The red and blue teams clashed on the field, the sound of footfalls, grunts, and shouted plays filling the air. Mao weaved through defenders like wind slicing between trees, passing the ball swiftly to Kira who took a bold shot_just missing the post.
"Tch," he clicked his tongue.
"Nice try," Joel called from the back, defending with intensity.
On the sidelines, Coach Deron nodded. "Good hustle, Red Team! Blue, you better tighten up!"
Miles, furious after losing possession, barked at his teammates. "Stop slacking!"
"Maybe stop dribbling like you're the only one on the field!" someone snapped back.
Meanwhile, Dorm 5 students went through drills with less intensity. Jesse and Sal jogged side by side.
"Rim still hasn't shown up?" Jesse asked, glancing toward the far building beyond the bleachers.
Sal shook her head, wiping sweat from her brow. "No one's seen her. I think even our dorm rep is confused."
Coach Deron finished scribbling something on his clipboard, then stood before them.
"Alright. Last drill before cooldown. But first_
announcement."
The entire field paused."There's a new homeroom teacher assigned to the upper-year combined class," he said, glancing down at a message on his phone. "Seems the admin was still sorting out the files yesterday, so that 'Unknown' listed on the roll call was just a placeholder."
A wave of mild relief passed through the groups.
"Phew," Kira muttered. "Thought it was something spooky."
"Still kinda weird," Reth said.
"Alright, back to work!" the coach called. "Five laps cooldown, then you're dismissed."
As students groaned and started jogging the field, the camera of one girl's phone briefly turned toward the top window of the school building_where someone watched the field quietly from behind tinted glass.
Rim.
Face unreadable.
Expression cold.
Then the figure turned, and the curtain dropped.
She hadn't been missing.
Just... waiting.
*Later That Day _Post P.E Dorm Area*
The hallway was a mess of voices, shoes slamming into lockers, and the distant sounds of showers running. Students were returning from the intense P.E session, sweaty and ready to change.
Kira walked toward Dorm 3, towel slung over his neck, shirt clinging to his back. He had just turned the corner when*THUD*_a ball hit him square on the back.
He paused.
Slowly turning, his eyes met Miles, who stood a few feet away with two other guys from the same dorm.
"What the hell?" Kira asked, brushing the ball off.
Miles casually picked it up, his expression unreadable. "Oh… my bad," he said. "Thought you were some MF I didn't like."
He turned to leave without a second glance, but Kira stepped forward and grabbed the collar of his shirt.
"Was I supposed to believe that?"
Miles looked down at the grip on his shirt, then up at Kira with the same amused calm. "Huh… why not? It's just a ball."
"Cut the crap, Miles. You got beef, then bring it straight."
Before Kira could finish, Mile's fist connected with his jaw_*hard*. Kira stumbled back, crashing against the wall as gasps echoed from nearby students heading toward their dorms.
Miles adjusted his collar coolly."Ah, right. Forgot the homeroom teacher said grabbing people like that is disrespectful." He leaned in just slightly. "Next time, just call my name, little bro. Let me discipline you properly."
He turned with a half-smirk, walking off down the hallway. The two guys with him chuckled lowly as they followed.
Kira stood frozen, rage crawling up his spine like fire.
His fists clenched.
*That Night – 8:00PM*
A calm silence blanketed the dorms, broken only by the soft humming of fans, the occasional shuffle of feet in hallways, and the low chatter of students unwinding for the night.
*Bzzz...Bzzz...Bzzz...*
Sal sat up slowly as her phone buzzed violently on the bed beside her.
"Hmm...?" she murmured, adjusting her glasses.
Across the room, Jesse was already looking at her screen, cheeks stuffed with snacks.
"Mm... an app? I don't remember installing anything," Jesse said, squinting.
"Not interested," Sal replied, stretching before flopping back onto her bed. "Just some dumb viral stunt."
"Hmmm... Orderboard?" Jesse read the name aloud, the app logo spinning subtly on her screen. "Kinda sounds cool."
"No reaction," Sal muttered, half-asleep already.
Jesse tapped the app out of curiosity. Her brows furrowed. "Huh...I didn't even sign up, but I already have a profile."
Sal sat up a little. "Maybe a prank... or some school survey running in the background. Ignore it."
But Jesse was intrigued. "It's interactive...like a social game. Weirdly detailed, though."
Before Sal could respond—
*SCCCRREEEEEEEEECHHHHHH*A sudden, *ear-piercing screech* echoed from the hidden speaker system across the school_loud, jarring, metallic. Both girls covered their ears in pain, eyes wide in shock.
"The f*ck is that?!" Sal yelled, burying her face into her pillow.
Jesse's snack bag crinkled loudly as it fell from her lap.
The noise stopped.
They sat frozen, waiting for the next surprise.
Then...
*BZZZ...BZZZ...BZZZ...*
Their phones began to hum again—this time the screen lit up with a countdown.
*[ Overboard App Initiated ]*
*00:05:00 — Session Begins*
*Prepare for your challenge.*
Sal sat up sharply now. "Jesse... what the hell is this?"
Jesse's eyes narrowed at her phone. "I..I don't know"
The dim corridor lights flickered for a moment before stabilizing. Doors creaked open one after another as students stepped out into the hall, phones still buzzing in their palms, screens lit with a synchronized countdown: *[04:34]*
"What the hell is going on?" Jesse whispered, stepping closer to Sal.
Down the hallway, clusters of students began to gather—confused, murmuring, tense.
*"Is it just me... or does the school feel *empty* right now?"*
Miles glanced around uneasily, arms folded as he looked toward the stairway that led to the other floors.
"That's true," Blake added, brow furrowed. "With a sound that loud, the homeroom teachers should've rushed out by now... but it's like no one else exists."
The tension thickened.
*BZZZZ...*
Another wave of notifications hit their phones simultaneously.
Everyone paused.
They opened the app again—this time, a label sat underneath their names:
*— Villager —*
*— Villager —*
*— Villager —*
Kira stared at his screen. "*Villager?*"
"What's this? A game?" Renny asked, glancing between everyone, but stared more at kira..voice tight.
"I swear to you all," Kira scoffed, stepping forward, "my coding skills aren't even that deep to hack a system like this, much less ping everyone's phone in real time."
"So... who the hell did this?" Sal asked flatly, holding her screen up.
The countdown dropped to *04:20*
Before anyone could respond, a low, distorted voice came from the speakers again.Hollow.
*"You are not to leave Floor 3 until after the vote. The vote must take place... on Floor 3."*
Everyone froze.
Renny turned quickly, scanning the hallway. "What? Who's talking?!"
Silence.
Kira narrowed his eyes. "I think... we need to understand what we're dealing with—*now.*"
The air around them shifted.