Chapter 234 Management Query

Back in the dim-lit corridors of paradise High, Ava stood silently before her locker. Her head bowed low, shoulders tense, and eyes rimmed with grief.

Simon's death haunted her. Despite everything—his betrayal, the lies, the heartbreak—she still missed him. Longed for him. The image of him laughing, holding her, kissing her… all poisoned by the memory of Rose stealing him away. The same Rose who led him into deceit, and eventually, to his death.

But Ava knew something darker lurked beneath his passing. This wasn't just a tragic end to a foolish boy's romance. No. It was brutal. Unnatural. The siren marks carved across his body were proof enough—and disturbingly, she knew they were from a siren. How she knew was a mystery. The knowledge slithered into her mind uninvited, like a cold whisper in her ear. Worse still, the last thing she saw in her vision was him—her brother. His face was twisted in sadistic pleasure, his eyes void of mercy as he ripped Simon apart in a room that looked unmistakably like a refrigerator. Flesh, blood, bone—all shredded brink to brink.

Ava blinked away the images, her trembling hand reaching into her locker to retrieve her notebook. Her face was a mask now—void of feeling, hollowed out by secrets and sorrow.

"Ava, there's a general assembly being called. Attendance is compulsory," came a sharp voice behind her.

It was Nina.

Ava's worst nightmare.

She turned, startled. Her hand brushed the corner of her eye quickly, wiping away the tear before it could betray her.

"I thought we weren't friends," Ava snapped. "Why are you even telling me this?"

She walked away, her flowery white gown billowing behind her, tall boots echoing softly in the hallway. Nina, trailing just behind, wore the exact same dress—only hers was paired with a designer bag that sparkled with excess. Ava noticed it but didn't care. Shallow things didn't matter anymore.

"Oh, don't get me wrong," Nina said, swinging her glossy curls with a smirk. "I still hate you, Ava. Hate's even too kind. I despise you. But you know how these emergency assemblies go. It'd be a shame if you missed all the drama—especially since your new friends aren't around."

That got Ava's attention.

"You mean Asher and the others?" she asked, tension tightening her voice.

Nina's eyes glinted. "Wait… Don't tell me. Are your new friends in trouble already?" She burst into cruel laughter, clapping her hands like it was a comedy show. Ava didn't flinch. She was used to Nina's mockery, but this time, it rubbed her raw.

"What the hell is funny, Nina? I'm serious. I said I'm looking for Asher and Rose—where the hell are they?!" Ava hissed, quickening her pace toward the assembly hall.

A crowd had already formed. The entire student body and what looked like all school officials—more than Ava had ever seen in one place—stood gathered in eerie silence. Something was wrong. Very wrong. The air was thick with tension, like a storm about to break.

"What's going on?" Ava whispered to a nearby girl gossiping with her friends.

"I'm not exactly sure," the girl said, biting her nail nervously, "but word is, the real school management is here. After six years of hiding in the shadows."

Ava's breath caught. Real management? Wasn't her father part of the school board? Or was there something higher—something darker—operating behind the scenes?

"It's rumored the school's going into lockdown," another girl chimed in, her braces glinting beneath the light. "Something horrible happened. And they're finally cracking down."

As the murmurs swirled, Nina had already drifted off to the senior students' corner. Ava walked on, unease twisting her gut, her eyes scanning the line of officials in search of her father. Then, something caught her eye.

A mirror.

It stood tall, regal, almost unnaturally pristine at the center of the hall. She walked slowly toward the assembly lines, unable to tear her gaze from the reflective surface. Something was… off. Wrong.

And then she saw it.

A figure.

No—a silhouette. Inside the mirror.

Her breath hitched. She rubbed her eyes, convinced it was a trick of the light or her grief playing cruel games. But it remained. And as the image sharpened, her heart turned to ice.

It was Emily.

Covered in blood. Her stomach torn open, intestines spilling out grotesquely. Her face was nearly unrecognizable—mangled, mutilated—but the eyes… oh, the eyes were unmistakable. Staring directly at her. Filled with pain, rage, and blame.

Ava looked away immediately, trembling, her stomach churning with fear.

Just then, footsteps thundered toward the pulpit.

A man emerged.

Tall, pot-bellied, wearing clothes that screamed wealth and power. His face was hardened with fury, eyes scanning every student like a hunter marking prey.

He waited until the room fell into dead silence, then spoke:

"My name is Aaron Richardson, and as of today, I am officially assuming my role as the manager of this institution."

The room stirred.

"It has come to my attention that a series of disturbing events have occurred within these walls—deaths, to be precise. If anyone here knows what's behind these tragedies, I advise you to speak now."

His voice thundered. Challenged. Dared.

But the crowd stood still.

Fifteen long minutes passed.

Not a single soul moved.

Then, more figures entered the stage.

Lyon Gonzalez. Ava's father. And with him, Ken Waters and an unfamiliar man. At the sight of her father, Ava froze. Her blood turned to ice. He knew. She could see it in his eyes. He knew her secrets. Knew what she'd been hiding.

"So no one will come forward?" Aaron growled, his patience cracking. "No one will identify the demons that have turned this place into a bloodbath?"

He took a deep breath and shook his head.

"Very well. If no one will confess, I will take matters into my own hands."

He glanced at Lyon, who bowed in response—bowed, like a servant. Ava's stomach dropped.

A bodyguard moved to the side and dragged a figure toward the stage.

Ava held her breath.

It was Harlan.

His wrists were shackled, but his posture was calm. Almost too calm. He took the mic without resistance. The moment his eyes landed on Ava in the crowd, he smiled—a slow, knowing grin.

She felt like vomiting.

Then, he raised a hand and pointed straight at her.

"That girl," he said. "Ava Gonzalez. She's one of the instigators. And she knows where the others are hiding."

The crowd gasped.

Ava's world shattered.

She didn't need to see the officials' faces to know—many of them were not human. The energy around them shimmered with supernatural fury.

She was exposed.

And she knew in that moment…

She might not make it out alive.