"Yes. Her as well. But there's more to her than meets the eye," Sophia said, her voice tight, her eyes flickering around the dimly lit library alcove as if the very walls might be listening.
Kai leaned back against the stone pillar, folding his arms calmly. Outside the tall, arched windows, the sky had begun to darken—Albrecht Academy always looked like it belonged in another century, with its Gothic towers and candle-lit corridors. But what lay beneath that elegance reeked of shadows, secrets, and silent wars.
"What kind of 'more'?" Kai asked quietly.
Sophia exhaled. "Evelyn plays the fool. A soft-spoken strategist who prefers to stay in the background, but… she's far more calculating than even Anastasia. Most people overlook her because of her quiet demeanor. But behind the curtain, she pulls strings that influence the top circles. She's connected to faculty, donors, even some outsiders I don't recognize. People who don't belong here."
Kai's gaze didn't waver. "And Anastasia?"
"She doesn't pretend," Sophia muttered. "She knows she's above everyone, and she wants you to know it too. She's ruthless. But Evelyn… Evelyn's the kind who smiles while plotting your downfall."
Kai's eyes narrowed slightly. A quiet girl with influence, and a queen with an iron crown. He'd have to thread the needle between them.
"I need to see them," Kai said. "In action."
Sophia hesitated. "You'll get your chance. Tomorrow, they're hosting a private invitation-only gathering at the Atrium."
Kai gave a small nod. "Send me the details."
As he turned to leave, Sophia caught his sleeve.
"Kai… don't underestimate them. Especially not Evelyn."
He glanced at her hand on his arm, then into her eyes. Calm. Unshaken.
"I never underestimate anyone."
The next day, the Atrium gleamed like a palace.
A vast, circular chamber with marble floors, gold-veined columns, and a crystalline chandelier that could rival the stars. The event was unofficial—a private convergence of the elite students under the pretense of a 'strategic networking session.' In reality, it was a demonstration of silent power. Reputation was currency here.
Kai walked in, dressed simply in black—a well-fitted blazer over a collarless shirt, subtle but striking. His presence didn't scream for attention. Yet the moment he stepped in, a dozen eyes flicked toward him. Whispers followed.
"Is that the new guy?"
"The one who transferred without notice?"
"He's… taller than I expected."
"Who let someone like that in?"
But then she walked in.
Anastasia Loire.
Every sound in the room seemed to hush at her arrival.
She wore midnight blue—a sleeveless silk gown that hugged her tall, slender figure with aristocratic precision. Her silver hair was tied in an elegant twist, and the air around her shimmered with cold authority. Students stepped aside for her like royalty had arrived.
Kai's gaze met hers.
For a moment, nothing moved. Her piercing gray eyes swept across the room… and landed on him. She didn't flinch. She didn't look away. In fact, she raised a single brow as if mildly amused.
Then she walked straight toward him.
The crowd parted instinctively.
"You're the one they keep whispering about," Anastasia said, voice smooth and sharp like a blade wrapped in velvet.
Kai remained composed. "And you're the one who makes them whisper in the first place."
A ghost of a smirk touched her lips. "Clever. Most boys either grovel or stammer. You're neither."
"Should I be?"
Her eyes flickered with something curious. Amusement? Interest?
"I don't waste time with insects," she said. "If I'm speaking to you, it's because I'm watching you. Closely."
Kai tilted his head slightly. "And what are you seeing?"
She stepped in—closer than necessary. Her perfume was expensive, understated, and dangerously intoxicating. She was testing him. Most would've flushed. Flinched. Folded.
But Kai simply looked down at her, calm as still water.
"I see a threat," she whispered near his ear.
"And threats," Kai replied softly, "can also be allies."
For a second, she didn't answer. Her gaze lingered at his lips longer than it should have. Then she leaned back, her expression unreadable.
"Maybe," she murmured. "If you prove yourself useful."
She brushed past him, her silk gown grazing lightly against his hand as she left.
Heat. Not passion—but challenge. Intensity.
And then—soft footsteps approached behind him. Slower. Lighter.
Evelyn Langley.
Kai turned slightly to face her.
Where Anastasia was ice and fire, Evelyn was moonlight and smoke. She wore a high-necked white blouse tucked into a pencil skirt, her golden-brown hair flowing softly to her waist. Her glasses caught the chandelier light, masking her eyes for a moment—but Kai saw the flicker underneath.
"Interesting performance," she said softly.
He blinked. "Excuse me?"
"You and Anastasia. That little exchange. Most people would crumble under her attention, let alone her presence."
Kai regarded her carefully. "You were watching."
"Of course." She tilted her head, stepping closer. "I watch everything. It's what people don't notice that concerns me."
Her tone was gentle. But her words were anything but harmless.
"And what don't people notice about you?" Kai asked, voice low.
Evelyn's lips curved slowly into something that wasn't quite a smile.
"That I prefer to strike after the applause has faded."
Then she stepped even closer—so close her shoulder brushed his chest. She leaned in, ostensibly to adjust something on his collar, but her fingers lingered just a moment longer than necessary.
"I'd be careful if I were you, Kai," she whispered, her breath warm on his skin. "This school has a habit of eating outsiders alive."
Kai didn't move. "I'm used to being swallowed. I just always find my way out."
Her smile faltered for half a second. Then she looked up at him, eyes gleaming behind her glasses.
"Good," she said. "I like survivors."
And just like that, she disappeared into the crowd.
Later that evening, Kai stood alone on the Academy's rooftop, the wind tugging at his coat. The stars were bright here, clearer than in the city. Yet his thoughts churned beneath the stillness.
Two queens. Two shadows. Both dangerous in different ways.
Anastasia had confronted him directly—a test of composure and wit.
Evelyn had tested something else entirely. Proximity. Control. The subtle way she touched him… the hint of a smirk when she knew her fingers had lingered too long. It wasn't an accident.
They were both watching him.
And yet, he was watching them harder.
His mind went back to Sophia's words—She's connected to people who don't belong here.
That's where he'd start. Tracing Evelyn's links. Watching the subtle signals, the ones that hid behind her quiet persona.
He turned to go back inside—when he found himself face-to-face with Anastasia.
Again.
She stood there like a ghost in the moonlight.
"I thought you left," Kai said.
"I wanted to see if you'd flinch when you were alone."
Kai gave a slow, amused exhale. "Still disappointed?"
Her eyes studied him in silence.
Then, without warning, she stepped forward—close enough that her lips were just a breath away from his. Her hand moved to his chest, fingers lightly tracing the collar of his shirt. Not aggressively. Not gently. Calculated.
"You're composed," she murmured. "But everyone breaks eventually."
Kai looked down at her.
"Some people don't break. They bend the world around them."
Their eyes locked. Heat rose between them—not lust, but tension. Competitive, electric, dangerous.
Anastasia's lips hovered for a second longer… then she smirked and turned away.
"I'll be watching, Kai."
As she walked off into the dark hallway, her figure disappearing into shadow, Kai stood unmoving. Heartbeat steady. Thoughts sharper than ever.
And deep down, a single question stirred:
What was Evelyn planning?