The Hidden Elite

Chapter 3: An Unexpected Threat

"He who fights with monsters should be careful lest he thereby become a monster." – Friedrich Nietzsche

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The days that followed were filled with the usual routines: lectures, assignments, and group activities meant to foster teamwork among the students. But Hana knew better. This was all a test. Every interaction, every casual conversation, was a layer of the academy's intricate web, designed to assess and categorize each student into either predators or prey.

Hana maintained her mask of indifference, never allowing herself to draw attention. She answered questions with the precision of someone who understood just enough to pass but never enough to stand out. She made no friends, offered no opinions, and avoided conflict whenever possible. It was a delicate balance, this act of invisibility, and she knew one misstep could shatter the illusion she'd worked so hard to build.

But Airi Mizuno was always there, always watching her with that same faint smile, as if she knew exactly what Hana was trying to do and was simply waiting for her to slip.

"You're quite the mystery, you know," Airi remarked one afternoon as they sat together during lunch, the cafeteria buzzing with activity around them. "Most people would be desperate to make friends by now, but you seem perfectly content being alone."

Hana didn't look up from her bento box, her chopsticks moving with meticulous precision as she picked at her food. "I don't see the point in pretending to be something I'm not."

"Interesting," Airi murmured, leaning in slightly. "But isn't that exactly what you're doing? Pretending to be... ordinary?"

Hana paused, just for a fraction of a second, before continuing to eat. "What makes you think I'm pretending?"

"Call it intuition," Airi replied, her eyes glinting with amusement. "Or maybe I just recognize the look of someone who's hiding something."

Hana didn't respond, but the corner of her mouth twitched, a half-smile that she quickly suppressed. It was dangerous to let her guard down around Airi, and yet, there was something about the other girl's presence that made it difficult to maintain the mask. As if Airi saw right through every wall Hana had built and was simply waiting for her to admit it.

"Well, if you ever decide to drop the act," Airi continued, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper, "I'd love to see the real you."

"Be careful what you wish for," Hana said softly, her tone carrying an unspoken warning.

Airi's smile widened, her expression one of pure delight. "Oh, I'm counting on it."

It was during that lunch break that Hana first felt it—a presence watching her, cold and unblinking, from across the cafeteria. It was subtle, almost imperceptible, but Hana's senses had been trained to detect even the slightest hint of danger. She lifted her gaze, scanning the room with the casual indifference of someone who wasn't looking for anything in particular, and that's when she saw him.

Yuki Kisaragi.

He stood by the far wall, his arms crossed over his chest, his eyes locked onto her with an intensity that sent a chill down her spine. He hadn't changed much since their days in the Hidden Room—tall, lean, with a chiseled jaw and dark eyes that seemed to pierce through everything they landed on. He wore the academy uniform like it was armor, his posture rigid, disciplined, every inch of him radiating an air of authority and confidence that would have been intimidating to anyone else.

But Hana wasn't anyone else.

For a moment, their eyes met, and in that instant, she knew: Yuki Kisaragi wasn't here by chance. He had come for her.