason was clearly something Oliver had said—something Petunia hadn’t caught, too busy kicking asses and saving her friends.

It was rare to see the nerd so lost in his own thoughts that she couldn’t help but ask again. “Are you sure? Because you don’t really look—”

“I said I’m fine.” His sharp tone cut her off completely, ending the subject at its root. Yet despite his attempt to sound irritated, there was an unmistakable hint of doubt beneath his words, one he couldn’t quite hide. “We have more important things to worry about right now, so stop wasting time with trivial, insignificant nonsense.”

Visibly offended by his prideful attitude, Petunia spun on her heels, turning her back to him. “Fine, but don’t say I didn’t care about you later,” she snapped, though her tone sounded more spiteful than she truly felt. When she turned her head, her expression softened as her eyes met Cubbie’s in a quiet, understanding glance.

The feline averted his gaze, his chest tightening as he watched Kevin’s hunched figure working on the barrier between them and their goal. From what he’d noticed that morning, the nerd had been even grumpier than usual after the incident with Oliver—which made sense, considering he had nearly been stabbed in the eye.

But Cubbie was certain there was more to it, more specifically something Oliver had said.

Long before Petunia and Lizzy entered their lives, back when it was just him and Kevin, Cubbie had gradually realized that his friend carried a burden, something that tormented him deeply. Yet he had never been able to uncover what exactly weighed on him.

Some might say the obvious answer was the crushing expectations of being the only child in a multimillionaire family that tolerated no failure. And they wouldn’t be entirely wrong—after all, it explained Kevin’s perfectionism and somewhat pretentious nature.

However, ever since the news of Lizzy’s death, something had shifted within him. Only Cubbie had noticed, thanks to his natural sensitivity to others’ emotions. This wasn’t just about justice anymore.

From the little he could glimpse through the thick emotional walls Kevin had built around himself… it was clear he aspired to something greater, seizing this tragedy as an opportunity to pursue his true goal.

The sharp crack of splitting metal tore Cubbie from his thoughts. Right on Kevin’s estimated mark, the padlock gave one last struggle before finally breaking apart, falling to the ground in two pieces.

With no more obstacles, Kevin stood and pushed both doors open, revealing a vast darkness stretching endlessly before them. Petunia and Cubbie stepped closer, staring into the void that now invited them forward—an abyss of no return they had come prepared to face once and for all.

Everything would change tonight, and the trio knew it perfectly well. The only real question was: who would take the first step into the unknown?

It was no surprise when Petunia moved forward, her face hardened with determination as she took the lead—only to be stopped by Kevin. Before the rabbit girl could protest, he handed her a flashlight, offering her the means to guide them through the shadows.

Kevin also extended the same offer to his other friend, only to receive a polite refusal from the feline. At first, this puzzled the nerd—until he remembered that Cubbie, being a cat, came with built-in night vision, giving him a perfectly clear view of their surroundings.

The students advanced side by side through the empty hallways, guided only by the sharp glow of their flashlights and a pair of eyes adapted to the dark. The interior of the school felt far more unsettling when the only sound was that of their own footsteps echoing through the silence as they made their way toward Miss Grace’s office.

None of them dared to break the heavy tension until the door leading to the principal’s office appeared under their lights, prompting Petunia to whisper. “Here we are.”

There it stood—their final stop, the place that would mark the end of their journey. There was no doubt that everything they needed to expose her had to be on that computer, the very same one Miss Grace spent most of her time behind. Because really, if Miss Grace kept a record of all her victims within that room, then logic dictated there had to be something hidden behind that screen as well.

“Indeed, just one last obstacle”, Kevin muttered, once again rummaging through his backpack to produce a lock-picking kit meant for doors with simpler mechanisms.

Using Petunia’s flashlight for illumination, the nerd crouched down and began fiddling with the lock, grimacing in frustration each time one of his thin metal picks snapped.

“I thought you’d done this before”, Petunia said, her impatience boiling over at the delay as she voiced her complaint.

Kevin turned his head toward her, narrowing his eyes accusingly. “I know the basics—something you certainly can’t claim. So I’d appreciate it if you let me work in peace and just focus on holding the light,” he grumbled before returning to the task.

Once again, his attempt ended in failure as another pick broke in his hands. The temptation to use the last canister of liquid nitrogen was becoming stronger by the second.

But as it turned out, he wouldn’t need it. Cubbie crouched down beside him, extending a hand expectantly, clearly asking to be given a turn.

With a reluctant, irritated sigh, Kevin handed over the remaining picks… only to watch in disbelief as, in less than ten seconds, on the very first try, the lock gave way under Cubbie’s deft hands.

“W-What? H-How did you do that!?” Kevin blurted, both impressed and incredulous.

Cubbie winked at him, giving Kevin a couple of pats on the back before standing up and slipping through the doorway, followed by Petunia, who let out a soft giggle as she watched the nerd’s confused expression while passing him. “Isn’t it obvious? He’s black.”

Setting aside the very stereotypical joke, which the author hoped no reader would take offense at, Kevin shook his head, dispelling his earlier hesitation, and stepped fully into the office.

The room lit up as he flipped the switch, but Kevin wasted no time inspecting the décor like his friends did. He went straight to Miss Grace’s chair, powering on the desktop computer on her desk while also pulling his own laptop from his backpack to get to work.

As the nerd connected the two devices with a cable to perform his hacking tasks, Cubbie stared at the display case, where the mannequin wore Miss Grace’s imposing military uniform, wondering what Bubble would think if he saw him dressed like that.

The thought made him blush.

“How long is this going to take? This place gives me the creeps”, Petunia said from the doorway, sweeping her flashlight across the long, dark hallway as if expecting some impish creature to peek out from a corner. The way her foot tapped repeatedly on the tiled floor was a clear sign of her restlessness—eager to finish the operation and get out as quickly as possible.

Kevin glanced up from the two computers for a moment, watching his friend’s anxious behavior with noticeable indifference before lowering his gaze back to the screens and continuing to type. “It’ll take as long as it takes, so instead of whining like you’re six, why don’t you do me a favor and tell my driver to bring the car closer? I’d hate to have to walk in this rain any longer than necessary.”

