Zein's Point of View:
I cleared my head of all the distracting thoughts and tried to focus on what our teacher was saying. If I kept overthinking everything, I'd go crazy.
But my eyes kept drifting to the massive wall clock in the center of the room, which my classmates had been staring at for a while now as well. With every passing minute, it got darker and darker outside, the tension slowly building in the air. Even our teacher couldn't focus on the lesson, constantly glancing back at the clock.
"Six fifteen," Mia whispered, her eyes glued to the same spot.
We were usually dismissed at 6:30 p.m., which left us only thirty minutes to sprint back to our respective dormitories before Bloody Night kicked off. Personally, I didn't think that was nearly enough time for everyone to make it. I could already imagine fo their lives.
I looked out the window. Darkness had completely swallowed the surroundings. I couldn't help but wonder what was going to happen tonight.
Day or night, no one was ever truly safe in this place. But the darkness was where the most gruesome things his. I wonder... Who will the next innocent victim be?
"I'm going to the restroom," I announced.
Vanessa and Mia immediately shot me a death galre.
"Are you an idiot ! You know how dangerous it is out there, and you're actually worried about your baldder right now?" Mia snapped.
"Do you really want to die that badly, Zein? Just say the word and I'll stab you myself!" Vanesss joked, rolling her eyes.
I clutched my lower abdomen because I really had to go, and it was starting to hurt. There wasn't a restroom inside the classroom. I pouted.
"I'll go with you, Zein. Let's go?" Matt offered, holding out his hand. I took it immediately.
"Ugh, whatever! Do what you want!" Vanessa huffed.
"Just stay safe, okay?" Dave reminded us.
We just nodded and asked the teacher for permission to leave.
"Be quick. It's dangerous out there, and fir heaven's sake, don't let your curiosity get the best of you," He warned.
I just nodded back. Matt held my hand tightly as we stepped out. The hallways were pitch black, save for the faint glow peeking out from a few classrooms.
"Do you think we'll ever get out of here.... alive?" I asked.
"Hush. Don't talk like that. Of course we will. We're getting out of here, okay?" He said, trying to convince me.
I just nodded. I really hope so....
I headed into the restroom while Matt stayed outside to keep watch. The first thing I noticed was how clean the floors were. Apparently, people here actually knew how to tidy up.
I headed straight for a cubicle. It was deathly silent, the only sound being the rhythmic drip of a faucet. I got the chills, so I finished up as fast as I could.
After washing my hands, I practically ran for the exit. I was about to call out Matt's name when he suddenly clamped his hand over my mouth.
"Sshhh. It's me. Don't make a sound, Zein," He whispered.
In the distance, I could see shadows. A lot of them.
"Let's go." He grabbed my arm.
"Matt, this isn't the way," I whispered.
"It's six thirty, Zein. Everyone's heading back to the dorms now, and they've already surrounded HU. We have to avoid them."
I wanted to ask who "they" were, but the words wouldn't come out.
We walked as silently as possible. If we could have stopped breathing just to keep the noise down, we probably would have. We used the shadows to stay hidden. He was right---men in balck masks were everywhere.
Bloody Night hadn't officially started, which was probably why they weren't aggressive yet. It was like they were scouting for tonight's prey. Still, we figured it was better not to let them see us at all.
Matt and I spent the whole time hiding, stopping in our tracks whenever a masked man walked by, and holding our breath.
"We're safe as long as the bell hasn't rung yet---"
Then the bell tolled ominously.
We froze. The hair on my arms stood on end as I realized Bloody Night had officially begun.
A string of curses escaped Matt's lips. He gripped my hand even tighter.
"Hold on tight, Zein. I've got you."
His words clamed my heart a little, but it wasn't enough to stop my knees from shaking.
Matt pulled me behind a huge trash bin to hide. A whole squad of masked men was approaching, armed with blades. It looked like they already had their targets picked out.
Now that they were closer, I could see them clearly. Their black masks only covered half their faces, but it was enough to keep them anonymous. I also noticed their neckless----they were shaped like nails.
I gasped and covered my mouth as it hit me. It was them! The members of the Black Blood Gang, who, just like Nicky, used the nail as their symbol. They looked terrifying as they scanned the area, like they were searching for someone.
