St. Jude Academy was not merely an educational institution. It was a gilded fortress.

The Edenbridge Midterm Assembly was mandatory. The entire student body and faculty gathered in the grand auditorium.

Harper sat in the front row, a position usually reserved for Serena. Julian sat next to her, having firmly aligned himself with the new regime.

"You okay?" Julian asked, noticing Harper rubbing her temples.

"Fine," Harper said, though she felt a strange tightness in her chest. The auditorium was packed, the air stifling.

Up on stage, the Headmaster droned on about academic integrity. Serena stood backstage, her hand hovering over the master control panel for the auditorium's AV and lighting systems.

Let's see how strong you really are, Harper, Serena thought, a cruel smile twisting her lips.

Serena threw the switch.

Instantly, the auditorium plunged into pitch darkness. The heavy, automated steel fire doors slammed shut, locking everyone inside.

Before the crowd could panic, the massive digital projectors flickered to life. But instead of the school crest, the screens displayed blinding, rapidly flashing strobe lights. Concurrently, the sound system shrieked to life, blasting a deafening, distorted audio track of crashing metal and shattering glass—the exact sounds of a horrific car accident.

The auditorium descended into absolute chaos. Students screamed, covering their ears.

In the front row, Harper froze. The flashing lights and the sound of crushing metal hijacked her nervous system. Her lungs constricted. The memory of the crash—the smell of burning rubber, the feeling of being trapped in the dark—slammed into her. She couldn't breathe. She grabbed the armrests of her chair, her knuckles turning white, her body trembling violently.

Julian saw her panic. "Harper! Look at me!" he yelled over the noise, but she was trapped in the flashback, hyperventilating.