With a huff, Petunia turned her back and took a few steps into the darkness. “Fine, I’ll tell him. But make sure we get enough so that I never have to set foot in this school again.” With that, the rabbit girl left the group, agreeing only to have an excuse to leave the building that seemed to press down on her chest with every minute she was forced to remain inside.

She moved through the hallways, illuminating the path with her handheld light, her mind replaying the feeling of being in a horror movie where the protagonists, foolishly, separate and end up hunted by the cover’s monster.

But in her case, the only monsters were her inner demons, constantly reminding her of mistakes.

Even though Kevin could be a bit of an idiot most of the time, at least his brilliant mind came in handy for solving most of the problems they faced. Even Cubbie, who always stayed close to his nerdy friend, had proven to be more skilled than her when it came to picking the lock on Miss Grace’s office door.

And what did Petunia do that was useful? She bought new clothes… yes, it suddenly made more sense why Kevin acted so arrogantly around her.

Don’t get her wrong—Petunia took this whole business of exposing her best friend’s killers very seriously. So it was genuinely frustrating that Kevin didn’t seem to see it the same way, treating her like nothing more than a nuisance.

Sometimes, Petunia wondered if Kevin had truly been affected by Lizzy’s death beyond the initial shock. The boy seemed to be the same as always, with barely any noticeable changes. If his know-it-all personality already caused friction between them, it was even harder to empathize while he remained so closed off about his feelings.

Why did he have to hide like that? Did Lizzy even mean anything to him?

Did he even care?

She stopped walking and leaned against a wall to keep thinking. “Ow!—What!?” she exclaimed, only to fall to the floor when she tried to do so. As she stood up, a comical look of confusion spread across her face—the wall she had intended to lean on… simply didn’t exist. Instead, a hallway stretched before her, ending only in a solitary blue-tiled door.

You’re probably wondering what’s so strange about a hallway in a school—they all have them. But the difference between this one and the others was… well, normal hallways don’t just appear out of nowhere, replacing an actual wall.

How could Petunia be sure she wasn’t just mistaken about the route? The answer was that this hallway had a vending machine she frequented. And there was definitely no hallway right in front of the snack dispenser before!

Curiosity now fully taking hold, she directed her flashlight down the new passage.

“Okay… you didn’t exist ten seconds ago. What the heck?” she whispered cautiously, making her way to the door at the end. It was covered in scratches and bore a few warning signs written in marker. But the most striking thing was the piece of paper taped to it, labeling the owner behind the wood.

“Δlice's room…?” Saying it out loud sent a chill down her spine for some reason. And if she had thought she wasn’t in a horror movie before, now she definitely was.

Petunia wasn’t about to step through a mysterious door that had appeared out of nowhere, right? She already knew from experience that opening suspicious doors was never a good idea… so why couldn’t she tear her eyes away from it?

She was making a grave mistake by lingering any longer, yet it was practically impossible to ignore the voice in her head urging her to open it. But this wasn’t the voice of her conscience—it was… an intruder. An external entity seemed to whisper to her, in a shadowy yet strangely comforting tone, that she had to do it.

Unconsciously, her hand moved to the doorknob, and a chill ran through her body just from touching the cold metal. Her doubts were drowned out by the beguiling whisper, which, as a final command, spoke louder and clearer:

“OPEN THE DOOR.”

The call was irresistible. There was no sense in continuing to resist whatever invisible force was controlling her movements. After all, what’s the worst that could be behind that door? At most, a small room… or maybe an interdimensional portal to Wonderland.

All of that became irrelevant when, with a single tug, Petunia… opened the door.

Chapter Text

Kevin’s fingers danced across the keyboard at a dizzying speed and rhythm, opening and closing files, decoding, delving into the deepest parts of the system as if he were a skilled surgeon exploring the hidden confines of the human body.

He was in his element, doing what he did best—the very reason he had come in the first place. The streams of numbers and code reflecting off the rims of his glasses gave the impression of being inside the Matrix, allowing his mind to sync with the digital world before him, where new digits and values replaced the old ones, carving a path through the labyrinth of data that was slowly running out of roads to explore.

Another dead end made Kevin let out a frustrated sigh. He pulled his hands back from the keys, pressing his fingers together into an arch as he closed his eyes, taking a moment to think.

He had already probed the deepest layers of the complex digital web, dug into every program only to find empty wells. Each failed attempt piled onto his growing headache, but he wasn’t the type to give up so easily when faced with a challenge that pushed his brain into overdrive.

Maybe if he reorganized the files in a certain order they would form a word, or perhaps he should start again from the very beginning—for the third time—just in case he had missed something. Anything that might offer even the smallest opening to extract evidence.

“Come on, nothing you can’t handle.”

With that thought, Kevin resumed where he had left off, his hands settling over the numeric keys, oblivious to Cubbie’s gaze. The feline watched him work with hidden admiration glimmering in his wide, shiny eyes, unable to avoid being distracted by the nerd’s mastery with each keystroke.

Eventually, Cubbie shifted his focus back to the room, snooping through every drawer. When there was nothing left to occupy him, he began pacing in circles around the office, counting how many laps he could make before dizziness set in.

His body finally gave out on the twenty-eighth lap, stumbling as a wave of vertigo sent him crashing to the floor like a sack of potatoes. He remained there out of pure comfort, face squashed against the cold tiles, with no intention of moving a single muscle until something happened...

Cubbie tore his face away from his flat pillow in a flash, his eyes darting frantically in every direction as his body snapped into high alert.

As a final move, he fixed his gaze on Kevin, hoping his friend had been the one who spoke to him—but the nerd was just as absorbed as he had been minutes ago, and interrupting him was the last thing on Cubbie’s mind.

Strange. Cubbie could’ve sworn he heard a voice right behind him… no, a whisper. It was more like a whisper, barely audible, like a faint breeze brushing the edge of his hearing, seeping through the clatter of keystrokes just a few feet away.

Could it be schizophrenia? It wasn’t that far-fetched to think that, after learning of Lizzy’s death, his mind had broken in ways he couldn’t fully understand.

Even so, it wasn’t like he could afford medical treatment in his current situation… nor could his parents, who had already spent years struggling against various medical complications that made their everyday lives a constant battle. And yet, they were always there for him, supporting him, guiding him, fighting to give him the opportunities they themselves had never had.