Matt squeezed my hand. I looked at him and gave him a small smile to show I was okay, and he nodded back. Our eyes we're doing all the talking.
I peeked at the masked men again and noticed they were all heading in one direction, like they were going to a meeting. Once the last member of the Black Blood Gang was gone, Matt and I stood up.
Matt went to pull me along, but I stayed put. He looked back at me, his brow furrowed in confusion.
I swallowed hard. "A-are we just going to hide again?" I asked.
He looked even more confused.
"What if this is our chance to get some info?" I continued. "We're already stuck out here during Bloody Night anyway. Why don't we just be brave for once and find out their secrets?"
"Zein..." He looked at me intensely. "Please, not tonight. We're going to be in serious danger. If they catch us, we'll end up like Rouge Silvenia---or worse. C'mon, Zein. Please."
"But-----"
"We can gather info without throwing our lives away. We don't have any weapons. If they catch us, we're toast. Please, Zein."
I looked down. "Sorry...."
He brushed my hair back and took my hand. "We need to get back. The later it gets, the more dangerous it becomes out here."
And so, we did. We ran as fast as we could.
But I could feel eyes on us. Not just two or three people, but many.
"If you want information, I'll tell you everything I know. Just don't ever do what you did earlier again," He added.
I felt even guiltier about being stubborn. All I wanted was to find something important that could help us escape this hellhole.
Just like the night, the longer we stayed here, the more our lives were at risk. If we didn't move fast, we might be trapped here forever.
"Ah! Ugh!"
"Matt!" I stopped in my tracks when Matt suddenly collapsed to the ground. I knelt in front of him, trying to see where he was hurt. That's what I noticed a nail embedded in his leg.
"Are you okay?! Matt! Can you still walk?!" I asked, panicked.
I heard footsteps getting closer and closer. My fear grew with each step.
"My leg's gone numb. I can't walk. Run, Zein! Save yourself!" He shouted, clutching his leg.
"No, Matt! I'm not leaving you! This is all my fault!"
"Zein! Please! Just go! You'll just get hurt too!"
"No. I will not leave you here!"
I wiped the tears from my cheeks, shaking my head. My whole body was trembling from the stress and fear. I closed my eyes and pulled the nail out of Matt's leg, thinking he'd feel better after that, but he still couldn't stand up.
I gripped Matt's hand tight when I saw the men in black masks approaching us.
"Zein, run!" Matt kept trying to puch me away.
Everything felt like a blur. I couldn't think straight. All I knew was that I was absolutely not leaving Matt behind, no matter how much he pushed me..... or even if we both got caught.
"Please, Zein. Just leave me be!"
I wiped my tears away again and shook my head. I stayed there on the ground, holding onto him. In my head, I was already counting down the seconds until something terrible heppened.
The men in black masks suddenly stopped when someone blocked their path. A guy was standing tall in front of us. His back was turned, so I couldn't see his face. They seemed terrified since they stepped back several times.
"One... Two...."
Before the guy could even reach three, the masked men scrambled away.
The three of us were left there in the dark corner of Hell University. His presence was so intimidating. Who was he? Why were they so afraid of him?
He turned to face us. I almost jumped back when I saw him wearing a red mask, one eye glowing blood-red. I couldn't tell if he was smirking or serious because the mask covered his entire face except for that eye.
He walked straight over to us and picked up Matt, who was now unconscious. He started walking, and I just followed. I couldn't even find my voice; it felt like my tongue had shriveled up from fear. Meanwhile, the guy looked so calm, even though it was Bloody Night. No rush at all, like he didn't have a care in the world. We even passed more guys in black masks, but they all bolted the second they saw him.
I was so out of it that I didn't even realize we were already in front of the dorm. He sat Matt down on the floor and turned to leave.
"Make the wound bleed. Rinse it with warm water to prevent teranus," He said without even looking back.
I blinked three times, and just like that, he was gone.
Jerome and Dave helped me carry Matt inside. Vanessa and Mia started pelting me with questions, but I couldn't even answer them.
We did everything the mysterious guy told us to do.
