I wasn't sure if my decision was right, but it felt right to me. Cleaning Hayward's head off his body was such a great feeling. Violence wasn't something that I took kindly to, but it felt natural when it came to somebody like the wicked Supreme Leader. There were no thoughts of swinging the blade to strike him down. It was like my body acted independently, and I had no regrets. What was he thinking when he offered me to join him in his reign of despair? Did Hayward expect me to accept it?

That blade...

I shivered as I wandered through one of the hallways. Just touching the handle caused me immense despair, and I saw and felt things that could be fuel for nightmares. One scene that stuck out was my mom lying on her side against the bathroom floor with a pool of blood pouring out of her abdomen, a knife also in one of her hands. It made me wonder if what I saw was true. Was my mom okay? Is my dad okay? Were they safe? Are they still looking for me?

I thought, "Come on, snap out of it," as I smacked my cheeks. I won't gain anything by worrying about something out of my control. The only thing I can do for the time being is to get back to reality and survive alongside Emily and the others.

I remembered Emily's expression from earlier. I couldn't shake my feelings when I saw her frightened eyes. The fact that I was in Hayward's body made sense of why she reacted the way she did, but it still made me feel like I was the one at fault for making her react that way. What did Hayward put her through to make her that scared of him?

In addition, I had multiple unanswered questions that I was desperate to answer. Where was this school? It was isolated from what felt like the rest of the world, and the darkness outside didn't help. What was this school? I didn't particularly care if it was a high school or not. What concerned me was why it was abandoned and why the school was chosen to keep us here. Was it hidden from the public somehow?

That question may not be worth investigating. It wasn't worth worrying if the Supreme Leader could get away with it. He had the power to do whatever he wanted without the risk of repercussion. Even if the public knew about it, what good would it do? Hayward had free will, protection, and authority. How could we beat that?

I clicked my tongue and pressed forward. There was no use in thinking about beating Hayward without Emily and the other's input. Right now, I must figure out how to return to the real world. Even if I didn't, there'd be no way I'd be stuck here forever, right?

Pushing the thought away, I walked through what seemed to be the extracurricular hallway. The theater and choir classrooms were on the right, and the band room was at the end of the corridor on the left. At the end of the hall, an ascending staircase stood with a gate blocking anyone from entering.

"A second floor?" I mumbled aloud. "I guess it makes sense. The school looked ginormous from the outside, so there's more to be seen upstairs."

I stepped to the gate and gripped the horizontal metal bars before shaking it. Truthfully, I wasn't sure what I was expecting by doing so, but I figured I'd test the gate's strength. Who knows? Maybe I would've been able to budge it open.

Frowning, I looked around for something similar to a keypad or a lock to open the gate, but nothing was available. "Why is the second floor restricted? They must be hiding something, but what?"

I pondered until I shook my head. "Standing around won't do any good. There must be a way to open the gate. The office makes the most sense."

With newfound determination, I clenched my fists and headed toward the hallway that led to the foyer. Nobody else seemed to be around, and I wasn't sure where the group I saw earlier went. It was so quiet that you could hear a pen drop from across the cafeteria. Did they go upstairs? No, that was impossible. The gate blocked off the stairs. Was there another part of the first floor that I haven't explored? This was proven to be accurate as I returned to the front entrance. There was the other descending hallway that I had yet to investigate. My curiosity urged me to explore, but I was desperate to escape the dream world and return to reality. I couldn't dwell on where dreamscape Emily and the others went. Hell, anything was possible here. There was no predicting what was past the trees that surrounded the school.

"Fuck it. I have to check everything I find. Maybe there's something that'll help me," I mumbled as I wandered through the hall. I took my time to inspect several posters on the left side of the wall. One of them exhibited an old basketball team that won the championship over four decades ago. The one directly beside it was a wrestling squad that was the runner-up the same year. This trend continued as the years progressed, and I reached a set of double doors at the end of the lengthy hallway. I didn't hesitate to pull one of the doors open.

As I entered the doors, I first noticed another gym through three large panes of glass to the room's left. Two doors allowed entrance to this gym; one directly beside me and another at the end. The school built a ticket and concession stand into the wall across from me, and multiple bolted tables lined the middle of the floor. While all of this piqued my interest, it was painfully evident that nothing here would help me. It was in my best interest to explore the gym.

