"I'll ask you one more time—where the hell is that bastard Ashborn?"
Samael stood up abruptly. "What do you want?"
"Are you Ashborn?" The upperclassman scoffed. "Didn't think so."
"If you've got beef with someone, take it outside. Don't start shit in a public space."
The guy spat on the floor. "Listen, tough guy. If you're not Ashborn and you don't plan on talking, then shut that damn mouth before I rip it off."
"Go ahead."
"What did you just say?"
"I said: go ahead."
"You little—"
"What the hell is going on here?" a sharp voice rang out from the doorway.
All five upperclassmen turned in unison. Their aggression deflated like popped balloons.
"Professor Vanessa."
She strode in—tall, sharp-heeled, glasses glinting, ponytail swaying, crimson blouse bold against her skin. "Didn't you hear the bell? Class is in session!"
"N-no, Professor, we were just—"
"Get back to your own class. Now."
The five exchanged uncertain glances.
"Well? Move it!"
"Y-yes, Professor."
As they filed out, one of them threw a backward glance toward the classroom—and locked eyes with Kael.
His eyes lit up. His grin sharpened.
Found you.
A chill slid down Kael's spine, even as the footsteps faded down the corridor.
Professor Vanessa dumped a stack of papers on her desk, sat down, and gave the room a cold once-over.
"Not even half the class is here," she muttered. "Didn't the Dean already tell you how critical Origin Magic is? You can't always rely on Shared Magic. You need your own foundation."
The lack of boys in the room—aside from Samael and Kael—was mostly thanks to the Bonded Fate system.
Bonded couples could share physical and magical abilities. Most boys figured it was smarter to train their bodies and leave the spellwork to their female partners.
Of course, that only worked if you found your destined partner. Otherwise, you risked ending up as an Unbound forever.
But who didn't have a Fated One in this world?
Right. Me.
Kael—and other Ashborns—were the cursed exceptions.
"I hope you girls end up with Fated Ones who are actually worth something," Professor Vanessa said, her eyes landing like daggers on Samael and Kael. "As for you boys—try being useful, just once."
The Dream of Fate drawing proceeded smoothly enough.
Vanessa explained that the ritual would take place during the final period tomorrow in the Mental Research Lab.
"You…" She paused as she handed Kael his draw card. Her eyes narrowed. "You're Edwyn's son, aren't you?"
Kael reached out, but she didn't let go.
"That's me," he said casually. He tugged harder—it took real effort—but finally the card slipped into his hand.
"An Ashborn, huh?"
"Yup. Has a certain charm to it, doesn't it?"
She broke eye contact with a snort and a sharp, cynical smile. "Maintain that confidence. You're gonna need it."
Class ended shortly after—barely thirty minutes in. Kael stood to leave, still clutching a cold pack to his cheek.
But before he could even take a step—
"What the hell did you do, Vyle?" Samael snapped, glaring at him. "Not even half an hour since I beat your face in, and you're already stirring up trouble again?"
"You heard them yourself. In thirty minutes, when would I have had the time?"
"I warned you—"
"Not to touch your little darling again, right? Or what—those guys have something to do with her now?"
Grab.
Samael seized Kael by the collar. "I don't care what your problem is. Fix it—today. Do you know how scared everyone were when those thugs walked in?"
Kael scoffed, slapped the hand off him, and shoved past Samael with his shoulder. "Don't try to play hero with me."
Caught off guard, Samael could only stand there, glowering as Kael walked out.
Kael didn't give a damn about 'fixing' whatever the hell this was.
First, he hated being ordered around—especially by wannabe heroes, by someone like Samael.
Second, this wasn't his mess. It was the real Kael's.
The ringleader earlier—Gideon Halbrecht—was the heir of House Halbrecht, longtime royal advisors.
Said to have the strength of a second-rank magic knight, he'd apparently even fought in actual wars.
In the original story, Kael had humiliated Gideon publicly—mocking him for being weak in bed, unable to satisfy his Fated Ones, Thalia Greymore. Allegedly, Kael had stepped in and done it for him.
It was obviously a lie.
But coming from a known sex-crazed Ashborn? People believed it.
What a bunch of idiot—
WHAM!
CRACK!
Out of nowhere, Kael's head slammed into the wall.
So hard his vision spun and something inside his skull gave an awful crack.
What—
"Found you," came a voice.
From behind the veil of dust and broken plaster, Gideon's smirking face emerged.
"You weren't easy to track down, Ashborn. I admit it."
A massive hand gripped Kael's skull—not Gideon's, but someone even bigger.
Renwick Vale. Towering over two meters, thick with muscle, hands like sledgehammers.
Renwick smashed Kael's head into the wall.
Then again.
And again.
And again.
When it stopped, Kael couldn't feel anything.
His scalp was slick—bloody.
Maybe his temple was cut open. Maybe his brain was already soup leaking out of his skull.
Both options sounded horrifying.
But the fact that he could still see Gideon's smug face meant one thing: his eyes still worked. He wasn't dead. Not yet.
"You've been saying things you shouldn't," Gideon muttered. "A filthy mouth like yours could get you hanged. Not that I have the power to pass that kind of sentence—yet."
He chuckled.
"But I can still do this." He pulled out a folding knife and grabbed Kael's limp hand.
"D-Don't …"
"What was that? Don't?" Gideon laughed. "Man, you should've told that to your past self. Something like, 'Hey, maybe don't piss off the wrong guy'."
"I'll… I'll report you…"
"Oh, by all means. Let's see who the world believes." Gideon held the blade to Kael's forehead.
"Me, the honorable son of Lucien Halbrecht? Or you, the disgusting Ashborn who tried to seduce someone else's Fated One with that filthy mouth of yours?"
No answer.
Gideon's grin returned. "That's what I thought."
He brought the knife to Kael's thumb.
"D-Don't," Kael whispered. A final plea.
"Ssshhh … Relax. I'll make sure it hurts like hell."
And Kael began to scream.