His brother Tom, though not a bad guy, had taken a bite of life without ambition and embraced his mediocre lot without complaint. The future of the family had fallen squarely on Cubbie’s shoulders—the future in which his parents placed all their faith, hoping he would carry them toward something better.

If only fate hadn’t left him and his loved ones living among trash, surrounded by people more concerned with feeding their addictions than caring for their children, maybe his family would still be whole, and the empty rooms in his home would still echo with sound from time to time.

With a better life, maybe his cousin David wouldn’t have met his end at the tip of a needle.

With better finances, his sister Amelia wouldn’t have had to sell her body, only to be murdered by one of her clients.

With a better education, maybe his brother Noah wouldn’t have been gunned down by police in the middle of a shootout with the gang he belonged to.

They—and many more—had been victims of their own pursuit of a better tomorrow. It was no wonder his only remaining brother had chosen to give up and settle for a life without aspirations, after seeing how the others had ended up.

But Cubbie wasn’t one to take the easy road. How else could he repay his parents for the fruit of their hard work if not by changing the fate that awaited everyone who bore his surname? By managing to shine where the rest of the stars had been snuffed out in silent grief?

He… he was the torch that kept the persevering flame burning at full strength.

Cubbie rose back to his feet, convinced now that his mind had simply played a trick on him. It was just him and Kevin in that room, and Petunia had only left a minute earlier—it was impossible that—

“LOOK DOWN.”

The whisper from before, this time much clearer and seemingly audible only to him, made Cubbie leap so high his head nearly grazed the ceiling, his back arching like a startled cat as he landed on all fours.

It took only a fraction of a second for him to spring into a defensive stance, arms raised, both fists tight against his chest, ready to face any bloodthirsty spirit with the bravery of an amateur boxer… only to be bitterly disappointed when that sinister echo failed to return.

Gradually easing up, Cubbie tried to trace the origin of that chilling yet strangely comforting call. His curiosity pushed him to scan the room more carefully and, ignoring the saying “curiosity killed the cat,” he finally lowered his gaze to the tiled floor beneath his feet. There, he found a surprising detail he had overlooked earlier.

In the very same ceramic square where his face had slammed moments ago, one corner was chipped—a subtle flaw, not glaring enough to draw immediate attention, yet out of place in such a meticulously ordered workspace. Especially considering the principal’s well-known obsession with symmetry.

Drawn by this subtle clue, Cubbie knelt down, examining the tile more closely. Unlike the others, it wasn’t fixed in place. Using the chipped corner as leverage, he was able to lift it as though it were a lid.

When his instincts urged him to lift it, his eyes widened like saucers, a mix of shock and awe taking full control of his mind as he uncovered what lay hidden beneath.

His breath hitched with excitement as the feline scrambled toward an increasingly frustrated Kevin, whose focus was broken when his furry friend began tugging at his shirt like a child desperate for his father’s attention.

“Cubbie, I’m doing something important. Could you save your nonsense for when I’m finished?” Kevin didn’t even bother tearing his eyes away from the screens, trying in vain to convince his friend to leave him alone. But Cubbie’s persistence only grew more unbearable, until finally the nerd whipped his head around, his face twisted in fury as he barked, “WHAT!?”

Thrumming with euphoria, Cubbie pointed frantically to a specific spot in the room—toward what could only be described as the discovery of the century. Kevin’s gaze was instantly pulled to the hole, once concealed, now revealed for both of them to see.

His expression shifted from exasperation to a slow, dawning acceptance. The moment he realized what he was staring at was real, a new fascination overtook him, unable to hide a flicker of respect for the cunning of his feline friend.

Without wasting another second, he packed all his equipment back into his backpack, leaving everything as he had found it. The computer they had come for now seemed irrelevant; they had stumbled onto something far more mysterious, something demanding to be explored.

Both Kevin and Cubbie leaned over the opening, peering inside to find nothing less than a straight tunnel leading downward. The only way to descend was via a set of metal rungs bolted into the passage wall. The drop wasn’t too deep—maybe twenty feet at most—ending in a narrow corridor that practically begged to be explored.

The two teens exchanged a glance. Kevin, though not fond of detours, couldn’t deny this was a once-in-a-lifetime discovery. He’d be an idiot not to take a look at what this underground complex was hiding.

“You always know how to surprise me, don’t you, buddy?” A small, unbidden smile tugged at Kevin’s lips, a genuine compliment to the feline’s ingenuity. In response, Cubbie looked like the happiest cat in the world, raising his fist. With an exaggerated eye roll and feigned resignation, the nerd bumped knuckles with him.

“Care to do the honors?”

Without a second thought, Cubbie hurled himself into the dungeon, followed by Kevin, who slung his backpack over his shoulder and began descending the rungs, gripping the shaky brackets whose stability was questionable at best. Each step groaned under his weight, screeching with age, while the constant fear lingered that the few bolts holding the structure together might give way, cutting off their only way back up.

Fortunately, the ladder held for the entire descent, allowing the two intrepid adventurers to plant their feet firmly on the concrete floor that greeted them at the bottom. They didn’t need flashlights to cut through the dark, for as soon as they stepped forward, the lights lining the hallway flickered to life, presumably triggered by motion sensors, flooding the tunnel with a stark glow.

The passage was narrow, hemmed in by walls of stone and dirt, with rows of pale lights casting symmetrical patterns on either side. At the far end stood a heavy metal door, its security hinging on a digital panel locked behind an unknown code.

It was the kind of obstacle meant to dissuade anyone from pushing further. Most people would have turned back the instant they saw no apparent way through the armored gate—or at least resisted the foolish urge to punch in random numbers, risking alarms for every wrong attempt.

But Kevin wasn't like most people.

“Well, I thought Miss Grace would’ve tried a little harder to keep out unwanted visitors… what a letdown.” With not a trace of concern, the nerd stepped up to the reinforced door, eyeing it with disdain, as though he himself had designed it and could bring it down with a single thought.

A simple tilt of his head toward the metal plate was enough for Cubbie to nod. Their minds aligned with an almost supernatural ease born of years of shared bonds. Without hesitation, the feline wedged his crowbar into the panel and pried it open, exposing a tangle of wires and circuitry.

