When I get to my room, I strip and stand in front of the mirror. My skin is a patchwork of purple, yellow, and brown—the colors of death and decay. If zombies ever invade the Jungyeop Academy, they’ll probably accept me as one of their own.

Still, as bad as my carcass looks now, it must have been twice as gruesome while the bruises were fresh. My right leg doesn’t appear to be seriously injured, but it can’t bear much weight. The doctor didn’t give me crutches or a cane, so I hop whenever I can. When I can’t, I walk with an old man’s limp. My left arm was in a sling when I left the infirmary. I slipped that off before stepping into the elevator. The arm may be useless for now, but I’d rather no one else know it.

After I woke from the coma, I spent two days strapped to a hospital bed. Aside from a few delightful chats with Seungyeon, my only entertainment was a series of sponge baths that didn’t live up to my expectations.

Jungyeop never once paid me a visit. But now that I’ve been released, I see he’s left me a homecoming gift. My computer is running and there’s a new folder sitting on the desktop: ‘When you’re ready.’ The folder must contain information about my father. It may even be the proof he killed Myung. As curious as I am, I won’t open the file. If I’m lucky, I’ll have a chance to make use of it later. But I finally know who I want to be.

I want to be the person who destroys the Woollim Academy. The question that’s been eating away at me for forty-eight hours is, how?

When I wasn’t being probed by the infirmary’s doctors, I sent my mind in search of answers. I tried to relive each day of the last four months—and replay every conversation I’ve ever had with Jungyeop. I must have seen or heard something that would help me blow this whole place sky-high. But I still don’t know what it was. All I have is a single clue.

Myungsoo was right—Jungyeop does have a blind spot.

My thoughts kept returning to the night Hoya and I tried to escape. Jungyeop assumed I’d been running for my life. It never even dawned on him that I had been trying to save Hoya. He called my actions illogical. He couldn’t understand them. I guess risking your to help someone else makes no sense to a man who fantasizes about murdering millions. So the academy’s leader is a nut job with a limited understanding of human psychology. It’s an interesting piece of data, but I have no idea how to make use of it.

Unfortunately, a lack of inspiration is hardly my biggest problem. I’m crippled, outnumbered, and there’s a computer chip in my head. And there’s always a chance that my own DNA could turn against me. All I can do is hope that Jungyeop is wrong about the predator gene. Because if I stay in control, I know I’ll make the right choices. I’ll die before I fight like my father did. But I’d rather do something spectacular. And I’m stuck here until I figure out what that’s going to be.

I’m not one of Jungyeop’s predators, but I am a Dux, and my new duties must be addressed immediately.

Seungyeon keeps complaining that we’re far behind schedule. The next semester begins in two days. The Beauty Pageant will take place tomorrow night, and I still haven’t had my sneak peek at the newbies. Seungyeon said she’d give me a debrief over lunch.

It’s just past noon, and I’m eager to get to the cafeteria before the Wolves arrive. I don’t want to parade my new limp in front of them. But showering isn’t the simple operation it once was. I clean only the parts that are already reeking. While I mow through two weeks of stubble, I check my new battery-powered, cordless alarm clock (AN: LOL) and see that I’m running late.

Seungyeon is sitting on her own, her face lit by the glow of the tablet computer in her hands. She’s chosen a table in the far corner of the cafeteria so I’ll have to hobble past every student at the academy. Seungyeon wants them all to get a good look at me. I’m wounded and vulnerable. I start to expect an ambush the second I set foot in the lunchroom.

The Wolves have gathered at two tables near the jumbo-sized screen that displays the new rankings. Sungyeol is wedged between Tablo and Soul. I scan the rankings list and see that he’s taken Alex’s place at number 12. My own name is all the way at the top.

The Wolves watch as I limp across the room. I give them the finger with my good hand. No one snarls or growls. All but one of them glance back down at their trays. Sungyeol keeps his eyes on me. It must be my imagination, but it almost looks like he’s smiling.

At first I’m baffled. I’ve given Isaac, Soul, Tablo, and Justin every reason to kill me. The four of them could rip me to shreds before the lunch on their plates has time to cool. It’s possible that Jungyeop ordered his pets not to pounce. But I’m starting to think that there might be another reason they haven’t attacked.

Before I was Dux, the whole pack would have benefited if I’d been eliminated. Now that I have the title, one of the Wolves stands to gain much more from my death. Tablo is number 2 in the rankings. He’ll still be seventeen in September—too young to graduate—which means he’s here for another year. If I die and Seungyeon heads to university, he’ll be named the school’s Dux.

