**Chapter 2: Fire on the Second Floor**
**7:01 AM - Day Two**
The halls were louder today.
Footsteps echoed against steel floors like war drums. Whispered names floated through the corridors like warning chants—"Ghost," "Trayboy," "Zen Red."
Every corner Zen turned had eyes. Watching. Studying. Measuring.
He walked slower. More deliberate. Every inch of him calculating distance, doorways, pressure points. He had memorized the blueprints of Blackwater before arriving—but the real threat wasn't the architecture. It was the instability. The factions.
The chaos that couldn't be predicted.
Today, it showed its face early.
---
**7:22 AM - Classroom 4-D**
The desks were arranged differently. A half-circle. All seats taken—except his.
Zen stepped in. Sat in silence.
The air felt charged.
Kitty Frein leaned in, voice low. "You got fans now, Zen. And enemies. Mostly enemies."
Zen didn't respond.
"Don't worry. I got your back."
"Why?" Zen asked quietly.
Frein grinned. "Because chaos is cute. And you? You're adorable."
The door slammed open.
**Aisee 'Magician' Serv** entered. Dressed in all black, his eyes sharp and calculating. On his back, he wore a blade sheathed in steel-reinforced leather. Illegal in most places. Blackwater wasn't most places.
He walked straight to Zen.
Dropped a folded note on his desk.
"Alliance Challenge. Second Floor. Ten minutes."
Then walked out.
---
**7:34 AM - The Walk**
Students parted as Zen passed. Some stared. Others jeered.
One threw a half-empty soda can.
Zen caught it midair.
Didn't flinch.
Tossed it in the trash without looking.
---
**7:45 AM - Second Floor Arena**
Blackwater's second floor wasn't used for classes. It was the arena level—repurposed classrooms stripped to metal and tile. Blood stained the floor like ancient art.
Zen stepped in. Fluorescent lights buzzed overhead.
A ring had been made—desks turned into a crude cage.
Inside stood Aisee.
Outside stood dozens of students. Sabbath. Markeeper. Alliance. Even Ghostroom masks.
The Council watched from behind a tinted window above.
---
**The Duel Begins**
Aisee bowed mockingly.
"Zen Red. You hurt my brother. You embarrassed the Alliance. You broke the Rule."
Zen said nothing.
"I will break you, Ghost."
A bell rang.
Aisee moved first—fast. Too fast. His blade flashed out.
Zen ducked, rolled. Slammed a chair leg into Aisee's shin.
The crowd gasped.
Aisee grinned. "Good."
He twisted. Elbowed Zen in the temple. Zen staggered.
The blade slashed down.
Zen kicked forward—grabbing the edge of the blade's hilt, twisting. Redirecting.
It cut through the cage wall.
Sparks.
They danced again.
Aisee was faster, trained. But Zen? Zen adapted.
By the tenth exchange, Zen had memorized Aisee's rhythm.
On the eleventh, he broke it.
Palm to the chest. Hip twist. Aisee slammed into the ground.
Silence.
Zen stood over him, hand raised—not to strike—but to offer peace.
Aisee stared at it. Then smirked.
"Interesting."
He took it.
The crowd erupted.
---
**Aftermath**
Zen limped from the arena.
Students followed at a distance. A symbol now. A myth in motion.
Frein tossed him a water bottle. "You made him yield."
"I made him think," Zen corrected.
That night, his room had a mark on the door.
An invitation.
A red envelope, tied with black string.
**Inside:**
> "You are cordially invited to meet with the True Council. Midnight. Old Library. Come alone."
Zen stared at it.
Then burned it.
But he memorized the time and place.
---
**Midnight - Old Library**
He entered through the collapsed window. Dust danced in moonlight.
Seven chairs. Only five filled.
The Chairwoman smiled. "Welcome, Ghost."
Zen nodded. "Let's talk."
---
*End of Chapter 2.*