Silence.
That's what Julian craved.
But silence had a price now.
And everyone wanted to make him pay it.
---
Julian's Dorm – 5:14 AM
His room was no longer his own.
Hidden cameras had been planted—three in total—by someone on the inside. He discovered one behind a photo frame, another in the AC vent, and the last embedded in the school-issued tablet on his desk.
The tablet flickered to life.
Anonymous Message: "You're playing a game with no winners."
He stared at it, emotionless.
Typed back:
> "Then I'll rewrite the rules."
The watch buzzed.
[Task Update: Survive Attempted Expulsion. Reward: Access to Underground Clubhouse – 'The Vault'.]
---
Tension pressed against every wall.
Julian sat alone, staring at the seven members of the board, including Mr. Langston, the Vice Principal who'd once offered Julian a bribe to keep quiet about the drug ring in the science department.
Langston cleared his throat.
"Julian Rivers, you are accused of illegal hacking, defamation of staff, unauthorized surveillance leaks, and disruption of school property. What do you have to say in your defense?"
Julian opened a file.
"Only this."
He pressed play.
> Audio recording: Langston's voice.
"If the boy talks, he dies. Understand? He gets expelled, or I'll make sure he vanishes."
Gasps.
Panic.
Langston tried to grab the file.
Julian stood.
"You don't scare me anymore. None of you do."
He dropped a manila folder on the table.
Inside: signed statements from students, parents, teachers. A storm.
The board went silent.
Then one woman, a history teacher, began to clap.
Slow. Louder. Then joined by others.
Langston stormed out.
He would not return.
Julian walked out a free man—no, more than that—
He walked out a legend.
---
A hidden world below the academy.
Steel walls. Loud music. Flashing lights. Students and young elites drinking, gambling, dancing, fighting.
The Vault was illegal.
Exclusive.
And now Julian was inside.
Introduced by Lola, a fiery redhead with tattoos, 19, known for seducing billionaires and breaking their banks.
"You shouldn't be here," she said, sliding into his lap in a private booth.
"I go wherever the truth hides," he replied.
She smiled, leaned close.
"Well, truth's a dirty word down here."
Suddenly, a guy was thrown over a table. Blood. Laughter.
And then…
Max Kade's younger brother, Felix, appeared.
Tall. Slick. Psychotic eyes.
"I heard you embarrassed my brother," he said.
Julian sipped his drink.
"He embarrassed himself."
Felix smiled like a razor.
"You and I, Rivers, are going to have so much… fun."
---
Julian's Old Neighborhood – Later That Night
He walked past familiar streets.
Trash still in the corners.
Kids still playing barefoot in the dark.
Memories clawed at his ribs.
He paused outside the home where his mother used to cry alone, thinking he didn't hear. Where his father left one morning and never came back.
His hands clenched.
Then the watch pulsed.
[New Task: Uncover Truth Behind Father's Disappearance. Reward: 1.2 Million Dollars + Watch Upgrade.]
His knees almost gave in.
The world tilted.
He whispered, "Dad… what did you do?"
---
She opened the door, sleepy-eyed, only wearing a shirt.
Julian stood there, exhausted.
Bleeding from his knuckles.
Eyes empty.
She didn't ask anything.
Just pulled him in. Wrapped her arms around him.
"I don't want to lose you," she whispered.
He didn't answer.
Because deep down…
He didn't know if he was still someone worth keeping.
---