The sun bled gold across the horizon, casting long shadows over St. Ravencroft High School. On the rooftop — away from teachers, away from cameras — three boys circled another, their voices sharp as blades.
The wind howled. The city below buzzed with life. But up here?
Only fists spoke.
"Still think snitching was brave?" growled the tall one, spitting his words.
The boy on the ground—skinny, shaking, shirt already stained red—didn't answer. His breaths came in ragged bursts. His eyes pleaded.
No one listened.
Another kick landed. Then another.
A sickening crack echoed through the rooftop.
The boy collapsed.
One of the attackers stepped back, blinking rapidly. "Wait... he's not—he's not moving."
A beat of silence.
Then a twitch.
The boy's head snapped up. His eyes—glassy moments ago—now burned with something unnatural. His mouth twisted into a snarl.
He lunged.
Not like a scared student. Not like a boy.
Like something else.
One of the bullies screamed. Another tackled the boy, slamming him down.
They hit harder this time. They didn't stop.
Until the boy stopped moving again.
Until he slipped, lifeless, over the rooftop edge and disappeared into the dusk.
A long, eerie silence followed.
Then came the crows.
The Next Morning
Class 11-B sat bathed in morning light.
Ayush rested his head against the cool windowpane, one earbud in. His playlist played something mellow, but his thoughts were far from calm.
He wasn't exactly popular. He didn't need to be. He had his people — Kartik, Shivam, Suraj, Lucky, Sanaa, Ayesha, Tanya...
And Ananya.
She sat two rows away, sunlight catching in her hair as she laughed at something.
Ayush didn't mean to stare.
But he did.
"Dude," Kartik dropped into the seat beside him. "You look like you're about to write poetry. Just confess already."
Ayush blinked. "What? No. I was just... spacing out."
Kartik rolled his eyes. "If you stare any longer, she'll charge rent."
Ayush smirked, then sighed. "It's not that simple."
"She's not a goddess, bro. She's human. Say something before someone else does."
The bell rang before Ayush could answer. But the unease in his chest? It wasn't just about Ananya.
Something else was off.
That Evening – Ayush's Apartment
The living room echoed with gunfire and laughter. Ayush and Suraj sat cross-legged on the floor, controllers in hand, PS5 running full blast.
"Headshot!" Suraj whooped.
"Fluke," Ayush shot back.
Then his phone buzzed.
Once.
Twice.
Twenty times.
Ayush frowned. Notifications flooded his screen — all from Discord. The B.S.A. server, usually quiet, now lit up like a war room.
[Uncrowned King]: "OUTBREAK CONFIRMED. DELHI BIO-ZONE COMPROMISED."
[Ethan_99]: "Sector-5 is GONE. Full radio silence."
[Drake_Lesnar]: "Secure your locations. Stay off-grid. This isn't a drill."
Ayush stared.
"Some ARG stunt?" he muttered.
Then his screen lit up with an incoming voice call.
Uncrowned King.
He hesitated.
Then answered.
"Joel," the voice said—using Ayush's B.S.A. codename. Calm. Controlled. But deadly serious. "It's real. We've lost control zones in Delhi and Noida. People are changing. Fast."
Ayush's throat dried. "Bro... it's May. Isn't it a little late for April Fools?"
"Turn on the news."
He did.
Politics. Ads. Cricket.
Nothing.
"That's the problem," Uncrowned King said. "It's already happening. They're suppressing everything. And Ayush—listen carefully—Leon, Ethan, and Drake are on their way to Uttarakhand."
"What? Why—"
"We're coming for you."
A pause.
"This is not a game anymore."
The call ended.
Ayush sat frozen, controller slipping from his hand.
Suraj noticed. "Yo. You good?"
Ayush didn't answer.
He just stared at the darkened screen.
The Next Morning – "Stone, Paper, Scissors"
The apartment corridor was quiet, sunlight filtering in through dusty windows.
Ananya stood with her arms crossed. "Best of three. Loser carries both bags."
Ayush grinned. "You're on."
Stone. Paper. Scissors.
Ananya lost.
She stared at his hand, betrayed. "You definitely cheated."
"Rules are rules," Ayush teased, already backing away.
"AYUSH!"
He dashed down the stairs, laughing, both bags slung over his shoulders. Moments later, she appeared outside the building, storming after him.
Their playful bickering continued all the way to school.
At the crosswalk, she punched his arm lightly. "You always do this."
"You still fall for it."
They laughed.
The school gates loomed ahead. Morning buzz. Students chattering. Normal life.
But somewhere nearby, in silence, another body twitched in a dark alley.
A low growl escaped its throat.
And the world prepared to break.
[To Be Continued]