The next morning, Jared and Leo stepped into the classroom.
Alex was already there, sitting calmly, reading a book as if nothing unusual had happened yesterday.
Jared lifted a hand to greet him.
"Bro, he's really reading this early…" Leo muttered.
But before they could reach him—
SLAM!!
A loud bang echoed through the hallway.
"HEY! Which class is Alex Carter in?!" a senior shouted aggressively.
Chaos filled the corridor.
Some of the girls squealed and rushed out to watch.
Students crowded near the doorway, sensing something big was about to happen.
Three seniors stormed into the room, acting like they owned the place.
Jared and Leo froze, eyes widening.
"Oh no… don't tell me this is because of the red code," Leo whispered nervously.
One of the seniors held up his phone, showing the screen.
A bright red notification glowed from the ranking app.
"This you? Alex Carter?" the senior said with a mocking tone.
Alex closed his book slowly, calm but clearly confused.
"What is this supposed to mean?" he asked.
The senior grinned.
"It means the game has officially started, buddy."
Without warning, he threw the first punch.
Alex stumbled back—not badly hurt, but caught off guard.
Two more hits followed quickly, sending gasps through the classroom.
Leo held his head.
"I swear he's gonna end up in the ER at this rate…"
But Nancy—watching from the doorway—shook her head lightly.
"Actually… it's the opposite."
Jared blinked.
"Huh? What do you mean?"
Nancy kept her eyes on Alex, voice low but certain.
"I've seen Alex fight before.
He just hasn't started yet."
In the middle of the seniors' cheering, Alex pushed his attacker away.
He straightened up, inhaled once, and his expression shifted—
not angry, but focused. Calm. Controlled.
The room's atmosphere snapped tight.
The senior scoffed.
"What, you think—"
THUD!!
Alex landed a clean, solid punch.
Fast. Sharp. Precise.
The senior staggered back several steps, shocked.
The entire class erupted.
"WHOOAA!!"
Jared's jaw dropped.
Leo clutched his hair.
Nancy smiled faintly—not proud, but as if she'd expected this outcome all along.
And in the center of the noise, Alex stayed still—
not gloating, not furious—just ready for whatever came next.
The classroom was still buzzing from the earlier fight. Students clustered around the doorway, whispering excitedly, while seniors retreated with mixed expressions—some annoyed, some impressed.
Then—
"EVERYONE BACK TO YOUR SEATS!"
The teacher's sharp voice cut through the chaos like a blade.
The seniors instantly stepped aside as if nothing had happened.
Students scrambled back into their chairs, flipping open books they weren't even reading.
Even Jared and Leo hurried to their seats, pretending to study.
The teacher scanned the classroom suspiciously.
"Was there a disturbance?"
The entire class replied in perfect unison, "No, sir!"
He didn't look convinced, but he sighed and turned to the board, deciding not to push further.
Alex quietly sat down, running a hand through his hair.
He wasn't smiling, nor did he look shaken.
If anything, he seemed deep in thought—like the fight was just a small piece of a much bigger puzzle.
His phone buzzed.
[School Ranking App:
Your rank has changed.]
Alex opened the notification.
Rank: 299 / 300
(+1)
He stared at the number for a moment.
Not because he felt proud—
but because he didn't fully understand why the ranking reacted so quickly to a single incident.
Leo glanced over Alex's shoulder and whispered urgently,
"Bro… you punched him once and your ranking went up? What kind of system is this?"
Jared leaned back, arms crossed.
"If this keeps up, he might hit the top 200 by next week."
Alex didn't respond.
He simply studied the app's interface, feeling the creeping sense that this wasn't just a student ranking system.
There was something deeper underneath it—something curated and monitored.
Meanwhile…
Nancy returned to her own class.
She sat down quietly, opening her notebook, though her eyes weren't really following the words.
One of her friends nudged her.
"Nancy, what's with that face? You look like you're somewhere else."
Nancy closed her book slowly.
"It's nothing… just thinking about Alex.
This ranking system… it feels wrong. Like something's changing."
She looked out the window.
Students were practicing on the field, laughing, training, going about their day as if nothing unusual was happening.
But Nancy's gut told her the truth:
Something inside this school was shifting—
and Alex had just been dragged into the center of it.
The bell rang out of nowhere—sharper and earlier than usual.
Students froze.
"Is history repeating itself…?" someone whispered.
A moment later, the announcement echoed through the halls:
"All students, please leave the school immediately.
An emergency staff meeting will begin shortly."
The corridors exploded with confusion—doors opening, footsteps rushing, and worried faces everywhere.
Alex walked out of class with Nancy beside him.
A faint bruise still marked his cheek.
Nancy kept glancing at it, her expression tightening.
"This whole ranking system is getting out of control," she muttered.
Alex nodded quietly.
Outside the gate, a woman in dark sunglasses stood beside a black car.
She watched the students with an unreadable expression—not like a teacher, not like a parent.
Her stare was too sharp. Too calculated.
She was an FBI agent, observing the school in silence.
On the Quarantine Bus
Alex and Nancy boarded the bus heading home.
Students filled every seat, still confused about the sudden dismissal.
At the red light, the bus slowed down.
Without warning—
THUMP!
A boy in a BTSI-tech jacket slipped inside through the back door.
His posture was cocky, his smirk confident.
Some students stiffened.
"Hand over your contributions," he said, scanning the seats.
He didn't make contact with anyone, but the pressure in his voice was enough.
Nancy gripped her bag.
Alex watched carefully, jaw tight, instincts rising.
Before he could react, motorcycle engines growled behind the bus.
Vrrroooom.
A group of BTSI tech students surrounded the vehicle.
One stepped in front, arms crossed, gaze cold and commanding.
Ryder Knox.
He stepped onto the bus, eyes locked straight on Alex.
"Alex Carter."
Everyone turned to him.
Ryder pointed directly at Alex.
"If you step past my line again… you're done.
That rank was supposed to be mine before you moved."
His tone wasn't loud—far worse.
It was quiet. Controlled. Dangerous.
Nancy grabbed Alex's sleeve, frightened.
Some students immediately looked away, pretending not to hear.
Ryder took a step forward—
But then—
A black sedan stopped beside the bus.
Two figures stepped out.
The woman with sunglasses.
And a tall man with a sharp, serious expression.
His name:
Agent Marcus Hale.
They lifted their badges.
"FBI. Step away from the vehicle."
Their voices weren't aggressive—just firm enough to freeze the entire scene.
Ryder tensed.
The boys outside panicked.
"Ryder—let's go!" Davion hissed from his motorcycle.
Within seconds, the entire group sped away, disappearing into traffic.
The light turned green.
The bus continued forward.
Nancy stared at Alex, face pale.
"Why… why were they looking for you specifically?"
Alex didn't answer.
But the way the FBI agents watched him through the rear window made one thing terrifyingly clear:
This ranking war isn't just about school.
Alex is caught in something much bigger than he ever realized.