Maxwell walked through the corridor with slow confidence. Behind him, Brian and the rest of his boys followed like a moving wall of muscle and arrogance. Students scattered to the sides as they approached. Some pretended to be busy with their watches. Others simply lowered their heads.
No one wanted to meet Maxwell's eyes. At least not now that his reign of terror was ending.
The leveling door stood at the far end of the hallway. A tall metallic structure embedded into the wall like a sealed gate between two worlds.
Maxwell stopped in front of it. His boys spread out slightly behind him. Brian crossed his arms, watching with admiration that he tried to hide.
Maxwell rolled his shoulders once, then stretched his wrist casually.
The moment his wrist tilted upward, the familiar glow appeared in front of his eyes.
No one else could see it. The system screen floated quietly before him.
SYSTEM NOTIFICATION.
LEVEL UP REQUEST RECEIVED.
TAP PROCEED TO GAIN ACCESS.
Maxwell smiled faintly. He didn't even pause. His finger tapped the glowing option.
PROCEED.
For half a second nothing happened. Then the system responded.
ACCESS GRANTED.
A low mechanical rumble moved through the metal wall. The leveling door shuddered.
Students nearby stepped back instinctively. With a sharp metallic skid, the door slid open. Cold air spilled out from the darkness beyond.
Maxwell looked into it briefly. Then he turned around. Brian stood closest to him.
Maxwell stepped forward and pulled him into a short embrace. "Your reign begins," Maxwell said quietly.
Brian's smile widened. The words sank deep into his chest. For a moment he looked almost proud.
Then Maxwell released him. Without another word, he stepped through the door.
The metal slid shut behind him. The corridor fell silent.
Brian slowly turned toward the watching students. His smile remained. But it looks different now.
Sharper, and hungry.
And level one would soon understand what that smile meant.
The first week of Brian's rule brought chaos. Not the quiet fear Maxwell had ruled with.
But real chaos.
Theo and the other right hand men moved through the dormitories like predators. Doors were kicked open without warning.
Students were dragged into hallways. Ninja coins were demanded. If someone hesitated, they were slapped or beaten until the coins were transferred.
"Coins," Theo said to one boy while casually leaning against the wall.
The boy's hands trembled as he activated his wrist screen.
TRANSFER COMPLETED.
Theo laughed and shoved him aside.
Girls had it worse. One night the corridor outside the girls' dorm echoed with muffled cries. Theo and two others walked out afterward, adjusting their uniforms as if nothing had happened.
No one asked questions. No one interfered. Because everyone knew what happened to people who resisted.
Newton watched all of it quietly. He did not speak. He did not react. Samuel noticed this first.
"Doesn't it make you angry?" Samuel asked one evening while they walked back from the arena.
Newton's expression didn't change. "It does," he said.
Samuel waited.
Newton said nothing else.
A few days later Brian and his boys crossed Newton's path in the corridor. They blocked the way deliberately.
Brian tilted his head. "Hello Newton."
Newton stopped walking. He didn't respond.
Brian's smile grew. "I have missed stealing your money."
Theo chuckled and leaned against the wall. Newton slowly lifted his head and looked at them.
Then he smiled. It wasn't friendly. "Are you here for my Ninja coins?" Newton asked calmly.
Theo laughed loudly. He placed a hand on Brian's shoulder and gave it a playful tap. "What a smart boy!"
The rest of them laughed too.
Newton didn't bother arguing. He knew exactly how this would end if he tried. Ten against one. Maybe more.
He lifted his wrist. The system screen flickered to life.
Transfer option. He selected his coins. The numbers disappeared from his account and appeared on Brian's.
Brian watched the transaction finish. Then he stepped forward and tapped Newton lightly on the head like a teacher correcting a student.
"Now you are learning."
Brian turned and walked away. Theo followed, laughing under his breath. The rest of them drifted after him. Their voices faded down the corridor.
Newton remained where he stood. He watched their backs until they disappeared around the corner.
Then he smiled again. A colder smile this time. "Your days are numbered," he whispered.
Training continued. Newton and Samuel pushed themselves harder every day. They had already mastered moving through their room in darkness.
Now they trained even while inside. Samuel would attack suddenly. Newton would react without turning on the light.
Sometimes Newton struck first. Their blades clashed in the dark with sharp metallic whispers.
Step.
Strike.
Block.
Move.
Their bodies learned to trust instinct more than sight.
Sometimes they collided with furniture. Sometimes Samuel's elbow hit the wall.
But gradually the movements became smoother.
Faster. More precise.
Outside the room their schedule never changed. Lecture. Training. Library. Arena. Then back to the room. It repeated over and over again.
Life inside the academy world continued grinding forward.
Students rose. Students fell. Newton and Samuel stayed quiet.
They completed every assigned task without complaint.
Weeks passed. Their CPD points slowly climbed. Ten each. Five more to go.
Fifteen was the requirement for leveling to the next stage.
Samuel sat on the edge of his bed one night after training. Sweat still clung to his hair. His arms rested on his knees. "When do we attack them?" he asked.
Newton stood near the window.
Samuel continued. "I believe we have trained enough to take them on."
Newton didn't answer immediately. He remained still.
Samuel waited.
Finally Newton turned around. "If we face Brian and his boys all at once," Newton said quietly, "we might never survive it."
Samuel's jaw tightened. "So we should just keep training while Stella's killers enjoy themselves?" His voice carried a sharp edge now.
Newton walked slowly across the room. "No."
Samuel lifted his head. Newton stopped in front of him. "We will kill Brian when the next walking in the dark task comes."
Samuel's eyes narrowed. He understood immediately.
The task forced students into total darkness.
Confusion. Noise. No witnesses. No clear view of who struck first. Perfect chaos.
Samuel slowly smiled.
The tension that had been sitting in his chest for weeks suddenly sharpened into something cleaner.
Something colder.
"I can't wait," Samuel said. His fingers tightened around the hilt of his blade. "I can't wait to strike my blade into the heart of that traitor."
They did not have to wait for a long time.
The evening air inside the dormitory felt strangely quiet. The day lecture had ended hours ago. Training had drained the strength from most of the students, and the halls had slowly emptied as everyone returned to their rooms.
Newton sat on the edge of his bed. Samuel lay flat on his back, staring at the ceiling.
Neither of them spoke.
The silence between them carried a different weight tonight. Not the heavy silence of grief that had filled the room weeks ago. This one was sharper. Focused.
Waiting.
Their swords rested against the wall beside the beds. Newton's fingers drummed softly against his knee.
Samuel finally turned his head toward him.
"You think tonight will be the night?" he asked quietly.
Newton didn't answer immediately. His eyes remained fixed on the wall across the room.
Then the system popped.
SYSTEM NOTIFICATION:
YOU ARE TO WALK.
TIME: ONE HOUR.
REWARD: TEN NINJA COIN.
FAILURE: NO REWARD.
The blue light faded. Newton slowly turned his head toward Samuel.
For a moment neither of them spoke..Then Samuel smiled.
It was a quiet smile. Tight at the edges. Newton returned it. Samuel jumped out of the bed first.
Newton followed.