But his friends won’t help him because they all want the top place for themselves. Not a single Wolf will sacrifice for the sake of the pack. They’d rather suffer under a leader they despise. That means even though I’m at my weakest, I’m safer here than I’ve ever been.

I always thought the tracking chips were what kept the Wolves in their cage. Now I can see I was wrong. Even the most advanced technology couldn’t stop a pack of twelve brilliant beasts. Together, they could find a way to beat the chips. But Wolves aren’t team players. None of them could escape on their own—and they won’t work together. They’re each too busy trying to win the big prize.

They’ll never stop playing Jungyeop’s game. And they’ll never realize that they’re nothing but pawns.

When Seungyeon spots me approaching, she hops up and kisses my cheek. “How do you like being a gimp?” she whispers sweetly in my ear.

My grin becomes a wince as I lower my aching body onto the stool opposite hers. “Look, Fang, why don’t we put an end to this bull. You don’t want to be with me. And I’m not interested in cuddling up with a that bites. Now that we’re both Dux, I don’t see any reason to keep putting on a show for the underachievers.”

“We can’t stop.” She says it through her teeth. 

“Sure we can. Just tell Jungyeop that you gave me the boot. He’s probably figured out that you hate me. You haven’t been doing a very good job of hiding it lately.”

Seungyeon leans forward, her hands pressed flat against the table like she’s about to spring across it and eat me alive. “Let me explain something to you, Flick. Mr. Jungyeop knows exactly how much I loathe you, but it doesn’t make any difference. You’re my big project this semester. Hoya was my last assignment. I was supposed to help the little wuss grow a pair of balls, but I failed. This is my last chance to graduate. If you screw up, I’m never getting out of this building.”

I’m almost disappointed in Seungyeon. I thought she was savvier than this. “Jungyeop is full of . . . .”

Seungyeon grabs the wrist of my injured arm. ‘Shut up!’ she mouths as her nails puncture my skin.

I pull her painted claws out of my flesh. “You think I care if he’s listening? You didn’t fail your last project. You were set up. Jungyeop never expected Hoya to kill that airline CEO. You were given an assignment you couldn’t complete so you’d be desperate to prove yourself the next time around. Jungyeop knew I was going to be your project this semester, and he wanted you to be willing to do whatever he asked.”

Suengyeon sticks out her lower lip like she’s mocking a child. “What difference does it make if he tricked me? Are you trying to tell me that life isn’t fair? Are you really that pathetic?”

It seems like a good time to test my new theory, so I reach for the tablet computer and type out a note. 'Why should we have to play Jungyeop’s little games? You and I are the best of the best. We could take over this place if we put our heads together.'

“And what if we did?” Seungyeon asks. She’s choosing her words carefully. As much as she despises me, she won’t say anything that might condemn me. “You want me to believe that we’d live happily ever after? I’m not stupid. I know you’d find some way to get rid of me. If I didn’t get to you first.” She thinks my proposal was nothing more than a ploy—and an incredibly lame one at that.

I decide to give it another shot, just to be sure. “Why would I want to get rid of you, Seungyeon? We could be invincible together. Even Jungyeop thinks we make a great team. He’s letting us share the Dux title, isn’t he?”

She replies in a whisper so soft that the words dissolve into the air. “Yes, and I’d kill you right now if I could. I didn’t work my off for three years to share. And if you keep talking like this, we’ll both end up dead. Do you understand? So shut your mouth and smile for the idiots. I give her my toothiest grin.

“Good. Now let’s get down to business.” She shoves the tablet computer back across the table. I catch it just before it flies over the edge.

The form on the screen contains a few fascinating facts about a kid named Tony. He’s six foot four, 218 pounds. He just turned sixteen, and he’s spent the last two years in juvie. It says he was convicted of four counts of aggravated assault, but it doesn’t elaborate. There’s no photograph of Tony, but the description almost makes me nostalgic. He sounds just like dear, departed, decapitated Alex.

 At the bottom of Tony’s profile, there’s a little box labeled type. It contains a plus mark.

“Scroll down. There’s information on all six new students,” Seungyeon says.

“What does this mean?” I ask, pointing to the type box. It must mean Tony is a member of the 1 percent. A psychopath, a born predator. But I’m curious to find out if Seungyeon knows. My question was perfectly reasonable, and yet Seungyeon snorts as if it’s proof I’m an imbecile.

