chapter 11 .1: The storm before the fight

Kyara vs. Tara – The Brewing Revenge

Kyara walked through the college hallway, chin held high, pretending not to hear the whispers around her. But she could feel them. The stares. The smirks. The unspoken judgment hanging in the air like a storm cloud.

She knew why.

Tara, leaning against a row of lockers with her usual group of friends, smirked as Kyara passed by.

"Just watch," she murmured, loud enough for her friends—but mostly for Kyara—to hear. "I'll make sure she feels hell. She thinks she can humiliate me at the party? Tell her fiancé to remove me as a game tester? Oh, she has no idea what's coming."

One of her friends laughed. "And how exactly are you going to do that?"

Tara shrugged. "I don't have to. She's already doing it to herself."

Kyara's fingers curled into a fist inside her hoodie pocket, but she kept walking. Act like you don't hear it. Act like you don't care.

But her insides churned.

She needed a distraction. Pulling out her phone, she scrolled through their college group chat.

The first message she saw made her stomach drop.

Her breath hitched.

Was everyone looking at her? Were they all thinking the same things?

The walls felt like they were closing in. Her fingers were ice-cold, but her face burned.

No. Stop. Don't react.

She made it through class, barely paying attention, and went straight to her locker afterward.

The moment she opened it, her breath caught.

A mess.

Trash stuffed inside. Spray-painted words across the metal.

"She really married for money. LMAO, pseudo-feminist exposed."

"Guess she couldn't survive on her own, so she had to grab a rich guy's leg."

"Her dad must be so disappointed—oh wait, he's DEAD."

"Gold digger."

"Daddy's dead, so you married for money?"

Something inside her snapped.

Her pulse pounded in her ears, drowning out every other noise in the hallway. The air felt thick, suffocating.

She took a deep breath.

"Calm down, Kyara."

She clenched her jaw.

"How the fuck am I supposed to calm down?"

Her fingers tightened around a bottle of spray paint someone had left behind.

Fine. If they want a mess, I'll give them one.

With steady hands, she sprayed over the words—covering every insult, every piece of filth, until nothing remained but thick black ink. Then, with one swift move, she grabbed handfuls of trash and shoved them into the nearest locker.

Tara's locker.

She dusted her hands off, inhaled deeply, and walked away like nothing happened.

Niki's Unexpected Visit Home

Niki parked outside his parents' house, expecting the usual scene: Aria lounging on the couch, scrolling through her phone, maybe tossing a sarcastic comment his way.

Instead, he was met with silence.

He stepped inside cautiously. "One second—did I enter the wrong house?" he muttered.

A few steps in, he found his mother sitting on the balcony, a book in her hands. He grinned and back-hugged her.

She startled for a moment, then sighed dramatically. "Whoa, how did this holy man's feet enter our house today?"

Niki groaned. "Moommm, I'm here now. Stop with the taunting."

His mother chuckled, closing her book. "I heard you were taking Kyara's side."

"Oh, don't start," he muttered, flopping onto the couch.

She smirked. "Well, we did the right thing."

Niki sat up, throwing his arms in frustration. "Wow! You and Dad have done masters in manipulation, haven't you? Your teasing won't change the truth!"

"Yeah, yeah, we know," she said, ruffling his hair.

Niki swatted her hand away. "Where's the fox?"

His mother's face changed. "She's in her room. Angry."

"What did she do this time?"

"She wants to go abroad for high school."

Niki stilled.

His mother watched him closely as his fingers twitched against his thigh. His ears burned red.

"You okay, beta?" she asked softly.

Niki forced a smile. "Yeah. I'm fine. But…" He looked away. "Let Aria go."

His mother scoffed. "No need to interfere in this matter. We don't want to repeat the same mistake."

Niki chuckled, but it was dry, almost bitter. "If you don't let Aria go, that will be your biggest mistake."

Niki & Aria – A Sibling Promise

Aria was lying on her bed, staring at the ceiling, arms crossed.

Niki leaned against the doorframe. "So, you're angry?"

"No, I'm thrilled," she deadpanned.

Niki chuckled and sat beside her. "What if I send you to the high school of your dreams?"

Aria sat up. "For real?"

He grinned. "Would I ever lie to you?"

Aria narrowed her eyes. "Yes."

Niki gasped, placing a hand on his chest. "I'm hurt."

She laughed. Then, more softly, she asked, "Do you really think I should go?"

Niki looked her in the eye. "I think you should go before you end up like me."

For a second, Aria saw something raw in his expression. Something… broken.

She didn't press.

Instead, she hugged him tight. "You're the best."

Niki rolled his eyes but squeezed her back.

Niki's Silent Breakdown

As soon as Niki left Aria's room, he collapsed against the wall outside.

His hands were shaking. His ears burned red.

A voice echoed in his mind—small, trembling, the voice of a child.

"Mom? Dad? When are you coming back? I wanna go home..."

He clenched his jaw, gripping his own arms.

Then, taking a deep breath, he pushed himself up and walked away like nothing happened.

Kyara's Bunking & Rohan's Betrayal

The next morning, Niki called Rohan.

"Hey," he said, rubbing his temples.

"Yeah?"

"I forgot to add the new features to the character. Fix it. We're launching tomorrow."

Before Rohan could reply, Kyara's voice came through the call.

"Rohan! You're crazy! Why are you telling Niki?"

Niki's eyes narrowed. "Wait. Is Kyara there?"

Rohan hesitated. "Uh… yeah."

"Doesn't she have classes?"

Before Rohan could answer, Kyara snatched the phone and cut the call.

Niki frowned.

Something was off.

Rohan's Betrayal (for Good)

In the studio, Kyara crossed her arms. "You told him?"

Rohan sighed. "Kyara, you're getting bullied. You think I'm just gonna ignore that?"

"I don't need help."

Rohan smiled slightly. "We're friends, Kyara. Or do you still consider us just business partners?"

Kyara's face softened. "Of course not. We're buddies."

"Then stop acting like you have to fight alone."

Kyara sighed. "Fine. But just leave it. Things will settle in two, three days."

Rohan nodded like he agreed—but under the table, he was already texting Niki.

Niki Takes Action

Niki read Rohan's message and scoffed.

"This girl."

Without hesitation, he called Kyara's college authorities.

They weren't taking bullying seriously. But when the name 'Agnihotri' was mentioned, their tone changed instantly.

Immediate action was taken.

Tara wouldn't know what hit her.

And Kyara?

She was about to learn that she wasn't fighting alone.