The girl in the second row looked like she might actually pass out.
Dev closed his eyes briefly-the expression of a man watching a train wreck happen in slow motion. Beside him, Ravi had physically leaned away from the back row, trying to distance himself from the blast radius.
Professor Harin turned around slowly. He looked at Rix, then at Seraphine, and then back at Rix. His face carried a single, unmistakable message: Son... what have you done?
Seraphine didn't react immediately.
One second.
Two seconds.
Three.
"No," she finally said, her voice barely above a whisper. She tilted her head slightly. "I handle my own problems."
The delivery was completely stripped of emotion, which somehow made it the most threatening thing Rix had ever heard in his life. His throat went bone-dry.
She held his gaze for four long seconds before turning away, sitting down, and opening her notebook. Uncapping her pen, she began to write.
Slowly, the tension in the room began to give way. Pens met paper, eyes drifted back to the board, and normal background chatter crept back into the hallway. Professor Harin turned back to the whiteboard, his chalk resuming its track with a hand that was slightly less steady than before.
At the back, Rix sat motionless, staring at his desk as his heartbeat drummed loudly in his ears. He replayed her words in his head.
I handle my own problems.
Okay, he thought, staring blankly at the wood grain. That was hands-down the dumbest thing I've ever said.
The quiet scratch of her pen against paper filled the space between them. Rix sat there, meticulously picking apart the entire interaction-every word, every breath, every moment his mouth had run ahead of his brain.
I handle my own problems.
He exhaled slowly through his nose. Sleep was entirely out of the question now. He shifted in his seat, trying to find a comfortable position, but the desk that had felt so inviting twenty minutes ago now felt like a slab of concrete.
He rested his cheek against his forearm, his eyes involuntarily drifting toward her. She was taking notes—neat, precise lines filling the page in handwriting that was annoyingly perfect.
He looked away, opting to stare at the ceiling instead.
Your father deploys someone?
He closed his eyes, overcome with genuine anguish. Why the fuck did I say that?
No answer came—just the relentless, steady scratch of her pen. He pulled his arms tighter around his head and buried his face back into his sleeves.
Go to sleep, he commanded himself.
His brain laughed at him.
Go to sleep, he repeated, firmer this time.
His brain immediately replayed I handle my own problems in her exact cadence and pitch. He groaned quietly into his hoodie.
Great. Fantastic morning.
Hours dragged by. Professors rotated in and out, delivering their respective lectures, while Rix remained slumped over his desk. Sleep had been thoroughly erased from his vocabulary. He didn't look up once-whether out of embarrassment or pure survival instinct, he kept his head down.
At exactly 12:00 PM, the bell echoed down the corridors, signaling the start of lunch.
Students instantly began filing out, some glued to their phones, others chatting in groups. A few remained behind, including Seraphine, Rix, Rina... and a couple of background stragglers.
Why isn't she getting up...? Rix cursed silently.
Noticing him tracking her movements, Seraphine spoke without looking over. Her expression was neutral, but her tone carried a sharp edge. "Why are you staring at me? What, do you want to punch me?"
Rix blinked. "I want to go to the bathroom."
The words slipped out before his filter could intercept them.
Seraphine paused, staring at him. "...Then go. Why are you looking at me?"
"Because you're blocking the way. Why aren't you getting up?" he shot back, his irritation getting the better of him.
"That's none of your business," she said flatly. "Don't involve yourself in my affairs."
Rix slowly stood up, slinging his bag over one shoulder as he moved toward her aisle. Scratching the back of his neck, he hesitated for a fraction of a second. "Look... about earlier. I thought about it, and I realized—"
"I don't need your apology," Seraphine cut in, her voice level as she looked straight at him. "It's fine. Honestly, I don't care. I've seen plenty of guys like you—acting cold and detached, thinking it makes you look interesting. It doesn't bother me. So you really don't have to—"
"When did I ever say I was going to apologize?" Rix interrupted, staring at her like she'd lost her mind.
Seraphine blinked. "What?"
Rix closed the distance between them, stepping right into her space. He leaned down, his face inches from hers, his voice dropping into a low, jagged rasp.
"Go fuck yourself," he spat, every word dripping with raw, unfiltered venom. "You actually thought I was going to apologize to you? I don't give a single flying fuck about your general father or your pathetic little 'I handle shit myself' routine. Strip away that fucking family name, Seraphine and what the hell are you? You're a useless, arrogant little bitch."
