Page 42

"YOU DIDN'T NEED TO CARRY ME HERE."

Y/N muttered through clenched teeth as her arm clutched her side, shielding the bruised ribs that throbbed with every breath.

Adrian didn't respond immediately. He reached for the edge of her uniform shirt—pausing only when her hand shot out, gripping his wrist.

"I'm not going to undress you." he said dryly, the corner of his mouth twitching with faint amusement. "But I need to see the damage, Y/N."

At that, her grip loosened. She exhaled, slow and wary, and let her hand fall. "It's fine. I'm fine. Just bruising."

"You shouldn't lie to someone who can hear when your breathing skips."

Her eyes flicked up to meet his, and for a moment she forgot the ache splintering her ribs. His stare wasn't the usual glazed-over detachment. Now there was something else there—concentration laced with concern, veined through with tension.

Adrian reached for a small jar of cooling balm from the shelf and dipped his fingers in before pressing them gently to the fabric covering her side. The chill of it made her hiss, but his touch was precise, careful.

"You didn't have to go feral" she whispered, "I'm not dying.."

His voice was low. "You could've fractured something."

"Still. Not dying."

He paused, just for a second. "Yet."

The silence between them settled thick and oddly fragile. She wanted to say something else—to shift the topic, to lighten the mood. "I'm fine—help me back to my dorm?"

He stayed quiet for a moment "Fine."

? ★ ?

When the pair stepped out of the infirmary, an overhead light caught on familiar clean-cut brown hair and sharp collarbones, casting soft shadows down his cheekbones—and approaching them in the hallway.

His eyes immediately fell to her curled frame and the way Adrian's body bent protectively over her.

"Y/N?" Marcus asked, eyebrows furrowed. "What.. happened?"

Adrian straightened instantly, stepping just slightly in front of her, an unusual yet familiar feeling of adrenaline surging through his veins.

Marcus's gaze lingered on her arm still wrapped protectively around her middle, then shifted to Adrian with a flicker of displeasure, but recovered it with a small 'student body' advocating smile.

"You alright?" he asked again, this time directed solely at her.

"I'm fine." she said quickly, applying most of her weight onto Adrian who, despite, was stood firm.

Marcus took a step forward, a subtle glance flicked over her injuries. "I was heading to the library when I heard someone took a hit in PE. Guess I wasn't surprised to find it was you."

She offered a dry smile. "Glad to be predictable?"

He tilted his head, something unreadable slipping behind his features. Marcus's gaze shifted to Adrian, then back to Y/N. "Let me walk you back to your dorm."

Before she could respond, Adrian's posture stiffened, his eyes narrowing slightly. "I'm already helping her back to her dorm."

Marcus frowned, stepping closer. "I can take it from here. You look like you could use a break."

Adrian's jaw tightened. "I'm fine."

The tension between the two was palpable, a silent battle of wills playing out in the narrow hallway. Y/N glanced between them, the weight of their stares pressing down on her; like two predators circling a wounded animal, one already at her side, the other daring to intrude.

"She's in pain," Adrian said "and she doesn't need to be dragged across campus."

"Dragged?" Marcus echoed with a soft laugh, smiling—but it didn't reach his eyes. "I'm not some brute. I just want to make sure she's okay."

"I've already done that."

"Then your job's finished."

The words were like blades—clean, precise, and quiet enough not to wake the deadened air in the room. Their eyes clashed above her—heat and cool steel, neither backing down.

Finally, Marcus turned to her, softer now. "Y/N.. I haven't seen you since the party. I figured maybe we could talk. Catch up?"

Adrian didn't move.

Her heart beat out a slow, confusing rhythm. Her eyes bounced between them, and for a moment she considered saying nothing at all. But then she exhaled and slowly rose to her feet.

"Thank you," she said to Adrian, her voice soft, apologetic almost. "Really. But I think I'll go with Marcus. I'll see you in chem."

