By sunrise, the school was buzzing.
Students whispered in hushed voices, eyes glued to their phones. Staff members looked tense, like they'd been handed scripts but weren't sure how to perform them.
The @UnmaskTheFoundry account had exploded overnight.
Over 100,000 views. Shares pouring in from across the country. And just beneath the surface fear.
Zara watched from her window, wrapped in a hoodie, her heart pounding like a drum. She could feel it the shift. The moment when truth begins to drown the lie.
Jaxon stood beside her, a quiet storm. "It's happening."
"Yeah," she murmured. "But they won't let it happen without a fight."
They met Ms. Quinn in her office that morning.
She'd turned the place into a digital war room screens everywhere, tabs open to forums, news sites, and encrypted chatrooms.
"They're scrambling," she reported. "I've already been contacted by two so-called 'education reform advocates' offering me bribes to take the post down."
Zara's stomach turned.
Jaxon cracked his knuckles. "Let me guess they're Foundry."
Ms. Quinn smirked. "Bingo. But we're not done. This is only the first hit. We need a face. A voice. A name to rally around."
Zara blinked. "You mean… me?"
"You're the spark," Quinn said. "Let them see you. Hear you. Feel what they've tried to bury."
Jaxon stepped closer. "You don't have to do this."
Zara looked at him, steady. "Yes, I do."
That night, Zara recorded a video.
No filters. No edits. Just her, sitting in front of her laptop, raw and unflinching.
"My name is Zara Adeniyi," she began, "and I'm a student at Blackthorne Academy. I've seen the truth behind the curtains of power. I've seen what they do to those who ask questions. I've lost friends. I've lost safety. But I won't lose my voice."
She uploaded it.
And the internet caught fire.
Somewhere deep in the city, Victor Blackthorne watched her face fill his screen.
He didn't move.
Didn't blink.
Just picked up his phone and dialed.
"Activate Protocol Nine," he said. "Bring her in."
Back on campus, Jaxon's phone buzzed.
He read the message. Face pale.
"They're coming."
Zara stood, fists clenched. "Then let them. I'm not afraid anymore."