A week later, I filed into the sports hall with Year Ten for the whole school assembly in which the announcement for who had become head school councillor would be made. I frowned as I remembered what had happened yesterday.

Year Ten had had P.E. with the Year Elevens who were taking the subject for GCSE. They had coached us and Victor had been one of those students. He had deliberately chosen to supervise my group; I had felt his gaze boring into my back almost all the time though he made no move to attack me.

Miles had slipped on the dewed playing field grass whilst chasing after the football and hit his head on the goal post, landing heavily on one of his arms as he fell backward. He probably would have ended up with a jarred arm and a bruised forehead if not for Victor. The Year Eleven had seemingly gone over to check if he was okay although I had known differently.

I was about to shout a warning –

A sickening crack filled the air.

Miles' yell of pain followed.

I pushed past the crowd running toward them and knelt beside my friend, shoving Victor away.

Miles' arm hung uselessly at his side, bone poking through the now pallid skin which was mottled black and blue. Blood flowed down in tiny rivulets. His forehead had a gash over where the bruise would have been, scarlet oozing out of it to blind him. His face had gone as white as a sheet, twisted in agony.

My stomach churned as he turned his head to the side and wretched uncontrollably.

Anger and anguish filled me as I averted my eyes from his injuries and heaving figure whilst he spewed vomit on the grass; I wanted to do nothing but knock Victor into next week (the sudden urge shocked me as I was not one to desire that kind of thing), no matter how ineffective my punches would have been. The satisfaction of going at the Black Hell Blader would have been enough, even if I knew I would have ended up hurt and not him.

But my friend needed help. Sending a dark glare at Victor who smirked nastily in response, I took Miles to the medical room with the help of a teacher.

He was admitted to hospital soon after and I did not seen him for the rest of the day.

Victor's attack on Miles had been just one of the many incidents that had occurred and been deemed as accidents throughout Thursday and Friday of last week, including Monday and yesterday. They had happened mostly around the country and the local area though some had been at school. As of yet, nobody had been killed during these incidents despite the fact some people had sustained injuries similar to Miles'.

Victor had been taking advantage of his position as head boy and other elements such as the times his GSCE lessons involved being with pupils in the lower year groups in order to attack. If he was made head school councillor too, he would have even more power to exploit and use to his own ends. The so-called accidents would happen a lot more and baffle the police further; they had not been able to get a lead at all on who was causing them.

The headmistress addressed the school once all the students were seated. She talked about how it had been hard to choose from so many eligible people as the votes had been close between four pupils. The staff had voted amongst themselves to settle the matter and a candidate had been selected. "That person is Victor," she told us. "He came out on top and I'm sure you'll agree that he's deserving of such a role given the great job he's been doing as head boy. Victor, please stand up and receive your badge."

Everyone except me clapped as the Black Hell Blader did as he was asked, taking the badge from the headteacher and shaking hands with her. He pinned it to his black jumper next to the green shield, where it flashed maroon and gold in the hall lights. He gave the audience a smile of feigned warmth that did nothing to ease my fear. The one thing I had hoped he would not achieve at school had happened; the domination would begin soon.

I phoned Rebecca as soon as I got home after school and broke the news to her. She was as scared as me about what would happen now that Victor had obtained an even higher status of authority.

"He's going to take over the school soon, I just know it. With the position he's in and his strange powers, he'll be able to turn the place into whatever he wants!" I exclaimed. "His speech to become head school councillor was about how students should take their futures in their own hands and change the school in order to influence other places – I bet this means he's going to control pupils to get his way. There were implications of bloodshed too. He's going to use the school as a medium for his plans!"

"That's horrible! Whatever he's scheming, it can't be good," Rebecca replied. "There's no doubt he'll control people. He did it when he performed his speech, didn't he? That's how he got the most votes. It's also how he'll get higher powers to do what he wants like the teachers, school governors and parents – maybe even the authorities."

"Like the police? It'd be terrible if he controlled them," I remarked. "It would be a lot worse if he controlled the government."

"I hope he doesn't," my friend gasped. "That would be a disaster!"

"I know," I concurred soberly. "That's why we have to stop him and his team from getting that far."

"Yes. We may not be able to stop the Black Hell Bladers from causing the so-called accidents across the country and doing bad things at our schools but if we try and keep their actions limited to school, none of the horrible stuff we just talked about should happen."

"That's the idea." I glanced at the clock on the lounge fireplace. "I've got to go soon, Rebecca. I'm going to see Miles in hospital – he's been a victim of the accidents at school."

"Oh no! Is it serious?" Rebecca wanted to know. She sounded almost frantic.

"No, luckily. Nothing as serious as Sam's coma, anyway. He's got a broken arm and his head got split open. He had a narrow escape because if I hadn't got there quickly, Victor would have worsened his injuries further."

"Oh my! Good thing you did." She breathed a sigh of relief. "That Victor is ruthless. I ought to beat him to a pulp and make it look like he got mugged!" she growled.

I chuckled darkly. "I know how you feel. We'll do that in the Beystadium when the World Championships start! I'll let you know how Miles is doing. See you."

"Bye!" came my friend's response from the other end.

I replaced the receiver, running upstairs to my bedroom to get changed out of my school uniform. I'll tell Miles about the head school councillor announcement. Maybe he can give me some ideas about stopping Victor's influence over the school council. It's just as well he's in hospital; it'll keep him safe from Victor…I hope. The memory of a possessed Sam holding me by my school shirt collar over a sheer drop flashed through my mind. I hastily shook it away. No. I believe he'll be okay - Victor won't go for him.