Rain drizzled over Campus Verde, soaking the tiled roofs and slick pavement as whispers swelled beneath the surface. Elias walked with his hoodie on, hands deep in his pockets, the silver watch glinting beneath his sleeve like a secret waiting to scream. His steps weren't aimless—he was hunting.
New Task: Expose a scandal on campus within 120 hours.
And if there was one thing Elias had learned over the last few days, it was this—everybody was hiding something.
---
In the cafeteria, conversations hushed when he entered. The noise dropped as if someone had unplugged the world. Eyes followed him again—some burning with curiosity, others jealousy, others... desire. He was the name in everyone's mouths now. But he was no longer a name—they were beginning to realize he was a threat.
He sat next to Ron, his roommate, who was eating noodles like the apocalypse was coming.
"I heard you stayed over at Miss Arya's place last night," Ron whispered.
Elias smirked. "You hear a lot."
"I hear everything," Ron leaned closer. "Like how Headmaster Kyalo's been sneaking off campus every Tuesday and Thursday night in a Ministry-registered car."
Elias raised an eyebrow. "And you know this because…?"
"I work nights at the Eastern Gate. That man tips like a senator trying to erase his past."
That was interesting.
But not scandalous enough.
He needed more.
---
He decided to snoop through CampusNet, the university's anonymous confession and gossip app. Under tags like #LustGate, #LecturerAffairs, and #SecretsOfVerde, posts flooded in by the hour.
One thread caught his eye:
#CrisisInClinic
> "Someone's been selling prescribed abortion pills without clearance from the Pharmacy Board. Students paying in crypto. A girl almost died last week."
—AnonUser4582
Another:
#Honeytrapped
> "They say the Economics HOD is sleeping with three final-year students, and one of them is blackmailing him with footage."
—MaskedMamba
And then—
#DiamondSwan
> "Campus Queen Kenzie—her lavish lifestyle is sponsored by the Chairman's wife. Allegedly lovers. Confirmed sighting at Marbelle Resort."
Elias's eyes narrowed.
Kenzie.
He knew her—everyone did.
Kenzie Monroe, 21. Third-year Marketing student. Voted campus beauty three years straight. Blonde box braids, honey-golden skin, lips like sin, and always with a designer bag worth more than half the students' tuition. She hosted fashion reviews on her livestream and was known for her "I-don't-need-a-man" attitude.
If the rumors were true, and she was in a secret relationship with the Chairman's wife…
That was the scandal.
---
He found her in Studio Block C during a photoshoot, surrounded by ring lights and sipping a skinny latte.
"Elias," she purred when she saw him. "You finally decided I'm worth your time?"
"I'm not here for small talk."
She tilted her head. "Then what?"
"I want to feature you on my new show. 'Beneath the Surface.' Exposing fakes, celebrating truth. And you… Kenzie, you're newsworthy."
She stared at him, the corner of her lip curling. "You're dangerous."
"And you love danger."
---
Later that evening, they met at the rooftop bar of Level 27, an exclusive club only a few students ever accessed. That's where the higher-ups—children of politicians, media heirs, foreign investors' kids—played God over drinks.
She arrived in an emerald green dress, slit high and cut low, elegance dripping off her like sweat.
"What do you really want, Elias?" she asked, sipping red wine as city lights blinked behind her.
"I want your story."
"No one tells my story but me."
He leaned in. "I already know it. You and Mrs. Vivienne Njuguna. Trips to Dubai. Private island getaways. The matching swan tattoos."
Her smile cracked.
"I'm not here to shame you. I'm here to free you. Imagine controlling the narrative. Coming out on your own terms. Breaking the chain."
"Or you're just another man trying to weaponize my truth."
"No," he whispered. "I'm the man who'll make the world see your truth… and kneel."
There was silence. Her chest rose and fell quickly. Her pupils dilated.
Then she whispered, "Come with me."
---
They drove in her Range Rover, out of town, to a private villa tucked in the hills. Inside was art, wine, and chaos—portraits of her and Vivienne scattered like forgotten worship. She poured drinks. He asked questions. She confessed.
Yes, it was real.
Yes, it was intense.
And yes, it was dangerous.
"She told me if I ever told anyone… she'd ruin my life," Kenzie said, tears mixing with her makeup. "But I'm tired of hiding. Tired of being her doll."
Elias touched her hand. "Let me be the camera. You be the director."
---
The next day, the episode aired anonymously through an encrypted livestream under the channel VerdeConfessions. A digitally blurred voice spoke, but the silhouette was unmistakable.
The video exploded.
Social media imploded.
Hashtags like #CampusLust, #MadamChairman, and #KenzieUncaged trended in less than an hour. Media outlets picked it up. Ministry officials released statements. Mrs. Vivienne denied everything.
But the damage was done.
Kenzie was no longer a puppet.
She was a storm.
---
Task Complete.
Reward: TruthSense – Can detect when someone is lying (Level 1).
New Task: Cause a school-wide protest within 144 hours.
The watch buzzed. Elias felt it tighten, like it was feeding on drama, pain, exposure.
And he—he was becoming addicted to the chaos.
In just days, he'd gone from a nobody to a headline.
From mocked to myth.