Having had enough of the beatings, Willow let out a loud, frustrated scream that made the enforcers stumble back in surprise.
She clenched her teeth, forcing herself to her feet, her breath coming in sharp gasps as she clutched her bag tightly to her chest. She was almost certain her laptop inside was already shattered beyond repair.
The female enforcer glared at her, signaling the others to move in again. Willow backed away, narrowing her eyes at the door, the only exit blocked by the girl.
"Wait!" she panted, raising her arms in surrender.
The enforcers hesitated, blinking as though trying to figure out what she was planning.
"Look… I didn't do anything to you guys," Willow rasped, coughing weakly.
The first guy scoffed. "Are you kidding me?" And the moment he lunged, Willow bolted, darting toward the corner of the room.
Before the second guy could block her path, she twisted away, shoving the girl aside just as she leapt for the door. She yanked it open and ran without hesitation.
She didn't stop not once until she burst into the library. Relief washed over her. Here, they couldn't touch her even if they chose to follow her in. The library rules were ironclad, and they worked in her favor.
By the time she reached the history section, Willow collapsed into the farthest corner she could find. Her hands trembled as she tugged the laptop from her bag. The casing was bent, the screen spider-webbed. She pressed the power button anyway. Nothing.
"Bloody hell." She buried her fingers in her hair and groaned. "These people are insane."
Her forehead throbbed as she shoved the dead laptop back inside the bag, a bitter lump forming in her throat.
"Pretty thief?"
Willow's heart skipped at the sound of the familiar voice, but she still turned quickly to see Navian, glasses perched on his face and four stacks of books balanced in his hands.
"I thought you'd be gone already." Navian set the books down on her table with a quiet thump.
Willow parted her lips, surprised to see him there, but no words came out. Her body still ached too much to form a proper response.
Navian's eyes swept over her, taking in her disheveled appearance. "You look like you were run over by an airship."
Willow let out a scoff. "An airship?"
He didn't answer. Instead, he moved to sit beside her and seized her arm, lifting it as his gaze narrowed on the bruises. One hidden beneath her hair on her forehead, another on her shoulder blade.
His stare was sharp, so intense... Willow could even see faint wisps of shadow curling from his body.
Her eyes widened. "You—"
"Who did this to you? Didn't you declare who your master is?" His voice cut in, low and edged with silent anger.
Willow glared at him. "Are you kidding me? I'm the one who—"
"This isn't about you, pretty thief," he interrupted coldly. "I don't take kindly to my authority being undermined. So tell me."
Willow turned her head away. "Nothing. No one did anything."
Navian grabbed her chin, forcing her to face him. Her eyes widened as he brushed her hair aside, exposing the angry red bruise on her forehead.
"That doesn't look like anything," he said darkly.
Willow frowned and pulled her face away again. "It's really nothing. Nothing happened."
"You don't seem to understand." Navian's eyes darkened, the shadows around his body thickening for a fleeting moment. "You are my Fodder. You represent me, and—"
Willow let out a frustrated breath, still refusing to meet his gaze. "It's fine, Navian. I'll be leaving anyway."
Navian's grip tightened before he finally let go of her arm. Leaning back in his chair, he gave a slow nod, sliding his glasses off and placing them neatly on the table.
The shadows around him vanished at once, leaving him staring at her dully. "You can just tell—"
"Stop it!" Willow snapped her glare to him. "Stop it, okay?"
Navian's eyes widened. Her face was flushed red with anger now.
"Don't act concerned about me when you and your kind are the reason this happened to me in the first place," she whispered harshly. "This fucked-up system you self-absorbed Ascendants created thinking you rule the world just because you have some powers. So shut the fuck up! Don't pretend you're some innocent who actually cares about me. You're part of this useless system that made it possible for enforcers to drag me into an empty class and beat me into a pulp."
Navian studied her in silence until she ran out of words. Then, a low chuckle escaped his lips.
"Is the system to be blamed… or you?"
Willow frowned, arching a brow at him. "Me? How?"
Navian tilted his head, those cold eyes sharp, as if they were trying to tell her something without saying it outright. "Isn't it obvious?"
At that, Willow's confusion deepened. "What are you saying? How am I to be blamed? I'm the victim here!" She jabbed a finger at herself, then at him. "The system is at fault, not me."
"Yes, you are." Navian chuckled again, more amused this time, which only irritated her even more.
She dropped her hand with a huff. "How?"
"It seems," he said smoothly, "you're simply paying the consequences of being a petty thief."
Willow's eyes went wide. "Wait—"
Navian just gave her a knowing look.
"I can't believe this." She scoffed harshly, slamming her fist against the table. Pain shot through her hand, but anger drowned it out. "That bastard!"
Without another thought, she snatched up her bag and stormed out of the library. Rage carried her steps until she reached outside. There, her pace stopped. The heat of her rage cooled, replaced by creeping logic.
She pressed a palm to her forehead, only to wince as she struck her bruise. "What the hell am I even trying to do?"
Her fingers threaded through her hair in exasperation. "Do I really want to confront someone who turned me into his ashtray?"
A bitter laugh slipped from her lips as she turned toward her dorm. "Get a grip, Willow. What exactly is your game plan?"