The scent of lavender still clung to the guest room, a lingering ghost of the peace Kyra had felt the night before.
For a few hours, tucked under the covers with Ashley's rhythmic breathing beside her, the world had been small and safe.
But as the morning sun crept through the curtains, the bubble didn't just fade—it popped.
Kyra stood before the full-length mirror, her fingers fumbling with the buttons of the borrowed uniform.
It was, as Ashley had predicted, a little snug around the shoulders.
Last night, they had laughed about it; this morning,the crisp fabric clung like armor too heavy to bear.
She traced the line of her collar, her fingertips brushing against the pulse point in her neck. It was already hammering.
Bzzzt.
The vibration of her phone on the vanity made her flinch.
Mille: When are you coming today??
Mille: I have a surprise for you..!!
Kyra's thumb hovered over the screen, the word 'surprise' blurring as the blood drained from her face.
The phone felt suddenly heavy, a lead weight in her trembling hand.
Her vision blurred, the edges of the mirror darkening. She stared at her reflection, but she didn't see a student. She saw those surprises.
'No, Kyra... you can't think negatively. Everything is okay. You are okay.'
'Is it?' The thought drifted through her mind, cold and detached. 'You think a white shirt makes you clean? You're just a debt in a school skirt.'
Kyra squeezed her eyes shut, whispering, "You are just a student today. You've got this."
'How long can you hide?' the voice sharpened.
'Until Mille walks through those gates? Until you get Ashley and Sam into this mess too? You're just waiting for the inevitable.'
"Stop," Kyra gasped, clutching her head. "It's not like that!"
The sound of her own shout seemed to echo in the small room.
Outside in the hallway, the hurried sound of a zipper being pulled shut and footsteps abruptly stopped.
"Kyra?" Ashley's voice came from behind the door, sharp with concern. "Are you okay? Kyra, answer me!"
Kyra froze. She fought to pull her features into something resembling normal, but before she could find her voice, the door swung open.
Ashley stood there, her school blazer half-on, her hair still slightly messy from her morning rush.
"Kyra! What happened?" Ashley asked, her voice firm. She reached for a water bottle as she opened it and gave it to Kyra. "Talk to me. Are you hurt?"
Kyra took a ragged breath, the cold plastic of the bottle grounding her.
"I'm okay... I'm sorry, Ash." Kyra forced a shaky laugh, scratching her hair. "I just... I saw a huge spider on the mirror."
Ashley didn't move. She looked at the phone face-down on the vanity, then back at Kyra's pale face.
She knew the spider was a lie, but she remembered the doctor's warning about Kyra needing to feel in control.
Ashley let out a slow breath. "I'm not asking you to explain, dear.
I know it's hard not to be afraid of ropes after being beaten by snakes once.
But Sam is already downstairs warming up the car. He's going to start honking if we don't move."
Ashley gave Kyra's shoulder a supportive squeeze. "Whatever 'spider' is in here, it's not invited to school. Hurry..wash your face, otherwise Sam will think I have bullied you."
While the girls prepared for the mundane terrors of high school, a different kind of power was stirring across the Capital.
The office of the CEO of Throne Enterprises was a fortress of glass and silence.
From this height, the city's financial district looked like a chessboard, and the man sitting at the mahogany desk was the one who decided which pieces lived or died.
Xavier Throne sat shrouded in the gray light of the early morning. He didn't just inhabit the room; he dominated it.
He was reviewing documents as his dark eyes fixed on a glowing screen with the focused intensity, his jawline sharp and thin lips pressed into straight line.
He didn't need to speak to be noticed; his presence was a heavy, silent pressure that made the air feel thin.
A soft, rhythmic knock broke the silence.
"Come in," Xavier said. His voice was low and magnetic vibrating with an authority that demanded absolute attention.
His assistant, Marcus, stepped in. "Sir, a refund was just flagged in your personal account."
Xavier's pen stopped. He finally raised his head. His features were sharp, his gaze so piercing it felt like he was reading Marcus's thoughts.
