After Mira's cold warning and a dramatic flip of her hair, the trio—Mira, Mehar, and Anvi—walked out of the canteen like they had just conquered a battlefield. The canteen slowly returned to normal, though a lingering tension hung in the air. Students who had witnessed the standoff whispered among themselves, some shocked, others impressed. For Arya, it felt like she had been thrown into a spotlight she never asked for.
When the lunch bell rang, Arya, Elara, Natasha, and Tanya stood from their seats. They didn't speak for a few seconds—each one digesting what just happened. Then Elara rolled her eyes and muttered, "Drama queen and her puppets." Arya gave a small smile, but her thoughts were far away.
The girls split paths outside the canteen. Natasha turned to Arya with a gentle expression. "Text me if you need anything, okay?" Tanya added, "Don't let Mira mess with your head. She thrives on fear." Arya nodded as both girls waved and walked toward their own classroom.
Now it was just Arya and Elara, heading toward their shared class. The hallway felt long and unusually quiet. Elara, still burning from the canteen incident, vented nonstop. "Who even wears a wool coat to school in this heat? And that skirt? This isn't a fashion show! Ugh, I swear she just wants attention." Arya walked beside her silently, nodding occasionally, but her mind was elsewhere.
What now? What if Mira takes this personally? What if she makes things worse? I can't afford drama—not in a new school. Arya inhaled deeply. But then she glanced at Elara beside her—ranting, animated, and loyal. A small part of her calmed. At least I'm not alone in this.
When they finally reached their classroom and stepped in, Arya was met with something she didn't expect—support. Nick and a few other boys stood up as soon as they saw them. "There they are," one of them grinned. "The queens of the battlefield."
Arya's eyes widened. "What's going on?" she asked, unsure how to react.
Nick walked toward them and gave a nod. "We heard everything. And don't worry—if Mira or anyone tries anything, they'll have to get through us first."
Elara smirked. "Well, I guess you all aren't that bad."
Another boy added with a playful tone, "We're gentlemen… sometimes."
The class shifted back to normal, laughter filling the room. The tension of the canteen vanished—at least for a moment. Arya found herself smiling for real, chatting, laughing, even teasing a few classmates. For the first time, this new school didn't feel so new. She felt like she belonged.
But just as things lightened up, the door opened. A boy entered the class, walked straight to Nick, and leaned in to whisper something. Nick's entire expression changed—his brows furrowed, jaw clenched, smile gone.
"Did you tell them?" Nick asked, his voice low but heavy.
And just like that, the warmth in the room cooled again.
"Guys, we have to go now," Nick said sharply. All the boys stood up, quickly retrieving their hidden weapons from various spots around the classroom.
"Aria, Elara, stay here. Make sure you're safe," Nick instructed firmly.
"Wait! Where are you going? It's dangerous!" Aria said, stepping forward in concern.
"You're new, Aria. Once we leave, Elara will explain everything to you. We don't have time now," Rayan said quickly.
Without giving her another chance to question them, the boys stormed out of the classroom, leaving a confused Aria behind.
Aria was totally confused, but Elara—who was already used to all this—stayed calm, almost too calm.
"What's happening?" Aria asked, her voice filled with worry.
Elara sighed. "I don't know what, who, or where… but I can bet it's SVS. They're always behind this kind of mess."
SVS. The name hit Aria like a wave. That's the school where Sinas studies. Questions flooded her mind. What's their deal with SVS? Is Sinas involved? Are they going to beat him? Wait… is a fight really going to happen between SBH and SVS? Her thoughts raced, but she couldn't bring herself to speak them all out loud.
"SVS? What's the deal with them?" Aria asked carefully.
"You know them?" Elara raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised.
"Yup. That school's quite popular. Who doesn't know it?" Aria replied casually.
But the second those words left her mouth, Elara's expression changed. Her jaw tightened, and she scoffed.
"Tsk. Popular? They're all shit. Cheaters… fake posers… scumbags," Elara said bitterly, her voice low but filled with disgust. Her face said everything—she hated them from the core.