Who was he?
***
The next day, I could only give short answers to their questions becui was still processing everything. I spent the whole night wondering who that mysterious guy in the red mask was.
"It wasn't just a normal nail they used on Matt. It was laced with a mix of poison and tetanus. We're lucky someone helped you guys," Jerome said while cleaning Matt's wound.
We owed that guy big time. He definitely wasn't a Black Blood Gang member because his mask was red, not black.
"Lesson learned, Zein. Better to hold your pee than lose your life," Vanessa lectured.
"I know. Sorry..." I said again.
"Alright, we're heading out so we won't be late. Are you sure you're skipping class" Mia asked.
"I'll just look after Matt. It's my fault he got hurt anyway," I said sadly.
"We're going ahead. There's food on the table," Dave added as they left.
I closed the door and went back to Matt. He still had a bit of a fever, but he wasn't burning up like he was last night.
"I'm so sorry, Matt. Your life wouldn't have been in danger if I hadn't been so stubborn," I whispered, full of regret.
I didn't even want to imagine what would have happened if the guy in the red mask hadn't stepped in to help.
"Z-Zein?"
"Matt!" I breathed a sigh of relief when he finally woke up. "How are you feeling? Are you hungry?"
I helped him sit up. He was clearly still weak.
"Hungry?" I asked again.
He nodded, so I went to get him some food.
We ate in silence, though I kept sneaking galnces at him. My eyes nearly popped out of my head when I saw him grab three red chili peppers and shove them into his mouth.
"Matt!" I screamed, worried.
His face turned bright red, and he looked like he was going to gag, but he forced himself to swallow. I just started at him, confused.
"Why would you eat those?! Have you lost your mind?" I asked, which actually made him laugh.
Matt gulped down two glasses of water I'd prepared, then blew air at me like a dragon exhaling fire. I gave his arm a playful smack.
"Chili kills the remaining poison in my system. Man, that's hot!" He joked, making me laugh.
At least he was starting to act like his old self again.
He wanted some fresh air, so I walked with him to the park. As we sat on the swings, the memory of the first student who had threatened me here came back.
He wore a black mask. A member of the Black Blood Gang.
"Zein, thank you, seriously," Matt said suddenly, making me look at him. He was just staring at the ground. "Thanks for not leaving me. And I'm sorry I almost got you killed. Really, I am."
"C'mon, don't worry about it. Besides, it was my fault we were in that mess anyway. I'm sorry too."
He smiled at me before looking off into the distance.
"Before I pased out, I saw the guy who blocked the others in black mask," He said, which made me stop pushing the swing. "A red masks. He's one of the Devil God Warriors."
It all clicked. Black masks for the Black Blood Gang, and red masks for Devil God Warriors.
But the question was..... Why did he save us?
"He's not just any member. Based on the fear in those guys' eyes, on how their knees trembled, and how fast they ran away, that might've been Raze Silvenia," Matt added.
I stayed silent. Raze Silvenia? The leader of the Devil God Warriors?
"What I don't get is why he saved us," Matt mused, mirroring my own thoughts.
Is he planning something? Are they planning something?
"By the way, when we were running last night, I felt people watching us," I whispered.
His forehead furrowed in confusion, but I knew I was right. There were eyes on us, just watching, with no intention of coming closer.
"Probably either members of the Black Blood Gang or the Devil God Warriors," He suggested.
I shook my head and looked away. I didn't think it was either. If it was, why didn't they approach us? Why we're they just lurking in the shadows?
"Is it possible they were Devil God Warriors?" I asked.
"Maybe. Raze was there, so his squad probably was too."
We watched the students pouring out of the classrooms for break time. They looked like ordinary students, but deep down, they were all probably terrified.
"C'mon, let's head back to the dorm sl we can change and get to class." Matt held out his hand, and I took it with a smile.
As we were talking back to the dormitory, a girl in a rush bumped into us. Her books spilled everywhere, so we helped her pick them up.
"Thank----"
But she cut herself off upon seeing us and scrambled back, absolutely terrified.
"N-no, please."
Then she turned and ran away.
Matt and I just looked at each other and shrugged. Weird.