The door shut loudly behind me as I stepped onto the wooden basketball court with a tiger logo painted in the middle. The floor was dirtier than expected for a basketball court, which I realized after I felt my foot slide. Anyone trying to compete in a game would have a hard time scoring. When was the last time it was cleaned? How long ago was the previous game? Questions like these swirled through my mind as I slowly strolled across the court toward a singular door. It made me acknowledge how vast the school was compared to how it looked outside, and I had yet to explore the floors above.

The singular door across the court revealed a narrower hallway leading to two separate rooms on opposite ends. To the left was the girls' locker room, and to the right were the boys' locker rooms. Naturally, I had little desire to check out the girls' locker room, so I instinctively took a sharp right and opened the swinging door into the boy's locker room. Inside, rows of lockers lined the walls with nametags atop them. I inspected the tags to find familiar last names in alphabetical order. Aguirre, Carter, Chiyo, D'Ogostino, continuing before ending with Ethan Turner's locker. I caught myself looking for my nametag, which was nowhere to be found. It wasn't between Javier and Zach's lockers like it should be.

I frowned and mumbled thoughtfully to myself. "You'd think I'd have a locker. I'm sort of the Alpha, so you think Hayward-"

Was that it? Did Elijah Bell not exist in this world because I was in Hayward's body? The idea made me feel sick to my stomach. The more I thought about it, the more it made sense. There can't be two conscious "me's" because who would be the other me? Regardless, I couldn't rule out the possibility. Anything was possible in the dream world.

Each locker contained a two-piece red elastic sports uniform that varied in size and white athletic tennis shoes with red laces and insoles inside. Velcro straps were also attached to the laces. After picking them up, I realized they looked more comfortable than anticipated. The outsole looked durable enough to withstand stepping on nails with little to no damage.

Curiosity got the best of me. I picked the shoes that matched my size and sat down inside Rho's, or Cameron's, designated locker. I slipped off the ones I was currently wearing, which were dress shoes for a formal occasion like a wedding or dance. It now made sense as to why my feet were sore. After kicking them off, I slipped the shoes onto my feet and tied the laces before strapping the velcro. I stood up and lifted my heels to test the feel before taking a few steps around the room. What took me even more by surprise was how much drip the bottom of the shoes had. The moment I slid the ball of my foot against the ground, I didn't slide an inch. These shoes were incomparable, which made sense why I haven't seen them in stores or advertised anywhere. They weren't made for casual wear.

"These shoes are incredible," I mumbled while testing the grip. "Are they used for training or work-outs?"

That has to be the reason. What else were they used for? They weren't for show. After admiring them for a while longer, I realized I was wasting my time when I needed to find a way out of the dream world. I started to unlace the shoes, but I decided to keep them in the pointless hope that they'd follow me back to reality. I had no desire to resume wearing the uncomfortable dress shoes anyway.

I exited the locker room and found the hallway leading to the gym, where I had seen Emily and the other students earlier. This one looked newer and more maintained, signaling that this court was used more often than the former. The gym held more seating as well.

While the gym looked nice, I continuously looked for anything that could help me figure out how to return back to the real world. Once I was just shy of half-court, a sudden rumble made me stop in my tracks.

"What the..." I trailed off. A blast of ice captured my feet, holding me in place. Something grabbed my wrists to prevent me from escaping the hasty trap I found myself in. Seconds later, a sharp object poked the middle of my throat. A girl's voice followed.

"Make any sudden movements, and I guarantee a slow, painful death."

The object wasn't a knife. Lindsey's fingernail held a venom potent enough to back up her threat, like a snake ready to strike its prey. 

Panic started to swell inside me. "H-Hey! What's going on!? Show yourself!"

What happened next took my breath away. The students filed into the gym from all directions, including the ceiling. They each wore determined faces as if ready to fight an army. Why was I the one trapped, though?

"Cut the shit, Hayward," a familiar female's voice spoke dryly to me. "We're done being your slaves. Let us leave, and we'll make your death quick. Refuse, and we'll make your life so miserable that you'll beg me to kill you."

It took me longer than necessary to remember that I wasn't Elijah as I looked at Delta's enraged face. I was caged in the Supreme Leader's body. My eyes drifted to Tau's nail, which pricked my throat, and I took a calming breath. I spoke in adagio. 

"I know this is going to sound crazy, but-" 

The ice rapidly climbed my body and encapsulated me up to my shoulders. A tall boy with straight brown hair appeared before me with an arm multiple times larger than average. Nick Myers reared his augmented arm and punched me as hard as he could in my jaw. I felt the bone shatter in multiple places before the unbearable pain seared through my face and neck. My eyes stung with tears. 