“It means Tony has the kind of blood you can donate to anyone. If he dies, the school will store his blood in case another student needs a transfusion. There’s usually a kid in each class who has the right type. I have a plus mark too.” She pauses to think about it. “I’m pretty sure you had a minus.”

That’s news. Then I guess Seungyeon was always this crazy, and I assume the minus means that you have the switched off predator gene.

“Interesting. But why the plus mark? The ‘universal donor’ blood type is O negative.”

“Why are you asking me?” Seungyeon demands.

“Just making conversation,” I reply casually as I scroll through the files.

There is only one girl—Daeun—and four more males—Yeongil, Hwan, Dongwoo, and Alepo. Of the six, only Tony has a plus sign in the type box, but one of them have a minus sign: Alepo. I wonder how he found that he had a gene. Predator parents, probably? “When do we get to inspect the fresh meat?”

“After lunch. Mr. Jungyeop has arranged an exhibition.” First we get bread, then a circus. Jungyeop knows how to keep his top people happy.

“You mean a fight? Like the time I kicked Alex’s for your viewing pleasure?” The fight we had in the ring flash through my head - our fight that was stopped by Seungyeon.

“Yes. But today it’s not just for fun. Mr. Jungyeop told us to pay close attention. There’s something strange going on with this Incubation Group. He wants to see what we think.”

“Strange? In what way?” What's strange enough for the man planning a mass genocide?

“He didn’t say, and I’m not a mind reader,” Seungyeon snaps. “Why do you keep asking all these retarded questions?”

She’s really starting to piss me off. “You know, darling, you might try being more pleasant,” I warn her. “Otherwise, I’ll make sure you flunk out of school. And I’ve seen what Jungyeop does to the kids who don’t graduate. I bet he’d love to take a cranial saw to your pretty little skull.”

• • •

The elevator gates open, and we enter the Incubation Suites. The name finally makes sense to me now. I was imagining babies and birds when I should have been thinking tenth-grade biology. The incubation period starts when you catch a disease. It ends when you begin to show the first symptoms.

Seungyeon uses a card key to unlock one of the two Employee-Only doors that I remember from my own stay in the Suites. Just as I suspected, behind the first door is a set of stairs leading up to the glass-enclosed catwalk.

“What’s behind door number two?” I ask, pointing down the hall. “A lady or a tiger?”

“Storage, you dolt,” my tour guide responds. “That’s where they keep all the furniture they’re always moving around.” I can’t even tell if she got my joke. A month ago, Seungyeon would have laughed just to humor me. Now she only has two settings—silent and snarling.

When we reach the top of the stairs, she grabs a remote control from its cradle on the wall. The device has a single red button, and Seungyeon keeps her thumb on it as we stride toward our destination. She must be worried I’ll snatch her precious remote away, but I’m too entertained by this rare behind-the-scenes glimpse of the Woollim Academy. Walking down the catwalk is like floating through the open air. You’re so high up you can’t help but feel like a god.

Seungyeon clicks the red button before we enter the gym. The stretch of catwalk in front of us shimmers. The glass looks a shade milkier, but we’ll have a perfectly clear view of Jungyeop’s “exhibition.”

“Tony, Alepo. On the mat!” I recognize the voice of my former self-defense instructor. Far below, seven people assume their positions. Two of them will be facing each other in battle. But it doesn’t appear to be a fair match. One of the combatants is a beast of a boy that looms over his opponent.

The other is a lean, willowy boy with jet-black hair.

I take a step toward the glass, and my own ghostly reflection comes into view. My mouth is open, and my good hand is preparing to wave. My teeth almost touch, and my tongue presses against the top of my mouth, but Sunggyu’s name never makes it past my lips. I watch my hand fall to my side. The only thing I hear is the sound of my heart trying to break free from my chest.

I thought I’d forgotten him, but I didn’t even need to see his face. I would have known him by the curl of his hair, the shade of his skin, the curve of his spine, the length of his fingers.Nothing about him has changed.

He’s the boy I watched treading water. The boy who smiled at me in his sleep. The boy who had been my one good thing when I had lost everything.

The boy who didn’t need to be told how much I loved him.

The boy I deserted and betrayed is down there on the mat. Jungyeop has brought me here to watch him fight one of his born predators.

