Land of Heathens

Chapter 5 - The Announcement

Nimi burst through the door, cheeks flushed, eyes bright with urgency. “Navir! Quick! Turn it on!”

Mehrak stumbled in after her, breathless and flustered. “Navir! The remote … hurry!”

Navir blinked at them from the living room, a half-folded shirt in his hand. “You two act like the world is ending.” Still, he reached for the remote and switched on the TV.

The announcer’s voice filled the room immediately. “We begin with the lowest-ranked schools…”

Nimi plopped onto the couch, pulling her knees up, eyes locked on the glowing screen. “Okay… let’s see where we land.”

Mehrak blew out a tense breath as he dropped beside her. “If we land anywhere in the middle, it’ll be a miracle. Ten students, eight schools… odds aren’t exactly in our favor.”

Nimi nodded slightly, though her expression tightened. “Yeah… maybe near the bottom is more realistic.”

Navir stood off to the side, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, gaze following each name as it passed. “Still no sign of our school,” he muttered, jaw clenched. Even the lowest-ranked schools were top-tier, but somehow seeing every other name appear before theirs still felt like a slow punch to the stomach.

Mehrak scratched his head, glancing at the screen. “Did they skip a winner?”

Nimi frowned and shook her head. “No way. They’re counting every single one, 10 winners from 8 schools. Two schools had two winners each, everything’s listed.” She leaned closer, eyes narrowing as the names flashed by. “We should’ve seen ours by now.”

Navir shifted slightly, pressing a hand to his chin. “So either we’re really late in the countdown or not on there at all.”

Mehrak let out a low whistle. “I thought maybe mid-pack, but this… this is getting ridiculous.”

Nimi’s voice softened, betraying a flicker of doubt. “Maybe we just weren’t expecting the right kind of score.”

Navir’s gaze didn’t leave the screen, though his deep red eyes flickered with quiet tension. “Keep watching. The next name could be ours.”

The scroll continued, each new winner confirmed, their schools already known, their faces flashing briefly. Even the lowest-ranking schools had students who were brilliant, yet still, their own school’s name never appeared.

A pause filled the room. The tension didn’t lift; it only thickened, the quiet hum of the TV louder than ever as the announcer’s voice drew closer to the top spot.

Navir let out a slow breath. “We should’ve seen it by now.”

“It’s fine,” Nimi said, her voice calm, though her fingers drummed lightly against the couch, betraying the tension she tried to hide.

Mehrak shrugged lightly, not quite convinced. “Unless we… you know… actually did well.”

Navir didn’t respond. He couldn’t tell if his hope was rising or slowly collapsing in on itself. The longer the list went on, the more uncertain everything felt, like his emotions couldn’t decide which direction they were supposed to fall.

A soft pause filled the room as the scrolling names ended.

The announcer cleared his throat.

“And now… the top school.”

The trio froze, not panicked, not excited, just suspended, caught between disbelief and the possibility of something unexpected waiting next.

The announcer’s words echoed through the room. “First place: Almark High School.”

Navir froze, eyes widening as the camera zoomed in on the scoreboard. Nimi let out a strangled shout, her hands flying to her mouth.

The screen displayed the score: Baasit Arlen - 2,574 points. Navir’s jaw dropped, eyes fixed on the numbers. Mehrak staggered back a step, voice barely containing his shock. “Wait… what?!”

Nimi’s fingers trembled as she pointed at the number. “Second-place student… 997 points!” Her voice barely rose above a whisper, disbelief coating every word.

Navir leaned closer, staring at the data, every rational thought scrambling. “That… How is that even possible?”

The room fell silent except for the hum of the TV. Even the lowest-ranking schools seemed brilliant, but this… this was beyond anything they had imagined.

Navir shot ahead, his long strides carrying him through the streets. Nimi, shorter but surprisingly tenacious, kept close behind, matching his pace with determination. Mehrak, taller than both, lumbered after them, his long legs eating ground but his heavier frame slowing him down. “Guys, wait for me!” he called, voice strained, the gap between him and the others stretching despite his height.

Navir reached Baasit’s house first, chest heaving, trying to steady his rapid breaths while forcing himself to look composed. Nimi arrived a few steps behind, petite frame trembling slightly, her panting softer but betraying her fatigue. Mehrak lumbered up last, towering over them, every inhale loud and ragged, as if he’d run a marathon.

Navir took a shaky step forward, bracing himself. He raised his hand to knock, then froze. The door was slightly ajar, swaying gently in the breeze. Mehrak stopped behind him, eyes wide. “That’s weird,” he managed between gasps, his tall frame looming uneasily over the threshold.

Nimi leaned closer to Navir, brow furrowed, trying to catch her breath while stealing a glance inside the half-open doorway. The street felt suddenly quiet, almost too quiet.

Navir pushed it open further. “Baasit? It’s us, congratulations!” His voice echoed oddly, swallowed by silence.

The trio stepped inside. Dust motes drifted in the dimming sunlight, highlighting an empty room. No furniture. No footprints. No sign of anyone having been there at all.

Nimi whispered, trembling, “Where is he?”

Navir’s hand hovered over the doorknob, tension stiff in his shoulders. He took a cautious step forward.

Suddenly, the door slammed shut behind him with a deafening bang.