(The cafeteria is loud with laughter and casual conversation. Ethan, Marie, Alex, and Emily sit together at their usual table, eating and joking around. Lisa isn't there today, and for the first time in weeks, they feel a bit more like their old selves. But the moment of peace is short-lived.)
(Michael stands at a distance, staring at them. His blood boils. Every second they spend laughing, every joke they share—it fuels the fire inside him. They were his friends. His. And yet, they abandoned him.)
(He grips the edge of his tray so tightly that his knuckles turn white. His body trembles. Then, without thinking, he slams the tray down onto an empty table and storms toward them.)
Michael (furious):
"Why?!"
(The group jolts in surprise. Conversations around them stop. Michael's voice carries through the cafeteria, sharp as a blade. He stands there, breathing heavily, eyes burning with rage.)
Michael (louder, demanding):
"Why would you believe Lisa over me?! Why?!"
(Ethan sighs, rubbing his temple as if he's already exhausted by the conversation.)
Ethan:
"Michael… not this again."
Michael (snapping):
"Yes, this again! Every damn day, I've been waiting for one of you to wake up! To finally see through her lies! But no! You just follow her around like lost dogs!"
Alex (frustrated):
"Michael, you need to calm down—"
Michael (shouting):
"Calm down?! You want me to calm down?! You all abandoned me because of a lie! A goddamn lie! And you expect me to just sit here and accept it?!"
Marie (firm, crossing her arms):
"It wasn't a lie, Michael."
Michael (stunned, then laughing bitterly):
"Oh, really? You think I beat her up? You actually think I did that?!"
Emily (quietly):
"Michael… we saw the bruises. She was crying. You even admitted you were mad at her before it happened."
Michael (gritted teeth):
"Of course I was mad! She turned all of you against me!"
Ethan (stern, trying to stay reasonable):
"Then why won't you just apologize?"
Michael (scoffing, incredulous):
"Apologize?!"
(He takes a step back, shaking his head, almost laughing in disbelief.)
Michael (venomous):
"You think I'm going to apologize?! To her?!"
(His fists clench so hard his nails dig into his palms, threatening to draw blood.)
Michael (seething):
"If I apologize, that means I lost to that bitch. And I will never lose. Not to her. Not ever."
(His voice drops to a low growl, his eyes dark with determination.)
Michael:
"I will make sure I beat her. I will win this game. That's all that matters."
(A heavy silence falls over the table. The group exchanges uneasy glances.)
Ethan (pleading):
"Michael… all you have to do is apologize. That's it. We can go back to the way it was. We can be friends again."
(Michael's eyes widen slightly, but then his face twists with something close to disgust.)
Michael:
"Friends?"
(He scoffs, stepping closer to Ethan.)
Michael (mocking):
"You think we can just go back? Like none of this ever happened?!"
(His voice lowers, filled with something unhinged, something dangerous.)
Michael:
"I'd rather die than apologize."
(Ethan exhales, rubbing his face in frustration.)
Ethan (resigned):
"Fine, Michael. Then follow me. In private."
(The others look up in confusion.)
Marie:
"Ethan, what—?"
Ethan (firmly):
"Just don't follow us. I want to talk to Michael alone. When we're done, I'll tell you what happened."
(Michael raises an eyebrow but follows as Ethan leads him out of the cafeteria, away from the crowd, away from any prying eyes.)
(They walk in silence to the back of the school, where no security cameras can see them. The area is empty—just a quiet patch of pavement and a fence, with the distant sound of cars on the road.)
(Michael stops and crosses his arms.)
Michael (coldly):
"Alright, Ethan. Why did you bring me here? What's going to happen now?"
(Ethan turns to face him, his expression unreadable.)
Ethan:
"Michael, I'll give you one final chance. Apologize."
(Michael's expression darkens.)
Michael:
"Or else what?"
Ethan:
"Or else… I'll have to fight you."
(Silence. Then, Michael chuckles. It's low, humorless, almost amused by the sheer absurdity of it all.)
Michael:
"Fight me? Do you seriously think you can beat me?"
Ethan (softly):
"No. Probably not. But I'll try."
(Michael's fists tighten. His breathing is shallow, his anger rising like a storm.)
Michael:
"Damn it, Ethan. Don't do this. Don't be a fool."
(Ethan just looks at him, his gaze sad, yet firm.)
Ethan:
"Michael, even if Lisa is manipulating me… I love her too much."
(Michael freezes.)
(Something in him snaps.)
Michael (whispering, shaking his head):
"You… idiot."
(He takes a slow step forward, his entire body trembling with fury.)
Michael (dark, deadly):
"Then I guess we have no choice."
(Ethan tightens his fists, preparing himself.)
Ethan:
"Yeah. We don't."
(The memory fades, and Dakota finds himself back in the present, surrounded by his friends. The weight of his past still lingers in the air like a ghost.)
(Lucas, Liam, Ava, Mia, and Henry stare at him in shock.)
Henry:
"Damn, Dakota… you actually fought Ethan?"
Liam (in disbelief):
"That's crazy. What happened next?"
(Dakota closes his eyes for a moment before speaking, his voice heavy.)
Dakota:
"It was something I regretted. If I hadn't fought him… then it wouldn't have happened."
(The group exchanges glances, confused.)
Marie:
"What wouldn't have happened?"
(Before Dakota can respond, Lucas suddenly grips his head, his face twisting in pain.)
Lucas:
"That… wouldn't have happened…"
(The others tense up.)
Mia:
"Lucas? What's wrong?!"
(Lucas groans, his breathing growing rapid. He stumbles back, clutching his skull as if something inside him is breaking.)
Lucas (pained, whispering):
"I… I know what happens next… I… remember…"
(His voice turns into a scream. The group rushes toward him, but an invisible force seems to be keeping them away.)
(Dakota watches with narrowed eyes, his expression calm, yet knowing.)
Dakota (murmuring):
"So it's finally happening."
(He looks at the others, his voice steady, final.)
Dakota:
"As soon as my fight with Ethan ends… Lucas will get his memories back."
(The tension in the air is suffocating.)
Dakota (serious, whispering to himself):
"And after my talk with them… Liam, Mia, and Ava will remember too."
(He exhales, watching Lucas writhe in agony.)
Dakota:
"Finally… we're reaching the climax."