The first thing you hear is the echo of hurried footsteps. "Bro, dito! Ang bilis naman!"

Your vision is blurred, but you recognize them. The scent of old chalk and dust lingers in the air, the faint flicker of a dying lightbulb casting shadows on the cracked walls. Section E is here.

"Putang—" Keifer’s breath hitches the moment he sees you. He takes a slow, deliberate step forward. "Ano ’to?" His voice is dangerously low.

Yuri crouches beside you first, his normally mischievous eyes now wide with something close to panic. "Tangina naman… sino’ng may gawa nito?" His voice wavers, but it’s Keifer who kneels down and lifts your chin, his usual teasing behavior was gone. Completely.

"Sinong gago?" His voice is barely above a whisper, but it cuts through the tension like a knife.

You try to speak, but your throat is dry. The pain in your ribs is sharp, every breath reminding you of what had happened.

"Section D…" Your voice is hoarse, but it’s enough. The room falls into dead silence.

Then— crash.

David kicks a desk across the room, the loud bang bouncing off the walls. His hands tremble as he balls them into fists. You barely catch Yuri muttering curses under his breath, pacing back and forth like he’s trying to contain the storm brewing inside him.

But it’s Keifer you’re worried about. He's too calm, and this is not normal. Everyone knows he's fuming.

Then, slowly, he exhales. "Tara."

Keifer stands, his hands now shoved into his pockets, but there’s something terrifying about how calm he suddenly seems.

His lips curl into something that isn’t quite a smile. "’Di natin ’to palalampasin. Di ba sinabi ko na? Section E tayo." He tilts his head, cracking his knuckles. "Kung sino’ng gagalaw sa ’min… gagalawin din namin."

"Dapat alam na nilang ’di nila tayo pwedeng babuyin, lalo ka na." Keifer’s voice is quiet now, but the weight of his words hangs in the air.

"Sa ngayon, ikaw muna isipin mo, okay?" His tone softens—just for a second. "Kami na bahala sa kanila."

And just like that, the storm begins.