Adrian didn't blink, his eyes flicked to hers, a mixture of frustration and resignation flashing across his face. He stepped back, allowing Marcus to take his place.

Marcus stepped forward to steady her, a gentle hand at her waist—his other ghosting just under her elbow in a chivalrous gesture that didn't feel quite as kind as it looked.

As Marcus gently pulled her closer to lean on him, he shot Adrian a look—a subtle smirk playing on his lips.

Adrian's fists clenched at his sides, but he said nothing, watching as they walked away.

Adrian's face remained unreadable, but she didn't see the flicker of smugness in Marcus's eyes as he turned toward him with a knowing, innocent smile.

The door closed softly behind them.

? ★ ?

The discovery happened during sixth period, a time usually marked by the rustling of papers and the drone of lectures. But today, the mundane sounds were overshadowed by a far more sinister revelation.

Slumped behind the equipment shed. Eyes open, mouth twisted in a silent scream. The same boy who had hurled the dodgeball at Y/N.He lay sprawled amongst the fallen leaves and damp earth, a chilling portrait of finality.

His ribs were shattered inward. Throat torn. Blood pooled beneath him, seeping into the cracks of the pavement like it had been painted there. His mouth was slightly agape, as if the scream that had been building within him had been abruptly silenced by the cold hand of death.

Another human. Another student, stolen from the halls of Auragon before their time. Another name etched onto the invisible list of victims, a list that grew longer with alarming speed.

This time, there was no booming announcement from the headmaster's voice echoing through the ancient stone corridors.

No somber call for a public assembly, no forced words of comfort and reassurance. Instead, the news was delivered in hushed tones, a whispered memo passed furtively between teachers, the gravity of the situation too weighty to be broadcast.

Yet, despite the attempted secrecy, the news spread like blood through water, staining the atmosphere of the school with fear and suspicion.

? ★ ?

As the sun began its descent, painting the sky in hues of blood orange and bruised purple behind the imposing towers of Auragon Academy, a palpable sense of unease settled over the student body.

The carefree chatter that usually filled the hallways was replaced by nervous whispers and furtive glances.

Windows were bolted shut, curtains drawn tight, as if to shut out the darkness and the horrors it concealed. The human students, particularly, clung together like birds within their dorms sensing an approaching storm, seeking solace and strength in numbers.

And in the boys' dorm room, the air hung thick with a tension that was ready to snap.

The lights were low, the scent of ink and stale coffee hanging heavy in the air. Homework sheets lay abandoned across desks, a half-finished textbook open beneath Adrian's sprawled legs. He sat on his bed, back against the wall, earbuds in, humming faintly to a song no one else could hear.

Azul paced quietly with his hands buried into the depths of his pocket, and sinking deeper into his hoodie. Calixto stood near the window, His arms were crossed tightly over his chest, bunching the fabric of his black shirt.

His toungue outlined his fangs, a nervous habit that betrayed the turmoil churning within him, as if he believed they held the answers to their predicament. The conversation had already started before Adrian even acknowledged them.

"This is the second time Adrian" Calixto said, voice hushed and sharp. "That's not coincidence. You seriously not going to just admit you're on some fucking canine killing spree?"

"I was with Y/N," Adrian said flatly, removing an earbud and stretching his legs. "You know that."

"Well we all know it's not Mr Lockwood because that man's too much of a pussy.." Azul muttered.He paused, letting the implication hang heavy in the air.

"Doesn't mean that it's me." Adrian returned to his work, flicking his pencil across the page. "You know I didn't do it."

"You expect us to know that?" Calixto stepped closer, voice tight with disbelief. "You show up to a gym you don't belong in. You act like a goddamn predator. Then that same guy ends up in pieces before midnight? Say it with me now—suspicious as fuck."

Before Adrian could answer, the dorm door creaked open.

And he walked in.

Silas.

His silhouette was a mess of shadows and damp hair, his shirt stained with something that looked far too dark to be sweat. The second he stepped over the threshold, the air shifted.

