Chapter 4
1584 Words
The storm hadn’t passed.
If anything, it was only gathering force.
The morning after the fencing match, Celestia Royale Academy buzzed like a beehive poked with a stick. Students moved through the halls with their usual practiced grace, but every now and then, eyes flicked toward Runo with open curiosity and something else.
Respect.
Fear.
Or maybe… anticipation.
Rumors spread faster than lightning in Celestia. By sunrise, the whispers had evolved into full-blown stories.
Jelani and Teni fought because of Runo.
Runo’s father is a senator.
She rejected Teni after fencing practice and Jelani swore revenge.
She’s not just rich she’s dangerous.
None of it was entirely true.
And yet… none of it was entirely false.
Runo walked into class like she didn’t hear any of it. Her uniform was crisp, her braids pinned neatly into a low bun, and her expression was unreadable. She took her seat at the back always the back away from the echo of opinions that clung to every chair in the front rows.
Mr. Oronsaye, the literature teacher, paused as she entered, then nodded slowly. “Good morning, Miss Edevbie.”
“Good morning, sir.”
The class began. But Runo’s mind wasn’t fully in it.
Her thoughts kept drifting to Jelani’s gaze during fencing, to the way Teni had stood a little closer than necessary on the terrace, to Adanna’s warning, sharp and syrupy.
She had stepped into a game she didn’t understand yet.
And every move mattered.
---
During lunch, she didn’t sit under the almond tree.
Not this time.
Instead, she walked toward the school’s art studio—an often-forgotten building near the edge of campus. A place most students only visited when required.
It was quiet here. Tucked behind thick hibiscus bushes, the building smelled of paint and wood shavings, and the windows were often fogged with color. Runo had learned about it from her roommate, Zara, who said it was the only place in school where no one expected you to be anyone but yourself.
Runo needed that.
Inside, she found a few students working silently. Sculptures in progress lined one wall; easels held portraits in various stages of life. No one looked up as she walked past.
She made her way to the back room, a smaller section with only one window. There, she found an empty stool and sat down, letting the silence settle over her like a second skin.
But peace didn’t last long.
“Didn’t expect to see you here.”
She turned.
Jelani.
He leaned against the doorway, arms crossed, uniform shirt half-untucked, expression unreadable as always.
Runo didn’t flinch. “What do you want?”
He shrugged. “Same thing everyone wants, I guess. To understand you.”
She scoffed lightly. “You don’t strike me as someone who cares about understanding people.”
“I don’t. Usually.” He stepped inside. “But you’re different.”
She folded her arms. “Because I didn’t swoon over Teni? Or because I didn’t fall for Adanna’s charm?”
“Neither,” he said. “Because you see things. You watch. You listen. That makes you dangerous.”
There was a beat of silence.
Then Runo smiled just faintly. “That’s rich, coming from you.”
Jelani’s lips twitched. A half-smile. Almost.
“You’re not afraid of me,” he said.
“No.”
“You should be.”
“Maybe.”
She met his gaze, calm and unwavering.
They stared at each other like two players in a chess game one waiting for the other to move first. But this time, neither of them did. Eventually, Jelani turned and walked away, leaving the smell of linseed oil and tension behind him.
Runo exhaled.
She wasn’t sure what that had been a warning, a truce, or something more dangerous.
---
That night, the dorm was unusually quiet.
Zara, her roommate, was at a house dinner for scholarship students, and the other girls in her block were scattered across campus. Runo liked the silence, but tonight, it felt… heavy.
She sat by the window with her journal, staring out at the lights flickering across the hills.
Celestia was beautiful at night. The towers and courtyards glowed gold against the dark sky, and the lake that bordered the east wing shimmered like glass.
But beauty didn’t mean safety.
She opened her journal and began to write.
> I’m not sure what they see when they look at me.
But I know what I see when I look at them.
Masks. Armor.
Teni wears confidence like perfume. Adanna wears elegance like a knife. Jelani wears silence like a sword.
And me?
I don’t know yet.
But I’m learning.
She closed the journal, suddenly tired.
As she stood to get ready for bed, her phone buzzed.