I won’t let Sunggyu get slaughtered today. But even if he survives this sick exhibition, it’s only a matter of time before he knows what I’ve done. He’ll hear about Seungyeon. He’ll discover just what it takes to be Dux at this school. And he’ll hate me even more than he already does.

But that doesn’t matter.

Sunggyu’s clearly been brought here to die. I thought I could take whatever Jungyeop threw at me. I’d endure the beatings and battle his Wolves. I’d make him believe that I was his masterpiece. Then I’d graduate and destroy the academy. I thought this time, I was willing to do anything. Now Jungyeop will know that it’s all just an act. Because there’s one thing that I will not do. Not even to save the world from a monster.

I won’t let Sunggyu die.

“Who is he?” I try to make the question sound casual.

“That’s Alepo,” Seungyeon replies, and I realize I should have kept my mouth shut when she turns to stare at me and narrows her eyes. “I wouldn’t get too attached. He won’t last long at this school. He doesn’t even have a criminal record. But Mr. Jungyeop wanted to give him a shot. He says he had a very interesting childhood. But who didn’t, right?”

“What's his last name?” I ask. Maybe I could finally know. I wished I’d paid more attention to Alepo’s profile.

“What do you care?” Seungyeon demands. She almost sounds jealous.

“I thought we’re supposed to figure out what’s going on with the group. Don’t you think it’s a bit odd that Jungyeop would make a student fight another guy the size of a grizzly bear?”

Seungyeon reluctantly pulls the tablet computer out of her handbag and scrolls through Alepo’s profile. “He grew up in Bosnia. Says here his father was some kind of war criminal.”

“Does it mention his last name?”

This time Seungyeon doesn’t even bother to check. “No,” she replies.

I’m holding my breath when the fight kicks off. I force myself to stay calm. I need to wait for the right moment to intervene. When Sunggyu’s in real danger, I’ll clear the catwalk glass. That’s how Seungyeon ended my battle with Ivan. But I can’t act a second too soon or I’ll risk looking desperate. If Jungyeop suspects that I still have feelings for Sunggyu, his fate may be sealed.

The first time Tony lunges at Sunggyu, I almost tackle Seungyeon for the remote control. I resist the urge long enough to see Sunggyu gracefully step to one side, grab the beast by his elbow, and flip him onto his back. Tony doesn’t seem surprised, and I begin to wonder if they’ve fought before.

He immediately leaps to his feet and mounts a second attack. This time Sunggyu sends him skidding facedown across the mat. He’s obviously been trained in some form of judo. And he’s good. Really good. Five minutes into the battle, Tony’s torso is drenched in sweat, and his chest is heaving. Every time Sunggyu throws him, it takes him longer to recover. He should go on the offense. One vicious kick would bring the beast to his knees.

But Sunggyu simply refuses to fight.

“The boy’s a loser,” Seungyeon observes coldly. “He just defends. He won’t attack.”

“Looks to me like he’s winning,” I counter.

“For now. But as soon as Alepo makes one mistake, he’s dead.” I see a self-satisfied smirk appear on Seungyeon face, and I know she doesn’t mean beaten. She’s actually waiting to watch Sunggyu die.

“Has anyone ever been killed in the Incubation Suites?” I ask.

“If not, there’s a first time for everything,” Seungyeon responds, keeping her eyes on the action. “I only saved Alex during your fight because I thought he’d be useful. But Alepo is worthless. Maybe you’ve got a hard-on for him, but I couldn’t care less if he makes it upstairs.”

“You’re such a charmer,” I say as I slide a bit closer to Seungyeon.

“It’s a gift,” she replies, edging away.

The contest continues for another ten minutes—long enough for my hope to build beyond reason. And then Sunggyu finally makes a fatal error. His hair brushes in front of his face and he doesn’t bother to brush it away. And the next time Tony lunges, he gets ahold of a hunk of it. He drags Sunggyu to his chest and wraps a massive arm around his neck. I can see his bicep flex as he starts to squeeze.

Seungyeon is watching with such glee that she’s forgotten to guard the remote. When I pluck it out of her hands and click the button, she responds by karate-chopping my injured arm. It’s a shameless move, and it’s not very smart. One good limb is all I need. I send the girl flying.

Seungyeon slams against the side of the enclosure and drops to the floor with a loud thump. They must have heard it down in the gym because five sets of eyes are now trained on the catwalk’s clear glass. The instructor and four of the newbies are all staring up at me. The other two students are still locked in mortal combat.

