Whispers of Unity High – Episode 7: Unveiling the Circle
A Tense Morning
Mara barely slept. The envelope felt like a bomb under her pillow, ready to explode her whole world apart. When the first bell rang, she slipped out of the dorm before the others woke up, heading straight to the library.
Jude met her there, his eyes red-rimmed.
“Any sign of Daniel?” she whispered.
Jude shook his head. “Nothing. It’s like he never existed.”
Mara pulled out Sarah Ukeje’s files. She ran her finger over the bold title on one folder: UNITY CIRCLE: RULES OF POWER.
Inside were photos of students gathered in candlelight, wearing the Circle’s symbol. But even more chilling was a list of names. Teachers. Students. Prefects. And there it was—Tobi Akande. The new Head Boy.
The Secret Meeting
“Look,” Jude said, pointing to the bottom of a page. “Midnight Assembly. Old Staff Quarters. Tonight.”
Mara’s pulse spiked. “A meeting?”
Jude nodded. “If we’re going to end this, we have to be there.”
Mara hesitated. “It’s too risky.”
“They already threatened you,” Jude shot back. “We have to know who’s behind this.”
That afternoon, they made copies of every document. Mara hid one set inside an empty detergent box under her bunk. The other went into Jude’s locker.
Midnight Gathering
At exactly 11:47 p.m., Mara and Jude slipped out of the dormitory. Every sound seemed amplified—the creak of a door hinge, the distant bark of the security dog.
They reached the Old Staff Quarters—a crumbling block of buildings no longer used for accommodation. From a crack between broken wooden panels, they saw flickering candlelight.
Jude peered in first. “They’re all there.”
Mara leaned closer, her breath catching as she saw Tobi Akande standing at the center of the group. Around him were six students in prefect uniforms, including Linda Kura, the Girls’ Prefect. And then there was Mr. Lawal. Holding a sheet of paper.
“This is bigger than we thought,” Jude whispered.
The Oath of Silence
Mr. Lawal stepped forward, raising his hand over the candle flame.
“Repeat after me,” he intoned.
“I vow to protect the Circle. I vow to keep its secrets. I vow to silence anyone who threatens it.”
The students echoed the words. Tobi glanced around. “Remember: once inside the Circle, there’s no leaving.”
Spotted!
Suddenly, Tobi stiffened. “Wait. Someone’s there.”
Mr. Lawal barked, “Check the entrance!”
Mara and Jude barely had time to duck as two prefects came rushing out. Mara grabbed Jude’s hand and pulled him behind a stack of broken desks.
Jude’s breath was loud in the silence. They waited until the prefects turned back inside.
“We need to leave,” Jude whispered.
But Mara was staring at the folder she’d seen on Mr. Lawal’s table—a folder labeled DISMISSAL LIST.
Snatching the Evidence
“I have to get that list,” she said.
“Mara, no—”
But she was already creeping closer.
Mara waited for the group to turn away, then darted forward, snatching the folder off the table. A prefect shouted.
“Hey!”
Mara bolted back toward Jude. They tore off into the night, pursued by pounding footsteps.
Mr. Lawal’s voice bellowed behind them: “Stop them!”
They squeezed through a gap in the fence and ran until the lights of the Old Staff Quarters vanished behind them.
Only when they were safely behind the classroom block did they stop. Mara clutched the folder to her chest.
Jude was panting. “What’s in it?”
Mara flipped it open. Names. Dozens of names. Under the header:
Students to be Expelled – Operation Restart
Daniel’s name was there. So were several others they recognized. And at the bottom, scribbled in Mr. Lawal’s hand:
Mara Lawal. Jude Akinleye.
Jude stared at her. “They’ve marked us.”
A Plan Emerges
They huddled together, the folder trembling between them.
“They’re erasing anyone who knows too much,” Jude said. “Sarah, Daniel, maybe even us.”
Mara wiped a tear from her cheek. “We have evidence now. Enough to bring them down.”
“But who can we trust?” Jude whispered. “Even the teachers are involved.”
“We’ll go to the principal. Directly. We’ll show him everything.”
Jude looked doubtful. “What if he’s one of them?”
“Then we take this outside the school. The press. The police.”
Suddenly, they heard a voice behind them. A voice they both recognized.
“Well, well,” said Tobi Akande, stepping from the shadows. “I was hoping you’d lead me straight to your evidence.”
He held up a phone with the flashlight on. Behind him stood Mr. Lawal, his face set in grim fury.
Mara clutched the folder tighter. “You won’t get away with this.”
Tobi smirked. “That’s where you’re wrong. You see, the Circle always wins.”
To Be Continued…
Previously on Episode 6: The Confession Under Lock
Next on Episode 8: Betrayal in Assembly Hall
Summary:
Just when they plan to present the evidence anonymously at assembly, Jude is suspended for exam malpractice he didn’t commit. Someone close to them has betrayed their plan — but who?
