The news of Rahul and his father's sudden death had spread like wildfire. Conspiracy theories exploded overnight—some so wild, they only stoked more fear among the public. False rumors circulated nonstop, leaving people paranoid and unsure of who to trust.
A special police division had been dispatched last year to investigate the serial killings. One of the heads of this department was a close friend of Detective Tihsan. They offered to help him—but on one condition: he would have to follow strict government protocols. Tihsan didn't like that.
He always worked alone.
That's why he had never joined any official agency. A lone wolf by nature, Tihsan was known for his exceptional intellect and instincts. He could read between the lines and often predicted events before they happened. His deductions almost always turned out to be true.
But that brilliance had dimmed in recent years.
After the death of his wife, Tihsan had disappeared from the public eye. He went on a long hiatus, vanishing from every major case. This investigation was the only one he had come back for.
The special police department, however, didn't want the public knowing the truth. They fabricated a false story for the media and buried the real events. Why? Because if the truth got out, people would start asking dangerous questions.
And the head of the department? He couldn't handle criticism. That's why he kept faking everything.
The Day After the Incident
Rahul's death shook the entire school. The principal decided to visit his class and personally address the students.
"Take your seats, everyone! The principal is coming to make an announcement," said class captain Zubayer.
The principal entered. All students stood up as a sign of respect.
"You may sit down," he said. "I hope I'm not wasting your valuable time."
Clearing his throat, the principal continued, "As you've probably heard, your classmate Rahul has passed away. I came here to reassure you all—there's no reason to panic. His father was involved with dangerous individuals, and unfortunately, that cost them their lives."
"I'll say it again—last year's tragedy won't repeat itself. This school is like a family to me, and each of you is like my own child. I will do everything I can to keep you all safe. Thank you for your support."
He bowed slightly and left the classroom.
The students stood again as he exited.
After a moment of silence, Bappi leaned toward Walid and muttered, "So the police are feeding everyone a fake story. Typical. I was looking forward to insulting Rahul with the others. Guess we can't do that now—we'll have to pretend to be sad or people will think we're psychos."
Walid shook his head. "Yeah, there must be a reason behind it. Still, that asshole didn't deserve to die like this. And in the end, we didn't even get anything out of him. Now people are praising him or mourning him like he was some kind of hero."
Bappi sighed. "Come on, man. He's dead. Let's just forget about him. It wasn't even really his fault—his dad brainwashed him. We should let him rest in peace."
Walid glanced at him. "Huh. I thought you'd say something like that. You've changed a lot."
Bappi grinned. "And I think I've rubbed off on you, too."
"Maybe," Walid said. "But we need to focus on the future. What if there are more cult members in the school? Rahul clearly targeted us for what happened last year. Whoever's behind this wants us dead."
Bappi's expression turned serious. "Don't say that. This is a nightmare. We're just high schoolers, man, and now an entire organization of murderers is after us. How are we supposed to survive this?"
"I think we should run," Walid said bluntly. "Change schools. Disappear. If we stay here, we'll get killed."
Bappi shook his head. "We can't. Running won't save us. Have you seen the news? These incidents are happening all over the city—even across the country. It's not just here. This is bigger than we thought."
He continued, "Even if we ran, how far could we go? We can't afford to leave the country. And our parents? They can't abandon their jobs. Can yours?"
"No," Walid admitted. "But then what? Stay and wait to die?"
"Hell no," Bappi snapped. "We fight. We don't turn our backs on a tiger. That's what this organization is—a tiger. We stand our ground."
"But we're just kids."
"Kids who can defend ourselves," Bappi said. "And we've got Detective Tihsan. He's on our side. As long as we stick with him, the cult won't dare make a move."
Walid nodded slowly. "Yeah… Tihsan manipulated the cover-up easily. He's probably still close to the police. Maybe he can protect us."
"Exactly," Bappi replied. "And he's not done with the case. He'll keep digging. But we need to be more careful. Trust no one. Who knows? There could be students in this very class working for the cult."
"Then we should meet Tihsan and talk about everything. I still have his number."
"Oh, and by the way," Bappi added. "You still haven't told me about that gun. What the hell, man?"
Walid chuckled. "Alright, fine. I'll tell you…"
Meanwhile, Elsewhere in the City…
"Aaaahhh!"
"Will you shut up already? I said I'm sorry!"
"Sorry won't fix your grades! You keep making the same stupid mistakes again and again. Why can't you learn?"
"Beating me won't help either! You're a monster!"
"Stop! Stop, stop, stop! Mooooom! Help!"
The boy's mother burst into the room.
"Hey, hey—go easy on him!"
The tutor glared at her. "Your son is the worst student I've ever taught. I've tried everything, but he still doesn't get anything!"
The boy shouted back, "You're a terrible teacher! You barely even teach!"
His mother slapped him.
"Shut up! How dare you insult your master like that? He's famous—he has dozens of students under him. This is your fault for not studying! When I was your age, we didn't even have electricity. We studied by daylight alone. You have everything, yet you're still a disgrace!"
She turned back to the tutor. "Please forgive him. Beat him if you must. Just make sure he gets good results."
The tutor sighed. "Fine. I'll go easy on him—for now. But I'll do whatever it takes to make sure he passes his final exams."
"Thank you," the mother said, and left the room.
The tutor looked back at the trembling boy. "Now sit down."
A Few Days Later
BREAKING NEWS: A high school student has gone missing. He was last seen with a group of friends. Reports suggest he had been battling depression for months, possibly linked to mistreatment by a private tutor.