When night fell, and the dorm felt quiet, Rhea climbed out her window with the elegance of a cat burglar. Draped in her silk pajamas and putting on socks with little frogs on them, she scaled down the building with uncanny ease, dropping to the ground with a soft thud.
Her roommates stood frozen at the window, watching in stunned silence as she padded barefoot toward where the koi pond was located. She flopped onto the grass, sitting cross-legged with her laptop on her lap.
No one spoke for a long time.
"You know, I was surprised when I discovered she's an Ashbourne," Elira finally whispered, returning to bed. She turned to Callista who was already leaning against the edge of the window, casually swiping through her phone screen. "She's.. not like you, if you know what I mean. I don't want to stereotype, but she doesn't behave like she's from an Ashbourne legacy. No hating, I'm just super curious as to why she's different. She's literally sitting on grass. Everyone else would have reacted and complained about infections, what not and all that dramatic flair. Hopefully no one captures it."
Elira suddenly recalled what Rhea had said earlier today, about her needing to improve her tactics if she wanted to survive. "I can't explain it, but she freaks me out for some reason. After what I did, I can't approach her normally, can I? I mean who welcomes their roommate with a knife pointed directly at them?"
"Take a deep breath," Callista said softly. "We're going to have to do something about Nesta and get her to stop bothering you. I would have confronted her earlier if you hadn't stopped me, cause she is acting beyond her limits. You realize if I hadn't shown up at the lab in the nick of time. You wouldn't even be here by now."
Callista had really tried her best to free Elira from Nesta's clutches, but even she knew her protection had limits, hence, she could not do much. Her spot in the golden circle kept her just out of Nesta's reach. It was a fragile safety net, and one that wouldn't last forever.
She had seen the bruises Nesta left on Elira's skin, and they weren't from pranks or games, considering she found Elira naked in the lab. They were all warning signs– warnings that Nesta was pushing the boundaries further each time, toeing the line between mischief and something far more worse. And yet, because of her alliances and growing support, Nesta was inches away from becoming an Elite herself.
A day at the academy everyone quietly dreaded.
"It's fine," Elira shook her head, already grateful for all the help Callista had rendered. "The doctor already assured me. He's confident I'll walk again. I just need to stay consistent with my medication and show up for the follow-up appointment."
She glanced down at her hands, fingers clasped tightly in her lap. "I don't think she'll come after me again… not now that I'm like this. There's still no hard evidence linking her to Lila's suicide. Most people don't realize she was behind the way Lila was treated. She's protected by silence and doubt, and the rest of us who know about this are being targeted as well. But… she can't do anything to me, for the meantime at least. If something were to happen, she'd be blamed for it."
"That's exactly what worries me," Callista frowned slightly, folding her arms. "She's going to target someone else. Rhea couldn't possibly have known about Nesta unless someone told her." Her eyes narrowed, unease creeping into her voice. "And not only does she know, she seems curious. It's like she wants to dig deeper, which is the worst thing she could do. The best way to enjoy Novarion is by maintaining a low profile–"
Callista's words were interrupted by the sudden beep from her phone. She glanced at the screen and saw it was a post that had been uploaded on the Nova website, a very popular sight for the students in Novarion. A mysterious smile played on her lips as she clicked on the post, her pupils dilating, and she turned to Elira who was still staring at her, clueless. "Girl, you need to fuckin' see what they just uploaded."
She approached Elira in a matter of seconds, shoving her screen in her dear friend's face.
"Is that…" Elira's pupil's dilated, and she snatched the phone from Callista to get a better look at what she was seeing.
The screen showed a photo that was trending on the student web, of course. It was the exact moment Rhea collided with someone during her first minute on campus. She had fallen flat on her back, and the guy had landed right on top of her. The camera had caught the instant their faces were inches apart— him, with that smoldering stare, and Rhea's expression confused and strange, as if she was busy analyzing his soul from inside out.
The caption read: "First Day Sparks? Someone's already caught his eye." followed by a cascade of different types of emojis and usernames swooning over the pair on the floor.
"Wait— you mean to say she already met Kael Millers?" Elira gasped, shifting her attention to Callista who smirked.
"The Kael Miller," Callista confirmed. "Top-tier. Heir of the Miller bloodline. Student council prince. Dream-crusher in tailored uniform. Yes, Eli, that Kael Miller is who she met. I still can't believe it though. Not only did she meet him, but he must have been the one who sent her the golden crest, it has to be him, but just like that? This has never happened before."
"But she's so unbothered," Elira whispered, as if afraid Rhea could hear them talk from below. "Oh my God. She's going to burn this place down without even trying. I'm still traumatized from the last Ashbourne incident, I honestly hope she'll be able to handle what she'll receive out there tomorrow."
"We'll see," Callista retrieved her phone back. "Check the web yourself. I've got things to do."
—-
Meanwhile, Rhea had drifted to the koi pond since she felt it was a private place to make her video call. The moon hung low over the garden, and its silver light rippled across the pond's glassy surface. Lanterns nestled among the shrubs flickered faintly, casting long, swaying shadows over the stone path.
Beneath the water, koi glided in slow, lazy circles– their bright scales ghostly beneath the dark, still surface.
She settled cross-legged at the pond's edge, the silk of her pajamas gleaming faintly in the moonlight. There was a disturbing elegance in how she moved, and the moonlight only enhanced her features.
Sliding her laptop open with mechanical precision, she inserted a wireless earbud. She pressed the button to start the video call, and her eyes gleamed when the screen flickered. Her stepfather's face appeared— backlit by the soft glow of a study lamp.
He looked tired, still in his buttoned-up shirt, sleeves rolled up to his elbow. His expression didn't hint at fatigue, but she knew he was exhausted.
"I had a feeling you'd still be at work," she said, her tone light and characteristically playful. "It took me longer than I thought to get settled in, so I had to call in late."
"That's fine," he responded. "As a reminder, I'm not going to stop you from mingling with others or having fun, but don't lose sight of the objective. No matter what you do, remember, you are there for a reason, Rhea. We can't afford to have you distracted, understood?"
Rhea tilted her head, letting the silence stretch just a moment too long before answering with a smile. "Crystal. I also got more intel on the first target, and her new target just happened to be my roommate. I have my plans set in motion for tomorrow. Getting her attention will be easy. Just you wait and see what I'll do, big Daddy."
"Don't stray from the main plan," he warned, narrowing his eyes. He'd caught that flicker in her gaze, and he knew what it meant. The way her pupils tightened, the color in her irises darkening like a drop of ink in water. She only looked like that when she was fantasizing about chaos. He didn't flinch at the sight, and he wondered why he never seemed threatened by what she did. Even after knowing the power she possessed, he never felt intimidated by her.
Her smile froze at his undeniable warning, and then it faded entirely. Her expression turned blank, and from her report, this was her true reaction to everything and everyone, which was nothing.
"I'll be attending my first class tomorrow," she said flatly. "The operation starts there."
"What operation?" a new voice cut in.
Rhea's head turned sharply, and her hands moved without thought. She slammed the laptop shut with a snap, immediately locking gaze with the same guy she'd punch earlier today.
Him again????