By morning, the school wasn't breathing right.
It was louder, sharper like everyone had swallowed something they couldn't spit out.
"The board is out."
That was all it took.
Students flooded the hallway like a stampede. Shoes scraping, shoulders hitting, voices rising over each other.
Maya got pulled into it whether she liked it or not.
Bodies pressed against her.
Heat, noise, tension.
"Move!"
"Let me see!"
"Who's first?!"
The Student Board stood at the center of the hall.
Bright, cold, unforgiving, names filled the screen ranked, ordered, judged.
Maya pushed forward slightly, her chest tight, her fingers curling into her sleeves.
Her eyes searched.
Fast.
Too fast.
Top 10.
Not her.
Top 20.
Still not.
Her heartbeat started rising.
Louder and harder, then , there.
Rank 27 - Maya Adebayo
She froze.
Not top.
Not bottom.
Somewhere in between.
Safe but not safe, her eyes shifted quickly.
Group rankings.
Group 7 - Rank 3
A sharp exhale left her chest before she could stop it.
They did well, too well.
"Not bad."
Maya flinched slightly.
Kai's voice.
Right beside her.
She didn't turn immediately.
Didn't trust her voice yet.
"Average," Liam added from behind, though there was something off in his tone. Not mockery. Not fully.
Tessa leaned closer to the board. "Rank 3… that's actually impressive."
Zina said nothing but she didn't look disappointed.
For a second just a second Maya felt it again.
That small shift that dangerous feeling of…
Maybe.
Then
A scream cut through the hallway, sharp, broken.
Everyone turned.
"What do you mean disqualified?!"
A boy stood near the edge of the crowd, his face pale, his hands shaking.
"That's not possible, I didn't cheat!"
The teacher stood in front of him.
Calm, too calm.
"Evidence says otherwise," he replied smoothly.
"I didn't do anything!" the boy snapped, stepping forward.
Security appeared almost instantly.
Like they were waiting.
"You accessed restricted material during the test," the teacher continued.
"That's a lie!"
Students started whispering.
Fast, low, dangerous.
"They're disqualifying people now…"
"Just like that?"
"Then no one's safe…"
The boy struggled as they grabbed him.
"I didn't cheat!"
His voice cracked then disappeared.
Dragged away.
Silence followed.
Heavy, uncomfortable.
Maya's stomach twisted that didn't feel right none of it did.
"Lesson one," Liam muttered quietly. "Don't get caught."
Tessa shot him a look. "That's not funny."
"I'm not joking."
Kai said nothing.
But his eyes were on the teacher.
Watching, measuring.
Maya forced her gaze back to the board but the numbers didn't matter anymore.
Not really.
"Look who survived."
Her body went stiff.
The three girls again, always them.
The leader stepped forward, her eyes locked on Maya.
Cold, sharp, angry.
"Rank 27?" she said slowly. "You really thought you'd do worse."
Maya didn't respond.
"That little effort of yours…" she continued, stepping closer, "it's starting to annoy me."
Maya's jaw tightened.
Still silent.
The second girl laughed. "She thinks she belongs here now."
The third leaned in slightly. "Should we remind her?"
Maya felt it.
That shift in the air.
That warning.
"Don't touch me."
The words came out before she could stop them.
Low, but clear.
Silence for half a second, then a slap.
Her head snapped to the side.
The sound echoed louder than it should have.
Gasps, whispers, movement.
Maya didn't fall.
But she felt it, the sting, the heat, the humiliation crawling under her skin.
"Don't get bold," the leader said softly. "It doesn't suit you."
Maya's fingers curled slowly into fists.
Her breathing uneven.
Her chest tight.
Too tight.
"Next time," the girl whispered, leaning closer, "you won't just feel it on your face."
They walked away.
Just like that.
Again.
And just like that no one stopped them.
Maya stood there still, burning.
Then
"Get up."
She blinked.
Turned slightly.
Kai.
She hadn't realized she had leaned against the wall.
Hadn't realized how heavy her body suddenly felt.
"I'm fine," she said.
But her voice didn't sound like it.
Kai didn't argue, didn't comfort, didn't soften.
"Stay that way," he said.
Then walked off.
Something about that was worse than the slap.
The hallway slowly returned to noise, to movement, to normal.
But Maya didn't move immediately, her cheek still burned, her chest still tight, her thoughts too loud.
Then
"You're doing well."
Her body froze.
The teacher.
Standing behind her.
Too close.
Again.
Maya didn't turn.
Didn't want to.
"For someone like you," he continued softly, "this is impressive."
Her fingers tightened.
"But things can change very quickly," he added.
A pause.
Then
"I'd hate to see you… fall."
Her stomach twisted.
"You should be careful who you trust."
Maya turned this time.
Slowly.
Her eyes met his and for a second she didn't feel like she was in school, she felt trapped.
"I don't trust anyone," she said quietly.
Something flickered in his eyes.
Interest.
"Good," he said.
Then smiled.
And walked away.
That smile stayed with her long after he was gone.
Night came slowly, too slowly.
The hostel felt quieter than usual but not safe, never safe.
Maya pushed the door open, paused.
Her bed again, destroyed, worse this time clothes ripped, books torn, her mattress flipped.
Something else caught her eye.
A note placed carefully on her pillow.
Her fingers trembled slightly as she picked it up.
"You're still not learning."
Her chest tightened.
A sound came from behind her, she turned sharply, the bathroom door slightly open, water running.
Maya stepped closer.
Slow, careful.
Her hand pushed the door open.
And then
She froze.
The girl.
From yesterday.
Curled on the floor.
Shaking.
Crying.
Her uniform half torn.
"Please…" the girl whispered, her voice barely there. "Don't tell anyone…"
Maya's heart slammed against her chest.
"What happened?" she asked, her voice low.
The girl shook her head violently.
"No… no… if you say anything"
Her voice broke.
"He said he'd ruin me…"
Maya's stomach dropped.
Cold, heavy, the teacher.
Footsteps echoed in the hallway.
Both of them froze.
The girl grabbed Maya's wrist suddenly.
Tight, desperate.
"You saw it too, didn't you?" she whispered, tears running down her face.
Maya didn't answer (Couldn't)
More footsteps.
Closer.
Then
A voice.
"Is someone in there?"
Maya's heart stopped.
The teacher right outside the girl's grip tightened.
Her body shaking harder.
"Please…" she whispered again.
The door handle moved.
Slowly.
And Maya realized something terrifying
This time…
She couldn't just walk away.