Author's POV
Keifer's grip on Jay didn't loosen, but his eyes narrowed as he looked directly at Ace. The air between the two leaders turned frigid.
"I'm not her friend," Keifer corrected, his voice dropping an octave, marking his territory in a way that made the surrounding students shrink back. "I'm her boyfriend. And don't get it twisted—she doesn't need me to protect her. She's a better fighter than half the people in this hallway."
Jay, still tucked against Keifer's leather jacket, finally peeked out. Her eyes, wide and curious, landed on Ace and Zein.
Despite the blood on the floor and the ominous warnings, a tiny, mischievous smile tugged at her lips.
She hopped out from Keifer's embrace, dusting off her skirt. "He's right! I can kick butt!" she chirped, then leaned closer to Zein with a loud whisper. "Is he always this grumpy? You're so pretty, you should totally smile more. It makes the 'bloody nights' less scary!"
Zein blinked, completely caught off guard by Jay's bubbly energy. She glanced at Ace, whose stoic mask actually flickered for a second.
"Sorry," Keifer sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "She has a habit of meddling in everything. It's a miracle she's survived this long."
Ace stepped forward, the "Supremo" aura radiating from him. He looked down at Jay, his expression stern but, for the first time, not entirely cold. "This isn't a playground, Newbie. The walls here have teeth. Consider this a gentle reminder: curiosity is the quickest way to end up like the stains on this floor."
Jay didn't look intimidated. Instead, she tilted her head, studying Ace's serious face. "Wow... you're like a big, grumpy cloud. A Thunder-Puff! Yes! That's your name now. President Thunder-Puff. So President Thunder - Puff we are not newbie I'm Jay, and he is Keifer amd they are our friends Cin, Felix,Rory,Edrix,Freya and Percy."
The hallway went silent. Percy choked on his own spit, Ci-N and Felix started wheezing with laughter, and Zein had to cough into her hand to hide a genuine smirk.Edrix and Rory, looked like they were praying for Jay's soul.
Ace stood frozen, the name "President Thunder-Puff" echoing in the hollow hallway. For the first time in his reign as Supremo, he was speechless.
He glanced at Zein, expecting her to defend his honor, but saw her shoulders shaking. She was biting her lip so hard it was turning white, her eyes dancing with a rare, genuine spark of amusement.
"Don't you dare," Ace muttered to her, though there was no real bite in his voice.
"I didn't say a word, Thunder-Puff," Zein teased, her voice light. She turned to Jay with a playful wink.
"I like her,. She's exactly what this gloomy place needs."
Ace cleared his throat, looking away to hide a faint hint of color on his neck. "Enough. Zein, show them to their dorms before I change my mind about letting them stay."
As the group followed Zein, Percy leaned into Keifer. "Bro, Jay is going to get us killed or made into mascots. I can't tell which."
Freya hugged Jay's arm, whispering, "Did you see how Ace looked at Zein? They are totally pining! This school is terrifying, but the drama? Top tier."
Jay beamed, looking back at the dark, blood-stained halls of Hell University. "See? I told you guys! It's just a school with a very messy janitor problem. Right, Keifer?"
Keifer just pulled her closer, his eyes scanning the shadows. "Sure, Jay. Just stay behind me when the 'Thunder-Puff' isn't looking."
Once they reached the dorms, the "fun" facade evaporated instantly. As soon as the door clicked shut, the group went into full tactical mode.
Keifer didn't sit down. He paced the perimeter, checking the window locks and the thickness of the walls.
Ci-N pulled out a small notebook, scribbling rapidly. "Three security cameras in the hallway, one is a blind spot. The floorboards are reinforced steel under the wood," he whispered.
Percy and Rory moved the heavy wardrobes in front of the secondary entrance, while Edrix sharpened a blade, his eyes fixed on the door. Felix and Freya unpacking .
Jay sat on the bed, her "meddler" brain already connecting the dots of the map she'd seen in Madam Violet's office. They weren't just students; they were a unit.
Then, the sun dipped below the horizon.
A haunting, mechanical bell chimed—the signal for the Bloody Night. From their high-floor window, they watched the campus transform. The "janitor problem" Jay had joked about became a literal nightmare. Shadows moved with lethal speed below; the sound of metal clashing and muffled screams rose from the courtyard.
"This isn't a school," Freya whispered, clutching Percy's arm as they watched a group of students in black masks chase a lone runner. "It's a slaughterhouse."
Keifer stood behind Jay, his hands on her shoulders, his presence a solid wall. "It's a game, Freya," he said coldly. "And we're the ones who are going to break the board."
The next morning, the sun rose over a campus that had been scrubbed suspiciously clean.
The dorm doors opened, and the "Newbies" stepped out. To the shock of the veteran students—who were limping or covered in bandages—Jay and Ci-N burst into the hallway with enough energy to power the whole building.
"Good morning, Hell University!" Jay chirped, skipping over a floor tile that still looked a bit damp. Ci-N and Felix were right beside her, humming a tune while mentally calculating the trajectory of the arrows used in the courtyard last night.
Percy and Freya walked behind them, completely lost in their own world. Percy had his arm draped around her, whispering something that made her giggle, seemingly oblivious to the terrifying guards watching them.
Keifer walked a step behind Jay, his eyes like a hawk's. He was a stark contrast to her sunshine—cold, calculating, and ready to snap the neck of anyone who breathed too loud near her.
As they entered the main building, they saw Ace and Zein standing by the bulletin board.
"Morning, Zein! Morning, Thunder-Puff!" Jay called out, waving frantically.
Ace's coffee cup paused halfway to his mouth. Zein let out a short, surprised laugh, leaning against the wall. "They survived the night without a scratch," she noted, her voice full of respect.
"They're loud," Ace grumbled, though he didn't move to stop them. "And they're going to be a problem."
Zein looked at the way Keifer didn't let Jay get more than arm's length away. "The good kind of problem, Ace. The kind that changes things."