University gates.
They stood like polished relics — old money and false hope carved into stone. Gateways to futures that didn't matter anymore.
Not to him.
Aiden stepped out of the car. Boots touched pavement like steel on stone. His blazer was slung over one shoulder. The morning sun cut a glare across his eyes, but he didn't squint.
Behind him, the driver's window rolled down.
His dad.
"You know where you're headed?"
"Yeah."Aiden's voice was flat. "Don't wait. I might drop out by lunch."
The door slammed.
No goodbyes. No luck wishes. Just the sound of rubber tires rolling away and the world moving on.
[Smile Points +8]A God of Dry Sarcasm nods in appreciation.A God of Structured Discipline disapproves silently.
The campus buzzed like a hive pretending to be a temple. Perfumes, cheap cologne, nervous sweat. Laughter that didn't reach the eyes. The smell of coffee and new books failing to cover the reek of anxiety.
Everyone had somewhere to be.
Everyone but him.
He walked straight through clusters of students like a ghost that didn't care to haunt anyone. Heads turned — double takes, glances that lingered a second too long.
Some thought model.Some thought upperclassman.Some just moved out of the way.
He didn't acknowledge any of them.
His eyes scanned the campus the way a soldier sweeps a battlefield. Entrances. Bottlenecks. Cover points.His reflexes were still working — even after all this time.
His past hadn't died. It had just learned how to hide in plain sight.
Classroom 1B.
Door opened.
Metal screech. No drama. Just another stranger walking in.
Aiden stepped inside.
Half the room was full. Some slouched into phones. Some laughed too loud. Some whispered secrets no one cared about.
He noticed them all.
But he focused on the corner.
Three.
The classic formation.
Tall one: jittery, lean, always looking around for someone to impress.Thick one: overfed ego, big hands, louder mouth.Quiet one: too still, too calm. Watched more than he spoke.
They had a mark today — some poor freshman clutching a worn-out backpack like it was armor. The tall one flicked through the guy's wallet like it was a toy. The thick one pushed him down just hard enough to say "you're nothing."
Nobody helped.
Nobody even looked.
Aiden sat near the wall.
Didn't speak.Didn't act.
Just watched.
[Star Stream is stirring…]
▸ A Watcher from the Deep has entered your channel.▸ A Hand Wrapped in Gold Silk watches from behind a veil.▸ The Whispering Voice of Old Chains is humming again…
[New Celestial Quests Available]
▸ Deliver justice. Beat the aggressors senseless. Reward: 8,000 Smile Points.
▸ Tear off their limbs and make them beg. Reward: 1 Legendary Chest.
▸ Kill them publicly. Consequences ignored. Reward: 1 God's Favor.
Accept?▸ Y/N
Aiden's eyes skimmed the list.
He tapped the desk once with his knuckle.
"No."
He whispered it. Just loud enough for no one to hear.
"Not yet."
[Smile Points +20]The Hand Wrapped in Gold Silk chuckles lightly.The Whispering Voice of Old Chains grows impatient.
The professor walked in, fifteen minutes late, with hair like a stressed porcupine and a voice already defeated by tenure. Projector buzzed to life. Slides flickered with promises of knowledge no one would remember.
But Aiden didn't look up.
He wasn't here for degrees.
He was here to plan.
He watched the bullies laugh in the back. Watched the twitch of the freshman's jaw as he wiped blood from his lip.
The old Aiden might've stood up. Might've made a scene.
This Aiden?He had a long game to play.
And the gods were watching.
[System Window: Timeline Reminder]
You have 3 years before the Fall.Smile Points: 4,182Celestial Subscribers: 5.03M
Prepare accordingly.
Aiden blinked.
The countdown had started again.
Not to graduation.Not to some fake future.
But to the real one — the fall, the outbreak, the war.
Aiden sighed as he said "These fucking entertainment freaks wont let us live at all"