Zein's Point of View

I fucking knew it!

Julse survived the knife, but he couldn't escape his own conscience—and that was what actually finished him off.

Damn that red-haired guy! He knew exactly how to make sure none of the three would make it out alive.

Supremo walked into the office next, looking visibly pissed off. It was the first time I'd ever seen him look irritated, as he usually kept a poker face. I wonder what happened.

"Damn!" He suddenly slammed his hand on the desk, which caught me off guard.

I glanced over at Onel, who was buried in paperwork. Teacher Kath was doing the same, while Fritzy was just fidgeting with her nails. Basically, everyone was pretending to be busy just so they wouldn't have to make eye contact with Supremo.

Not me. I stared at him. I enjoyed seeing him frustrated.

"Prepare, SSG officers," he suddenly said, getting everyone's attention. I wasn't sure what he meant, but I couldn't help feeling a bit excited.

What's stressing him out?

"What do you mean?" Teacher Kath asked, standing up to face him.

"S-Supremo..." Fritzy stammered nervously. "Are you okay? Do you want some water?"

"The BBG is really coming for us. They're killing people even when it's not a Bloody Night," he began. "They're going to get exactly what they're looking for."

A smirk crept back onto Ace's face.

Oh, this might have something to do with those three friends. But technically, the BBG didn't kill them. They just manipulated them into killing each other.

Still, Supremo clearly didn't like it. The Black Blood Gang was officially challenging the Supreme Student Government. Who was tougher? And who was going to come out on top?

***

"Well, well, well."

I stopped in my tracks while carrying some papers for Madame Violet when Roxane and her minions decided to block my path.

I glanced at the Band-Aid on her leg. Ugh, she was being so dramatic.

"What do you want?" I asked.

"Whoa!" Roxane forced a laugh and looked me up and down. "Just because you're in that position now doesn't give you any right to talk back to me like that. Let me remind you that you are still a noob."

I almost rolled my eyes. Why did my rank always have to come up in these things?

"So, what?" I snapped back. According to Liam, she was the queen here. For all I care. I held the secretary position and was ranked ninth in the Highest 10. I had earned the right to be a bit of a bitch.

"What did you say?" Her breathing got heavy.

"I said, 'Get out of my way.'"

Her minions closed in and grabbed my arms. I winced as I dropped my papers, watching them scatter all over the ground. That really set me off.

"You have no right to talk back to me. I am the queen here!" Roxane screamed.

"For all I care!"

She started yanking my hair. It didn't hurt much at first, but she kept pulling harder and harder. The other students just stood there watching like they were too scared to do anything. Pathetic.

"Zein, right? I've been hearing a lot about you. You're such a show-off," she said, her voice tinged with annoyance.

I smirked. Her true colors finally came out. She just hated being overshadowed because it was ruining her image. She was threatened that she might no longer be the main character in this place.

"Pathetic," I whispered.

I cursed under my breath when she slapped me across the face hard. It stung, whipping my head back a good fifty degrees, I guess.

The second I get loose from your annoying minions I'm going to hit you back twice as hard. Full 180 degrees.

"How dare you? Are you really trying to piss me off?" she hissed, shaking with rage.

"You're the queen here? But to me, you are just another pathetic bitch!" I screamed right in her face.

Her eyes went wide, and then she started tearing at my blouse. I cursed again, not knowing what to do. She was clearly trying to strip me to humiliate me.

The crowd laughed, with some guys whistling.

"One more move, Queen Roxane, and I'll show you how this game should be done," I said, my voice turning cold.

She just laughed at me. I squeezed my eyes shut as she ripped off a few buttons. I could feel everyone's mocking stares—the laughing, the whispering, the whistling. My breathing got heavy.

Then Roxane slapped me again.

Everything after that was a blur. In a blink, her minions weren't holding my arms anymore—they were sprawled out on the ground.

I smirked when I saw the look of pure terror in Roxane's eyes. I fixed my blouse and slowly walked toward her. She scrambled backward, her face pale.

"W-what are you going to do?" she asked, trembling.

"I told you. I'll show you how it should be done."

I slapped her so hard that she hit the ground. She looked down, her jaw probably going numb. I knew it hurt like hell because even my own palm was stinging.

"Hundred sixty degrees," I smirked.

The students began reacting badly. When I was the one getting hurt, they found it funny. But once I defended myself and the situation flipped, I was suddenly seen as the bad guy.

I hated this fucking place. It was just so biased toward whoever had power. Ironically, even though I had it, I was still considered the villain.

But honestly, I felt a little better. Roxane deserved that slap.

"Damn you," Roxane said, her voice shaking. "You're going to regret this. I'm telling Raze." A smirk appeared on her bloody lips.

"Really, Ms. Allister? That's all you can do? Running to your boyfriend?" I mocked her.

She laughed. "You're just jealous. I have a boyfriend in a high position."

"Good thing I have no one to count on. I can handle myself."

"You will pay for this. Raze will kill you!"

Raze. Should I be scared of him? What kind of monster was he? The king of demons? Well, I didn't care.

I picked up my papers, brushed off the dirt, and shot a glare at Roxane, who was still sitting on the ground and smirking at me.

"Go ahead and tell him. That's all you're good at, coward!"

I rolled my eyes and kept walking. Good thing my sister Allison taught me how to defend myself, though that was also why I often ended up in fights. Still, it was good to know how to protect myself.

I went to my locker to grab a change of clothes and headed to the bathroom. I grimaced looking at my wrinkled blouse, now with missing buttons.

"Bitch," I muttered while changing.

Then I made my way to Madame Violet's office. I knocked before going in and saw her holding a gold mask that she hurriedly hid in a drawer.

"Yes, Ms. Shion?" she asked with a smile.

I didn't answer. I just set the papers that Supremo had given me on her desk. She didn't even look at them. Her eyes stayed locked on me.

"One of a kind," she whispered.

"I'm leaving now," I said, excusing myself.

I didn't want to stay in that office for a second longer. I couldn't breathe in a room shared with the leader of all this evil.

"You remind me of her. Your personality, I mean."

I ignored her and walked out. I had no idea what she was talking about or who she was comparing me to.

"Zein!"

I turned and saw Vanessa waiting outside.

"Van!"

"You did that to Roxane?" she asked, looking terrified.

News traveled fast here, like a virus. Then again, I did just beat up their queen.

"Yeah," I replied.

Her face fell. She looked genuinely worried.

"You shouldn't have done that. She's the queen here, and her boyfriend is the leader of the Devil God Warriors. You'll be in danger."

I paused for a moment.

"Death is always close by, Vanessa. There's a possibility that's where I'm heading anyway," I said lifelessly before walking away.

She followed me and grabbed my arm. I glared at her, but my expression softened when I saw the tears in her eyes.

"Why are you so selfish, Zein? You don't even think about how we'd feel if you were gone. You're so self-centered!"

Then she ran off.

I stood there like my feet were glued to the floor, unable to follow her.

Her words cut deep. I wasn't afraid to die, but they were afraid I would. I hadn't been thinking about myself, but they'd been worrying about me this whole time.

I guess I have been selfish.

Ever since I got this position, I hadn't had any time for them. I needed to apologize and make things right.

Panic set in when two men wearing red masks handcuffed me. Fear overwhelmed me that I didn't even fight back.

"W-what are you going to do to me?"

I couldn't do anything as they dragged me toward the back where no one could see us. I caught a glimpse of Madame Violet, who was just watching me.

"Orders from the boss. Are you ready to die?"