He pulled back just enough to force her to stare directly into his eyes.
"You're nothing."
For the first time in her life, the air caught like shattered glass in Seraphine's throat.
No one, not even her father's sniveling subordinates, not her upper-class peers, not a single human being in her structured, polished world-had ever spoken to her like she was dirt under their shoe. His eyes weren't just angry; they were dead, completely stripped of the fake reverence, fear, or posturing she was used to seeing.
The silence in the room stretched out, heavy and suffocating.
Seraphine didn't blink. She couldn't. Her lips parted slightly, but no sound came out. Her pulse hammered in her ears, a dull, deafening thud as her mind desperately tried to process the raw filth that had just been hurled at her. In her world, hostility was veiled behind fake smiles, diplomatic subtext, and polite daggers. Nobody screamed expletives in her face. Nobody looked at her with such pure, unadulterated disgust.
Her posture remained frozen, her hands resting motionless on her desk as the words echoed in the empty air between them over and over again.
'Useless. Useless bitch. Nothing.'
Rix didn't wait around for the shock to wear off. He turned on his heel and walked out, slamming the door shut behind him.
The loud bang of the door reverberated through the classroom, but Seraphine still didn't move. She just sat there, staring blankly at the dark wood of the empty doorframe. The silence returned, sinking into the room like heavy concrete.
Minutes ticked by. The dust motes floated lazily in the sunlight. She remained motionless, caught in a total, stunned paralysis, her mind completely blank as the sheer anomaly of the moment crushed her usual composure.
Out in the hallway, however, Rix's knees almost buckled under him.
His legs were trembling so violently he had to drag his shoulder along the cold metal lockers just to stay upright.
'Fuck... fuck, fuck, FUCK... I actually said that to her face.'
He had spent three agonizing hours lying on his desk, sweating through his shirt, trying to plan a sensible, quiet way out of this mess. But the moment she opened her mouth with that condescending, high-and-mighty tone, his brain had completely short-circuited. His ego took the wheel, and once he started spitting venom, his mouth had just run on pure, suicidal autopilot.
That was the fundamental, disastrous flaw of Rix Alder. He would spend all day preaching to himself about keeping a low profile, staying invisible, and avoiding trouble—only to blow up his own life the second someone pushed his buttons. He never gave a shit about the consequences in the heat of the moment.
If things got genuinely life-threatening later... fuck it, he'd figure out a way to deal with it then, or just hide behind his best friend.
Inside the quiet classroom, Seraphine finally drew a slow, shuddering breath, her fingers tightening around the edge of her desk until her knuckles turned white.
A hand suddenly rested on her shoulder, causing her to break out of her thoughts and turn around.
It was Rina Velmont. Her bright blonde hair fell naturally over her shoulders, carrying the kind of effortless grace that easily commanded attention. She leaned in with a warm, easy smile, extending a hand to the still-dazed transfer student.
"Hey! I'm Rina Velmont. Nice to meet you."
"Oh—sorry... nice to meet you too," Seraphine managed, shaking off the residual shock. "I'm Seraphine Ash—"
"Sera," Rina interrupted smoothly.
"...Pardon?"
Rina's smile widened. "I'll call you Sera. How's that sound? Comfortable, or would you prefer Seraphine?"
Seraphine opened her mouth, then closed it.
No one had ever casually shortened her name like that on a first meeting. People usually addressed her formally, carefully measuring their words because they were hyper-aware of who her father was. Yet this girl was standing here offering a nickname as if they'd known each other for years.
"Sera is fine. I like it," Seraphine replied, a small, genuine smile finally breaking through her reserved posture. The casual warmth in Rina's voice was a welcome relief from the tension of the last few hours.
Then, like a cold splash of water, Rix's face flashed in her mind.
'Go fuck yourself.'
The memory of his blunt, dismissive glare made her chest tighten all over again. Her fingers dug slightly into the fabric of her skirt as annoyance replaced her initial shock. The nerve of that guy. He really thinks he can talk to me like that and just walk away?
She wasn't going to let it slide. Not a chance.
Meanwhile, across campus in the cafeteria, Rix was halfway through a mouthful of food when a violent sneeze nearly sent his face flying into his tray.
"Achoo! Fuck..." He wiped his nose with a napkin, narrowing his eyes suspiciously as he glanced around. "Someone's talking mad shit about me right now."
Back in the classroom, Rina beamed. "How about we become friends, then?"
