The walk back to Havenshire University stretched a full forty minutes under the warm summer night, the kind of quiet, unhurried stroll that felt far too rare for Kael Voss. Three times he offered to flag down a taxi, and three times Lina Ba found a flimsy excuse to refuse—stomach cramps, sensitive skin that reacted to foreign car seats, a sudden urge to stretch her legs. Her lies were transparent, but Kael let her have her way, a faint, amused tilt to his lips as he matched his pace to hers.
Lina talked nonstop the entire way, her eyes bright with curiosity as she bombarded him with questions. Was he from a wealthy, powerful family? Had he trained in combat since childhood? How had he become so strong, so calm, so impossibly mysterious? Kael answered only what he chose, dodging talk of the Voss empire, the ancient medical inheritance that had reforged his body, and the Divine Choice System that guided his every move. He revealed nothing of the darkness that drove him, nothing of the man who had burned his world to the ground.
None of it mattered to Lina. She walked happily in his shadow, grinning like she held the world's best secret, her steps light as she followed the outline of his figure on the pavement. Passersby turned to stare, drawn to the pair—Lina's striking, exotic beauty, Kael's sharp, effortless charm, the kind of couple that looked like they belonged on a magazine cover rather than a college sidewalk. The night air was soft, the breeze carrying the faint scent of jasmine, and for a little while, Kael let himself forget the weight of his revenge.
They reached the Arts Campus, a separate wing of the university with its own dorms and courtyards, and Lina's cheerful energy melted into sudden, flustered shyness.
"I… I should go inside," she mumbled, her cheeks pink.
Kael blinked, confused by her abrupt change in mood. "Alright. Goodnight."
Before he could turn away, Lina moved.
With her tall, slender frame—over five foot seven—she stepped onto the concrete dorm steps, rose onto her tiptoes, and pressed a quick, soft kiss to his cheek. It was a surprise attack, bold and unplanned, and Kael, with his superhuman reflexes, could have dodged it easily.
He didn't move at all.
Lina's face flamed scarlet the second their skin touched, her mind going completely blank. She stammered out a panicked goodbye, spun on her heel, and fled into the dorm building without looking back, her heart pounding so hard she thought it would burst.
Kael stood still for a long moment, his fingers brushing the spot where her lips had been, a quiet, rare smile tugging at his mouth.
That night, three dormitories buzzed with nothing but talk of Kael Voss.
In Kael's dorm room, he found Mason's bed stripped bare, his belongings gone entirely. His roommates crowded around at once, their faces tight with worry.
"Kael! Are you hurt?"
"Where were you? We were scared sick."
"We were about to call the police—those thugs didn't touch you, did they?"
Felix stayed quiet, but his wide, concerned eyes spoke volumes. Kael shook his head, brushing off their fear.
"The club owner stepped in. Tiger backed down. I'm fine." He nodded at the empty bed. "Where's Mason?"
Aisha and Nathan exchanged scathing, disgusted looks. "He ran back here hours ago, packed his things, and said he's transferring majors. Total coward."
Kael felt nothing but indifference. Mason was a trivial, spineless boy, not worth a single thought. His mind was fixed on the only man who mattered: Eliot Storm, the monster who had destroyed his family and left him with nothing but a thirst for vengeance.
In Lina's dorm, the girls chattered excitedly, replaying the night's chaos over and over.
"It was terrifying! I thought we were all in trouble."
"Kael is so handsome—like a movie hero."
"I'd vote him campus king any day."
Lina hugged her teddy bear to her chest, her heart fluttering as they praised Kael, as if their kind words were for her. Aurora Hale watched her closely, her sharp, calm gaze catching every flustered smile and nervous fidget.
"Lina. Why did you take so long to get back? Didn't you share a taxi with the others?"
Lina's heart jumped. She had deliberately sent her roommates ahead, shoving Aurora into the cab with them, just to stay alone with Kael. She scrambled for a lie, her voice shaky.
"I'm… dieting! Our dance instructor says I'm too heavy, so I walked to burn calories."
Aurora's lips curved into a faint, knowing smile. At five foot seven and a slim, athletic build, Lina was nowhere near overweight, and their instructor had never criticized her figure. She let the lie slide, her tone soft.
"What do you think of Kael?"
Lina froze, her secret feelings laid bare. She had always admired Aurora, had once thought Kael's attention was fixed on the quiet, graceful girl. Now, she could not deny the warm, dizzying crush that had taken hold of her.
"He's… really great. Do you like him?"
Aurora paused, considering the question seriously, her dark eyes thoughtful.
"If I had a choice," she said quietly, "he would be an excellent man to care for."
In Chloe Reed's dorm, the girl sat staring at her silent phone, her chest hollow and restless. A roommate bumped her shoulder, teasing.
"Missing your boyfriend?"
Chloe jumped, flustered, denying it instantly. "He's not my boyfriend!"
"Then why are you glued to your phone waiting for his call?"
Chloe fell silent, unable to answer. She had spent weeks pushing Kael away, desperate to end their fake relationship, yet now she found herself waiting for a message that never came.
Her roommate climbed into bed, yawning. "Military training starts tomorrow—two weeks at the base. I'm bringing my teddy bear; I can't sleep without it."
The door burst open, and Scarlett Cole swept in, humming to herself, her chin held high. She shot Chloe a cold, dismissive glance, then pulled out a brand-new white Motorola V3 flip phone, holding it up like a trophy.
"Scarlett! Is that a new phone?" one girl gasped.
Scarlett preened, her voice dripping with arrogance. "It's just a phone. Soon I'll be rich beyond belief. I'll buy all of you mansions, you'll see."
No one believed her empty boasts, but Scarlett cared nothing for their doubt. She sauntered over to Chloe's bed, waving the phone in her face, her tone sharp and mocking.
"People need to earn what they want with their own two hands. Rely on a man, and you'll have nothing when he leaves you."
Without waiting for a reply, she climbed into her own bed, smug and satisfied.
Tomorrow morning, at nine o'clock, every freshman would gather on the main field, ready to depart for the military training base. For two full weeks, they would live on-site, their simple lives stripped down to the basics.
One by one, the students fell asleep, unaware of the battles and confrontations waiting for them at dawn.