She looked around. No one else seemed to notice. Julian and his friends were whispering and laughing a few rows ahead. The headmaster continued his speech.
Then, a louder groan echoed from the ceiling. A crystal chandelier above the stage swayed slightly.
A murmur rippled through the crowd. "What was that?" someone whispered.
"Probably just the subway," another voice replied dismissively.
But there was no subway line near Oakhaven. Elara knew exactly what it was. The fractures in the bedrock were shifting. The pressure from the massive structure of the Ribbon was finally becoming too much.
She quickly pulled out her laptop and accessed the city’s public seismic data interface. It was a backdoor she had created weeks ago. The screen lit up with red warnings. Minor tremors were registering deep underground, directly beneath the Ribbon’s core. The numbers were escalating rapidly.
"It's starting," she whispered to herself.
She had to warn them. Despite how they had treated her, she couldn't let them die.
Elara stood up, grabbing her crutch. She made her way down the aisle, her heart pounding. The assembly was still going on, the headmaster oblivious to the danger.
"Excuse me!" Elara yelled, her voice cutting through the silence of the auditorium.
Hundreds of heads turned to look at her. The headmaster stopped speaking, frowning in irritation. "Miss Vance, what is the meaning of this interruption?"
"We have to evacuate," Elara said, her voice shaking but loud. "The academy, the surrounding blocks—everyone needs to leave. Now."
Laughter erupted from the student body. Julian stood up, a mocking grin on his face. "What's the matter, Vance? Did you forget to take your medication?"
"I'm serious!" Elara yelled, stepping forward. "The Ribbon is unstable. The bedrock beneath it is fracturing. There are micro-tremors happening right now, and they are escalating into a major structural failure!"
The laughter died down, replaced by murmurs of confusion and annoyance.
The headmaster adjusted his glasses. "Miss Vance, that is an absurd and dangerous accusation. The Ribbon is perfectly safe. I suggest you return to your seat before I have you expelled for inciting a panic."
"Look at the chandelier!" Elara pointed upward. The massive crystal structure was swinging wider now, the tinkling of glass echoing in the silent room.
People looked up. A few gasped.
"It's just the wind," Julian said, though his voice lacked its usual confidence.
"There is no wind in a sealed auditorium, Julian," Elara snapped. She turned back to the headmaster. "I have the original geological surveys. The founders knew the ground was unstable. They built it anyway. And now it's collapsing!"
Before the headmaster could respond, a deafening crack echoed through the room. The floor heaved violently, throwing students out of their seats. The chandelier ripped from its moorings, crashing onto the empty stage in an explosion of glass and metal.
Screams filled the air. The lights flickered and died, plunging the auditorium into emergency backup lighting. The ground shook again, harder this time. The walls groaned as plaster rained down from the ceiling.
Panic ensued. Students scrambled over each other, rushing toward the heavy wooden doors. The elite, the privileged, the untouchable—they were reduced to a terrified mob in seconds.
Elara didn't panic. She had spent her life navigating a world that felt unsteady. She braced her crutch against the floor, keeping her balance as the ground rolled beneath her.
"Don't use the main doors!" Elara shouted over the din. "The main hallway is directly under the eastern wing—it's the heaviest part of the building. If it collapses, it will crush the exit!"
But no one listened. They were blinded by fear. They surged toward the main doors, trampling over each other.
Elara watched in horror as the ceiling above the main exit began to crack, a massive fissure spider-webbing across the plaster. She had to do something. She was the only one who understood the architecture of the building, the only one who knew the truth.
The roar of crumbling masonry was deafening. Just as the first wave of students reached the main doors, the ceiling above the exit gave way. Huge blocks of marble and steel beams crashed down, sealing the entrance and sending a cloud of choking white dust billowing into the auditorium.