Apollo ignored my threats and struggles, continuing to walk towards the very outskirts of the school.

It would be impossible to predict where exactly he was taking me, as the school was full of numerous hidey-hole.

So long as he stayed on school grounds, Apollo would be free to do just about anything he wanted without any consequences.

All's fair in war.

Which was great for him, but not so great for me.

The school was a huge place, after all, meaning the chances of anyone rescuing me before I was stowed away for safe grew slimmer the further we went.

But I had a backup plan.

Mwhaha. Some fools may believe that I'm too stupid to have anything up my sleeve, but something up my sleeve was exactly what I had!

Rather... In my pocket.

Was my mobile.

The moment I was left alone, I would need to use it to call Vain and tell him where I was.

Yet another dastardly plan foiled by the brilliance of Maddison Trampth.

That's why I continued to struggle in Apollo's hand, even though it was obvious that my effort wasn't having any effect.

As long as he thought I wasn't thinking rationally, he wouldn't get suspicious and realise that I had a plan.

Plus, I was so angry that I couldn't hold still, even if I wanted to.

I only stopped when Apollo slowed his long strides, and I looked up to see that we were approaching the old in-ground pool that was on the very edge of the campus.

It was a good twenty-minute walk from the main buildings, so not many people came out this way.

Even the scholarship students competing for the King of the Hill didn't bother to hang around here, finding it too remote.

"Your evil lair is the pool?" I sent Apollo a pitying look.

The fact that he had set up shop in this unwanted little area was actually kind of sad.

Apollo smiled, giving me a knowing smirk as he walked towards the edge of the pool.

"It's not very popular. That's why I like it." He stepped off the edge and landed in the empty pool, jarring me so much that I lost my breath.

"Hiding away like a coward." I snarked, not happy with the rough handling.

"Well, there's that...." Apollo crouched down, using the hand not holding me to press down on one of the square tiles.

With a small click, the tile popped open, revealing a handle underneath. "...But this also had a lot to do with it."

He grabbed the handle and stood, lifting up the almost unnoticeable trap door.

I stared at the gaping hole. "So it is a Niche..."

I wasn't surprised.

Claiming Territory is a big part of King of the Hill, and the Hill wasn't the only place up for grabs.

There were secret rooms located all over the school... Niches, as they are formally known.

They were rare. You either had to find a niche no one knew about or be strong enough to keep your own to have one.

Apollo's group fit the description.

"I doubt that this one is as nice as the one you have hidden under the Hill." Apollo interrupted my thought.

My eyes narrowed.

"You seem to know a lot about it," I observed.

The Niche under the Hill was kept pretty hush-hush from people who didn't have a card.

Most people didn't even know it existed.

"The point of the game is to get a place on the Hill. " Apollo glanced down at me as if it were obvious. "Of course they have something hidden under there. "

"But...it's... a secret..." I muttered lamely.

Apollo did little more than roll his eyes as he climbed into the hole and onto a ladder, pulling the trap door down as we entered the room below.