The dawn came cloaked in fog, the morning sun barely a smear of light through the dense mist. Betrayal High seemed otherworldly, its usually bustling corridors now quiet, save for the occasional echo of hurried footsteps. Whispers clung to the walls like cobwebs, rumors thickening the air. The school felt like it was holding its breath.
Selena stood at the edge of the old assembly hall, staring at the grand staircase leading up to the council room. Her reflection shimmered in the cracked mirror on the wall — a queen without her crown, a fighter without her armor. She clenched her fists. Today would decide everything.
"You're really going through with this?" Luna appeared behind her, dark circles under her eyes, her phone clutched like a weapon.
"I don't have a choice," Selena replied, her voice sharp. "Damon crossed a line. He thinks he owns this school, this council — even me."
Luna sighed. "The whole school's watching, Sel. If you move wrong… if he gets ahead of you…"
"He won't." Selena turned, her gaze steady. "I've got a move he'll never see coming."
---
In the hidden council chamber, Damon sat at the head of the long mahogany table. Leo, bruised but alive, lingered in the corner. Damon's lieutenants — Vance, Kyra, and Marcus — occupied their usual spots. The air was tense.
"She's planning something," Damon muttered, drumming his fingers. "Luna's gone dark. Xavier disappeared last night. Selena's been off the grid. I don't like this."
Kyra smirked, twirling a blade between her fingers. "You've already won, Damon. The council's yours. She can't touch you."
"That's what I thought before Leo here tried to stab me in the back," Damon shot Leo a venomous glance. "And look how that turned out."
Leo met his gaze, defiance still flickering in his eyes. "It's not over. She'll come for you. And when she does —"
A sharp slap from Vance silenced him.
Damon stood, brushing his hands down his jacket. "Prep the hall. Tonight, we announce the new reign. And if Selena shows up… we end this."
---
Selena's phone buzzed. A message from Xavier.
"South gate. Midnight. Found something. Bring Luna."
Selena's pulse quickened. She pocketed the phone and gestured for Luna. "It's time."
They slipped out through the maintenance corridor, the air thick with mold and secrets. The south gate, abandoned for years, was a relic of the old school days. Moonlight slivered through the gaps in the wall, casting eerie patterns on the cracked concrete.
Xavier waited by a rusted fence, a manila folder in hand. His face was grim.
"You have no idea what Damon's sitting on," he said, thrusting the folder at Selena.
She opened it. Photos. Documents. Bank transfers. Names.
"These are…"
"The real reason the old council vanished," Xavier said darkly. "Damon didn't just take power. He bought it. And he buried anyone who got in his way. Including my brother."
Selena's hands trembled as she read through the papers. The council coup wasn't an accident. It was a massacre. Damon had orchestrated it all.
"We leak this," Luna whispered. "He burns."
"No," Selena said, closing the folder. "We use this. Tonight. At the assembly. In front of the whole school. He'll crumble, and no one will save him."
---
The auditorium was packed. Students filled every seat, a buzz of nervous energy in the air. Damon stood center stage, a smug smile on his face. The council sat behind him, each one trying to look confident.
"Today marks a new era," Damon announced, his voice booming. "A reign of unity, power, and strength. Betrayal High will no longer be a den of secrets and lies."
Selena stepped into the spotlight.
Gasps. Whispers. Every head turned.
"That's rich coming from you," she called out.
Damon's grin faltered. "Selena, you weren't invited to this —"
"I don't need an invitation," she snapped, holding up the folder. "But maybe you can explain this."
The projector flickered on, displaying images of Damon's dealings. Bribed council members. Blackmail. Disappearances.
The auditorium erupted.
Kyra stood, dagger in hand. "This is a setup!"
"Is it?" Selena smirked. "Check the accounts. The names. The dates. It's all there. You've all been his puppets."
Vance looked to Damon. "Is this true?"
Damon's face was a storm. "Shut it down," he hissed.
But the crowd had seen too much.
A sudden scream cut through the chaos. Leo, breaking free, tackled Damon. They fought, fists and blood on the stage. Kyra lunged at Selena, blade flashing. Luna intercepted, a chair cracking against Kyra's head.
Students surged forward, some backing Selena, others Damon. The room became a battlefield.
And then — a shot rang out.
Silence.
Everyone froze.
Damon collapsed, blood pooling beneath him.
Selena turned, heart pounding. Xavier stood at the back of the hall, a gun in his trembling hand.
"I had to," Xavier shouted. "He killed my brother! He would've killed us all!"
The room descended into chaos again, but Selena's gaze locked on Xavier. The cost of their war had come due.
She stepped over Damon's body, grabbed the microphone.
"It's over," she said, voice raw. "This ends now. No more kings. No more thrones. Betrayal High belongs to us again."
The students erupted, cheers and sobs mingling.
But as the crowd surged forward, Luna grabbed Selena's arm.
"Sel," she whispered. "There's something you need to see."
She pulled her to the side room where Damon's phone still lay on a table. Luna unlocked it with his thumb.
A video loaded.
It showed Damon — and someone else.
Selena's mother.
Talking. Laughing. Planning.
"They played us both," Luna whispered.
Selena's world tilted.
The screen displayed a date.
Tomorrow. 4 a.m. Another coup. Another betrayal. And her mother at the heart of it.
Selena's grip tightened around the phone.
"No," she whis
pered. "Not this time."
She turned back toward the crowd.
Another war was coming. And this time — she'd burn the whole damn place down.