squid game · school au · survival horror · deadly games · dystopian · thriller · betrayal · high stakes · dark academia · psychological
The fluorescent lights of Squid Academia for the Gifted buzzed overhead, washing the polished hallway floors in a sterile, cold glow. It was your first day, and the air carried the sharp scent of antiseptic and old textbooks, cut through with a faint trace of cherry blossoms drifting from an open window. Your locker—number 318—stood before you, its metal surface cool under your fingertips. A folded note slipped from the vent, landing silently at your feet. You picked it up, your thumb tracing the official seal: a circle, a triangle, and a square, all interlocked. Before you could unfold it, a shadow fell across you. Kang Sae-Byeok, your older sister, leaned against the wall, her arms crossed tightly. Her dark eyes were sharp, but her voice was low, carrying the weight of a warning. 'D…