Confrontation

Arjun teleport back to his room, feeling an odd sense of disorientation. He glanced at the clock and was surprised to see that only a minute had passed since he left the White Room Chamber. It felt like much longer.

Talking to himself, he muttered, "It would be best for me to ignore the White Room Chamber. I don't even know what happens in it."

A persistent headache throbbed at his temples, a lingering pain since his exit from the White Room Chamber. Exhaustion weighed heavily on him. He had fought a big fight today, both physically and mentally, and his body ached in response.

Arjun went straight to bed, his thoughts swirling in a chaotic mix of confusion and fatigue. He had already decided he wouldn't go to school for a few days. He needed time to let the situation settle, to allow his mind and body to recover. For now, all he wanted was a good night's sleep.

As his head hit the pillow, the weariness overtook him quickly. Within moments, Arjun drifted into a deep sleep, his mind seeking refuge from the day's trials in the comforting embrace of dreams.

After a Few Days...

Arjun's school day was over, and he was making his way out of the school gate. As he walked, he reflected on the day's events and everything that had happened to him recently. The familiar surroundings felt somewhat surreal after his experiences in the White Room Chamber.

Just as he stepped out of the gate, he heard a voice calling his name. At first, he thought he might be imagining it. But when he heard his name again, the sound became clearer and more distinct.

Arjun turned around and saw a boy wearing a white hoodie waving at him. The boy's gesture was enthusiastic, as if trying to make sure Arjun noticed him. Due to the crowd of students also leaving school, Arjun couldn't see the boy's face clearly; he could only make out his upper body.

The boy came up to Arjun and said, "I'm sorry to meet you like this," extending his hand. "Hey man, I forgot to tell you my name. My name is Rio."

Arjun looked at Rio, bewildered. He couldn't understand who this boy was or why he had come to meet him in such a manner.

From a distance, Gaurav, Manya, and Nitin watched the interaction. Gaurav, suspicious, asked Nitin, "What is this guy doing here? Is he a student of St. Thomas School?"

Gaurav pointed out the school name and logo on the back of Rio's hoodie. Nitin, equally puzzled, responded, "I don't understand either. What's going on here?"

Meanwhile, Arjun was a little confused as to who this boy, before Arjun could ask any questions, Rio said, "I'm from St. Thomas School. Can we talk in private?"

Arjun remained puzzled by Rio's request for a private conversation. Sensing Arjun's confusion, Rio reassured him, "You don't need to be afraid of me, Arjun."

Arjun, still unsure, responded firmly, "First, tell me who you are and why you want to talk to me privately."

Rio hesitated briefly before saying, "I want to talk about you..." He was interrupted by a voice from behind.

"I didn't know the leader of St. Thomas School would come here today. I don't understand how you guys got the guts to come here," the voice said.

Rio turned to address the person, "I don't understand where you got so much courage from, Abhishek."

Rio and Abhishek glared at each other, their anger palpable. Abhishek had taken off his leather jacket and folded the sleeves of his shirt, preparing for a confrontation.

"I don't have that much time," Abhishek said, his voice dripping with impatience. "I want to finish this today."

Rio smirked, unfazed by Abhishek's aggression. "I didn't know dogs have started barking more these days. Are you barking at me now?"

He continued, "You're talking about rules. There's still time for that. Are you really willing to risk it?"

Despite his scornful words, Rio was well aware of Abhishek's formidable fighting skills. The tension between them was thick, each sizing up the other.

Abhishek retorted, "Whenever a dog bites, it causes a lot of pain."

"You've broken the rule," Abhishek continued. "What was the decision among us? No student from another school is to come to any other school."

Rio and Abhishek came face to face, glaring at each other with a mix of anger and amusement. It had become a silent competition between them, a test of who would maintain eye contact the longest. Neither seemed to care about the chaos of students milling around them.

As they stood there, a boy passing by muttered, "I think these dogs will just bark at each other and do nothing more."

Though the voice was faint, Rio and Abhishek understood its meaning perfectly. Their intense standoff was suddenly disrupted, and they both snapped out of their trance-like state, realizing what had been said.

Furious, Rio quickly grabbed the boy by the shoulder, squeezing it tightly. "You dare speak to us like that?" he snarled.

Abhishek stepped forward, saying, "Your fight is with me, not him."

But before the situation could escalate, something unexpected happened. Rio felt a force pulling his hand away from the boy's shoulder. Shocked, he looked around, bewildered. "Who is removing my hand?" he thought to himself.

Rio's hand was held firmly by Nitin, who looked at him with a steely gaze. "Enough," Nitin said, his voice calm but commanding. "I think you're trying to push too far."

Rio noticed that the person holding his hand was a boy in a black hoodie. "It doesn't matter to me who you are," Rio retorted, "but he insulted me."

Nitin responded, "I think we should finish everything here, and you can leave." His voice was cold, and his anger was evident.

Rio saw that the boy whose shoulder he had grabbed had already moved away, now accompanied by a girl. This realization fueled his anger even more. He felt deeply insulted and was frustrated that he couldn't complete the task he had come for.

From a distance, Arjun observed the scene, pondering over what Gaurav had said to Rio and whether he knew him.

Gaurav and Manya approached Arjun. "Won't you come with us?" Gaurav asked.

End of the chapter