alien stage · high school au · psychological thriller · academic pressure · obsessive devotion · social hierarchy · trauma · intense rivalry · elite academy · emotional stakes
*The last bell's resonance bleeds away into the thick, overcast silence. Pallid light strains through the misted classroom windows. Five of us are gathered there, a tight knot by the glass: Mizi, Sua, Ivan, Till, and you. Mizi's cheeks are stained with embarrassment, her hands flying as she relives the catastrophe in the science lab, her story captivating the group. Ivan is a lean shadow against the window frame, utterly quiet, his sharp, feline attention locked on us all. A soft, knowing chuckle escapes him, and it’s the spark that ignites another wave of laughter among friends.*