“Let’s take a look,” Kevin muttered, his hands diving into the mess of cables, pushing aside a rainbow of lines until he reached the components he wanted. He narrated every step aloud as if giving a lesson. “All I need to do is hold down the reset button on the control unit, disconnect the power source for a minute, then feed in the master override code—usually the same across most electronic locks like this and… perfect.”

With a high-pitched beep, the imposing entrance rose as the new password Kevin had entered was accepted. His handling of technology was comparable to Robby's, due to his parents' pressure on him to excel in all sorts of areas, although he excelled most in the literary and cultural fields, which earned him a small round of applause from Cubbie.

Wearing a smug smile of unshakable arrogance, the nerd allowed himself a moment of satisfaction before stepping forward with his companion into the complex. The chamber was vast, resembling nothing less than a research facility.

Cubbie’s eyes widened in awe, his excitement bursting like fireworks as he darted around the room. He poked at colorful liquids inside test tubes, searched under counters, and even peered behind equipment as though convinced Miss Grace must be hiding laser weapons somewhere.

Kevin, by contrast, advanced with measured steps, his disinterest plain. He had walked through far larger, more sophisticated laboratories in the past, and this one barely registered on his scale. His contempt laced his words, spoken to no one in particular. “So this is Miss Grace’s grand secret? Hmph. Guess that whole cult theory’s out the window. Doubt cultists even have the brainpower to grasp what science is.”

His gaze quickly locked on a command console at the far end, crowded with monitors and switches that would overwhelm anyone without training. To Kevin, it was clearly a data terminal—exactly what he needed.

“Let’s see what interesting little secrets you’ve got for me,” he murmured to the machine, speaking as if it could hear him and had no choice but to yield under his scrutiny. He pulled out his laptop, ready to dive headlong back into his work.

Meanwhile, Cubbie, having already rummaged through every shelf and cabinet without reward, began rolling idly across the polished floor, boredom gnawing at him as Kevin lost himself in “hacker stuff.”

But his endless curiosity soon drew him toward a row of three cell blocks, aligned side by side. Each one had its own armored door and thick panels of tinted glass, like interrogation rooms designed to keep prying eyes out. The feline’s tail flicked in anticipation as he wondered what kind of creatures might once have been kept inside.

Disappointment struck quickly. The cells were empty—though only of prisoners.

The first chamber was a wreck, its walls slashed and cracked in every direction. It was clear that whoever had once been caged there hadn’t taken captivity lightly. Rage and desperation had carved themselves into the surfaces, painting the picture of a beast unwilling to surrender, leaving behind a battlefield of claw and stomp marks as evidence of their violent attempts to escape.

The second cell stood in stark contrast to its boisterous neighbor, much more orderly, but still not exempt from damage to the infrastructure. Unlike the randomness of the attacks in the previous cell, these seemed to target specific sections of the walls, as if whoever was imprisoned in this cage had tried to damage the weak points. A great display of intelligence for any beast imprisoned within.

The third and final cell was the one that seized Cubbie’s full attention. Its destruction was a hybrid of the two previous chambers—a violent storm of brute force mixed with cold persistence. Deep dents and fractured glass spoke of a prisoner whose fury had been both relentless and focused, an unquenchable thirst for freedom etched into every surface. Most of the damage converged on the heavy metal door, as though it had borne the brunt of years of punishment from within.

As he moved from one cell to the next, unease crept up Cubbie’s spine. The silence of the abandoned prison only made his mind wander further. What kind of monsters had Miss Grace been hiding here beneath the school? And why were the cells now empty? Where were those creatures that seemed capable of unleashing so much carnage?

Most important of all—what other secrets was this school burying?

His questions found an answer—whether fortunate or not—when his eyes drifted upward. Above the frame of the final cell’s door, embedded into the wall, was a nameplate. A name he knew too well. A name that had haunted him these past few days.

The blood in his veins turned to ice.

This chamber, where destruction and control lived side by side, had failed to hold the monster who now roamed the halls in daylight, teaching class while barely restraining her darker nature. Etched into the plate was a name... Miss Circle.

Cubbie’s gaze froze. His disbelief compelled him to check the other cells again, as if clinging to the hope this was all some twisted prank.

But reality crushed him like a vice.

The first cell, where primitive instincts combined with overwhelming force caused unprecedented devastation, had the name Miss Thavel engraved on it. Beside him, in the cell where a calculating mind, but equally perverse as its counterpart, used its high degree of intelligence to find solutions, was marked as Miss Bloomie.

Cubbie's heart leapt at this atrocious confinement that was supposed to be the origin of the infamous trio of teachers, and yet, there were still more pieces of the puzzle missing to make everything make more sense, although the feline doubted that his questions would ever have a pleasant answer.

The only thing that was clear to him now was that… his teachers couldn’t possibly be human.

“I’ve got everything we need. Time to leave.” Kevin’s voice jolted Cubbie out of his catatonic haze. When he turned, the nerd already had his backpack slung over his shoulder, staring back at him with unshakable seriousness, unaware of the anxiety gripping his friend.

Cubbie nodded, though unease still gnawed at him. He cast one last glance over his shoulder toward the empty cells before dashing after Kevin, who waited patiently by the exit.

Naturally, Cubbie expected some kind of update from his friend’s investigation, and Kevin provided it without hesitation the moment he reached his side. “Didn’t find much, just some kind of scientific research. But I did manage to snag, let’s say… some very interesting material. It would be better to watch it all together so you understand what I mean.”

Cubbie gave him a thumbs-up, enough of a signal for Kevin to lead the way toward the stairwell that would bring them back up to the office. But halfway across the passage, Cubbie froze, making Kevin stop short and arch an eyebrow.

“Something wrong?”

Cubbie ignored him. Without a word, he turned on his heel and headed back into the laboratory.

“Hey! Where are you going? I promise you there aren’t any laser guns here, so quit wasting time and let’s get out of this place” Kevin’s voice carried growing irritation, but Cubbie pressed on, as if deaf to him. “Cubbie?”

At the sound of his name, the feline finally stopped and turned to face him. Kevin saw it then—the distant look in his eyes, confirming beyond doubt that Cubbie alone could hear the voice that had guided him since they arrived. The same melancholy whisper had returned, calling him back, drawing him toward the far end of the lab where a pedestal stood unnoticed until now.

