the truth(22)

The school bell rang, signaling the start of a new academic year. The hallways buzzed with energy as students reunited after summer break, sharing stories and laughter. But amid the excitement, one group stood out—Michael and his friends.

They walked into the building as if they owned it. Every step they took turned heads. Their reputation from the previous years had only grown stronger.

Ethan (grinning):

"Alright, fourth year. Time to show everyone we haven't lost our edge."

Lisa (adjusting her bag):

"Not that anyone here can compete with us anyway."

Marie (stretching):

"Still, it's gonna be fun to see what's changed over the break."

Michael (smirking):

"Nothing's changed. We're still the best, and we're gonna prove it today."

They made their way to their classroom, where the teacher was taking attendance. The moment Michael stepped inside, the atmosphere in the room shifted. A mix of admiration and intimidation filled the air.

Some students whispered among themselves.

"Michael's back."

"I heard he dominated the summer competitions too."

"I feel bad for anyone who tries to challenge him this year."

Michael sat down, leaning back in his chair with an easy confidence.

The teacher began handing out tests—just a little quiz to start the year. Most students groaned. Michael simply smirked.

Emily (grinning at Michael):

"Gonna get another perfect score, genius?"

Michael (grinning back):

"Obviously."

Ten minutes later, he was the first to finish. The teacher raised an eyebrow but took his paper.

One by one, the rest of the group followed—Ethan, Lisa, Marie, Alex, and Emily—all finishing before the rest of the class.

Teacher (checking the papers, sighing):

"Of course, all perfect scores. What else should I expect?"

The students around them groaned.

Random Student:

"They're ridiculous."

Another Student:

"Seriously, do they ever lose?"

Michael just smirked, spinning his pen between his fingers.

The next class was Physical Education. The moment the teacher announced they'd be running laps and doing sports assessments, Michael's grin widened.

Michael (cracking his knuckles):

"Time to remind everyone who runs this place."

The students lined up for the sprint. Ethan, Alex, and Michael took their places.

Teacher:

"Alright. On your marks… get set… go!"

Michael took off like lightning, leaving everyone behind. Ethan and Alex were the only ones who even came close, but even they couldn't match his speed.

Teacher (checking the stopwatch, blinking in disbelief):

"That… was faster than the school record."

Random Student (panting):

"Of course it was. He's a monster."

Michael just shrugged, unbothered.

After the races, they moved to basketball.

The teams were random, but somehow, Michael, Lisa, and Ethan ended up on the same side against a group of older students.

Older Student (smirking):

"You little kids think you can beat us?"

Michael (grinning):

"Oh, we don't think. We know."

The game started. Within minutes, Michael had stolen the ball, dunked twice, and made three perfect three-pointers.

Lisa dribbled past two defenders and shot with ease. Ethan blocked every attempt the older students made.

By the time the game ended, the score was 21-4.

Older Student (groaning, hands on knees):

"What the hell are you guys?!"

Ethan (grinning):

"Better than you."

The rest of the school day followed the same pattern. Every subject, every activity—Michael and his friends dominated.

By lunchtime, everyone had accepted the inevitable.

The group sat at their usual table, their lunch trays filled with food.

Marie (stretching):

"Man, this year is already looking too easy."

Alex (laughing):

"You expected anything else?"

Lisa (leaning forward, smirking):

"Hey, guys. Why don't you come over to my house today? It's been a while, hasn't it?"

Michael's expression tensed for a fraction of a second before he quickly masked it with a casual shrug.

Michael:

"Oh, your house? Actually, I'm not free today, so I can't."

Lisa's eyes narrowed slightly.

Lisa:

"No, no, no, Michael. You haven't come to my house ever since the first time you came. You have to come."

Michael hesitated. He had been avoiding her house for a reason. Lisa's parents were… dangerous. Murderers. And he didn't want to step foot into that house ever again.

Michael (shaking his head):

"No, I can't."

Ethan suddenly grinned, nudging Michael's shoulder.

Ethan:

"No, Michael. You're going to come, no matter what you say."

Marie (smiling mischievously):

"Yeah, of course. You have to come."

Michael sighed, rubbing his temples.

Michael:

"Okay."

As the conversation continued, Michael's thoughts turned dark.

Michael (thinking):

"Oh, goddammit. I've been trying to avoid going to her house. Her parents are murderers. This is bad. This is really bad."

The bell rang, signaling the end of lunch, but Michael's mind was elsewhere.

The scene shifted. The warm school environment faded into the cold, dark atmosphere of the dungeon.

Dakota's group sat around a small fire, the flickering flames casting eerie shadows on the stone walls. They had been watching the memory through Dakota's magic, and now, the scene ended.

Henry leaned forward, his expression curious.

Henry:

"Well, Dakota, how did it go? Did the parents do something to you?"

Dakota smirked slightly, his brown eyes reflecting the fire's light.

Dakota:

"Well… I'll show you the next memory, and you'll find out."

The group exchanged uneasy glances, knowing that whatever came next, it wasn't going to be anything good.

Dakota thinking: well the parents didn't try to hurt me, but they did tell me something, something that terrified me back then. and I promised myself to not get involved with her parents, and I thought I would keep that promise to myself... But when they helped their daughter to do that in high school, I broke that promise and got involved with them. And I almost won against them, actually I basically won against them... But In the end my friends though I did something terrible and stopped contacting me and the parents and the daughter ended up winning. If only I had asked my friends for help, fuck! If only I did, if I did... Would I be reincarnated into this world? I don't know.