"Have your fun while it lasts, you idiot!" Ryder spat, his anger boiling over. Before he could even recover, the water gun fired up again, blasting him with another sharp stream. The force knocked him off his feet, and he hit the ground hard, wincing in pain. "What's going on here?" Adam's voice cut through the chaos as he arrived with Annika and a small group of onlookers. His sharp gaze locked onto Seraphina. "Turn that off, now!" Seeing his chance, Ryder immediately switched to playing the victim. "Mr. King, you've got to do something! Look at what she's done to me. People like her—trash like this—don't belong at Bloomington School!" The word "trash" hung in the air, dripping with Ryder's usual disdain for those he saw as beneath him. Everyone knew he loved to throw his weight around, especially when it came to bullying students from less privileged backgrounds.Adam turned to Seraphina, his expression stern. "What's this about? Why did you attack him?" Seraphina didn't respond right away. Instead, she reached into her pocket, pulled out the limp snake, and tossed it toward Ryder. He yelped and scrambled back in a panic, his face twisting in fear. Seraphina spoke calmly, "This snake and the ink spilled at the hallway entrance. That's why." Her words were simple, but their meaning was sharp and clear, "What goes around comes around." Ryder quickly snapped back, his voice full of mock outrage. "What are you trying to say? You think I did this? Where's your proof? I don't even have a reason to target you. You're the one acting insane, attacking me out of nowhere!" He turned to Adam, his tone now pleading. "Mr. King, you've seen what she's like! She's a troublemaker and a liar. People like her shouldn't even be here—she needs to be expelled immediately."Seraphina didn't bother with Ryder's outburst. Instead, she calmly walked over to Daxton, who instinctively backed away. "What do you want from me?" Daxton stammered, his voice shaking. "Hand it over," Seraphina said, holding out her hand. "H-hand... what over?" Daxton stuttered, his confusion poorly feigned. "The thing in your pocket," she replied evenly. "There's nothing in my pocket!" he protested, trying to look indignant. Seraphina didn't waste any time. "Drop the act—it's not worth it." Pretending? Unnecessary? What is she even talking about? Daxton thought, utterly baffled. Ryder and his group exchanged confused glances, clearly not following, while the crowd of students watching the scene grew more curious. Their expressions were a mix of intrigue and bewilderment.Ignoring Daxton's weak protests, Seraphina reached into his pocket and pulled out a small object wrapped in plastic. It was a recording pen. The moment Daxton saw it, his face drained of color. Ryder and his crew glared at Daxton, their eyes burning with anger and betrayal. Seraphina didn't say a word as she pressed play on the device. Not long after, the voices of Ryder and his crew echoed clearly from the recording. 'Let's get out of here, Ryder. If Mr. King starts digging, we'll be in deep trouble.' Ryder's tone was cocky. 'What are you so worried about? She doesn't have any proof. Who's going to stand up for her anyway? Nobody's dumb enough to testify against us.' Seth's laughter followed. "Exactly. We'll turn it around when she shows up and make her look like the liar. Easy." "And that dead snake she's dragging around? What's it going to do, take the stand for her? Hahaha!" Their laughter echoed loudly from the recording, sealing their guilt. Seraphina stopped the recording and looked up, calm but unwavering. Feeling Ryder's sharp glare bore into him, Daxton trembled and stammered, "I-I... it's not what it sounds like! You've got it all wrong!" Seth rounded on him, furious. "What do you mean, 'you've got it all wrong?' You snitch! I knew you were up to something shady earlier—you even stalled when you were supposed to report back!" "No, that's not true!" Daxton protested, but his panicked denials did little to convince anyone.