Priana's POV
"You did this, didn't you?" Anrio suddenly snapped, his voice echoing in the locked room.
I stared at him, bewildered. "What? Why would I even do such a thing?"
"Then how did the door lock itself?" he demanded, his eyes narrowed in suspicion.
"Why would I lock us in?" I countered. "Look at how old this room is. The rusty lock probably jammed on its own."
Frustrated, Anrio slumped onto a nearby table. I sat down beside him, the silence between us heavy. Suddenly, the old lights began to flicker violently. In that instant, I saw a flash of pure terror on Anrio's face. The arrogant President was gone, replaced by someone unrecognizable. He reached out and grabbed my hand with a crushing grip.
I tried to lighten the mood. "Wow, so the great President is actually afraid?"
But Anrio didn't respond. He was paralyzed with fear, tears streaming down his face. He looked like a vulnerable child lost in the dark. As the lights died out completely, a memory flashed in my mind—I had read in The Elites' Diary that the President had a severe phobia of the darkness.
I squeezed his hand tighter. "Anrio, listen to me... there's nothing to be afraid of. I'm right here."
In the pitch black, Anrio suddenly pulled me into a desperate embrace. For a moment, time stood still. My heart was racing, my breath coming in short gasps. I wrapped my arms around him protectively. "Everything is going to be okay," I whispered.
He was sobbing now, murmuring brokenly, "Mom... please don't leave me. Don't go!"
Hearing him cry out for his mother broke my heart. What kind of trauma was he hiding? The boy who was so cold and cruel just hours ago was now clinging to me like I was his only lifeline. I stroked his hair gently. "Shh, calm down. I'm here. No one is going to leave you."
He held me even tighter. Finally, the flickering stopped and the lights hummed back to life. "Look, the lights are back. Everything is fine now. You're safe," I said softly.
Anrio slowly let go of me. I reached up and wiped the tears from his eyes, the silence between us now filled with a truth that words could never express.
"Are you okay?" I asked softly, my heart still beating fast.
Anrio composed himself and looked at me. "Yes, I'm fine. I'm sorry... you had to get scared because of me."
I gave him a small, reassuring smile. "Not at all. I'm your assistant; it's my duty to be here."
A faint, rare smile touched his lips. Taking a deep breath, I dared to ask, "Where is your mother, Anrio?"
The mention of his mother brought fresh tears to his eyes. He looked away, his voice heavy. "I don't want to talk about that right now. And please... don't mention any of this to the others. They'll only worry needlessly."
"I understand," I replied. "I won't say a word."
Suddenly, loud banging echoed from the door. Someone was trying to force it open. With a final, powerful shove, the door swung open, and Marco was standing there, his eyes wide with shock as he looked at us.
"What are you two doing here?" Marco asked, completely bewildered.
"The door got jammed," I explained quickly. "We couldn't get it open from the inside."
"Yeah, she's right," Anrio added calmly.
Marco's eyes fell on Anrio's hand. "Wait, what happened to your hand?"
"Nothing serious. Just a small cut. Priana bandaged it up," Anrio replied dismissively.
The two of them walked out, talking amongst themselves. I followed behind, leaving the shadows of that classroom, but the mystery of his past stayed with me. What could have happened in his life that left him so broken?
One thought kept looping in my mind—was Anrio's mother somehow connected to this school? For some reason, I couldn't shake that feeling. This school is shrouded in mysteries, and I have to be the one to uncover them all.
When I reached the Elites' lounge, I found them all hanging out together. Just a while ago, they were at each other's throats, but now it looked like they had never had a fight in their lives.
As I entered the room, Warren spoke up, "Hey Priana, you're here! I heard you and Anrio got stuck in that old classroom together."
I simply nodded my head. Diego laughed and added, "Man, you guys were fighting just a bit ago, how did you end up locked in the same room?"
Anrio looked annoyed. "Shut up, Diego."
Marco chimed in with a smirk, "If I hadn't gone and opened that door, they would have been trapped in there all night."
Just then, Lian stepped up beside me. He leaned in and whispered into my ear, "Well, well... first the kiss, and now being locked in a room together. So interesting."
I shot him a sharp, angry look, but he ignored it. He put his hand on my shoulder, dragged me toward Anrio, and said, "Sit here."
Suddenly, Oscar's voice turned serious. "Are you guys ready for tomorrow?"
"What's happening tomorrow?" I asked, confused.
"War," Rafael replied bluntly.
My heart dropped. "War? What does that even mean?"
He gave me a condescending look. "You're still a kid, you wouldn't understand."
I said to myself, Yeah, I'm a kid! I know you guys don't understand anything except fighting. You're probably going to go pick another fight.
I turned to Lian and whispered, "Seriously, what's happening tomorrow?"
Lian leaned in closer. "Tomorrow, we have a fight against The Rebels."
"So you guys are actually going to fight?" I asked in disbelief.
"Yeah! And hey, before the fight, teach me some moves so I can knock them out tomorrow," Lian said with a wink.
I thought to myself, I don't even know my own moves, and he wants me to teach him! I gave him a light tap on the head and said, "Is there anything you guys do besides fighting?"
He tapped my head right back, grinning. "Nope!"
I couldn't take it anymore, so I stood up. "I'm going back to my room," I told them and headed toward the hostel.
When I entered my room, Lufa was lying on her bed reading a book. I closed the door behind me and collapsed onto my bed. Lufa looked at me, startled. "What happened? Why are you so exhausted?"
I let out a heavy sigh. "I don't know why these Elites are so strange. You might not believe me, but they aren't as heartless as everyone thinks. There's a soft spot in their hearts."
Lufa looked shocked. "What are you talking about?"
"I'm serious... but I don't know what will happen tomorrow. They won't listen to a single word I say."
"Why? What's happening tomorrow?" Lufa asked, worried.
I buried my face in my pillow and whispered, "I don't know, Lufa... I don't even know myself."