He didn't say anything at first. Just shut the door behind him, exhaled—and then looked up.

There was something wrong in his eyes.

A feverish glaze, and beneath it, a sickness too old to name. The kind that curdled blood. The kind you couldn't bleach from your soul. Calixto straightened. "Silas?"

"I did it."

The room stilled.

"What?" Azul asked.

Silas didn't flinch. "I killed him."

He stepped toward the bed and dropped something onto the floor with a dull clink.

Blood still crusted the metal edge—a silver, metal baseball bat.

Silas met Adrian's stare, unreadable. "He hurt her on purpose.

I heard him brag about it. How he aimed for her ribs. How he wanted to see her knocked down."

Azul's eyes narrowed. "So you shattered his bones like my art class' ceramics?"

Silas shrugged. "Wouldn't be the first time."

Calixto cursed lowly and turned away, pacing again. "You absolute idiot. Do you even know the kind of heat that's coming? That's two deaths in a month. You want them to shut this place down?"

"My mother won't let that happen." Silas said simply.

Azul's tone snapped. "Your mother isn't the only Headteacher here."

"She'll cover it." Silas said. "She always does."

"And what?" Adrian finally said, sitting up, voice colder than steel. "You think that excuses it? You did that for her? You think Y/N wants your fucking revenge?"

Silas looked at him. "Don't pretend you wouldn't have done the same."

Adrian rose to his feet slowly.

The energy changed.

"I didn't tear him apart," Adrian said. "But I wanted to. So don't assume you're the only one with claws. Especially when I'm the one who gets all the 'heat'."

Calixto cut in sharply. "Enough. Both of you."

But Silas didn't move. Neither did Adrian.

"You don't get to act righteous," Silas said. "You're hiding shit too. We all know what you are."

Adrian's smile was dark and humourless. "Do you?"

"Yeah and you should keep your feral ass out of the South Woods.. You know, she was out at night with her stupid friends, and almost saw you fucking changing that night." Adrian raised a brow, "What the fuck are you talking about.."

Calixto stepped between them. "I said enough." And then, as if the madness hadn't peaked, he muttered under his breath. "I kissed her."

? ★ ?

"You what."

The words sliced the silence like a guillotine, sharp and clean.

It was Azul who asked, but he didn't sound angry—not yet.

He sounded disbelieving. Like the world had tilted sideways and refused to make sense.

Adrian's shoulders had just barely relaxed from their taut, guarded stance. Now they stiffened again.

Calixto's head was hung low. Disappointment? Shame? No, amusement.

It wasn't the lazy, teasing grin they all knew. Not the smug smirk he wore when he had someone flustered in the palm of his hand. This was something else.

It was slow. Intentional. A twisted, gleaming thing that reached his eyes and filled them with something dark and honeyed. Possessive.

"I did.." he said, voice low and syrup-slick, as if the memory itself tasted sweet on his tongue. "And it was—fucking perfect."

Silas's eyes narrowed to slits, jaw tightening. Azul looked like someone had just dumped a bucket of ice water down his back. Adrian didn't move. His whole body was stone. Only his hand flexed, curled into a fist against his thigh, white-knuckled and trembling.

"She was amazing" he went on, voice darkening like velvet dipped in wine. "Desperate. Barely holding it together. God, the way she looked up at me like I was the only thing keeping her sane..."

He exhaled, the sound practically obscene.

"She was so soft. So—vulnerable.

And you know what she did, Silas? What she did when I touched her face?

" He chuckled under his breath, eyes hooded.

"She leaned in. Like she'd been waiting for someone—me—to finally see her. She wanted it."

"She didn't stop me" Calixto continued, lips curling. "She didn't pull away. Her lips were warm. She tasted like mint and cherries. And when I kissed her..." He dragged a hand through his hair, like the memory physically overwhelmed him. "I could feel it. That she needed it. Me."

"You're sick." Azul spat, voice shaking with revulsion—or was it rage?