“Huh? What’s this?” Kevin stepped closer, peering at the object encased within a glass capsule. His analytical mind immediately latched onto its details. A crown. Three jagged points rose to form its crests, each tipped with a dull red ruby. The material was unsettling—a black so deep it seemed to swallow the light, rough and imperfect, as though forged in haste or indifference. It looked ancient, a relic one might find in the corner of a museum—or the vault of a collector with morbid tastes.

But Kevin didn’t hear what Cubbie did.

The whispers were there again, soft but insistent, curling like smoke inside his skull. The source of the call that had led them to this hidden chamber.

Now, clearer than ever, it spoke its final command:

“FREE ME.”

A simple command. No threats, no feeble attempt at intimidation, not even the faintest trace of hostility—just an irresistible call. A silent cry for help, as raw and vulnerable as that of a lost child. Hearing it was enough to stir pity, the sorrow laced in its tone carrying a desperate hope of finally breaking free from the crystalline prison that bound it.

But time was pressing on, and for Kevin, they had already lingered far too long in that basement. Practical to the core, he considered any further delay pointless—and he wasted no time making that clear to his partner.

“You done here, or do you want to take a souvenir photo? It’s getting late, and if you don’t want your parents finding out about your little midnight escapade, I suggest you stop wasting time. We’re finished.”

Confident that his words were enough to knock sense into his friend, Kevin started back toward the exit, relieved when the sound of Cubbie’s footsteps trailed after him.

For a moment, the feline lowered his head, trudging with the resignation of someone already bracing for punishment. If his parents found out the decoy doll he’d left in his bed wasn’t actually him, they’d probably have him executed in the town square.

Or worse—They’d take away his beloved Nintendo Switch! He couldn't live without her!

But just as he accepted defeat, the deep voice resonated once more from the crown, urging him to lift his head, to glance over his shoulder at the object imprisoned in glass. Unlike its earlier directive, this time the plea was unmistakable, dripping with raw desperation.

“PLEASE…”

And that was enough.

For there was one thing Cubbie had never been able to resist: helping others, no matter the cost. It was etched into his very being. To ignore a condemned soul bound to a cursed relic while it practically begged for salvation—what would that make him?

Exactly. A traitor. The lowest of the low, in his eyes.

“Seriously?” Kevin sighed in frustration as he realized his friend had once again lagged behind, summoning all his patience to avoid grabbing him by the ears. “If you’re going to keep this up, you better—hey, what are you doing?”

Turning his back to Kevin, Cubbie raised his crowbar, readying his strike.

“Don’t you dare do what I think you’re about to do!” Kevin shouted, at the limit, pointing an accusing finger at Cubbie, already predicting exactly what the cat intended the moment he positioned himself for his reckless move.

The feline stared intently at the glass capsule, tightening his grip on the metal handle.

“No. Don’t. Do it,” Kevin warned, though even he knew it was useless to dissuade Cubbie when he was that determined… especially if the action was likely to backfire.

Taking a deep breath, Cubbie stepped forward. He wasn’t turning back now.

“Cubbie!” Kevin also lunged, trying to stop the inevitable… failed.

For a brief instant, a reddish aura surrounded Cubbie, filling him with a surge of adrenaline that allowed him to shatter the glass dome—meant to withstand even high-caliber bullets—with a single swing of his crowbar.

And just as quickly as this new force appeared, it vanished in the blink of an eye, leaving shards of glass scattered across the floor and Cubbie momentarily confused, unable to comprehend what had just surged through him—or the faint burn now blossoming in his arms.

A grave silence followed the deafening crash, Kevin staring intently at Cubbie while the cat fixed his gaze on the now-free crown, extending his hands to grab it without further dramatics.

The weight of the object belied its appearance—light as plastic—but its surface was rough and sturdy, perfect for sharpening tiny claws or scratching… well, all that made sense for a cat, but, let’s be honest, it just looked really cool.

Turning around, Cubbie exchanged a glance with the nerd, holding his new prize aloft with both hands, expecting praise… only to be greeted by a blaring alarm echoing throughout the room, accompanied by flashing red lights from the ceiling.

Oops… that hadn’t been part of the plan, and judging by Kevin’s expression, it wasn’t part of his either.

“Cubbie…” Kevin’s gaze was cold, almost soulless, making the feline shrink slightly as he braced for the nerd’s verdict on the situation. “You… are… an… idiot!?”

Unable to contain his frustration any longer, Kevin grabbed his friend by the throat, shaking him vigorously, watching Cubbie’s eyes comically widen, almost popping out of their sockets… until both abruptly stopped, remembering that he didn’t even have a neck.

Where was the oxygen supposed to circulate? How did food get in? Where were the larynxes that allowed his vocal cords to produce sound?

“Okay… this doesn’t make much sense,” Kevin muttered, setting aside flawed anatomy as he released his grip, not without giving Cubbie a sharp glare. “You and I have a pending conversation.”

Cubbie swallowed (wait… where was the saliva going!?), already plotting ways to earn his friend’s forgiveness. But there was no time for apologies now—they had the exit right in front of them. It was time to leave and reveal their discoveries to the world.

Too bad for Petunia, who missed all this. What could she be up to?

***

Darkness.

Calling the space before her “mere darkness” would have been an understatement.

No matter how powerful her flashlight was, the beam couldn’t penetrate more than a few centimeters, as if the new world rising before her eyes swallowed every source of light, leaving only shadows that draped over everything like a veil.

“Uhhh… hello?”

Petunia, standing at the doorway and staring into what she assumed was a small room, couldn’t believe what her eyes were seeing. This was utterly absurd—a lucid dream, or yet another nightmare from which she wasn’t sure she could wake up before something terrible happened.

But this wasn’t a product of her imagination. As she took a few cautious steps forward, venturing deeper into this realm devoid of the sun’s warm embrace or the gentle glow of the moon, she realized instantly that the place—a nest seemingly built for the most horrifying creatures to inhabit in this paradise of eternal night—was also devoid of… well, anything. It was an endless plain, with no obstacles to impede her progress.

You might be wondering: “Why does Petunia keep blindly walking through a territory she doesn’t know? Has she never seen a horror movie?”