He took the tablet Marcus offered.
[Notice: St. Jude's Hospital. Patient's family has repaid the bill in full. Refund issued.]
Xavier stared at the message. A memory flashed— a girl sitting huddled to window of his car, looking like a broken kitten but snarling like a tiger.
Most people would be grateful for a bill paid by a billionaire. She had thrown his charity back in his face to sever the tie.
"Little kitten," he murmured, his thumb tracing the edge of the tablet. "So anxious to break all bonds."
Marcus shifted on his feet. He had seen Xavier sign billion-dollar mergers without blinking, but he had never seen that dark, intrigued glimmer in his boss's eyes.
It wasn't just curiosity; it was the look of a man who had found a puzzle he intended to solve.
"Has she recovered?" Xavier asked suddenly.
Xavier raised his head at the silence, eyeing distracted Marcus.
"Marcus", His voice dropped, the sudden coldness in his tone making the assistant straighten his back instantly.
"Yes..sir!"
"I asked: is she recovered?"
"Yes, sir! Ms. Kyra was discharged yesterday evening. Her friends picked her up, though we don't have their full files yet."
Xavier stood up and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window.
He remembered the bruises—the dark marks against her pale skin, the fierce pride in her eyes even when she could barely sit up.
"The doctor let her leave in that condition?" Xavier asked, his voice indifferent, but a hidden thread of anger ran through it.
"Sir, you hadn't authorized a full investigation, so we—"
"Go," Xavier interrupted.
He was a man who took what he wanted, but for the first time, he hesitated.
If he crushed her with his full power now, she would run before he could see what she was truly made of. "Get her details. Just the basics. I don't want her spooked."
"Yes, Sir. And the morning meeting?"
"Proceed," Xavier said, though his gaze remained fixed on the city below, tracing the invisible path of a girl who thought she could pay him back and be free.
The elevator ride down was silent as the air filled only with the faint scent of Ashley's hairspray and her chatter and Kyra's occasional replies.
When they stepped out into the crisp morning air, Sam was leaning against the car, checking his watch.
"Finally," Sam said, though his eyes immediately softened when they landed on Ashley and Kyra.
He pulled open the back door for her like a professional chauffeur. "The 'Mission Impossible' mobile is ready. Get in, we're three minutes behind schedule."
Kyra managed a smile as she slid into the back seat.
As Sam pulled out into the morning traffic, he kept catching Kyra's eye in the rearview mirror.
Feeling her mood down, he tried to find some topics.
"So," Sam started, his tone light but his gaze observant. "Final year. This is where the legends are made, right? Or where we all just collapse from caffeine overdoses."
"Speak for yourself," Ashley snorted from the passenger seat, already digging through her bag for her lip gloss. "Kyra and I are going to run that school. Right, Kyra?"
Kyra leaned her head against the cool glass of the window, watching the city blur by. "Right. Total world domination."
She tried to keep her voice steady, but her mind was still in that alleyway from her memories.
"Kyra," Sam said softly, breaking her trance. They were pulling into the gates of school.
"If you feel like you need to leave, or if someone... bothers you. You text the group chat. One word, and I'm pulling the car to the front curb. Deal?"
Kyra looked at Sam, then at Ashley, who had stopped her makeup to look back at her with fierce loyalty.
"Deal," Kyra whispered, Warmth flickered briefly in her chest.
The hallways of school were a sea of white shirts and blue blazers.
Usually, Kyra could blend into the noise, but today, every laugh felt like a scream and every crowded corner felt like a trap.
They reached their homeroom just as the bell rang.
Ms. Bennett, a woman who looked like she lived on a diet of literature and espresso, was already standing at the front.
"Settle down, everyone,"
Ms. Bennett announced, her voice cutting through the chatter. "Before we begin our final year orientation, we have a late addition to the class."
A boy walked in, and the room went unnervingly quiet.
