*Oakridge — Old Library Basement, 2:17 AM*
Water dripped from a broken pipe. The old library basement smelled of dust, ink, and forgotten secrets. A single lantern burned between them. Aarvin. Adrien. Riyan. John. Four shadows. One table. One truth.
John placed the stolen tablet on the desk. "I copied everything before Protocol 7 locked the system."
Adrien leaned in, eyes scanning the screen. Files. Reports. Names. Transfers. Disappearances.
Riyan whistled quietly. "This isn't school corruption… this is trafficking students into private institutions."
Silence followed. Aarvin didn't look surprised. Only colder. "So Lucien isn't trying to control Oakridge," Aarvin said. "He's using it as a recruitment cage."
John's voice shook. "There are records of students who 'graduated early'. They were never seen again."
Adrien shut the tablet. "If this gets out… Lucien is finished."
Riyan sat back, stretching. "Then tomorrow we leak it."
But Aarvin raised a hand. "No." All three looked at him. Aarvin's eyes were sharp. "If we release this now, Lucien vanishes. Evidence disappears. Board denies. Students get blamed. We lose everything."
John swallowed. "Then what do we do?"
Aarvin leaned forward, elbows on the table. "We build leverage."
*Silence. Heavy. Dangerous.*
Adrien understood first. "You want to corner him publicly."
Aarvin nodded. "A controlled exposure. One stage. One confrontation. No escape routes."
Riyan grinned slowly. "Oh… a public execution. Reputation style."
John looked nervous. "And if Lucien strikes first?"
Aarvin's gaze slid to him. "He already did. Protocol 7 was his warning."
John exhaled slowly. "Then we need allies."
Adrien smirked. "You mean the rest of Oakridge."
Riyan cracked his knuckles. "About time they picked a side."
*Elsewhere — Administrative Tower*
Lucien stood before a mirror, adjusting his tie. His assistant entered quietly. "Sir… student network activity increased. Unknown clusters. Peer-to-peer channels."
Lucien smiled faintly. "They're organizing."
"Should we intervene?"
Lucien shook his head. "No. Let them gather hope."
He leaned closer to his reflection. "Hope makes despair taste sharper."
*Next Morning — Cafeteria*
The atmosphere had changed. Whispers instead of laughter. Eyes watching corners. Groups forming silently.
Aarvin walked through the crowd. Adrien beside him. Riyan behind. John carrying his bag like it contained a bomb — because it did.
Students moved aside instinctively. Not out of fear. Out of recognition. A leader had formed.
John leaned close to Aarvin. "Word spreads fast."
Aarvin didn't slow. "We're not spreading rumors. We're offering truth."
At a corner table, seven students waited. Foreign names. New faces. But familiar loyalty.
*Liam. Noah. Mason. Elena. Aiden. Ethan. Caleb.*
Adrien counted automatically. "Seven. Good start."
Riyan sat on the table like a king. "So… welcome to the fun side."
They laughed nervously. Aarvin spoke calmly. "You all came because you've seen things here that felt wrong. You're right. Oakridge is rotten from the top."
John placed the tablet in the middle. "This contains proof."
Elena asked quietly. "And what do you want from us?"
Aarvin's answer was simple. "Stand with us when the time comes. Nothing more. Nothing less."
One by one, they nodded. A chain formed.
*Roof — Sunset*
Four silhouettes watched the sky burn orange.
Riyan spoke first. "You think Lucien knows?"
Adrien replied. "He always knows."
John asked softly. "Then why isn't he stopping us?"
Aarvin's voice was steady. "Because he wants to see how far we go."
Lightning flashed in the far clouds. Storm approaching.
*To be continued…*