First of all, Petunia didn’t like that genre of movies, so the cliché she was walking into went completely unnoticed by her. Second, that same voice—the one that had urged her to cross the threshold, the one that had shown her this new world—clouded part of her judgment, keeping her in a constant state of manipulation.

But that same feeling of losing control over her body vanished in an instant when, while walking in a straight line toward nowhere in particular, she nearly tripped over… what? A rock? No, it wasn’t a rock—it was more spherical.

“W-what?” Regaining her senses, Petunia became more aware of where she had ended up, scanning in all directions as her anxiety spiked—until she aimed the faint beam of her flashlight downward, more confused than ever, barely making out the shape of the obstacle she’d collided with.

When she touched it, she pulled her hand back at lightning speed as the sphere reacted, emitting what she could only interpret as a growl, similar to a snore. The texture was equally repulsive: soft and malleable, reminiscent of a slime, only far more unpleasant due to its lack of transparency and its foul smell, akin to tar, bitter and gag-inducing.

“Ugh, gross!” Petunia wrinkled her nose, covering it with her hand to prevent the stench from invading her lungs. She was about to retreat, thinking that if this foul-smelling sphere was what the mysterious voice wanted to show her, she had no desire to encounter any more disgusting surprises.

But before she could even turn around, she spotted a light in the distance—the only thing for miles breaking up the sea of shadows, immediately capturing her attention.

“Is this where you wanted me to go?” she asked aloud, almost expecting her invisible companion to answer. Unfortunately, the whispers in her head had stopped, making her frown. “Alright, now you don’t feel like talking and leave me here rambling like a lunatic. You’re so bipolar, did you know that?”

The silence frustrated her even more, though she couldn’t look away from the crimson glow descending from above, landing on a specific point in the vast chamber like a spotlight. It illuminated an empty altar, seemingly carved from the same rock as its surroundings, perfectly smooth and circular, exuding a shadowy elegance as if patiently awaiting an object to hold once more.

“Ha! Sure, I’ll just stroll over to the red light that’s obviously not a trap. Good try, but I think I’ll go back the way I came”, Petunia said, pivoting and marching toward the door she’d come through, which still stood open. She heard the echo again, this time frantic, but she only mocked it. “Oh! Now you change your mind? Tough luck, specter! You don’t control me anymore, which wasn’t exactly pleasant, so shut up and save your whining. You won’t fool me again—”

“Well, well, well… who is this adorable creature who dared to arrive uninvited~?”

Petunia froze when a new voice rose above hers—soft in tone but heavy enough to snap her mouth shut. A woman’s voice, clearly curious yet controlled, so near that a chill ran down Petunia’s spine… and she was standing right behind her.

The rabbit girl turned to face the only visible resident. The woman wore a long-sleeved white shirt in a desaturated bluish-gray, with a collar and two white buttons, and a necklace bearing a bronze triangle pierced by two lines. She wore a black knee-length skirt with a white waistband, Mary-Jane–style shoes and white socks. Resting atop her messy brown hair, a princess tiara revealed her status in this desolate land.

The sole ruler of the hell they’d wandered into… had her gaze fixed on her prey.

Barely containing her fear and nerves, Petunia stiffened, unsure how to respond other than with caution. “W-who the hell are you!? You’d better explain yourself!” Her attempt to step toward the exit was cut off by the higher girl’s piercing reply; her expression hardened at the disrespect.

“Didn’t your parents teach you that it’s rude to enter someone else’s home without permission?” she raised a fist before her chest, assuming an air of confidence as her smile widened. “It’s a pity you were raised so carelessly. But since I’m a gracious host, I’ll let it slide this once… My name is Δlice, by the way. How would you like me to refer to you, little bunny?”

The way this girl “Δlice” spoke was unnerving—so calm and detached from the obviously strange circumstances of their meeting. Petunia had no choice but to answer clumsily before being cut off abruptly. “P-Petunia, my name is—”

“Petunia! What a fitting name for such a delicate girl. Now answer me, plebeian: what do you seek that could be so valuable you’d dare sully the beauty of my realm with your miserable existence?”

An intrinsic wickedness seeped through her words, without a hint of subtlety, amused to see the other girl step back with disbelief carved across her face. She could feel Petunia’s fear growing—her anxiety, her urge to flee, even the quickening of her heartbeat; a sound that stirred a barely contained thrill in Δlice.

“I—I, ugh, look, s-sorry. I didn’t know this was your home, it was just a big misunderstanding. But don’t worry, I was leaving anyway. See you!” Petunia finished, pivoted on her heel, and hurried toward the door back to the corridor she’d come from.

It was probably the worst first impression she’d ever made on anyone in her life, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t patch things up later once the turbulent waters between them calmed. This could even be the start of a new, lasting friendship! All she had to—

“I see… a simple intruder.” A massive spike burst from the floor directly in front of Petunia, forcing her to stop and watch in horror as the stake almost impaled her while the maniacal laugh of her executioner sounded behind her. “If that’s the case, I will make an example of you for the future fools who make the reckless decision to waste my time… perishes now.”

Without mincing words, Δlice lunged forward, her hands turning into a pair of claws as sharp as swords, swinging one of them at her target. To add fuel to the fire that fueled her thirst for killing, Petunia barely realized what was happening in time, dodging for a split second the deadly attack that split the giant spike in two.

If she’d taken even a millisecond longer to dodge… it would have been her head ripped from her shoulders.

By sheer luck, Petunia crouched, staving off a date with the Reaper by avoiding a swipe that arrived in the blink of an eye and aimed to tear her face off. That gave her the margin to leap out of the demon’s reach, who watched her with indescribable hatred for making things harder for both of them.

A shriek tore from the rabbit girl’s lips as she ran frantically for the door, her only escape, heart hammering and sweat pouring down her brow, constantly aware of her pursuer’s presence and the hunger to see her insides scattered across the floor that pushed her legs to give their best.

Just as the exit was less than a meter away, Petunia heard a powerful stomp that made the ground tremble, from which a straight line of spikes erupted toward her. Weaving, she managed to dodge the numerous points that sprang up inches from her flesh and, using the agility of her legs, reached the doorway, ready to use the labyrinthine corridors to confuse her would-be killer.

