the truth(34)
Summer vacation had come and gone in a blur.
No matter how much time passed, Michael had barely thought about it. Because in his mind, summer was nothing but a waiting period—a meaningless gap between where they had been and where they were going.
And now, they had arrived.
The first year of high school.
The final years of their school lives.
The time when everything would reach its peak.
Michael stood in front of the school gates with his friends, staring up at the building that had loomed over them since their first year. It was the same school, the same hallways, the same classrooms—yet, for some reason, it felt… different.
Better.
Stronger.
More exciting.
Michael smirked, clenching his fist.
"This is it."
Alex slapped him on the back, grinning.
Alex:
"Ready to dominate, Michael?"
Michael chuckled.
Michael:
"We've been dominating since middle school. Why would we stop now?"
Ethan stretched his arms over his head, looking completely relaxed as always.
Ethan:
"Man, this is going to be fun. First year means we're finally at the top."
Marie nodded, adjusting her bag.
Marie:
"One more step before graduation. It's hard to believe, huh?"
Emily smirked.
Emily:
"Hard to believe? Please. We were made for this."
Lisa, as always, stood slightly apart from them, her expression calm. But even she couldn't hide the slight anticipation in her eyes.
They had ruled middle school.
And now, high school was theirs.
Michael took a deep breath, staring at the entrance.
Michael:
"Let's go."
With that, they stepped inside.
The hallways were packed with students, all buzzing with excitement over the new year. Some were talking about the upcoming sports season, others about the classes they were dreading, and some just happy to see their friends again.
But as soon as Michael and his group walked in, conversations shifted.
People whispered.
They had been waiting for them.
Michael and his friends had built a reputation, and now, everyone wanted to see if they would live up to it.
The school expected them to dominate.
And they would.
They made their way to their classroom, each step filled with anticipation. As soon as they entered, students turned to look at them, some with admiration, some with intimidation.
The teacher was already at the front, waiting for them all to settle in.
Teacher:
"Welcome to your first year of high school."
The classroom quieted down as the teacher continued.
Teacher:
"We have great expectations for all of you, but especially for one student in particular."
Michael frowned.
He had a bad feeling about this.
Teacher:
"Michael, the genius. The undefeated genius."
The entire class turned to him.
Michael felt his face heat up.
Michael:
"Uh… I mean… thanks?"
Laughter filled the room. Alex and Ethan smirked, nudging him.
Alex:
"Damn, Michael. They're putting you on the spot already?"
Ethan:
"That's what happens when you're the best, man."
Michael groaned, sinking into his seat.
The teacher smiled.
Teacher:
"Of course, I can't forget about the rest of you. Alex, Ethan, Marie, Emily, Lisa—you're all exceptional in your own right. I have no doubt you'll make this year an interesting one."
The moment the teacher finished, Michael's group exchanged glances.
This was just the beginning.
And sure enough, it didn't take long for them to make their mark.
The first few days passed in a blur, and as expected—Michael and his friends completely dominated.
Academics? Unmatched.
Sports? Unstoppable.
Debates, competitions, challenges? They crushed everything in their path.
It didn't matter what the subject was—they were at the top.
The school was in shock, but at the same time… they had expected it.
Everyone had been waiting for them to rise to the top once again.
Michael thrived in it. The rush of winning, of proving himself, of knowing that no matter what happened—he was in control.
It was exhilarating.
But deep down…
Something felt off.
It was a small feeling at first. A whisper in the back of his mind, a sense of unease that he couldn't quite place.
Like the calm before a storm.
Like something terrible was about to happen.
Meanwhile, back in the cavern, Dakota and his group watched the memories unfold.
Lucas rubbed his chin, deep in thought.
Lucas:
"Huh. So far, it looks like everything's fine. No disasters, no chaos—just you and your friends doing what you always do."
Ava nodded.
Ava:
"Yeah. It's like… normal high school life. Except for the part where you're basically a legend."
Henry smirked.
Henry:
"Seriously, Dakota. 'Undefeated genius'? You were really out here making everyone look bad, huh?"
Dakota shrugged, his expression unreadable.
Dakota:
"It was just how things were."
Mia tilted her head, studying him.
Mia:
"Then why do you look like you're waiting for something?"
Dakota's eyes darkened.
Dakota:
"Because I am."
The air in the cavern suddenly felt heavier.
The group exchanged glances.
Lucas shifted uncomfortably.
Lucas:
"Okay… so when exactly does everything go wrong?"
Dakota exhaled slowly, staring into the fire.
Dakota:
"Soon."
The group fell silent.
Then, Dakota's voice dropped, colder than before.
Dakota:
"It's all normal right now. Like nothing bad will happen."
A long pause.
Then—
His voice came again, quiet but filled with an unsettling certainty.
Dakota:
"But it did."
The flames crackled in the silence.
Dakota:
"Something very bad happened."
A chill ran through the group.
Mia swallowed.
Mia:
"What… what happened?"
Dakota finally looked at them.
And when he spoke—
His words sent a shiver down their spines.
Dakota:
"You'll see."
Dakota:
"Soon enough… it's going to start."
The fire flickered—
And the darkness of the past began to unfold.
Dakota thinking: yes it will happen soon, we have finally gotten into highschool, but the terrible things don't happen immediately, no it takes some time before it happens. Before the terrible things start... The romance between me and Emily, and between Alex and Mia... And Ethan and Lisa fully blossom's. Since we all had become couples... But me and Emily's relationship didn't last long... Not long at all.