Elara took a deep breath and began explaining, her voice low but steady, "SVS might be a popular school now, but things weren't always like this. The land where SVS stands today originally belonged to SBH. Both schools were founded by two brothers from the Sun family. SBH was built on the values of equality—it didn't matter if you were rich or poor. The fees were affordable, the education was excellent. SBH was respected—way better than what SVS has become now."
She paused, anger flashing in her eyes before continuing. "But everything changed when the founder of SVS started spreading fake news—accusations of drugs, teenage pregnancies, bribing for marks. They even created fake evidence to back it all up. It was all a lie, but it worked. The court passed a bill to shut down SBH, and all the students were forced to move to SVS, just as they had planned."
Aria listened silently, shocked.
"For two years, SBH was shut down. But in the end, the truth came out—we were innocent. The school reopened, but by then SVS had taken our place, our reputation, and most of our students. Only a few who truly loved this school or couldn't take SVS's torture and high fees came back. Most of them were boys. For some reason… the number of girls dropped drastically."
She leaned in a little, her voice sharper. "Nick, Leo, Aarav, and Zorvath—those guys you see here? They didn't even attend school during those two years. They spent their time fighting for SBH, proving its innocence. This school is their home. They've been here the longest, and they're the reason SBH is even standing today. That's why the boys follow them—they're not just students; they're leaders."
Elara's voice dropped even lower now, a bitter tone curling into her words. "But the founder of SVS isn't the only villain. His son—Sinas—is worse. He hides behind this 'golden boy' image. Everyone thinks he's perfect. But he's a monster. He flirts, manipulates, uses girls, and throws them away like trash. He targets SBH students too, bullying and humiliating them. And the worst part…"
She stopped for a second before continuing, "He raped Aarav's sister. She's still in treatment… That incident was what triggered a full-blown war between SBH and SVS. But somehow, it was SBH's name that got dragged down even further."
Elara clenched her fists. "Every now and then, SVS tries to provoke us—like today. But we don't back down anymore. Even if we're fewer in number, even if no one supports us, SBH will fight back. And one thing's for sure—when it comes to the final battle, SBH will win."
"Sinas?" Arya's heart sank at the name. Her mind was spinning.
No… it can't be. He's not like that. He was always kind to me. Polite. Charming. Could someone like that truly do all this?
Her chest tightened.
There has to be a misunderstanding. People lie. Rumors spread fast. What if Elara is wrong? Or maybe… maybe there's another side to this story. I have to know. I have to see for myself. I can't just sit here while something like this is happening.
Her hands gripped the edge of the bench. Elara was still ranting about Sinas and SVS, but Arya wasn't fully listening anymore. Her mind had already made up a plan.
"Where's the fight going to happen?" Arya suddenly asked, her voice sharper than usual.
Elara blinked, surprised. "Why? You're not going anywhere."
"I just want to see what's going on. That's all," Arya lied, trying to sound calm.
Elara stood up, crossing her arms. "Absolutely not. It's dangerous. You don't even know how SVS works. One wrong move, and they'll make you regret it."
"I can handle myself, Elara," Arya insisted.
"No, Arya. You're new. You don't understand. Sinas isn't just a spoiled rich boy. He's dangerous. If he finds out you're connected to us, it could ruin everything for you too."
Arya paused, trying to think fast. Then she lowered her tone and leaned forward. "What if someone gets hurt? What if Nick or Leo or… anyone ends up seriously injured, and I just sat here doing nothing? I just want to be there in case something happens. I can stay far. I won't interfere. Please, Elara."
Elara hesitated. Her lips pressed into a thin line as she studied Arya's face.
Arya added quickly, "And I… I may know something about Sinas. If there's even a small chance I could help, shouldn't I try?"
That last part was a lie, but it worked.
Elara groaned, clearly torn. Then finally, with a sigh, she gave in. "Fine. But you stay behind me. One sign of danger, and we're running. Got it?"
Arya nodded, hiding her relief behind a firm expression. "Got it."
And just like that, the two girls left the classroom together—heading straight into the storm that was waiting beyond the school walls.