Too bad that, the moment she stepped outside, she learned the hard way that the spikes Δlice conjured weren’t confined to her immediate territory—they could extend beyond it. Specifically, a small spike that Petunia hadn’t seen in time ended up piercing her foot.

A scream of pure agony tore from her lips, deafeningly loud, echoing through the entire school. When she looked down, horror gripped her as she saw the tiny treacherous spike piercing the sole of her foot like a nail and emerging from the other side, beginning to fill both her shoe and the floor with her blood.

***

With Cubbie’s help, Kevin climbed the last stretch of stairs, reaching the principal's office and sealing the entrance they had just come through to erase any trace of their guilt… that last part would have worked if the alarms downstairs weren’t still blaring, surely putting Miss Grace on high alert.

But did it even matter? From Cubbie’s perspective, a secret laboratory wasn’t something the education ministers would approve of, nor the police, so the only person who seemed to suffer was their director. It was a win for them, and their enemies could only fear the consequences once all the information they had seized came to light.

Besides, there was no way anyone could discover that they were responsible for the heist, and the school couldn’t start interrogating students without raising suspicion.

So yes… they had triumphed.

Ah, sweet victory—so satisfying and refreshing that you could never get enough of it. Now all that remained was to leave the school and savor the fruits of their hard work. The trio could watch from above as the weight of justice fell upon the heads of these soulless people, making them pay for their crimes and freeing the world from this horror.

And after that? Only time would answer that question.

“I still don’t get why you’re so fixated on that awful thing”, Kevin remarked, pointing at the crown in his friend’s hands, especially at the jewels embedded in its tips. “Planning to sell it or something?”

Cubbie shook his head, pressing the relic to his ear as if having a private conversation with the object, leaving the nerd even more bewildered. He was now firmly convinced that the feline had developed a deep trauma from recent events and had plunged into irreversible madness. At least, that explained his earlier behavior.

“I guess I’ll pay for some therapy sessions for you when this is all over… it’s the least I can do to get you back to normal”, Kevin muttered. Cubbie merely rolled his eyes at his partner’s formality, completely focused on listening to what the crown was whispering.

Something was wrong, according to what it was saying, and the feline’s face twisted into an expression of deep worry; his breathing became ragged, his shoulders rising and falling with each gasp, consumed by a creeping panic.

Cubbie’s sudden crisis state sparked Kevin’s concern, unusual for him since he rarely showed attachment to anyone, prompting him to move closer and try to understand what was happening. “Hey, Cubbie, are you—?”

“AAAAAHHHHH!”

A piercing scream echoed throughout the building, so startling that even Kevin—always calm in the worst situations—jumped slightly, immediately recognizing the source.

“Petunia?!”

Kevin spun toward the now-open office door, just as Cubbie shot out in less than a second with agility Kevin never imagined in him, as if he already knew this was going to happen, leaving only speculation that the crown had something to do with his instant reaction.

But this wasn’t the time to think—it was time to act.

Shaking his head to focus on reality, the nerd sprinted out of the room, switching on his flashlight and chasing the sound of distant wails.

He could only hope to arrive in time.

***

Petunia moaned with dehumanizing agony, trying to lift her impaled foot to flee, but each failed attempt as her flesh slid down again resulted in unbearable pain. Tears streamed from her eyes like a broken dam, joining the pool of her own blood, unable to hold back the whimpers that fed the satisfaction of the culprit of her current suffering.

Δlice’s steps slowed; there was no longer any reason to hurry now that her meal was practically served on a silver platter, and to add further humiliation to the victim’s vulnerable state, she let out a laugh laden with dark irony.

“That’s how I like it, prostrate before her highness, like a good peasant. You could have been an interesting hunt... if only you’d kept your eyes on the path instead of trying to impress with your moves.”

Δlice passed by the defenseless girl, who looked up at her with suffocating anguish. She ran a finger across Petunia’s cheek, leaving a light cut in its wake and provoking another of those high-pitched squeals she so loved to hear.

Bending down to meet her at eye level, the princess took her prize’s chin, forcing her to hold the gaze and behold her unhinged smile.

“Don’t take it the wrong way, this was going to happen sooner or later. But there’s still something I don’t understand... Why did you come in? I thought my door was well hidden thanks to the wall illusion. How did you find me?”

Her curiosity was genuine, intrigued by this unprecedented occurrence. Petunia, despite barely being able to utter anything beyond babbles, knew she would be finished if she stayed silent, so she had no choice but to force her mouth to move in the faint hope of saving her life.

“A-a voice... a v-voice told me where to go...”, was all Petunia managed to say, closing her eyes on the verge of more tears, hoping it would be enough to calm the monster before her.

At the mention of a guiding voice, Δlice paused for a moment, as if remembering something, until she finally narrowed her eyes and understood exactly what this was all about. “A voice, you say? That is... quite interesting.”

Footsteps approaching in haste caught the princess’s attention, as well as Petunia’s, who watched a catlike student appear around a corridor bend, visible in the darkness by the light from his flashlight, which had fallen from his hands when his foot became trapped.

Seconds later, a bespectacled youth arrived, gasping from the run he’d made to reach his companion; the two joined and observed the scene with growing shock and alarm.

“These must be your friends, am I wrong?” Δlice scrutinized the newly arrived pair, eyes widening when she noticed the crown the feline carried in his hands... it was... what she had been searching for all this time.

“G-Guys!” Petunia screamed at them, desperate, knowing none of them stood a real chance of confronting the ruthless being whose power couldn’t be matched. “D-Don’t come closer, run while you can!”

Kevin became serious as he grasped the situation, furrowing his brow deeply at the demon. “Who exactly are you?” Beside him, Cubbie shot the princess a look of pure hatred, baring his claws while growling like a panther.

Standing upright, Δlice remembered her manners, seeming far more cooperative and ready to negotiate than before. “Oh, forgive me, I don’t usually have visitors, so my social skills are a bit rusty”, she said, giving a small bow as she reintroduced herself. “My name is Δlice, princess and sovereign of the  Sleeping Realm. It’s a pleasure to have two young souls like yourselves before my magnificence, and that is why I have a proposal for you.”

Placing a hand on the feline’s shoulder to prevent him from leaping at her, Kevin met this so-called monarch’s gaze without fear or hesitation, confident that no one could intimidate him. “We’re not interested in anything you have to offer, so I suggest you leave and mind your own business.”

