World Academy W

Yasna's Mom enters the city gym. It is a large area where many male adults spend an enormous amount of their time. It is there among the machines, combat sport rings, shooting ranges and the constant hustle bustle and bro talks where they feel the most at home. Most of them do not even go to their houses unless they are invited by their families. She looks around noticing the curious looks as a few of them stop what they are doing to ogle her. Rolling her eyes, she goes to the man she came to see. It is Šćepan's and Yasna's dad.

As he wipes his sweaty face with a towel, after an intense upper arm session. "Why are you here? Is it Friday already?" he asks calmly.

Seeming anxious and worried, she pressed her lips. "The kids are not home yet...They should have finished the test by now."

"They probably went to celebrate...Don't worry about them. They'll be back by tonight drunk as a mother" he replies with a chuckle.

Still, his wife is not convinced. She leans in and whispers close to him: "I have called all of them and none are replying. Not a text, not a call back...Something's wrong, I can feel it."

Looking at her again, the man starts feeling anxious too. He nods and quickly puts on his clothes. They head together towards the school.

Next scene: Back in the dark room with many screens, the large figure engulfed in the dark sighs irritated. Looking at his tiny minion he declares: "Things are not going the way I expected. You will have to intervene. Go down their and don't let anyone mess with the controls."

Arthur flinches, really not liking this idea. "Sir, do you think that's wise? I will get massacred down there."

Not in the slightest sympathetic to his plea, the large man continues in his strong masculine voice: "It's not like you will be going down there empty handed. Now go before something else unexpected happens!"

Arthur flinches and runs towards the door board. He enters the code and quickly exits the self-opening door.

Next scene: Back in the dim underground hallways, Yasna runs like her life is depending on it. Passing a dark passage, a grinning head pops from it. It's the evil Časlov and the gang. "Why are you running away? Don't you wanna hang with us?" he snickers as the other Balkan students follow. She continues running, ignoring them completely.

"Hey! We're talking to you!" the evil Časlov yells irritated and gets his gun out. He shoots a few times making her duck for cover. Waiting, the lone student realises that they are not coming closer. She pops her head to see them still standing near the same passage.

"What a coward!" the evil Defina maliciously scoffs. "Yeah! I guess she doesn't have it in her to fight us" the shadow Aleksia snickers. Next to her is a little boy holding a combat knife, so eager to use it that his hands are shaking.

Realising what this is, Yasna comes out of her hiding. "What weapons do you have?" she says holding her own make-shift contraption.

The group busts out laughing. "What weapons don't we have!" Časlov yells smug.

"Our supplies are greater than you can even imagine" shadow Dafina chuckles full of herself.

Yasna smiles and puts down her weapon. "And where are they?" she asks calmly.

"They're in there" Časlov adds pointing to the passage behind him.

"But if you want it, you have to go through us" Dafina adds. Yasna shrugs and smirks. The others are confused by this but let her approach them.

Next scene: A few minutes later. The small girl walks back with an arsenal of light but deadly weapons strapped to her back. Hearing the screams of the shadow kids we can conclude that they are in great pain. She takes a lighter which belonged to one of them and lights it. "So the fire is most effective. Interesting" she says in the-more-you-know style and continues with her mission.

Next scene: At the entrance to courts. Seeing the entrance, she hurries even more but is stopped by a fellow student. It is Arthur, who she has not seen since they got sorted into classrooms.

"Is everything alright? You look kind of flustered" he addresses her calmly.

Slightly suprised, she approaches the door only to see him blocking it. "Please move. I have to go inside" she says touching her makeshift harpoon as a warning.

Arthur doesn't flinch: "You wouldn't do that to a fellow classmate, would you?"

"Depends on the classmate" she says with a side smile. The hallways around them are even darker than the main one and there are twenty smaller black passages around.

Arthur takes out a small pistol from his pocket and points it at her. "Stay back" he says calmly.

Pondering for a moment, Yasna moves a few steps back. She stands up straight trying to exude confidence and says: "A gun? That does not seem like your style Arthur."

"I suppose you are right. But desperate times call for desperate measures" he replies.

She sighs and calmly continues: "There is not need for this. I will put down my gun if you put down yours." The boy agrees and they place their weapons on the floor and kick them aside.

"Now, can I please pass? There is something in there that I need to do" she says politely.

He looks at her with a curious expression: "Why on Earth do you want to do that? Do you even know why are you doing it?"

"I'm doing it so we can escape this place" she continues.

"Are you? And how will you do that? Once inside, do you know what you need to press in order to make that happen?"

She looks at him baffled and silent. "No, but by what you are saying, you seem to know more about it than me...Care to share some information?"

Arthur hides a chuckle with his wrist.

"You do know who is the mastermind behind all of this, right?" she continues becoming nervous.

"As a matter of fact" he says smiling with his chest out. "You are looking at him."

She stares at him stunned and silent. After a few awkward seconds, Yasna starts to laugh.

"I'm sorry. But that is a little hard to believe...With all our classes and all of your other school activities? When did you have the time to do all this? During your bathroom breaks?" she says chuckling.

Arthur does not take this well. Clearing his throat, he continues: "I assure you this is no laughing manner. I am far more capable than anyone can ever imagine."

"Oh really?"

"Yes, really."

"Alright then...How did you do it?" she says.

Arthur opens his mouth but then tilts his head. "I see what you are doing. You are trying to bait the information out of me. Clever. But you really don't need to go through all the trouble." Extending his arm to her, he continues: "Join me, and you will learn everything you wish to know."

She stares at his hand reluctant.

"I assure you, I take very good care of my friends. All who wish to see me as a benevolent figure is their story can only expect kindness from me" he encourages her.

Yasna ponders. Folding her arms, she looks him straight in the eye. "Thank you but no!" she says determined. "Now get out of my way!" she adds taking large angry steps towards him.

Taken aback, Arthur frowns. He snaps his fingers and everything goes dark.

Yasna grabs her lighter but cannot find him with this small light. His laugh echos the hallways. "Suit yourself. You can't defeat me. Not with all that awaits such a scheming tease like you" his frantic voice is heard.

She takes a stick from her locker bag and lights some fabric. The girl finds her weapon and hurries towards the courts. Just as she is ready to place her hand on the handle, rows of sharp metal spikes pierce through the wall, nearly impaling her.

Arthur's voice is gone, but so it the only main entrance. She tries to move them but is only surprised by another row of spikes that manage to scratch her leg.

Hurt, she limps away. Observing the darkness, Yasna thinks what she should do next.

Next scene: Outside the school, many worried parents have arrived. The teachers greet them outside. "There is no reason to be alarmed. Your children will be out shortly. Everything is under control" the school councillor says to the crowd. As we listen to her talk, the frame goes back to the lounge. All of the screens showing the students have turned to black."