Author's POV____
Aria's figure vanished at the end of the street, her hurried footsteps echoing faintly before silence swallowed everything.
Zorvath stood there, motionless, the taste of her still lingering on his lips. His chest heaved, his fists trembling.
Then—
Rrrrng… Rrrrng…
His phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out with a jerk, his bloodshot eyes narrowing at the unknown number.
He pressed it to his ear. "Who is this?"
At first, there was only silence. Then a low, drawn-out laugh seeped through, crawling into his bones.
Zorvath froze. He knew that laugh. His grip on the phone tightened until his knuckles turned white.
"…What do you want?" His voice was a growl.
The voice on the other end hissed, "So… you have interest in her."
Zorvath's jaw flexed. His answer was sharp, each word like a blade. "Touch her—and you will die."
A pause. Then mockery: "Why can't I? The King of GHSS has his eye on her. And you too. So why can't I?"
Zorvath spat the same words, colder, deadlier. "Touch her. And. You. Will. Die."
The voice chuckled, trembling between amusement and fear. "When you start your interest in her… I will do the same."
Click.
The line went dead.
Zorvath stayed frozen for a second, then with a roar, slammed his fist into the tree beside him. Bark splintered. Blood ran down his knuckles. He didn't care. His breathing was sharp, animal-like, his body trembling from the storm within.
"Zorvath!"
The call snapped him around. Leo came running from the opposite side of the street, his eyes widening when he saw the blood dripping from Zorvath's hand.
"What happened to your hand? Did something happen? Did that—"
"Enough."
Zorvath's voice cut him off like a blade. He straightened to his full height, his glare pinning Leo in place.
"Meet me at the rooftop," Zorvath ordered, his tone low, unshakable.
Before Leo could respond, Zorvath walked past him, heading down the cracked pavement toward the cages. His figure was rigid, every step heavy with fury.
Leo stood frozen, his throat dry. Then, with trembling hands, he pulled out his phone. One by one, he began calling. His voice was hurried, urgent, as if he knew—
Something was coming.
But Zorvath didn't look back. The street carried only his fading footsteps, and the weight of his rage.
Rooftop ___
The rooftop tap squealed, spitting out a thin stream. Zorvath stood hunched over, water running across his torn knuckles, washing away streaks of red. He moved with a strange calmness, as if the pain didn't belong to him.
The metal door creaked.
Leo stepped in first. His wolf-cut hair shifted as he froze, eyes locking on Zorvath's bloodied hands. "Zorvath…" His voice was low, heavy with worry. "What the hell happened here?"
Aswin waddled in right behind him, short, round-faced, his hoodie loose. He tried to lighten the moment, words spilling out before thinking. "Bro… you fight a wall or what? Looks like the wall won." He snickered nervously, then quickly shut up when no one laughed.
Mirzand entered next, chains clinking softly against his rings and trinkets. Tall and messy, his gaze flicked over Zorvath's hand, lingering on the way blood caught the light. He tilted his head but stayed quiet, letting the metallic jingling speak for him.
Finally, Rithul walked in. Calm, steady, tanned skin framed by his neat shirt and glasses. He closed the door behind him with a quiet click. His eyes stayed on Zorvath, unblinking. He didn't speak yet—he didn't waste words until they were needed.
The four surrounded him in uneasy silence.
Leo's voice broke first, sharp, urgent. "Tell me this isn't GHSS."
Aswin piped up instantly, as if the silence was too heavy for him. "Maybe it's about a girl? Yeah? Please don't tell me this is about a girl—"
"Shut up, Aswin," Leo snapped.
Mirzand's chains rattled as he shifted his weight. His voice was casual but edged. "You don't bleed for nothing. What's the story, Zorvath?"
Finally, Rithul spoke—his tone even, almost cold. Just one word.
"Explain."
The rooftop was still, except for the hiss of running water. Zorvath didn't answer.
