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🌙 Chapter: The King Returns — His POV
Eight hours.
Eight long hours of silence, turbulence, and thoughts I couldn't shut down.
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And yet—
the moment my feet touched the ground—
everything became clear again.
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Manila.
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The air felt heavier here.
Warmer.
Familiar.
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Home.
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But not complete.
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I didn't stop.
Didn't rest.
Didn't even think about going back to the mansion.
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No.
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There was only one place I needed to be.
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Higher Value International School.
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Section E.
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I stepped out of the car, adjusting my cuffs slightly, my expression already back in place—
calm.
cold.
controlled.
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The guards at the gate straightened immediately.
Students slowed down.
Some whispered.
Some stared.
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Of course they did.
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Because I wasn't just another student.
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I walked in.
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And just like that—
the atmosphere shifted.
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"President—"
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"Keifer!"
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"Our king is back!"
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Voices overlapped.
Excited.
Loud.
Alive.
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Section E.
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Exactly the same.
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A faint smirk formed on my lips as I stepped into the classroom.
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And there they were.
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All of them.
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David stood near the front, posture straight, eyes sharp as always.
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C in leaned casually against a desk, observant, already analyzing something.
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Yuri sat like he owned the place, relaxed but dangerous, that same unreadable look in his eyes.
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Eman and Denzel were at the back, calm, grounded, watching everything silently.
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Kit and Josh were mid-conversation, instantly stopping the moment I walked in.
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Mayo—no, Blaster—grinned widely, nudging Rory beside him.
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Rory looked composed as ever, fixing his sleeve like nothing surprised him.
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Edrix stood near the window, arms crossed.
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Eren beside him—silent, but alert.
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Felix and Calix—together, as always—quiet, observant, calculating.
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Drew leaned back lazily, but his eyes were already on me.
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"what are you doing here now .." David stepped forward first.
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Accusing.
Steady.
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The rest followed—
not formally—
but instinctively.
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Because that's how Section E worked.
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Not rules.
Not structure.
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Just power.
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And they recognized it.
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"Welcome back," Cinco said, a slight smirk playing on his lips.
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"Finally decided to return?" Yuri added lazily, though there was something else beneath his tone.
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Testing.
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I ignored it.
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"London done?" Rory asked casually.
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"Or did you just miss us and jay ?" Blaster laughed.
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"Shut up," Kit muttered.
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"Let him breathe," Josh added, though he was grinning.
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Noise.
Chaos.
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Normal.
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I nodded once.
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That was enough.
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Silence fell—not completely, but enough.
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Respect.
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My gaze moved across the room.
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Every face.
Every position.
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Every presence.
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All accounted for.
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And yet—
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Something was wrong.
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My eyes scanned again.
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Once.
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Twice.
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Then slower.
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Desk near the window.
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Empty.
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The corner seat.
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Empty.
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The one place that never stayed quiet—
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Silent.
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My steps slowed.
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Just a fraction.
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"Where is she?"
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The words slipped out before I could stop them.
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The room shifted.
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Not loudly.
Not obviously.
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But I felt it.
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A pause.
A glance.
A hesitation.
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And that—
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that wasn't normal.
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"Where is Jay?"
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This time—
clear.
Sharp.
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No room for avoidance.
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Silence.
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Even Blaster didn't joke.
Even Yuri didn't smirk.
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That was enough to tell me—
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something was wrong.
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My gaze hardened slightly.
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"David."
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He stepped forward immediately.
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"Yeah , now what ...I'mnot your info box keiferq ."
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"Answer me."
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A pause.
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Too long.
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"She hasn't been coming to school."
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Everything stilled.
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Not visibly.
Not externally.
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But inside—
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something locked.
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"How long?"
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My voice didn't change.
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But the room felt colder.
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"…A month."
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A month.
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The same amount of time I was gone.
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Coincidence?
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No.
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Not with her.
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"She just stopped," Drew added quietly.
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"No notice. No explanation," Edrix said.
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"She didn't answer calls either," Kit muttered.
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"Sebastian came a few times," Josh added, "but even he didn't say much."
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Sebastian knows.
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Of course he does.
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My jaw tightened slightly.
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"And none of you thought to inform me?" I asked.
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Calm.
Too calm.
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No one answered.
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Because they didn't have one.
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Because they knew—
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they should have.
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Yuri leaned back slightly, eyes narrowing.
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"You left first," he said.
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The room froze.
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Tension.
Sharp.
Immediate.
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Cinco shot him a look.
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"Not the time," he said quietly.
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But Yuri didn't care.
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"She disappeared after that," he added.
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A direct hit.
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I didn't react.
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Didn't show anything.
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But the message landed.
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Clear.
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I exhaled slowly.
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Of course.
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To them—
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I chose something else.
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I chose power.
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And she—
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left.
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My eyes moved again.
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That empty seat.
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Still there.
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Still wrong.
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"Where is Aries?" I asked suddenly.
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"I'm here," Aries said calmly.
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Of course he was.
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Always watching.
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Always aware.
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I held his gaze.
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He didn't look away.
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Didn't speak.
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But something in his eyes said—
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You're late.
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And for the first time—
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that thought didn't feel like an accusation.
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It felt like truth.
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I turned slightly.
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"Classes continue as usual."
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Authority.
Final.
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No discussion.
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They nodded instantly.
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Because no matter what changed—
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this didn't.
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I walked toward the door.
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No hesitation.
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No pause.
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But just before stepping out—
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I stopped.
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"Find out where she is."
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Not a request.
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An order.
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And this time—
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no one hesitated.
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"Yes, President."
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I stepped out.
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The hallway felt quieter.
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Or maybe—
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it was just me.
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A month.
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She disappeared for a month.
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And no one knows where she is.
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Or maybe—
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they do.
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And they're not saying.
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Either way—
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this wasn't over.
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Because Jay doesn't disappear without a reason.
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And whatever that reason is—
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I'm going to find it.
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No matter what it takes.
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Because this time—
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I'm not letting her slip away.
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Again.
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End of Chapter.