—He walked in like a king. But someone else already ruled the throne.
Heinrich Von Falken University — IT Department, 3rd Semester
Next Morning, 9:02 AM
Where legacy meant nothing, and the storm had already been waiting.
The black Audi screeched slightly as it parked crooked in the student zone.
Henry Vinson, dressed in a black-and-gold bomber jacket, sunglasses even though the sky was overcast, and a casual arrogance that turned heads, stepped out with his signature slow strut. His friends—Timo, Felix, Jonas, and Max—trailed behind him like a gang out of a fashion magazine ad shoot."Okay, ready to reclaim our seats like kings?" Felix grinned, tossing a lollipop in his mouth."Of course," Henry smirked, "Let's make this new professor remember who really teaches in that classroom."The boys laughed as they walked through the college corridor, students turning, whispers trailing. "They're back.""Didn't they get messaged yesterday?""Let's see how long it takes for them to break this one too."Outside the 3rd semester IT classroom, students were already inside. The murmurs rose like a wave the moment the gang appeared at the door.One girl leaned closer to her friend, whispering, "They really came... after that warning?"Jonas opened the door casually. Henry strolled in like he owned the oxygen inside.But before they could even reach their benches—"Wait—" someone from the front row turned, wide-eyed. "You guys... weren't you absent yesterday?"Max blinked. "So?"
"Lukas sir said yesterday—those who skipped class won't be allowed inside today!"Timo scoffed, smirking. "We're in now. What's he gonna do—fail the school's top students?"But before anyone could respond—The door at the front creaked open again.And in walked Professor Lukas Schneider.Tall, iron-cold, dressed in black once again. The click of his boots across the tiled floor made the whole class turn to silence.Henry paused mid-step.Their eyes locked.And for a split second, everything froze.Henry's smirk faded ever so slightly. Something in him flickered—not fear, not recognition, but a chill.Lukas did not blink. Did not break stride. Did not smile.He dropped his laptop bag on the table, opened the attendance file, and without even looking at Henry—
"Get out. Now."The class fell into a deafening silence.Every eye shifted to the back where the gang stood, dumbfounded.
Henry's jaw tensed. "Excuse me?"Lukas turned, slow and precise, voice calm and cutting like cold steel. "You were absent yesterday. You broke the rule. Today, you will not attend this lecture. I made that clear yesterday. No exceptions."Timo stepped forward. "Sir, it was just one class. We can pay the fine or whatever. We didn't know you were gonna be so strict—" "This is not about fines," Lukas cut him off. "This is about accountability. And no—money doesn't erase disrespect in my classroom."Felix crossed his arms. "Come on, sir. Henry's the topper. The college practically breathes his name."Lukas walked closer, now standing just a few feet from the group.His voice dropped low. Dead serious. "This time, Vinson... your grades, your last name, and your wallet won't buy you an entry ticket. You want to come back to class? Fine."He pulled a note from his folder and held it out. "Call your parents. Make them come here. Let them sit down and explain to me why you think you're above rules. Then—and only then—you get to walk through this door again."The air tightened.Henry's eyes darkened. Everyone stared at him now—not as their idol, but as a student who just got publicly slammed off his pedestal."You're serious?" Henry said finally, his voice low and laced with disbelief.Lukas didn't flinch.
"Deadly."Henry clenched his jaw. His fingers tightened at his side. He wanted to shout. To snap. To say something that would bring the class back to his side.But there was nothing. Not even Felix could come up with a comeback.Lukas turned his back to them.
"Now, stand outside."The words echoed like thunder.One by one, reluctantly, the gang stepped back out into the corridor. The door shut behind them.And the whispers began.
"He actually threw them out..."
"No one's ever done that to Henry."
"He just... made him normal."
Inside the classroom, Lukas stood at the front, opening his laptop with calm precision.
"Now, where were we? Ah, recursion."
Outside the room, Henry stood against the wall, fists clenched, rage simmering just below the surface. "Who the hell does he think he is?" Henry muttered.Jonas looked at him quietly. "Whoever he is… he's not afraid of you."Henry's eyes didn't blink.
"Good. Let's see how long he lasts."
Heinrich Von Falken University – Principal's Office, 9:28 AM
And for the first time… Henry Vinson felt cornered.
The corridor outside the IT department buzzed with whispers, glances, and suppressed giggles. The once-untouchable Henry Vinson and his infamous gang stood like fallen royals—exiled from their own kingdom.Timo leaned on the wall, irritated.
Felix paced.