He only reached forward—
Clank.
The tap twisted shut.
The rooftop fell into silence.
Zorvath turned, water still dripping from his hands. His voice was low, steady, each word landing like a stone in their chests.
"Rivan is back."
Silence.
The name alone froze the air.
Leo stiffened. Mirzand's trinkets stilled. Aswin blinked, lips parted but no sound came. Even Rithul, usually unreadable, went rigid behind his glasses.
For a second, no one dared to breathe.
Zorvath's gaze lifted, dark and heavy.
"His target is Aria."
Mirzand jolted first, the chains on his wrist rattling as panic edged his messy frame. "Aria? That… that new girl—?!"
Rithul's calm cracked for once; his voice sharper than usual. "This isn't good."
Aswin squinted, scratching his head, trying to remember. "Wait—Aria? You mean that girl… the one who just joined? Short… stubborn face? Always looking around?" His words tumbled over each other, his childish tone cutting against the weight of the moment.
Leo stayed silent, but his jaw tightened. He knew. He understood exactly who Zorvath meant.
Zorvath's voice rumbled again, deeper.
"There's a spy in this cage."
The rooftop tensed.
Aswin finally burst out, waving his arms helplessly. "Bro, how the hell does all this happen at one time? First Rivan, then a target, now a spy? This is like—like some cursed script!"
No one replied. The weight of his words only made the silence heavier.
Zorvath's gaze didn't waver.
"And it's not just Rivan. Sinas also seemed… interested in Aria."
A pause. His tone hardened.
"And I think Aria too."
The others froze again.
Aswin's voice cracked the silence. "Then—then what if she's the spy?"
The rooftop fell dead still.
The air thick, like every word spoken would tip it into chaos.
Mirzand finally stepped forward, his bracelets clinking. His messy figure trembled, but his voice was firm.
"I don't think it's Aria. She's just… just a crazy fan of Sinas."
Leo, leaning against the side rail, muttered under his breath, eyes narrowed.
"If she keeps going like this… she may become a spy."
The words made everyone tense. Even Zorvath's face tightened, his gaze dropping for a moment.
Aswin, restless as always, suddenly raised his voice.
"Then just let her leave! Let her go—or we should bully her till she transfers out of this school!"
The silence that followed was sharp. But Aswin, stubborn as ever, didn't stop.
"Just because she looks like Miss Luna, doesn't mean we should carry all the burden. Why take all the problems she brings?"
Rithul, calm but cutting, finally broke his quiet.
"What problems does she make?"
Aswin spun to him, frustrated, his chubby face flushing red.
"She didn't make any problem now, okay?! But if we don't stop her—or at least keep her away from kids—she's gonna cause a huge change here. A huge disaster."
The words echoed, loud and raw.
Zorvath's voice broke through, steady and low.
"Aria is not going to leave."
Every head turned. His eyes were sharp, unshakable.
"She is not the problem. The problem… is them."
Mirzand's chains rattled softly as he stepped forward.
"Zorvath's right. Just because Rivan and Sinas are threats… we can't let our own get crushed."
Leo pushed off the rail, arms crossed, his tone sharper.
"The moment she transferred to KHSS, she became one of us. And the moment she walked into Room Zero… there's no turning back. That's our law."
Rithul adjusted his glasses, finally speaking with calm conviction.
"And besides… she reminds us of someone. Someone we all once loved."
For a heartbeat, the rooftop was still, everyone caught in the same unspoken memory.
Zorvath's voice cut the silence, firm as steel.
"I'm not ready to leave Aria. None of us should. We protect our people. Always."
The others nodded slowly, one by one.
He leaned forward, his tone darker now.
"Aria is innocent. She doesn't know who Sinas really is. What his face hides. We'll make her see it."
A pause. His gaze hardened.
"And while she learns the truth… we deal with Rivan. And Sinas."
The rooftop, once tense and divided, was now bound by the same vow.