He didn't walk like a student. He moved with a heavy, grounded grace that didn't belong in a high school hallway.
He had dark hair swept back and eyes that seemed to be scanning the room for exits rather than empty desks.
"He is a new transfer to our class. Introduce yourself." Ms. Bennett said as she gestured him to walk around the board.
Leo went to board and write his name as he said, "Hello, I'm Leo. Please take care of me."
As he said, his gaze swept the rows, it stopped abruptly on Kyra.
Leo's breath hitched for a fraction of a second.
'Holy God,' he thought, his pulse spiking against his training.
'It's really Boss. But why does she look... like that?'
He saw the way her shoulders were hunched, the way she was practically trying to disappear into her oversized blazer.
She looked fragile—human. It was a terrifying contrast to the person he had seen with sharp aura and indifferent eyes as if nothing can shake her.
"Leo, you can take the seat behind Kyra," Ms. Bennett pointed.
As Leo walked down the aisle, the girls in the front rows began to whisper.
"He looks like he's in a band," Mia whispered as she looked at Leo with adoration in her eyes.
"No, like an idol," Ana giggled shyly.
As Leo winked at them as he sat down behind Kyra, she felt a literal chill crawl up her spine.
The scent that followed him wasn't lavender or cheap cologne—it was the faint, metallic tang of gun oil and expensive tobacco. It was a smell she knew from the dark corners of her past.
"Hey," Ashley whispered, leaning over to nudge Kyra's arm. "I think the new guy is mesmerized by you. He hasn't looked away once."
"Don't say useless things, Ash," Kyra hissed, her eyes fixed forward. "Just focus on the board."
But Kyra couldn't focus. She could feel Leo's occasional gaze on the back of her neck like a physical weight.
Two periods later, during the mid-morning break, Leo slipped into an empty stairwell.
He pulled out a sleek, encrypted device and typed a message that would travel miles away to a hidden server.
To: Central Command
CS: Found her. She's safe, but something is wrong. She looks... different. It's like she's been wiped or hypnotized. She's living as a normal student. Requesting permission to maintain deep cover.
He tucked the phone away just as he heard footsteps.
By the time the afternoon sun began to dip, Kyra's anxiety had reached a breaking point.
Mille's texts were a constant vibration in her pocket, each one more aggressive than the last.
"Ashley, I... I have to go," Kyra said as they stood by their lockers. "Mom has told me to come home before going to library."
Ashley frowned, feeling something was wrong, but still said. "Wait, I'll have Sam drive you—"
"No!" Kyra said, a bit too loudly. She saw Ashley flinch and softened her voice. "No, it's okay. It's right around the corner. I'll be back in two hours, I promise."
"Kyra, wait—"
But Kyra was already running toward the gates.
Ashley stood there, her hand frozen in the air. Sam walked up behind her, his expression grim. "She's lying, isn't she?"
"She's a terrible liar," Ashley whispered. "Do you think she's in trouble?"
"Yes," Sam said, pulling out his phone. "But if we chase her now, she'll never trust us again. We should wait."
"But what if.." Ashley asked still worried.
"It's okay silly, did you forget we all have real time shared in our mobile, if she doesn't come in two hours, I will check." Sam said as he walked towards gate.
Kyra reached the alleyway, the shadows here felt like they were reaching out to grab her.
Mille was leaning against a brick wall, checking her nails.
"Oh... dear, you finally came!" Mille stepped forward, wrapping Kyra in a hug like she really missed her.
"I'm sorry... I was late," Kyra panted, smiling stiffly into the hug.
Mille pulled back just enough to look at her.
Suddenly, she reached out and took Kyra's arm,"How was your day? I called aunt yesterday, she said you went to your classmate home?"
"Yes...well, I promised them to help in their assignments," Kyra lied, as she felt the sting in her arm.
Mille's eyes narrowed, her gaze scruntinizing.
But before she could further ask,her phone rang.
The name on the screen made Kyra's blood turn to ice: ANDREW.