Gangsters:Rise To The Top

"Survival Guide to Dibrugarh Academy"

Dibrugarh Academy – Canteen (9:00 AM)

After Ishu's explosive first fight, the three of them headed to the canteen. The air was still thick with tension. Every pair of eyes followed them as they walked inside.

Mri, Ishu, Kai, and Aamon sat at a table in the far corner, trays full of questionable-looking food in front of them.

Ishu poked at his curry. "What the hell is this?"

Kai sniffed it and gagged. "I think it's trying to crawl away."

Aamon grinned. "Dibrugarh Academy Rule #8—Don't ask questions about the food. Just eat and hope you survive."

Mri picked up a spoonful, examined it, then put it down. "I'd rather starve."

Kai groaned. "First day, and we already have death threats and food poisoning. What a life."

Suddenly, someone slammed a tray onto their table.

A tall, burly guy with a wide grin sat down across from them.

> "Yo, new kids! The name's Biplob! I saw that fight, and man, I gotta say—legendary! What's your deal? Looking to take over the school?"

Mri raised an eyebrow. "We just got here, man."

Biplob leaned in. "Then let me warn you. You guys made enemies on the first day. Both the Red Vultures and the Black Scorpions will be watching you."

Ishu smirked. "Good. We like attention."

Kai pointed at Biplob. "Wait, wait—are you trying to be our friend or warning us?"

Biplob grinned. "Both! You guys are insane. I like that."

Aamon sighed. "We don't need allies."

Biplob shrugged. "Maybe. But this school isn't a place where you survive alone."

Scene 2 – The 'Hostel Horror'

That night, the four of them moved into the Dibrugarh Academy hostel.

They got a tiny, cramped room with two bunk beds, barely enough space for their luggage.

Kai threw his bag on the floor. "This is a prison."

Ishu kicked off his shoes. "Nah, even prisoners get bigger cells."

Aamon flopped onto his bed. "At least it's better than sleeping in the streets."

Mri sat down and sighed. "And we're going to be stuck here for how long?"

Kai checked his watch. "As long as it takes to find that bastard."

There was a moment of silence.

Then—

> CREEEEEAAAAAKKKK.

The cupboard door swung open by itself.

Ishu froze. "…Did anyone touch that?"

Kai's face paled. "Nope."

The four of them stared at the cupboard. It was old, scratched-up, and looked like something straight out of a horror movie.

Aamon swallowed. "Maybe it's just the wind…"

Mri sighed and got up. "There's no wind."

Slowly, he walked over to the cupboard and peeked inside.

Nothing.

Just dusty old clothes and a dead rat.

Mri closed it. "There. Problem solved."

> CREEEEEAAAAK.

The door swung open again.

Kai grabbed his pillow and threw it at the cupboard. "I'm not sleeping here, man!"

Aamon groaned. "It's just an old door—"

> BANG! BANG! BANG!

Loud knocking came from outside the room.

Ishu jumped. "Who the hell is that?!"

The knocking continued.

Mri walked to the door and yanked it open.

…No one was there.

Aamon's voice was quiet. "Okay. This place is haunted."

Kai grabbed his bag. "I vote we sleep outside."

Ishu groaned and flopped onto his bed. "No way. We're staying. Ghost or no ghost, I'm too tired to move."

Aamon hesitated. "…Fine. But if we wake up dead, I'm haunting you first."

The four of them tried to sleep.

The cupboard creaked.

The wind howled.

And somewhere in the distance…

Someone laughed.

Scene 3 – The Rising Storm

The next morning, as they walked into class, they saw a group of students standing in their way.

Red Vultures.

One of them stepped forward. A guy with silver hair and a scar across his lips.

> "You guys humiliated Vikrant."

Kai yawned. "He humiliated himself."

The silver-haired guy smirked. "Then let's see if you can back up your attitude."

Aamon's eyes narrowed. "We don't have time for this."

The guy cracked his knuckles. "Make time."

The crowd began to gather.

Ishu looked at Mri. "What do you think?"

Mri sighed. "If we fight every idiot in this school, we'll never get anything done."

Kai grinned. "But it's fun."

Aamon shook his head. "Not now."

The silver-haired guy raised an eyebrow. "Backing down already?"

Mri's eyes flickered. "No. We're just saving our strength."

The guy grinned. "Good. Then I'll wait."

The tension hung in the air. But for now, no punches were thrown.

As they walked away, Kai muttered. "Damn, I really wanted to punch him."

Ishu smirked. "Don't worry. There's plenty of time for that."

Mri stayed silent.

Because in his gut, he knew—

> This was just the beginning.