Chapter 4 — The Underground Lounge

Reid

The air in the Underground Lounge felt different—denser, electric, alive with a tension that buzzed just beneath the surface. The space itself was a jarring contradiction to everything Golden Skies stood for. The graffiti-splashed walls bore slogans like *“Break the Crown”* and *“Rulers Fall”*, jagged and raw against the peeling plaster. One corner had a crudely painted crown split clean in two, the edges dripping with crimson spray paint. Mismatched furniture cluttered the room, some with stuffing spilling out, while candles burned low on uneven tables, casting jagged shadows that flickered like warnings. It wasn’t neat. It wasn’t controlled. It wasn’t perfect. And for the first time since I’d arrived at this gilded prison masquerading as a school, I felt like I could finally exhale.