LINGGA KALAGENI: Pendekar Terkutuk dari Sekte Pedang Naga

The back of my head screamed in pain, tearing my nerves apart. I was still shaking from the vertigo and my broken bones.

That was when my eyes snapped open. I was back to the day before our applications were sent… back to the final term of senior year.

My phone buzzed in my pocket. It was a text from my homeroom teacher. "The papers for your spot in Harland are here. Come over to the headmaster's office after class. You'll need to sign them."

I took a deep breath. The stench of rust was no longer filling my lungs. This time, I had the upper hand. This time, I'd leave those rats to rot.

A gentle voice echoed around my ear. "You're spacing out, Nancy."

Carrie Wood, the school belle, was standing before my desk, smiling sweetly. There was an empty paper in her hands, the same paper that would be used to find out which college our classmates were trying to get into.

Chris Gray, Yves Lawson, and Henry Riverson, my ex-childhood friends, were standing behind her. Their eyes nearly pierced me. Chris' fists were clenched, while Yves was taut and rigid, and Henry was nearly standing in front of Carrie like a human shield.

The three of them looked at me like I was their worst enemy, and the sign of bloodlust in their eyes didn't escape me. It didn't take long for realization to dawn on me. They'd been reborn as well, just like me.

The three of them were trying to stop me from refusing Carrie and repeating the tragedy that was her suicide. However, Carrie was oblivious to the tension in the air. She slid the paper over to me.

"Everyone's been tense over the SATs, so I'm going to help them hand in their applications. It'll save them some time. You're the class president. Can you fill in your passcode? Be an example."

Before anyone could say anything, Chris warned me icily, "She's just trying to help. Stay in your lane."

Henry's eyes were adamantly glued to my hands. I was sure he would pin me to the ground the moment I tried to flip my table.

Their nervous reactions only garnered a mirthless chuckle from me. "Can do." I filled in my passcode and my username on the paper without missing a beat. Then, I handed it back to Carrie. "Here you go."

Chris froze up in shock. Yves' eyes flickered with disbelief, but it quickly turned into disdain and pleasure. They thought they had finally kept Carrie's dignity intact, but little did they know, they'd just taken the responsibility of ruining the whole class' future.

Carrie's eyes flickered with smug delight once I'd filled my slot up, but she wanted to take it a step further. She bit her lip and huddled closer without any care for personal boundaries.

"You're the top of our class. Can you sort out the whole class' application drafts? I don't want to mess it up. I mean, I might…"

This girl wanted me to do all the work while she stole all the credit. I looked at her coldly. "If you can't even do something as simple as handing in applications, then you shouldn't be trying to help the whole class out.

"If you make even one mistake, you'll ruin their future. If you can't afford the fines, it's jail time for you, and I don't think your friends can take your place."

Every single word hit Carrie like a truck. Her smile froze, and her face went white. She staggered backward and crashed into the corner of a table. A gasp escaped her, and she fell to the ground.

"Carrie!" Chris flew into a rage and held Carrie in his arms.

Fury burned Henry up and darted right over to me. He yanked me by my collar and pulled me up from my seat.

Yves grabbed a nearby chair and slammed it against my table. The loud crash silenced everyone in the classroom.

Henry's eyes were red, and they were glaring at me. He hissed, "How dare you! Apologize at once, or I'll kill you!"

My collar was tightening around my neck. I could barely drag in any oxygen through my lungs, but I didn't try to struggle. These fools were getting mad for a sorry excuse of a girl. All I had for them was an icy look.

Class was ending soon. The Harland papers were waiting for my signature. I had no time to play house, not with these clowns.