But Calixto's eyes finally flicked toward him, slow and dangerous. "Don't pretend you wouldn't have done the same if you had her alone in your arms like I did.."

Silas stood abruptly, the chair scraping across the floor behind him. "You took advantage of her."

Calixto stood too, meeting him step for step. "I comforted her. You think she wanted you? You terrify her. Adrian treats her like a burden. Azul just wants to own her. But me?" His voice dipped to a whisper. "She came to me."

"You mean she was in shock, probably traumatised, and you used that to kiss her?" Adrian's voice was flat, but his eyes burned. "That's not love. That's obsession."

Calixto tilted his head, mockingly thoughtful.

"Is there a difference?She didn't fight me," Calixto snapped, suddenly unhinged.

"That's what you don't get. She let me in.

She needed someone who actually sees her for what she is—fragile and furious and fucking beautiful in all the ways none of you appreciate. "

"And you want to know the worst part?" Calixto's smile was back, sweet and sharp like a candy laced with poison. "Even now, I know she remembers it.. I know it's still on her lips."

Adrian's jaw clenched so hard it looked painful. Silas's knuckles were bleeding from how hard he'd dug his nails into his palm.

Calixto just laughed. "Go on, keep pretending I'm the villain. But when she dreams tonight, it'll be of me."

"You're sick," Silas said.

"We all are." Calixto snapped. "Don't pretend you're noble just because you killed for her. You want her too."

They couldn't afford to fall apart. Not yet. Their fragile alliance was the only thing standing between them and utter chaos, and splintering it now would unleash forces they couldn't control.

Because they all wanted her. The thought hung in the air, a palpable presence that both united and divided them.

? ★ ?

In different ways. For some, it was a desperate need, a craving for something they believed she possessed that they desperately lacked.

But the obsession burned in each of them now—a feverish, consuming flame that threatened to devour everything in its path.

Irrevocable. The point of no return had long since passed. Dangerous.

This desire, this shared fixation, was a volatile element, a ticking time bomb that could detonate at any moment, shattering the fragile peace and unleashing a war from which none of them might emerge unscathed.

The tension in the room was a thick, palpable thing, a suffocating blanket woven from ambition and simmering resentment. Four figures occupied the space, each a contender, each vying for the same coveted prize: her.

Azul, pacing restlessly, finally broke the silence, his voice a low rumble, "She's not going to pick any of us if we tear each other apart.

" He stopped, his dark eyes sweeping across the other men, a silent challenge laced within his words.

"She'll see nothing but weakness, pettiness. It'll disqualify us all."

Silas, the most pragmatically minded of the group, nodded once, his expression firm. "So we work together." He stated it as a simple, logical equation, a temporary alliance born of necessity. "Present a united front. Show her that we're capable of.. synergy."

Adrian, perpetually cynical, leaned back against the cold stone wall, arms crossed. His gaze, sharp and assessing, darted between Azul and Silas. "Until?" he drawled, the question hanging in the air like a poisoned dart. "Until one of us gets ahead? Until the cracks start to show?"

Calixto, the enigma of the quartet, finally spoke.

His voice was smooth, deceptively calm. "Until she chooses.

.." His eyes, usually so expressive, were now veiled, impossible to decipher.

He revealed nothing of his true intentions.

"And if she doesn't?" He paused, letting the unspoken question linger.

"If she remains indecisive, unable to make a choice. ."

Azul's lips curved into a predatory grin, shattering the fragile equilibrium. The gleam in his eyes was dangerous, a spark of something that bordered on obsession. "Then we make her."

The air crackled with unspoken power. The temporary alliance was just a facade, a means to an end. Azul's words hinted at a deeper, more manipulative game, a game where the rules were fluid and the stakes were everything.

The hunt was on, and the hunters were no longer just competing; they were willing to force the outcome, no matter the cost. They didn't shake hands. Didn't swear oaths. But something unholy was sealed in that room nonetheless.

A plan.

A pact.

And Y/N—their little star, their fragile obsession—was already caught in the centre of it.