Author POV
The tension of the rebellion had been replaced by a heavy, humid silence in the dormitory, but that silence was shattered the moment Zein and Ace stepped back into the common area.
They walked close, their hands brushing—a subtle shift that didn't go unnoticed by the sharpest eyes in the room.
Freya, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed, squinted as the light hit Zein's neck. A small, dark mark stood out against her pale skin.
"You've got to be kidding me," Rakki blurted out, a smirk dancing on her lips. "You too, Zein? I really didn't expect this from the great Supremo."
The room went quiet. Keifer, who had been brooding in the corner, snapped his head up. He walked over, his eyes narrowing as he inspected the mark on Zein's neck. A slow, mocking grin spread across his face as he looked at Ace.
"Wow, Ace. Truly impressive," Keifer drawled, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
"You were just lecturing me about boundaries and respect, and now look what you've done. You're a hypocrite in a designer jacket."
Ace cleared his throat, rubbing the back of his neck, looking uncharacteristically flustered. But Keifer wasn't done.
He stepped closer to Ace, his expression turning mock-serious. "But don't you dare forget—Zein is my sister. Blood or not, she's mine to protect. So, no more hickeys, Supremo. Keep it classy."
Jare jumped in, waving a hand dismissively. "You're both assholes! Zein is like a sister to me, too. You two animals need to stay away from my sisters. Honestly, it's like living in a zoo."
The absurdity of Jare calling them animals while being the most chaotic person in the room broke the tension. A ripple of laughter went through the group.
Even Zein, let out a soft chuckle, while Jay shook her head, leaning against the doorframe with a genuine smile. For a moment, they weren't soldiers; they were just teenagers surviving a mess.
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(THE NEXT MORNING)
Zein's POV
The morning air in the university park was crisp, carrying the scent of pine and damp earth. I sat on a bench, the silence of the dawn acting as a balm for the chaos of the previous night.
My neck still felt warm where Ace's ring hung on a chain beneath my shirt—a secret weight that felt like an anchor.
Movement in the grass caught my eye. A small, charcoal-black kitten with bright amber eyes was prowling through the fallen leaves. It looked tiny, fragile, and completely alone.
I leaned down, extending a hand. To my surprise, the kitten didn't run. It let out a tiny, high-pitched mew and rubbed its head against my palm. I picked it up, feeling its heartbeat thrumming against my skin. It was so small.
"Where did you come from?" I whispered, a rare warmth spreading through my chest.
"Zein? What are you—Gah! Get it away!"
I looked up to see Ace standing a few feet away, his face pale, his body tensed as if he were facing an armed assassin.
"It's a cat, Ace," I said, lifting the kitten higher. "Why are you panicking?"
"Leave the cat! Let her go! Put it down, Zein, seriously!" He was actually backing away, his eyes wide.
A smirk tugged at my lips. I stood up and took a step toward him. He took two steps back.
"Are you... scared of a kitten?" I asked, my voice laced with amusement.
"Scared? Me? I'm the Supremo. I'm not scared of anything," he snapped, though his eyes never left the tiny furball in my hands. "It's just... they have claws. And germs. And they stare into your soul."
I laughed—a real, loud laugh that echoed through the park. I began chasing him around the bench, holding the kitten out like a weapon.
"Look at her, Ace. She's terrifying," I teased.
"Stop it! Zein, I'm warning you!"
Eventually, I stopped, sitting back down and pulling the little one close to my chest. The kitten purred, tucking its head under my chin. My eyes softened. This tiny thing had no walls, no masks. It just existed.
"From today, you will be my baby," I murmured, stroking its soft ears. "And I'm your mom."
"And I'm the dad," Ace added instantly. He had finally stopped running and was standing beside me, trying to look brave.
He reached out a trembling finger and quickly poked the kitten's head before drawing back. He then straightened his coat, a protective smirk returning to his face. "If anyone messes with our kid, they deal with me."
I laughed again, leaning my head against his shoulder. "Her name is Hoy."
The warmth of the morning vanished the moment we stepped into the cafeteria. The air was thick with a different kind of tension—the kind that felt like a glass bottle about to shatter.
Jay and Keifer were sitting at the same table, but the distance between them felt like a canyon. They weren't talking. They weren't even looking at each other.
Jay was staring blankly at the tabletop, while Keifer was aggressively turning pages of his book, his jaw set in a hard line.
I sat down across from them, Ace sliding in next to me. I looked from Jay to Keifer and back again.
"Is something wrong?" I asked bluntly.
They both looked up at the same time, flashed identical, fake smiles, and said in unison, "Nothing."
They immediately looked away from each other again.
Percy arrived a moment later, sliding a tray of food in front of Jay. "Eat up, Jay-bird. You need the energy for training."
Jay didn't even look at the food. "I don't have an appetite, Percy. Take it back."
Cin, sitting nearby, nudged Keifer. "Keifer, look. Jay isn't eating. You should tell her to eat."
Keifer didn't even look up from his phone. His voice was cold, clipped. "What should I do about it? That's her business. She's an adult."
Jay's eyes snapped to his, flashing with a sudden, sharp anger. "Yeah, it's my business. Exactly." She turned her gaze to Cin, her voice hardening. "And Cin? Stop reporting about me to him. I can decide for myself when I'm hungry and when I'm not."
"I'm just trying to help—" Cin started.
"I don't need that kind of help," Jay snapped.
Keifer shoved his book into his bag and stood up, his chair screeching against the floor. "Yes, you can decide everything, Jay. Clearly, you don't need anyone for anything."
He turned and walked out of the cafeteria without a backward glance. Jay stood up a second later, grabbing her bag. "I'm going to the library."
She vanished through the opposite exit.
"This is bad," Felix whispered, looking at the empty seats.
"Rory... very bad," Rory echoed, shaking his head.
Mia looked at Jare, her brow furrowed. "What happened to them? Jare, did you do something? Did another argument break out in the dorm?"
Jare held his hands up in defense. "Hey, don't look at me! I've been a saint this morning. I didn't say a word to either of them."
Ace sighed, his hand finding mine under the table. "I just hope it doesn't get serious. We can't afford a civil war inside the group right now."
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Author POV
High above the cafeteria, hidden behind the ventilation grates of the observation level, a figure stood in total silence. He held a small communication device to his ear, listening to the report of a scout stationed near the kitchen.
"They're fractured, sir," the voice on the other end whispered. "Keifer and Jay are barely speaking. The tension is affecting the whole unit."
The masked person leaned forward, watching through the glass as the group below sat in troubled silence. A cold, thin smile touched his lips beneath the dark fabric of his mask.
"So they are fighting," the observer murmured. His voice was smooth, devoid of any warmth, like a blade sliding over silk. "Love is such a predictable poison. It builds them up just so the fall hurts more."
He tapped a rhythmic beat against the metal railing.
"The Supremo thinks he has found a future. Keifer thinks he has found a reason to live. They are distracted by their own hearts."
The observer turned away from the window, his cloak billowing behind him like a shadow.
"It's the perfect moment to strike. When they are busy tearing each other apart, they won't see the hand that cuts the string. History will repeat itself. I will ensure they survive... even if I have to break every one of them to do it."
He disappeared into the darkness of the upper corridors, leaving behind only the echoing sound of a heavy door clicking shut. The war outside was pausing, but the war inside Hell University had only just begun.
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