World Academy W (some time ago)

The Newspaper club walks around school after classes searching for a new story. It's one of the rare things the three friends still do together, for fun if nothing else. They stop hearing the muffled arguing of two men. Veneciano cups his ear to hear better. "Finally! Oh this is going to be a scoop. I can feel it in my news reporter bones" he adds excited and runs around in his typical fashion.

"There is no such thing" Honda adds.

Ludwig, still wearing glasses at this point, smiles but quickly becomes serious hearing his father's voice.

"Is something wrong?" Honda observes his expression.

"Yes" he says straightening up. "You two go ahead. I'll deal with this situation."

A little confused and disappointed, Veneciano stops. Honda nods in understanding to Ludwig and takes their friend away. Once left alone, he listens to the conversation carefully.

"I told you to leave me alone. I want nothing to do with your schemes!" his father whispers through his teeth.

"Why so standoffish? You haven't even heard my offer" a deeper and calmer voice replies.

Ludwig listens, not even breathing. He glances over the corner to see the blond gym teacher gesticulating angrily to a large male figure whose upper half is hidden by a bad angle.

"For the last time, I'm..." the gym teacher continues but stops as the large man puts his hand up and looks in the direction of a boy. "We are being watched" he says almost delighted. On the other hand, the gym teacher becomes terrified. "Show yourself" the man insists.

Seeing that he doesn't have much choice, the boy complies. He steps out into the hallway. He can now see the man clearly but we cannot. The gym teacher rubs his face annoyed as the man observes the boy from head to toe smirking. Other parts of his face are conveniently hidden from us by shadows.

A little unnerved, Ludwig feels as if the large man is staring right into his soul.

"Let me guess...You hate every second you have to spend in this place, don't you" the dark figure addresses the student.

Surprised by this, Ludwig looks at him baffled.

"I see great potential in you" the man adds with a menacing tone.

"Don't listen to him. He's pure evil" the gym teacher interrupts and grabs his son's arm. "I already gave you an answer...Now leave!" he growls at the man twice his size.

The man looks at him confident. "If I were you I would be careful who I call evil. I know your secrets. All of them. If anyone is next in line to become like me...It is you" the man says in a ominous tone. With us still not seeing his face clearly, he slowly walks away.

Ludwig watches him intrigued. "What a fascinating man" he utters.

Shaken up by his warning, the teacher orders: "Forget you ever saw this! In fact, forget you ever saw him. Do you understand!" The student nods. As they walk towards the exit, Ludwig still occasionally turns in the direction where the large man was.

World Academy W - present

Yasna returns looking for Ivan. The good news is that the closet he is in did not move much. The bad news is that he is now in a dark passage. "Are you okay?" she asks.

"Yeah" Ivan's vice is heard followed by the sound of a door knob being opened.

"No! Don't come out. Your in the shadow!" she yells terrified.

The trapped boy groans. "I didn't move that much. I can see the light from here" he says eager to get out.

"Regardless, those passages are pretty dangerous. Let's wait until the closet moves away."

"But that can take forever and we need to hurry" he says already slamming the door open. With a few steps, the tall boy gets out and stands on the edge of the darkness. "See? Nothing to worry about" he adds carefree spreading his mobile arm as if inviting a hug.

At first terrified, the girl sighs relieved comes and embraces him. Sharp pain hits her like a lightning. She moves away feeling something long and metal. It prevents her from moving any other way but back. The image is blurry and red. As her vision returns, Yasna gasps seeing long sharp spears coming out of Ivan's body. Two or three wounds drip blood while the spikes holding him in place.

Luckily, they seem to have missed the vital organs. Her friend is still alive but in shock and bleeding. He looks at her and points with his weak hand. The pain returns, slowly at first and then in full blow. Her right eye hurts the most, then her left rib. She touches her face and feels blood. Her entire right side is tender to the touch.

"Your eye is missing" Ivan says, still not realising the dire situation he is in.

The frame returns to Yasna showing a horrified sight. Half of her face is covered in blood with a black whole where her right eye used to be. Shaking all over, she screams in agony.