[Self-note: (///) 3 slashes means a scene change]

"...I came to this city just a few months ago… and I'm from... Rakvill."

Everyone gazed at Abhi with stunned expressions and a thick silence enveloped the room, making the atmosphere feel almost deafening. In a classroom full of dozens of students, there wasn't even the faintest sound; it was as if time itself had frozen.

Ms. Oxlong broke the eerie silence with a subtle smirk as she looked down at her table. Suddenly, she looked up and spoke, "Okie Dokie, so we are finally finished with the introductions. Let’s start with our history lecture. Today, I and all the other subject teachers will give you an overview of our respective curricula."

The students began to write down the teacher's instructions, but many still subtly observed Abhi like vultures eyeing their prey. His revelation of being from a place that was strictly off-limits was unforgettable. The class continued, but the gossip about Abhi didn’t cease. By the end of the fifth hour-long period, the chatter had calmed down but was still alive.

Ding! Tring! Tring!

The one-hour break began as the fifth period ended. Students were instructed to leave in an orderly cue rather than rush outside. All followed this rule—except for Veer, Kevin, and Dep. The same kids who had made a "triangle of disturbed faces" rushed outside as soon as the recess bell rang. Abhi, however, chose to adhere to the protocol and left the classroom in an organized manner.

As he walked towards the exit, Abhi was suddenly pushed and crashed against the blackboard, falling hard. A chubby kid had collided with him.

"Oh hey, didn’t see you there," said the fat kid with a subtle grin.

"It's alright," replied Abhi, extending his hand for help in getting up.

"Hmph." Instead of assisting Abhi, the fat kid snorted a condescending laugh and walked out, leaving Abhi's hand hanging in the air.

"Welp, it is what it is," Abhi said to himself as he got up on his own.

Reaching the hallway, Abhi stood still for a moment, losing his balance and shaking slightly. Suddenly, his eyes lit up with a sense of purpose. He turned left, walked past a few crossways, turned left again, and then finally turned right.

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"I guess the washrooms are easy to find."

After finishing up in the washroom, Abhi easily found the school's kitchen and lunchroom—almost too easily. Kolar was a vast establishment; even the staff sometimes got lost in the maze of corridors, but that didn’t seem to be an issue for Abhi.

Kolar provided a free "Mid-Day Meal" to all its students. They didn’t need to bring their own food, but since Kolar catered to privileged kids, most brought their own. The free meals were delicious, and the Kolar students were enjoying them.

Abhi collected community plates and the Mid-Day Meal from the kitchen and then walked into the lunchroom. As he walked, other students placed their bags on empty chairs or shifted away if he approached their tables, trying to avoid sitting with him. The rumours had spread, and Abhi had become infamous for being from Rakvill—not just in his class, but throughout the entire school. Abhi, however, appeared oblivious and continued walking.

He was walking even though his legs were wobbly and he was moving in a way that lacked any resemblance of direction or balance and yet still his eyes displayed a sense of purpose almost as if he knew where he was going.

///

"Can you believe what just happened?!"

"Holy crap, I was so scared. I still can't believe it!"

"I know, right? I almost thought he was onto us for real," said Veer, Dep, and Kevin in turn. They were sitting under a large old tree with an elevated stone plateau, like a dais covering its roots. The plateau served as a bench for them to eat lunch on. This spot, on the outskirts of the HS Kolar campus, had become their secret meeting place.

"When out of nowhere the President said that, I almost shat my pants," Veer said in a frantic yet relieved tone.

"Yeah, and to top it all off, the camera zoomed in on his eyes. It felt like he was looking into my soul. I get chills just thinking about it," Dep added.

"I wasn't scared or anything, but I was surprised too," Kevin said, his tone sounding pretty unconvincing.

"Ha-ha, sure, buddy," Dep replied, laughing at his lack of conviction.

"Anyways, I don't think he was talking about us," Veer interjected.

"Ha-ha, if he really knew we were researching 'Incident 99' of Rakvill, we would've been in jail by now," Kevin countered.

"Yeah, but let's forget that and get serious. Dep, did you transcribe everything the President was saying?" Kevin asked.

"Sure did. As soon as the President finished greeting us, I immediately got to work," Dep replied, pulling out a sheet of paper with some scribbles on it.

"Great work. Let's analyze what that bozo had to say," Kevin said.

"Okay, but let's keep it down. Someone might hear us," Dep cautioned.

"Now, why in God's Green Earth would the President of the country share such critical information with a bunch of students?" Veer questioned.

"Also, your handwriting sucks, Dep," he added, looking at the transcription paper.

..........