The elevator doors slid open with a soft ding, but the tension inside it stayed thick — like static that refused to fade. Everyone stepped out slowly, eyes darting across the long corridor bathed in warm light and golden marble patterns.
The plaque gleamed above the grand doors:
"The Aces — Fifth Wing."
Cin whistled low. "Okay, this school's got some serious flex."
Percy poked Aries' side. "You sure this isn't a secret government lab?"
"Government lab?" Felix snorted. "Nah bro, this screams Jay Industries."
Jay didn't react. She walked ahead, calm and quiet, like the walls already knew her. And they did. Every corner, every marble tile, every creak of the old wood whispered her name. Greenwood's ghost queen had returned.
Inside the Fifth Wing, dust danced in the sunlight like tiny secrets waiting to be spilled.
Sam and Michael followed right behind her, silently. Adam, the usual joker, stayed unusually serious — a hand tucked in his pocket, watching every step Jay took.
They all remembered.
This was where it started.The chaos. The lessons. The lies.The place where Serina first met Jay.
"Yo…" Cin said softly, breaking the silence. "Why does this place feel like… haunted but rich?"
Drew whispered dramatically, "Haunted by grades or by ghosts?"
"By memories," Michael muttered under his breath.
Keifer looked at Jay, brows knit. "You okay?"
Jay gave a soft nod, but her hands tightened around the golden card. "Yeah… just been a while."
The others — Section E — were in pure chaos mode as usual.
Calix tried to open a drawer. "Uh… I think I found a coffee machine?"
Blaster popped his head beside him. "Bro, that's a vintage printer."
"Same thing. It makes noise and stress."
Everyone laughed.
Even Jay cracked a smile. "You guys…"
Keifer grinned and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Let them have fun. You'll scold them later, boss."
Jay rolled her eyes, cheeks warming. "Keifer, stop calling me that."
"Then stop acting like one," he teased.
"Fine, I'll start acting like your nightmare instead."
Keifer smirked, leaning close enough for his breath to tickle her ear. "Already are."
Adam groaned dramatically, "Can you two not start your rom-com in the middle of haunted billionaire school?"
"Yeah," Samuel added dryly. "The air's already thick with unresolved trauma, don't add romance."
Jay flicked a pen at them. "Shut up, both of you."
They explored the Fifth Wing together.
Old photos hung along the walls — of past champions, top students, founders. But one photo caught Jay's attention.
A black-and-white frame. A group of young students — five of them — smiling with pride.And right in the center… was Serina.
Her mentor.
Jay froze.
Sam followed her gaze, his expression darkening. "Serina…"
Adam placed a hand on her shoulder gently. "You okay?"
Jay swallowed, voice soft. "She used to say this place held her best and worst memories."
"Guess we're about to find out which part we're in," Michael said quietly.
Meanwhile downstairs…
Whispers spread like wildfire.
"Did you see her?"
"She's back!"
"No way that was Jay Aces! She's a myth!"
"Bro, she's real. She's the one who—"
And just like that, Greenwood buzzed again. The school that once thrived on fear was alive — and the girl it whispered about had come back to claim her throne.
Back upstairs
"Alright," Jay said finally, pulling everyone's attention. "We're not here to tour the past. We're here to find proof."
Keifer frowned. "Proof of what?"
Jay looked out the window at the sprawling campus. "Something Serina left behind. Something that connects Kaizer to this place."
Adam and Michael exchanged a silent glance. They remembered Serina's last words in the video —
"You will find proof from where it all began."
Greenwood.
As they gathered around an old desk, Cin brushed off the dust and grinned. "You know, this is kinda exciting. Like a treasure hunt but with trauma."
"Trauma-hunt," Aries added. "Perfect name for a band."
Percy mock-glared. "Focus, you clowns."
Felix leaned on the table. "Okay, boss — where do we start?"
Jay stared at the symbol carved on the wood — the same insignia that shimmered faintly on the golden card. She placed the card in the center. It clicked softly — and the desk unlocked.
Everyone jumped slightly.
Blaster shouted, "Bro WHAT kind of Hogwarts trap is this!?"
Keifer chuckled, arms crossed. "Magic, apparently."
Inside the desk was a stack of old files, sealed with red wax. Jay pulled one out and froze.
"Project Seraphim — Confidential."
Samuel stepped forward, eyes narrowing. "That's… Serina's old research file. But why would Greenwood have it?"
"Because this is where it began," Jay whispered, remembering her mentor's words.
Before they could open the file, the intercom crackled — a woman's voice echoed through the building:
"Students, please gather in the main hall. A surprise announcement from the administration."
Everyone looked at each other.
Cin sighed dramatically. "Here we go again."
Jay shut the drawer and slipped the file into her bag. "We'll look into it later. Let's go."
Keifer brushed his thumb over her hand before she pulled away. "Whatever happens, I'm not letting you face it alone."
She smiled faintly. "I know."
Downstairs, in the main hall…
The noise was deafening — students murmuring, cameras flashing, whispers building. Section E stood out instantly — like a pack of predators in a zoo.
Jay and her gang arrived last. The crowd fell silent the second they entered.
Heads turned. Eyes widened. Some even gasped.
Jay, Michael, Adam, and Samuel walked in like kings returning to a battlefield — their footsteps synchronized, energy untouchable. The floor practically trembled under their presence.
The Greenwood students whispered,
"They're back.""The Aces.""But who's with them?"
And behind the infamous Aces — stood Section E, proud, loud, and loyal.
As Jay stood in the center of the hall, her expression unreadable, the principal stepped up with a nervous smile.
"W–Welcome back, Miss Jay Aces, and your companions," he stammered. "We… we are honored to have you back at Greenwood."
The crowd erupted in whispers again.
Jay smiled politely, but her tone held command. "We're here for unfinished business, sir. I hope Greenwood is ready."
The principal nodded quickly. "O–Of course, Miss Aces."
Keifer leaned close, whispering with a smirk, "You just declared war."
Jay smirked back. "No, Keif. I declared I'm done running."
Michael glanced at her. "Then we better be ready for who's still hiding in the shadows."
Jay's gaze lifted to the upper balcony — where a pair of unfamiliar eyes watched her. Cold. Calculating.
She knew that look.
Whoever it was… knew her too.
And this time, the game had already begun.
"Sometimes to find the truth, you have to walk back into the fire you once escaped."