"Shut the FUCK up!" Taryn screamed as she came into my peripheral vision before bringing a blazing flame to the side of my face where Nick hit me. I could feel my hairs singing and my skin burning. "We don't answer to you anymore. Give us the keys to the entrance, and we will be on our way. I will personally guarantee your death will be instant and painless."

I didn't know where Hayward or I kept his personal belongings, but Delta needed a response as soon as possible. Tau's finger was slowly but surely making its way underneath my skin. Fighting the pain, my mind scrambled to find a response before it was too late. 

"I'll tell you where they are," I started, gritting my teeth to avoid using my jaw. "But you have to listen to me."

"Natalie," Taryn called. "Anthony." 

The ice retreated back to my hips as Omicron stepped forward and blasted a column of air that hit me in my stomach, ironically knocking the wind out of my lungs. Feeling sick, I leaned forward and heaved. Vomit escaped my mouth and splattered on the court and left a nasty aftertaste. I was kicked in the ribs hard enough for Natalie's ice to shatter. I fell to the ground. 

Taryn's mouth curled into a devious smile. It was clear nothing I said would change her mind. "Javier. Emiko." 

You don't deserve this. 

I suddenly couldn't move my body, no matter how much I struggled. Was this Javier's paralysis or my own fear? My clothes suddenly felt damp. I looked down to see that water was flooding the area around me due to Emiko's ability. The side of my face was already on the ground, so it didn't take more than a few seconds for the water to reach my mouth and nose. I spat the water out and held my short breath as it continued to rise over my forearms. 

Fight back. 

My mind began to wander to places I never thought it would. I couldn't just lay here and let them kill me. No matter what, I would make them listen. 

"Chandler. Ethan." 

As I began to lift off the ground, a barrier formed around the water. Zeta's power allowed me and the pool of water to suspend in midair. However, I didn't think Chandler could do this. He couldn't manipulate other objects, only the barrier itself. What was making me weightless? My eyes widened as I frantically searched the gym for the only person capable of doing such a task. After a few seconds, I found her.

Emily wore an emotionless expression I hadn't seen before as she stood near the double doors with both palms open in my direction. Sure enough, she was helping Taryn and her rebellion. 

Make them pay. You don't have much time left. 

The pieces of the wooden court floated just inside the barrier and transformed into long and narrow spikes, ready to pierce through the water and me inside, thanks to Gamma's power. 

Join me in despair. 

I did what I had to do. 

With a thrust of my palms, the water around me scattered at an incomprehensible rate of speed. Nobody on the ground was expecting this as I broke through Chandler's barrier and crashed onto the ground. I fell onto my hands and knees and vomited again, this time because of the water inside of my lungs. 

"Savannah! Restrain him!" 

Despite being dead last on the list, Omega wasn't to be underestimated. The speed at which her thorny vines snatched my limbs in place was impressive. However, I grabbed the vines and launched her to me with supernatural strength. Omega flew toward me with widened eyes. Once she was within reach, I tied her own vine around her neck. Blood immediately poured down the cylindrical vines and onto the ruined floor. 

The sight filled me with much more despair, enough to make anyone mad.

The other student prodigies started responding without any orders, but I spoke before action was taken. "If you value her life, you'll finally listen to what I have to say." 

Something about my voice was different—no, not only my voice. Something about me was different. My thoughts weren't the same, and my emotions were far off the typical spectrum. It was like I wasn't in control of my body anymore. 

"Release her!" Delta demanded in a defensive stance, with flames coating her arms. "Now!" 

I tightened the grip on Omega's neck harder than I meant to. Her survival instincts initiated as she desperately clawed at the vines despite the thorns gashing her palms and fingers. She attempted to call for help until...

What I didn't realize was that the thorns must have punctured her trachea because she started spitting out blood and saliva. The movement only made it worse until no more noise escaped her mouth. Omega's body fell limp in the vines that I had manipulated. 

"Oopsie" was the word I chose to react to Omega's death. 

For a short-lived moment, the prodigies didn't know how to respond to their beloved friend's demise. I released the vines and let Omega's body collapse to the floor. Standing up, I bent down and dipped my finger in the puddle of blood that had leaked out of her neck and brought it to my tongue, similar to tasting an unfamiliar condiment. I swallowed the blood, suddenly created a vine of my own, and whipped it in Psi's direction. 