Max was chewing his lip nervously.
Jonas stared silently at the shut classroom door.
And Henry…
Henry was still. But inside, a storm brewed.
His fingers curled tightly around his phone, thumb hovering over his father's contact. But his pride—that damn pride—was louder than his panic.He couldn't call his father. Not for this. Not to say, "Dad, I got thrown out of class because I bunked lectures." "This is insane," Felix muttered. "We've done worse things and walked out like legends. What's this guy's deal?"Henry didn't answer.
He just stared ahead. At nothing. And at everything.He knew that voice.
He knew that stare.That cold, unreadable silence. Lukas.The name echoed in his head like a gunshot from the past.
He had once smiled at that boy. Laughed with him. Protected him in the playground.
But that Lukas was gone.This one? This was a stranger wearing the ghost of someone Henry forgot he once cared about. "We're going to the principal," Henry said suddenly, sharp and low. "You sure?" Timo asked. "You think the principal will go against the new professor?" "He'll go for me," Henry said, already walking. "He always does."
They followed without question.
—
Principal Gerhardt Weber's Office
A glass-paneled room on the top floor, surrounded by awards and policy books, and a photo of the university founder above the desk.
Gerhardt, a middle-aged man in a formal vest and classic glasses, looked up from his files and adjusted them when he saw Henry Vinson standing in front of him, flanked by his crew. "Mr. Vinson," he said politely, "What brings the royal group here during class hours?"Henry gave a half-smile, the charming, confident version of him sliding back into place."Principal Weber, we had a misunderstanding with a new professor. Lukas Schneider. He seems to think absence from one class means exile from the department. We'd appreciate it if you could have a word."The principal blinked slowly. He folded his hands together and leaned back. "You're talking about Professor Lukas Schneider, I presume. The new in-charge of your department."Henry nodded, still wearing that casual smirk.But Gerhardt didn't smile back."Unfortunately, Mr. Vinson… I can't help you."Silence.Henry's smirk faltered. "What do you mean you can't?"The principal sighed. "I don't know how much you know about Professor Lukas… but his appointment came from the executive board itself. He's not a temporary hire. He was specifically chosen to manage your semester. He has full authority."Felix blinked. "So, what—you can't override him?"
Gerhardt shook his head. "I'm afraid not. He's been given disciplinary independence. If he says you don't enter class—then you don't. Unless you fulfill whatever condition he's set."Henry's jaw tensed. "He said to call our parents," Jonas said quietly. "Bring them to college."The principal nodded."Then that's the condition."Henry stepped forward, now clearly agitated. "I've never had to do that before." "Well," Gerhardt said gently, "Maybe you've never had a professor like him before."Another pause.Henry looked at the nameplate on the desk. Then back at the principal. Then at his own reflection in the glass window behind him.And he hated how small he suddenly looked."Is that all, Mr. Vinson?" the principal asked.Henry didn't answer. He just turned around slowly.
His friends followed, silent for once.
—
In the corridor again, Henry stopped just near the stairs. He looked down at his phone again, grip tightening.He couldn't call his dad.But he couldn't sit outside class either.
"He's really not backing off," Timo muttered.
"He knows who you are, right?" Max whispered.Henry's voice came low, dry.
"He knows. More than anyone ever did."
They all looked at him. "Who is he?" Jonas asked.Henry didn't respond. His eyes were far away now. Somewhere beyond the walls. Somewhere years ago. "Someone who used to matter."
Heinrich Von Falken University — IT Department, 3rd Semester
10:11 AM | Inside the Classroom
The atmosphere inside the classroom wasn't like the usual carefree chaos anymore.
Silence had a weight now.Gone were the casual whispers. Gone were the flirty giggles, the doodles behind textbooks, and the soft clack of secret texting. All that remained was the sound of chalk striking the board, and the low, composed voice of a man who didn't need to shout to be obeyed.
Professor Lukas Schneider stood at the front, back straight, expression cold and unreadable. His sleeves were rolled neatly, forearms showing faint veins and faded tattoos—each a mystery. His black marker moved with precision across the whiteboard:
Function Overloading vs. Function Overriding — Rules, Syntax & Memory Allocation Impact.He stopped midway, turned to the class, and finally broke the silence. "I've explained the base difference between overloading and overriding. Now—who can give me an example of both in code?"The class shuffled nervously. A few glanced at each other. One boy at the back bent over his notebook like the board didn't exist. Another girl clicked her pen in anxiety.
Lukas's gaze scanned the room like a hawk.