Tony hasn’t let Sunggyu go. Then without any warning, a foot shoots out and slams into the back of his knee. Tony’s leg buckles, and he loses his balance. When he topples, Sunggyu rolls away, out of his reach.

I’m pretty sure I’m the only person who saw what just happened, and I can barely believe my own eyes. Another newbie rescued Sunggyu. And it wasn’t one of the athletic-looking specimens standing on the sidelines. Sunggyu savior is a boy who resembles an wide-eyed, caffeinated dinosaur.

Sunggyu jumps to his feet and casts a quick glance at the kid who helped him. Then he looks up at the catwalk. His face gives nothing away. I’d understand if he didn’t recognize me. I’m not the person he used to know.

But Sunggyu is still the most magnificent person I’ve ever laid eyes on.

“Get a good look,” Seungyeon sneers behind me “You’re probably never gonna see him again.”

• • •

AN: I wanted to end here - you guys know how I just love my dramatic endings and cliffhangers - but I just wanted to add one more scene :)

Beauty Pageant~~~ Woohyun is just so cute XD
 

The worst thirty-six hours of my entire existence culminates with the Beauty Pageant. I have not slept or eaten since I last saw Sunggyu. I’ve been searching in vain for some way to rescue him. But I can’t think of anything that won’t put his life in more danger. Jungyeop must know what I did in the Incubation Suites’ gym. He wants to see what I’m going to do next.

I have no option but to wait with the crowd for the pageant to begin. When the elevator arrives, Sunggyu is the last one to exit. My gaze never leaves him as the newbies are led to their lodgings. The other contestants are dressed to the nines, but Sunggyu has chosen a simple black shift attire. I’m glad the academy’s groomers let him keep his hair long. I hope it still smells of stawberry.

I wonder if my classmates see what I do—the last person on earth who should be here.

When the newbies have vanished into their rooms, the rest of the students rush to one end of the balcony, where Tablo is waiting to take their bets. I follow the gamblers, hoping for a chance to slip inside Sunggyu’s room while everyone else is distracted.

I’m outside his dorm, and I see him. He’s standing in the doorway as though he knew I’d come. He purses his lips and blows me a kiss condescendingly—right before he slides the door shut in my face.

I feel a hand grip my arm. Someone is leading me away. “Come on, Flick,” I hear Seungyeon say. “Let’s go have some fun.” The mob goes quiet as we approach. I don’t recall Seungyeon betting at the beginning of last semester. But tonight she’s carrying a scrap of paper, which she presents to Tablo. He unfolds it and looks up at her. The others are breathlessly awaiting the verdict.

Seungyeon is the Dux. She knows things that the rest of them do not.

“Win or lose?” Tablo asks.

“Lose,” Seungyeon says with a smile. “Tell them who.”

“One vote for Alepo to lose,” Tablo calls out to the crowd. The Wolves among them smell blood, and that drives all the killers half-wild.

I see Sungyeol standing nearby with a pad and pen. “May I?” I ask.

His eyebrows seem to be expressing some message. I wonder what he thinks he knows. He doesn’t say anything as he hands over the pad and pen.

Someone else witnesses the exchange and quickly hushes the frenzied gamblers. I pass my bet to Tablo. I’ve written the name ALEPO in letters large enough for everyone to read.

“To lose?” Tablo asks.

“To win,” I correct him.

If there’s no way to escape, I’ll just have to help Sunggyu survive.

AN:AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Sorry guys, it's just that... I've been waiting for so long to write Sunggyu that it has been killing me ._.  Probably killed you guys waiting too, right?

It isn't the sappy reunion that some people were waiting for, but yeahhhhhh... It took me a while to find a place to put him in, and then what they would be doing and saying... And then ultimately Suggyu really didn't say anything but THAT'S OKAY because he's going to be making up for the 20~ chapters he wasn't here.

So yeah... Both of them are in the death trap of an academy TOGETHER XD YAY

ANDDDDD - Sunggyu is going to explain later, but when he left the colony to find Woohyun with the brochure he left behind a few chapters ago, he found Jungyeop by himself and "volunteered" himself to go to Woolim (More like, he threatened Jungyeop to take him to Woolim like the badass he is XD GO SUNGGYU!) But yeah... You guys will see 

Anyways, this hyped me up a lot. See you guys next time!

P.S. I made Sunggyu’s temporary name Alepo, since it’s fox in Greek XDXDXD