"Hey!" an annoyance called out to me and attempted to interfere with my plan. It was Kappa, whose Muscle Augmentation had already proved to be beneficial earlier. I wrapped a secondary vine around his arm and pinned him down. Psi fruitlessly struggled against the vine as I dragged her to me. Once she was within reach, I flipped her onto her back and released the vine where blood had been drawn. 

"Your power is undoubtedly needed, pretty one. There's no need to be afraid. I'll make sure you're put to good use," I reassured as I brushed my bloody fingers across her face, admiring the beauty of a scared little girl. My fingers ran down her side, over her hip, and stopped at her thighs. I took a moment to caress them, and Psi's immediate reaction was to bat my hand away. 

I tightened the vine's grip on her calf, causing Psi to yelp in pain. Smiling, I swiped the blood and ingested it like before. "I'm sorry, my dear, but you must remember who you belong to." 

My fist closed, and the vine followed my order. It ignored the skin, muscle, and bone as it separated her lower leg from the rest of her body in a bloody mess with a satisfying snap. Psi screamed so agonizingly that I feared it could be heard outside the school before remembering that nobody could listen to her. What a silly fear to have. 

I stood up and witnessed the gash on my palm heal itself at an unbelievable speed. Psi's power was indeed something extraordinary. With this and Omega's ability, anyone who stood in my way would follow the latter's demise. 

My attention turned to Kappa and the other prodigies, who were all too stunned to react. I turned to Delta, and for the first time, it was comically and uncharacteristically obvious that fear had replaced her rage. 

"What's the matter, Delta?" I questioned as I stepped past Kappa with a snap of my fingers. It was pointless to look, but I turned to see that the vine had speared through his head by entering his mouth and exiting through the back of his neck. I swiped the blood off of the vine and consumed it as well. "Three of your friends perish, and the cat's suddenly got your tongue? What happened to the headstrong woman I've admired for so long?" 

An avalanche of ice suddenly approached me from the side. I effortlessly shattered the ice with a single punch using Kappa's improved strength. I stretched my arm to where Theta was stationed around twenty feet away and grabbed her hair. Dragging her body closer to mine, I picked her up above my head and slammed her on the hard, wooden floor. She lay motionless in the cavity her body created. 

"Oh, Theta," I cooed as her crystal eyes locked onto mine. "If only you hadn't struck at me. I could've made you the beautiful Queen of this world you deserve to be. We could do so much, you and I. Alas..." 

Right as I lifted my enhanced fist with full intent to demolish her beautiful face, a weak hand made an effort to prevent me from doing so. I retaliated by swinging an elbow that made contact with the attacker's face. Iota stumbled and fell onto her rear a few feet away. 

"Iota, one of my most prized possessions. How could you betray me like this?" 

She spat blood out of her mouth. "I'm not your 'prized possession,' bitch." 

A flash of anger erupted through my body. I wrapped a vine around Theta's body that suspended her in the air while wrapping around her neck, arms, and legs. With a violent swipe of my hand, the vine pulled Theta's limbs apart from the rest of her body while she screamed in excruciating pain. Blood littered the ground beneath her as she died with a horrified look on her face.

While the prodigies watched in hopeless despair, I returned to Iota after consuming Theta's blood. She wore eyes full of tears as I grabbed her shirt and lifted her body into the air. Blood had dripped down her face from the contact earlier. My tongue almost made contact before a feeling overwhelmed me that I'd never experienced before. 

Put her down. 

"Who the fuck thinks that they can test my authority!?" I roared to nobody in particular, ready to remind them however necessary. However, no one seemed suspicious. I shook off the feeling and returned to Iota, whose face turned away. 

I grabbed the brunette's face and forced her to reveal her wound that made me thirsty despite having already ingested her friends' blood. "Such a beautiful face. It's a shame that you won't become my princess. There's simply no use for someone so worthless to me now." 

Don't you dare lay another hand on her. Return me to reality before you meet a premature death. 

My eyes widened in shock as I discovered the source of the internal voice. "God damn it, Alpha! You were supposed to be drowning in despair. How could you still have hope?" 

No matter what you do to us, we will have hope. The sun will always dawn over the horizon for those trapped in darkness. Die, you filthy megalomaniac. 

A thorny vine that gripped my neck forced me onto my knees and caused my fist to release Iota. Before I could react, blood filled my eyesockets and detached my head from my neck.