I won't deny it.
Kael Draven was attractive.
But that didn't change anything.
Not the way he walked into a classroom like rules didn't apply to him.
Not the way people feared him.
Not the way he thought he could send someone to summon me like I didn't have a choice.
I didn't like that.
I didn't like him.
And I definitely didn't like the way my mind kept going back to him.
I came to this school for one reason.
My books.
My grades.
My future.
Not some boy who thought the world revolved around him.
Still… I won't lie.
I was scared.
What if he got angry?
What if he didn't like being told no?
What if one day he just—
I stopped the thought immediately, shaking my head.
"No," I muttered under my breath.
I refused to let fear control me.
Even if someone liked you, it shouldn't be like this.
It shouldn't feel like pressure. Like control.
And who does he even think he is?
Sending someone to come and get me?
Rude.
Proud.
Too full of himself.
"Omo… I came here for books jare," I whispered, opening my textbook.
Just three days in this school and I was already stressing about a boy?
No.
I forced myself to focus.
And slowly… I started ignoring him.
But Kael didn't ignore me.
Not even a little.
At first, it was small things.
A chocolate on my desk.
A drink placed beside my books.
A folded note I never opened.
All of them returned.
Every single one.
Talia noticed.
Of course she did.
"Seraphina… this is not normal," she said one afternoon, her voice low as she looked at the gift I had just pushed aside.
"I don't care," I replied simply.
She leaned closer. "You should."
I didn't respond.
Because what was I supposed to say?
That I was scared?
That I didn't understand why someone like him was so focused on me?
That I didn't like the way it made me feel… watched?
Because that was the truth.
I felt it.
Even when I didn't see him.
I knew.
Kael was watching.
And sometimes… I saw him.
From a distance.
Leaning against a wall.
Standing with his friends.
Sitting somewhere he didn't even need to be.
But always—
Looking at me.
Not casually.
Not like every other guy.
His gaze was different.
Steady.
Patient.
Like he was studying me.
Figuring me out.
Planning something.
It made my chest tighten every time.
But I never reacted.
Never looked too long.
Never gave him anything.
If he wanted attention—
He wasn't getting it from me.
Weeks passed like that.
Gifts.
Stares.
Silence.
Pressure.
And still…
I didn't give in.
Other boys noticed me too.
That part wasn't new.
They tried talking to me. Sitting close. Offering help.
Normal things.
But somehow—
It never lasted.
Because once Kael noticed…
Everything changed.
I saw it happen more than once.
A boy would be bold one day—
Then distant the next.
Avoiding me.
Quiet.
Careful.
Like someone had warned him.
Or threatened him.
I didn't need confirmation.
I already knew.
Kael.
I should have felt special.
Maybe even flattered.
But I didn't.
I felt… trapped.
Like I didn't have control over something that involved me.
And I hated that feeling.
Still—
I stayed focused.
Books.
Classes.
Results.
That was my world.
That was what I held onto.
Until the day he decided to stop watching.
And finally come to me.
The library was quiet.
Peaceful.
Exactly the way I liked it.
No noise. No pressure. No unnecessary attention.
Just me and my notes.
I was writing when I felt it again.
That presence.
Closer this time.
Too close.
Then—
A voice.
Low.
Deep.
Right behind me.
"You've been avoiding me."
My pen stopped moving instantly.
My fingers tightened around it.
Slowly…
I lifted my head.
I didn't turn immediately.
I didn't want to.
Because I already knew.
Kael Draven.
My heart started beating faster.
Louder.
Like it was trying to warn me.
But I ignored it.
I forced myself to stay calm.
Then slowly—
I turned.
And there he was.
Closer than he had ever been before.
No distance.
No crowd.
No noise.
Just… him.
Up close, he was worse.
Sharper.
More intense.
His eyes locked onto mine like he had been waiting for this exact moment.
And the way he looked at me—
It wasn't admiration.
It wasn't even attraction.
It felt like…
Claim.
I swallowed lightly but didn't look away.
"I'm not avoiding you," I said, my voice quieter than I intended.
One corner of his lips lifted slightly.
Not a smile.
Something else.
"You're rejecting everything I send."
His voice was calm.
Too calm.
I placed my pen down carefully.
"I didn't ask for any of it."
Silence.
But not empty silence.
The kind that builds tension.
His gaze dropped briefly—to my lips… then back to my eyes.
Slow.
Deliberate.
Like he knew exactly what he was doing.
My breath caught slightly.
And I hated that he noticed.
"Everyone else would have said yes," he said.
I frowned slightly. "Then maybe you should go meet them."
That did something.
I saw it.
A shift.
Small—but real.
Not anger.
Interest.
He stepped closer.
Just a little.
But enough.
Enough for me to notice the difference.
Enough for my body to react before my mind could stop it.
"You're different," he said quietly.
It wasn't a compliment.
It sounded like a conclusion.
Like he had already decided it.
I shook my head slightly. "No. I just don't want trouble."
His eyes held mine.
"And you think I'm trouble?"
I didn't answer.
I didn't need to.
We both knew.
Another step.
Now he was too close.
I could feel it.
The shift in air.
The tension.
The attention.
Everything.
"Look at me," he said.
My chest tightened.
Because I already was.
But the way he said it—
It felt like a command.
Not a request.
And that annoyed me.
I lifted my chin slightly.
"I am."
For a second…
Neither of us spoke.
Just staring.
Testing.
Me trying not to show fear.
Him trying to read something I wasn't ready to give.
Then he leaned slightly closer.
Not touching.
Not yet.
But close enough for me to feel it.
That quiet pressure.
"You'll talk to me eventually," he said softly.
Like it wasn't a guess.
Like it was fact.
I picked up my pen again.
Even though my hand wasn't as steady as before.
"I don't think so."
Another pause.
Then—
A quiet exhale.
Almost like amusement.
When I looked up again—
He was still watching me.
But this time…
There was something different in his eyes.
Not just curiosity anymore.
Something deeper.
Darker.
More focused.
He straightened slowly.
Took a step back.
"Let's see how long that lasts."
And then he walked away.
Just like that.
I sat there.
Still.
My heart still racing.
My mind trying to catch up.
Because for the first time since I got to this school—
Kael Draven didn't feel like a rumor anymore.
He felt real.
Too real.
And somehow…
It felt like I had just made things worse.