Chapter 164 The warning signs

"Confess your sins, Emily. I said confess!" Rose's voice thundered.

Emily fell to her knees and began sobbing.

"What did I ever do to deserve this? You even placed a dagger on my throat! I thought you loved me, Rose. Why?"

Rose looked at Emily, then slowly removed the dagger and hid it. She walked over to Emily and hugged her tightly.

"It's okay. I was just testing you to see your reaction. Of course, Emily, I know you would never hurt Slyvia. But I am worried. They are carrying her off to the city hospital. What if something happens to her there?" Rose's face hardened at the thought, boiling with anger over the idea that a despicable person had tried to kill her best friend. Whoever the perpetrator was, they had no idea who they were dealing with.

"I understand, Rose. But know this: I would never dream of hurting my friends—not in this life or the next. So, please, understand that." Emily clarified her position.

At that moment, they were called by a hospital attendant who informed them that Slyvia had woken up.

Rose's eyes gleamed with happiness. She couldn't explain what had come over her, but perhaps now they could identify the person behind this heinous act. Emily hurried after Rose, and the assembly they left behind descended into chaos.

Ken Waters' words echoed in everyone's ears, not to mention Zeke's threats. His intent was clear, and to prove his seriousness, Zeke showed everyone a video of Rowan and Jimmy fighting.

"Expel Jimmy now, and I'll post this for the whole world to see. And trust me, it'll go even more viral than intended," Zeke declared, his voice as strong as steel. Without waiting for a response, he walked away, leaving Jimmy and Nadine behind.

The news quickly spread across social media. Zeke gained more followers, girls fawned over him, and his confrontation with the principal solidified his title as the school prince.

Meanwhile, Ava, who had been laughing at the scene earlier, was now seething with rage. How had Zeke become Nadine's ally? What had changed? Jeremy, however, was ecstatic. Thanks to Zeke, the school had to retain him, preventing its collapse.

The assembly ended shortly after, but Ken wasn't happy with the interruption. He decided to take matters into his own hands. As students packed up for their classes, he walked to the field. Near the edge, where a small lake shimmered, Ken jumped into the water. His body began convulsing and peeling, shards of flesh and skin falling away. Slowly, he transformed, his body covered in green scales. He had become a siren.

---

Nadine left the assembly hall with Jimmy. These days, the two had strangely become inseparable. Yet, even so, Nadine still didn't know much about him. Ezekiel, on the other hand, was a completely different case. Ever since his supposed death, he had become oddly approachable. However, his cold demeanor and stoic face made conversations nearly impossible. Still, Nadine's thoughts were focused on the strange happenings around the school.

"Gosh, this might be the happiest day of the month for me! I'm saved, Nadine. Thanks to Ezekiel, I avoided expulsion." Jeremy smiled, his ember eyes making his smooth, beautiful face appear even more striking.

"That's great. At least I'm happy you two are getting closer. Even if the progress is slow, it's better than nothing," Nadine sighed.

The bell rang, signaling the start of their biology class—a compulsory subject.

"Come on, Nadine. Let's go. We can check on Slyvia later," Jeremy urged.

Nadine nodded but suddenly stumbled. A wave of energy surged through her body, leaving her shaken.

"Did you feel that, Jimmy? I just felt a powerful blast of energy. Something isn't right. And the curfew they've placed here, especially after 9 PM, tells me the administration is hiding something sinister—something beyond our understanding." Nadine's worry was evident in her voice.

Jeremy placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Nadine, sometimes it's better to leave things in the hands of fate. I'm sure it's nothing. Come on; we have class."

Reluctantly, Nadine followed him to the biology lab.

Upon entering, Nadine froze in her tracks. Their practical teacher stood at the front of the room, but something was off. The figure before her was hideous, terrifying. It wasn't human. And yet, everyone else seemed completely calm.

Jeremy casually walked to his seat. But before he could settle, Rowan stuck out his foot, causing Jeremy to trip and hit his face heavily against the desk.

The sound echoed, and the entire class turned to look. Even the teacher furiously intervened.

"Rowan! What was that for? I'm talking to you!" she demanded, her eyes burning with anger.

Nadine rushed to Jeremy's side. He was bleeding heavily. Luna, after initially ignoring them, eventually came over to help.

"Jeremy, you need to be careful. This school is dominated by evil creatures, and Rowan is one of them," Luna whispered while pretending to clean Jeremy's bleeding nose.

"What did you just say?" Nadine's voice trembled, but she knew Jimmy needed medical attention. She asked the teacher for permission to leave and hurried out of the classroom with Luna following closely.

Once outside, Luna faced them, tears streaming down her face.

"You two need to stay away from those people. Rowan and Ava—they're evil. Worse still, I don't think any of us will leave this school alive. I'm telling you this because I might not survive another day. I saw who tried to kill Slyvia and Rose."

Jeremy and Nadine froze.

"Murder? Luna, what are you saying?" Nadine's voice wavered.

Luna was visibly terrified. "I can't put you in danger. Just trust me and stay away from them."

As Luna spoke, Nadine noticed a shadow moving along the wall. Her body stiffened.

"Quiet," she whispered. "I think someone is listening to us."

The three of them turned toward the shadow, which disappeared into thin air. The air around them grew cold and heavy.

Jeremy winced, touching the blood trickling from his jaw. The pain was evident on his face.

"Let me clean and bandage that for you," Nadine offered, leading him to a nearby bench. She opened a first-aid kit and began tending to his wound with gentle care.

---

At the hospital, Rose arrived just in time to see Slyvia.

Harlan was already there, massaging Slyvia's bandaged body with such dedication that Rose couldn't help but smile.

Suddenly, Simon appeared and tapped her shoulder.

"Rose, what's going on? Are you avoiding me? I've missed you so badly. I want to make you mine completely, but seeing you like this is driving me crazy," Simon confessed.

Rose turned to him, her face void of affection. "Oh, Simon. Do you think I'd throw myself at you? What do you take me for—a cheap slut? Let me make this clear: I used you to get my revenge on Ava. Now that it's done, I have no use for you. Get lost."

Simon's face paled. He glanced at Emily, who seemed indifferent to their argument. Her eyes were fixed on Harlan and Slyvia, and a bitter smile tugged at her lips.

"I guess I'll never be good enough for anyone," Emily whispered before walking out of the clinic.

Simon grabbed Rose's arm, attempting to kiss her, but she reacted swiftly. Her punch broke his nose, causing blood to gush out.

"Touch me again, and I'll make sure you lose those hands," Rose hissed before storming off to check on Slyvia and Harlan.

"Is she alright? Has she regained consciousness?" Rose asked.

"She has," Harlan replied. "But she keeps repeating one thing: Paradise will burn to the ground."

Rose's confusion deepened. What could Slyvia mean? Something was terribly wrong.