Chapter 02 : The Ultimatum (Dark Revision — Power Without Assault)

Chapter 02 : The Ultimatum (Dark Revision — Power Without Assault)

"You don’t need to touch someone to break them. Just find the crack in their pride and press until it shatters." — Adam

The hallway was unnaturally quiet that afternoon, as if the school itself were holding its breath. It was the kind of silence that presses against your ears, not empty, but full of something waiting to happen.

Akane’s shoes echoed faintly as she approached the old literature club room. Her hand trembled, fingers curling around a folded note she’d found in her locker. Five words, scrawled in careful, jagged handwriting: "Come to the literature club room. Alone." 

She pushed open the door. It creaked like something ancient. Inside, the room was dim , blinds drawn, air heavy with dust and old paper. The only light came from a sliver of sun that cut across the floor. 

Adam stood by the window, still as a statue. His back to her. Hands in his pockets.

 He didn’t look up.

“Close the door.”

 She did. The lock clicked behind her.

“What... is this about?” she asked, voice shaking

He turned slowly. There was no warmth in his eyes, only something calculating. Cold. Mechanical.

“You're naive, Akane,” he said softly. “That boy, Riku ,he isn't who you think he is.

Her brow furrowed. “What are you talking about?” 

Adam stepped forward, closing the distance between them with a deliberate slowness that made her spine tense.

 “He confessed, didn’t he?” Adam’s voice dropped. “Sweet little Riku. Bet it made your heart flutter.”

She didn’t respond.

 He suddenly grabbed her wrist and slammed her hand against the wall behind her, not enough to hurt, but enough to stun her.

Her breath caught. “W-What are you doing?!”

 Adam leaned close, face inches from hers.

“Strip.”

 Akane’s eyes widened in pure disbelief.

“What?”

“I said strip. Now.” His tone was absolute. Unyielding. “I’m not going to touch you. I just want to see how easy it is to break you.”

She tried to pull away. His grip tightened.

 “This isn’t about lust,” he said coldly. “It’s about control. If I can make you undress right here, right now, then you’re mine. Simple.”

Her lips quivered. Her body trembled.

 “Why… are you doing this?”

“Because you think kindness is protection,” Adam said. “You think Riku can save you. But he’ll stab you in the back the second it benefits him.”

He pulled out his phone and raised it like he was about to take a photo.

 She gasped, panic exploding in her chest

But the screen stayed dark. He never hit the shutter. Slowly, he lowered the phone again and tossed it on the desk

“I’m not going to take a photo,” he muttered. “I just wanted to see if you’d believe I would.”

 Akane collapsed to her knees, shaking

Adam crouched down beside her.

“From now on,” he whispered, “you belong to me. Not because you want to. But because I’ve already destroyed the idea that anyone else can have you.”

 There was no lust in his expression. No twisted pleasure. Only calculation, the expression of someone who saw life as a game of knives and masks.

“Why me?” she whispered.

 Adam stood, brushing off his uniform.

“Because you're soft. And softness in this world is a target.” He turned toward the door. Then paused.

“Oh, and one more thing,” he said without looking back. “From now on, call me darling. Every time. No exceptions.”

 And then he left her there, alone, confused, shaking , in a room full of dust, shadows, and the sound of a heart that no longer knew who to trust.

Later That Evening — Akane’s Home

The rain had stopped, but the storm inside Akane hadn’t.

She sat by the window in her room, legs drawn to her chest, staring at nothing. Her school uniform clung to her skin from earlier rain, but she hadn’t bothered changing. She hadn’t said a word since coming home.

Downstairs, the warm clatter of plates and cheerful chatter drifted up through the house.

 “Akane! Dinner’s ready!” her mother called.

No response.

 A moment later, her younger brother ,Sora, barely ten, padded up the stairs and peeked in.

“Are you okay, sis?”

She nodded without turning.

 He lingered, sensing something he couldn’t name. But eventually, he left her alone with her silence.

She thought of Adam’s voice again. His cold breath against her ear. The dead look in his eyes

“You belong to me now.”

 She clenched her fists.

“Why… did I freeze up?”

She didn’t cry. She couldn’t. It was like her body had turned to stone, her mind still stuck in that dark club room. She eventually fell asleep like that , in her damp uniform, curled up on her bed, while the untouched dinner went cold downstairs.

Meanwhile — Riku’s House

On the other side of town, Riku lounged back on his bed, phone glowing inches from his face. His room was clean, decorated with posters of his favorite bands and some framed photos , including one of him and Akane from middle school.

But he wasn’t texting her.

 He grinned at the screen as he messaged a different girl. A first-year. Cute. Too easy

[Riku: "That kiss today… you tasted like mint. Makes me want another. 😏"]

Her reply came with a giggle emoji.

[Her: "Rikuuu stoppp 😳😳"]

 He set the phone down and sighed happily.

Then it buzzed again. A new message , from Akane.

[Akane: “Can we talk tomorrow?”]

 Riku stared at it, his expression shifting. Guilt? No. Just calculation.

“Guess I should pretend to care,” he muttered, typing back.

[Riku: “Of course! Always here for you ❤️”]

He tossed the phone aside and stretched. He didn’t know what had happened that afternoon , or that someone had already planted a rotten seed in the heart of the girl he thought he could charm.