A message from an unknown number:
“The storm hasn’t even started. Brace yourself, Runo.”
She stared at it, heart thudding.
Who sent it?
How did they get her number?
Before she could respond, the message disappeared.
Deleted.
She stood still for a long time, the blue glow of the screen flickering in her eyes.
---
The next morning brought another surprise.
Her name was posted on the school board.
RUNO EDEVBIE – SELECTED FOR ACADEMY SCHOLAR PANEL
Students gathered around, buzzing.
“The Scholar Panel? That’s elite.”
“They don’t just pick anyone.”
“She only just got here.”
“Someone must’ve pulled strings…”
The Scholar Panel was a prestigious committee—a group of hand-picked students who met monthly with the administration to discuss student welfare, policy suggestions, and school development. It was part leadership, part surveillance, and entirely political.
Most students campaigned months to be nominated.
Runo hadn’t even applied.
She turned to leave but found someone blocking her path.
Adanna.
Her arms were folded, eyes cold. But her smile was sweet. Dangerous.
“Congratulations,” she said.
“Thanks.”
“I didn’t know you were interested in school politics.”
“I’m not.”
“Then why accept the position?”
“I didn’t know I had a choice.”
Adanna laughed. “Everything here is a choice, Runo. The moment you stop believing that is the moment you lose.”
Runo didn’t answer.
Adanna leaned in slightly. “Just be careful, okay? The higher you rise, the clearer your weaknesses become.”
Then she walked away, heels clicking softly on the polished floor.
Runo stood still.
She had been pulled into something deeper than popularity. This was power.
And power always came with a price.
---
The first Scholar Panel meeting was held in the East Wing conference room a space usually reserved for dignitaries and donors.
Runo walked in, flanked by other students in tailored blazers and polished shoes. She felt out of place but not intimidated.
Teni was there. Of course.
He nodded as she entered, smiling just a little. Jelani, too, was seated by the window, writing something in a leather-bound notebook. He didn’t look up.
A woman in a navy suit Ms. Dakari, the deputy headmistress stood at the front.
“Welcome, new members,” she said. “You were chosen not just for your grades, but for your influence. Students listen to you. And leadership starts with listening.”
Runo listened. Carefully.
As discussions began about new library hours, revised sports schedules, disciplinary policies she observed.
Adanna spoke eloquently, cutting through debate with precision. Jelani only spoke when necessary, but when he did, everyone listened. Teni joked, lightening tension, but slid in opinions when it mattered.
Runo didn’t speak until the very end.
But when she did, the room fell silent.
“I think we should talk more about mental health. There’s too much pressure here. Not enough safety nets.”
Ms. Dakari raised an eyebrow. “Interesting point, Miss Edevbie.”
Adanna said nothing. But her gaze lingered.
After the meeting, as students filtered out, Jelani caught up with her.
“That was bold.”
“It was honest.”
“Still bold.”
Teni appeared beside them. “I liked it.”
Jelani looked between them. “Of course you did.”
Teni ignored him. “Walk with me, Runo?”
She nodded, and they left together, side by side, with Jelani watching them disappear down the corridor.
---
Outside, the air was warm. The scent of rain hung in the sky.
Teni walked slowly, hands in his pockets. “You know you’re making enemies, right?”
“I know.”
“Adanna doesn’t like competition.”
“She’ll have to adjust.”
He chuckled. “You’re different.”
“So you keep saying.”
He paused, then turned to her. “Look. I like you. I’m not gonna lie about it. But I don’t want you caught in all this madness if you’re not ready.”
Runo looked up at him, the breeze brushing her cheek. “I’ve been through worse.”
Teni studied her for a moment, then smiled. “Yeah. I believe you.”
They walked in silence for a while, the weight between them both strange and familiar.
But as they rounded the corner toward the dorms, Runo saw something that stopped her cold.
A message pray-painted on the wall near the gardens:
"ROYALTY FALLS TOO."
Her heart clenched.
Teni read it too. His jaw tightened. “This… wasn’t here before.”
Runo stared at the words.
Not a threat. A promise.
And suddenly, she knew
The storm wasn’t coming.
It was already here.
.
- Writer