"Sure, why not," Seraphine said, keeping her tone light.
"Awesome! Since we're officially friends, come with me to the cafeteria. You've gotta meet the rest of my group."
Without waiting for an answer, Rina grabbed Seraphine's hand and began pulling her toward the exit. Seraphine stumbled slightly, surprised by the sudden physical contact. People usually waited for her to move first or walked a respectful step behind her. Being dragged down a hallway by someone she'd just met was entirely foreign, but as they walked, a small smile touched her lips. It was strangely refreshing.
The university cafeteria was a sprawling, noisy space packed with long rows of tables, clattering trays, and the heavy aroma of fried food and cheap coffee. Students were clustered everywhere, chatting, laughing, or scrolling through their phones.
The social layout was clearly defined: the high-profile crowds occupied the center tables where everyone could see them, while the quieter groups stuck to the perimeter.
When the cafeteria doors swung open and Rina walked in leading Seraphine by the hand, the noise level dropped noticeably.
Rina paid no attention to the sudden shift, but Seraphine felt the weight of dozens of eyes immediately tracking them.
"Holy shit, is that Rina Velmont?" a guy at a nearby table muttered, his fork frozen mid-air. "Who's the girl with her?"
"Shut up, idiot," his friend hissed, nudging him hard. "Stop staring so loudly."
At a table close to the entrance, a student leaned toward his buddy with a confident smirk. "Look at that. Two of them, walking right in my direction. They're probably coming over to talk to me."
His friend didn't even look up from his plate. "They're walking toward the back. You just happen to be in their way."
Rina scanned the room with practiced ease before spotting her destination. "There they are!" she called out, waving toward a table near the far wall.
Seraphine followed her gaze, though her eyes instinctively scanned the surrounding tables for a familiar, messy head of hair and a slouched hoodie. She wanted to see if Rix was still acting like a tough guy out in public.
Two girls were already seated at Rina's usual spot. There was Aria, an Arts major who carried an effortless, quiet elegance, and Sylvia, whose demeanor seemed to shift by the minute-sweet one moment, sharp and guarded the next.
They greeted Seraphine casually, without any awkward posturing. Before long, the four of them were deep in conversation. While Seraphine's answers were still slightly formal out of sheer habit, she was slowly relaxing.
Their conversation was interrupted when a shadow fell over the table.
"Excuse me."
Seraphine turned to see three guys standing nearby.
In the center was Julian Crest, tall, athletic, and clearly accustomed to attention. To his left was Rayne, who looked far more relaxed and quiet, and on his right was Kael, dressed simply with an understated presence.
The trio stood out not just because of their looks, but because of the distinct aura of wealth that surrounded them. They moved with the unbothered confidence of people backed by serious family money. Julian, in particular, was the same guy who had smirked at Rix from his BMW earlier that morning.
"Nice to meet you, Seraphine," Julian said, offering a polished, practiced smile. "I heard about you back when I was in Central City. Honestly, I didn't expect you to transfer out here to Ashford. Any particular reason for the move?"
Seraphine looked at him for a quiet second, her expression unreadable. "Family matters."
The response was short, dry, and gave him absolutely nothing to work with.
Julian's smile wavered for a fraction of a second. He had clearly hoped for a longer conversation, but reading the room, he realized pushing further would get him nowhere. Giving a polite, stiff nod, he and his friends turned and headed toward their own table.
With the distraction gone, Seraphine's eyes wandered across the crowded dining hall until she finally located him.
The rest of the cafeteria was a cramped disaster-students were squeezed shoulder-to-shoulder, fighting over scattered chairs. But at the far end of the room, Rix was sitting at a massive, wooden table all by himself.
The table could easily seat ten people, yet he sat right in the center of it like an island in an empty ocean. Nobody even attempted to approach the surrounding chairs.
"Hey, Rina," Seraphine said, nodding subtly toward the back. "What's the deal with him? The room is completely packed, but no one is going anywhere near that table. Why is he sitting alone?"
Despite her intense irritation with him, her curiosity won out.
"Oh, that?" Rina lowered her voice slightly, glancing back over her shoulder. "It's because that table is reserved for two specific people."
"Only two?" Seraphine asked, intrigued. "Who?"
Rina leaned in closer, her tone turning uncharacteristically serious. "One seat belongs to Rix. And the other..."
"The other belongs to who?"
Rina took a quiet breath and whispered, "The other one is for the strongest."