🔥 FLAMING ATTRACTION 🔥
Aurora's mind was still spinning long after she left the locker hallway.
Julian Blackwood.
The name alone had caused everyone to panic.
She didn't understand it. Yes, he looked intimidating and obviously rich, but why did everyone act like he owned the entire academy?
She tightened her grip on her books as she followed the signs toward the lecture halls.
Students passed by in groups, laughter filling the corridors, yet she felt strangely alone in the middle of it all.
Her first class was Introduction to Political Science — a compulsory course for first-year students.
When she entered the hall, she froze.
The room was huge.
Tiered seats curved around a wide podium, and at least a hundred students were already seated, talking loudly. Some were scrolling through their phones, others taking selfies like they were at a fashion show instead of class.
Aurora swallowed.
So this is what higher institution is like…
She found an empty seat near the middle and sat quietly, arranging her books on the desk.
Not long after, the lecturer walked in, and the noise slowly died down.
Class began.
But Aurora couldn't focus.
Her thoughts kept drifting back to that cold gaze… and that strange warning.
Be careful who you speak to in this academy.
What did that even mean?
As soon as the lecture ended, students rushed out, already planning lunch and hangouts.
Aurora packed her things slowly and followed the crowd outside.
She was still trying to figure out where her next class was when a voice called out.
"Hey! New girl!"
She turned.
A girl with long curly hair and bright eyes waved at her, walking over with a friendly smile.
"You're Aurora, right? I saw your name on the class list."
Aurora blinked, surprised. "Oh… yes. That's me."
"I'm Maya," the girl said cheerfully. "You looked lost, so I figured I should save you before this place swallows you whole."
Aurora laughed softly, instantly feeling a little better. "Is it that obvious?"
"Very," Maya grinned. "Come on, where's your next class?"
They compared schedules as they walked.
Turns out they had two more classes together.
"I'm glad," Aurora said with relief. "I was worried I'd be alone all day."
"Not anymore," Maya replied. "But tell me something… is it true?"
Aurora frowned. "Is what true?"
"That you bumped into Julian Blackwood this morning?"
Aurora stopped walking. "How did you know that?"
Maya looked around and lowered her voice. "Because the whole academy already knows."
Great.
"That wasn't my plan," Aurora muttered. "I didn't even know who he was."
Maya sighed. "Nobody ever does, until it's too late."
Aurora's heart skipped. "What does that mean?"
"Julian isn't just rich," Maya said carefully. "His family controls a lot of things. Politics. Businesses. Even some… dangerous stuff."
Aurora felt a chill. "Dangerous how?"
Maya hesitated. "Let's just say people don't cross him and walk away smiling."
Aurora remembered the way everyone had gone silent around him.
And that faint, dangerous smile.
"But he didn't do anything," Aurora said. "He just warned me."
Maya stared at her. "He warned you?"
Aurora nodded slowly.
Maya looked unsettled. "That's not normal."
Before Aurora could ask more, loud voices echoed down the hallway.
Students instantly shifted to the sides.
Maya grabbed Aurora's arm. "Don't look."
But Aurora already was.
Julian walked through the corridor with two boys beside him, his expression unreadable. He didn't look at anyone — yet everyone seemed to notice him.
Then, just as he passed, his eyes flicked toward Aurora.
Only for a second.
But it felt longer.
Her breath caught.
He didn't stop.
He didn't speak.
He simply continued walking.
Yet her heart was racing like she had just run a marathon.
Maya exhaled slowly. "You just made eye contact with the king of Ravenport."
Aurora frowned. "King?"
"Basically," Maya said. "And you don't want his attention."
Too late.
They hurried to their next class, but Aurora's thoughts were no longer on lectures or assignments.
Something was happening around her.
And she was already part of it.
Later that afternoon, classes finally ended.
Aurora decided to explore a bit before going home. She wanted to memorize the campus so she wouldn't look lost again tomorrow.
The back gardens were quieter, far from the noisy students.
Stone benches sat under tall trees, and soft wind brushed through the leaves.
She sat down, letting out a long breath.
Today has been too much.
She closed her eyes for a moment.
Then—
"You shouldn't be here alone."
Her eyes flew open.
It was him.
The boy from earlier.
The one who had been watching her after the locker incident.
Alexander Gray.
At least… that was the name she later learned.
Right now, all she knew was that he was standing too close.
"I— I'm not alone," she said quickly, glancing around.
He smiled slightly. "But you are."
Her heart began to pound again. "Do you need something?"
"I wanted to meet the girl who stood up to Julian Blackwood."
"I didn't stand up to him," she replied. "I just didn't bow down."
His smile widened. "That's the same thing here."
She crossed her arms. "Why are you talking to me?"
"Because you're interesting."
That word again.
She took a step back. "I should go."
He didn't stop her.
Instead, he said quietly, "Be careful, Aurora."
She froze.
"How do you know my name?"
He tilted his head. "People talk."
Her stomach twisted.
"There are two types of people in this academy," he continued calmly. "Those who belong to powerful families… and those who become casualties."
Her voice shook. "Are you threatening me?"
He chuckled softly. "No. I'm warning you."
"Why?"
His eyes darkened slightly.
"Because Julian doesn't like sharing what he thinks belongs to him."
Her breath hitched. "Belongs to him?"
Alexander stepped closer, lowering his voice.
"And now… he's noticed you."
Before she could react, her phone rang loudly, breaking the tension.
She quickly stepped away and answered.
"Mom?" she said shakily.
"Yes, sweetie, are you on your way home?" her mother asked.
"Yes. I'm leaving now."
When she looked up again…
Alexander was gone.
Like he had never been there at all.
Aurora stood there, shaken.
What did she just get herself into?
Across campus, hidden behind a line of trees, two pairs of eyes were watching her.
Julian's jaw was tight.
Alexander's lips curved into a slow, dangerous smile.
The game had begun.