At this display of arrogance, the princess let out a low, deep laugh, continuing the game between them. “And your friend’s life isn’t something that interests you?” The question caught the nerd off guard, while increasing the feline’s frustration as Δlice’s gaze swept over him and the artifact he held so tightly. “I’ll be honest, you have something I want and I have something you want, which makes a trade the fairest solution for everyone. Don’t you think~?”

The sheer thought of treating Petunia like a mere exchangeable object was enough to make Cubbie boil with rage, his forehead veins swelling as he fought to resist jumping in to save his friend.

On the other side, guilt consumed Petunia. Once again, she had become the burden of the team, someone who needed rescuing from problems she herself had caused. Viewed this way, maybe giving in was the best for everyone.

The weight of the decision fell on Kevin, who truly had few options other than handing over this lunatic’s obsession. It wasn’t even painful for him to part with an ugly, meaningless crown. In that sense, the decision had practically been made for him.

“Fine, take your silly relic and leave us alone”, he said—only to be met with resistance from Cubbie, who refused to release the crown, completely throwing Kevin off. The nerd had never imagined his companion acting so defiantly against his ideals. “Cubbie!?”

Despite how hypocritical it may have seemed, the feline knew exactly what he was doing. The voice from the crown, while everyone else was busy arguing, had whispered to him that under no circumstances should it fall into the princess’s hands. A horrific fate awaited them if that happened—both them and everyone they loved.

But of course that alone wouldn’t be enough to convince him to sacrifice a friend, so instead it offered him a solution.

“I see…” Δlice sighed with disappointment, having already anticipated this outcome. “Well then, I tried to show you mercy. You leave me no choice but to rip your hearts out”, her sharp smile appeared as she lunged forward, extending her claws to finish off the two stubborn teenagers in one blow.

“No!” Petunia tried to grab Δlice’s ankle to stop her, but it was already too late. She could do nothing; because of her helplessness, the only friends she had left would die before her eyes and she couldn’t prevent it.

Failure… as a leader… as a friend… as the persevering flame.

Everything happened in slow motion; Δlice, maddened by her desire to annihilate, extended her killing claws. Kevin, showing fear for the first time, uselessly covered his body with his arms. Cubbie, strangely calm, raised the crown to eye level and clearly heard its new instruction.

“LET’S DO IT.”

Doing the unthinkable, Cubbie placed the crown on his head, feeling that power wrap around him just like it had in the lab. The same reddish aura now enveloped him entirely, projecting a crimson outline across his body in an almost divine form. In that moment, Fear left him as did gravity.; he floated a few inches off the ground, his eyes now crimson locking onto a very impressed Δlice, who for a fraction of a second stood dumbfounded, admiring this unmatched display of power.

There was only one thing Cubbie desired—far more than beating the demon—and that was to keep himself and his friends safe.

In less time than it takes for sound to travel from one end of a room to the other, the trio vanished in the blink of an eye, leaving behind a residual red afterimage of the three that also dissolved, leaving the princess slicing the air where her prey had been.

She looked around in disbelief, trying to detect where they had gone, but they had quite literally poofed away, teleporting to an unknown location.

Rage flooded Δlice—some primitive instinct awakened in her demanding she unleash her fury by destroying every room in the school. And just when she felt her self-control might fail, she inhaled deeply and exhaled, miraculously calming herself.

She was a princess; she couldn’t throw a tantrum—not when she still had one last ace up her sleeve.

She walked to her chamber, gliding through that darkness she knew so well with a familiarity honed by spending so much time in the shadows. Her path ended when she came upon that sentient sphere Petunia had ignorantly mistaken for a “ball.”

Δlice reached out to stroke its surface, listening to the deep gurgles it emitted. Her gentle treatment of the creature ceased when, from the tips of her fingers, a crimson bolt of energy struck it relentlessly; the thing howled with a mix of pain and ecstasy before convulsing and revealing its true form.

Once curled up in a ball, the beast began to stretch wildly, loosening up after having remained in a single position for too long. It yawned, opening its jaws to reveal a row of teeth capable of shredding flesh like blades. In its chest a faint light pulsed intermittently as red as its eyes, which were nothing more than two floating red orbs in their sockets.

The newly awakened abomination looked at its mistress with a rebellious air, only to be subdued by another strike that forced it into a quadrupedal stance, receiving more jolts of energy as the enraged woman bent it to her will.

“Don’t you dare disobey me, pathetic excuse for a demon! You exist only to serve me and me alone! Is that clear, big boy?”

The so-called demon snarled in reply—the only sound its underdeveloped brain could muster—but it served as confirmation of its submission.

“Good boy”, Δlice stepped back, placing her hands behind her back; a tyrant before her most loyal soldier, waiting to give new orders. “First, can you feel that? The fear they left behind?”

An excited roar was the response she expected.

Indeed, that sensation of having death itself standing before you was too intoxicating to ignore. A trail of scents already revealed the location of three individuals on the brink of collapse, carried along by the desperation of what they had just endured.

Δlice’s smile widened. “Excellent. Now, listen to me”, she said, and using its limited intelligence the monster seemed to understand and fell silent. “Those three vermin have something that belongs to me: a crown. You’ll recognize it by the power it emits… bring it back to me, and do not return until you have it”, she added as a little extra, “and make sure there are no survivors.”

The lure of tasting her targets’ blood was all the incentive she needed. Letting out a bestial roar, the creature sprang forward on all fours, moving at a speed comparable to a buggy, barreling through the door and vanishing from sight, utterly relentless in fulfilling the mission assigned to it.

Δlice watched it depart, knowing that the effect of her power would last only a few hours before the beast returned to its slumber. Plenty of time to not have to worry—soon enough, her coveted crown would be back where it belonged.

Directly in her hands.

Turning her gaze to the landscape around her, her vision of this world was unlike that of any ordinary person. Where others saw only endless darkness, she beheld burned trees, desert terrain stretching infinitely, and a gray sky under which countless eyes scrutinized the earth below.

And most striking of all, the countless other “balls” that likely numbered in the millions, littering every imaginable corner, waiting impatiently for the day they would awaken.

This was… the Sleeping Realm.