"You." He pointed at the boy who had pretended to vanish.The boy stood hesitantly. "Uh… I think overloading is like… using different arguments… I don't remember the exact syntax."Lukas's jaw tightened. He nodded slowly. "Wrong start. Sit down. You—next to him."Another girl stood, hesitating. "Function overriding is… when we change the function in the child class?"Lukas raised a brow. "Closer. But vague. Syntax?"She fumbled. "I—I'll revise it." "No. You revise now. Later, you suffer. All of you who didn't respond confidently—stand."Six students stood reluctantly.
Lukas folded his arms. "Go stand at the back of the class. Hands up."A ripple of disbelief passed through the classroom. "Sir… we weren't prepared…""Exactly," Lukas said sharply. "If you're not prepared to answer, you shouldn't be here. Until this class ends, you'll stand with your hands raised. Tomorrow, you'll write this concept twenty times and submit it to me at 8:30 sharp."
Felix, still standing outside with the rest of Henry's gang, peeked in. "Holy shit," he muttered. "He's running the place like a boot camp."Jonas sighed, "He's not running it. He's owning it."Back in class, Lukas's voice echoed again. "And all of you standing at the back—listen closely. Because next week, you'll be giving the seminar on this topic. Full presentation, visuals, and code examples. If one of you skips or slacks—you're out of intern eligibility this semester."
A collective gasp.Lukas didn't flinch. "You're not here to just exist in this room. You're here to earn your worth."He turned back to the board and began explaining the difference between virtual and non-virtual functions with smooth transitions, throwing glances at random intervals to ensure attention hadn't slipped.The rest of the class sat frozen—pens scribbling every word, afraid to even blink too long.And outside… Henry Vinson still stood against the wall, staring through the glass.His eyes locked on Lukas again.
But this time, they weren't filled with annoyance.They were filled with a slowly boiling curiosity and something dangerously close to respect.
Heinrich Von Falken University — Corridor outside IT Block
11:03 AM | Just after class
The door of the IT classroom creaked open, and the once-silent room slowly returned to whispers and scattered murmurs as Professor Lukas Schneider stepped out, his black boots echoing against the polished floor.His sleeves were still rolled up, his expression still unreadable—a man made of order and old scars.Standing against the wall like schoolboys at detention were Henry Vinson and his gang—Timo, Felix, Jonas, and Max—each trying to keep their cool but failing to mask the tension beneath.Lukas didn't stop walking.He didn't break stride.
He spoke as he passed them, his words cold and cutting like glass dragged across concrete."Did you call your parents?"
The group exchanged glances like guilty children caught mid-mischief.Timo scratched his neck. "Uhm… not yet."
"You've got one hour." Lukas turned to face them. "All of you. I want your parents in the faculty room. In person. No calls, no letters, no excuses."Henry narrowed his eyes, arms crossed defiantly. "You expect my father to come here? In the middle of the day?"Lukas took a slow step toward him, voice calm but biting. "Yes. Because your mother won't do."
Henry blinked. "What?"Lukas's jaw tightened. "Don't call your mother, Henry. Call your father. I want him here."
That made everyone stare. Even Henry froze.Lukas held his gaze—no malice, no emotion. Just unflinching command.Henry's pride trembled against the sharp edge of the order. His fingers hovered over his folded phone in his back pocket. He looked like he might say something snarky. Something powerful.But nothing came out.And Lukas turned away again. "If I don't see every parent in my cabin by the next sixty minutes—you won't be writing the next exam. You'll fail the intern list, and your backlog will ensure you're repeating this semester."
Max gasped softly. "He's not bluffing…"
"He never bluffs," Jonas muttered.
Lukas didn't look back. His long stride carried him down the hallway, through the staff corridor, past awestruck students who parted like water around him.He reached the faculty room, pushed open the glass door, and walked straight to his cabin—a minimalist space of books, files, a single laptop, and one framed photo that he faced away from the entrance.He sat down, calm as ever, and opened his schedule."One hour," he said under his breath.
---
Outside, Henry still hadn't moved.
He stared at his phone screen.
At his father's number.His thumb hovered. His pride screamed.But Lukas's voice echoed in his mind—"Don't call your mother. Call your father." "He can't just order us like that," Felix said nervously. "Can he?"
"He already did," Jonas replied. "And you're still standing here, aren't you?"Henry gritted his teeth. "This isn't over."But even he didn't sound so sure anymore. "He really changed," Henry whispered. "No," Jonas replied, arms crossed beside him."He's always been like that. You just never noticed."