The night was heavy, moonlight slipping through the tall iron gates of the University like silver knives. Ashira sat alone on the rooftop of the east wing, her legs dangling dangerously off the ledge, her mask of calm cracking just slightly.
She replayed the last few days in her mind—the fight with Raiden, the unsettling tenderness in Kieran's gaze, Alden's cryptic warnings, and the whispers about a teacher who wasn't what he seemed. It all blended into one tangled mess of secrets.
Her communicator buzzed against her thigh. She glanced at it. A single encrypted message blinked on the screen:
"They're watching. Don't trust anyone. Meet me at the Observatory at midnight."
No signature.
Ashira's pulse spiked. The Observatory was deep within the restricted wing, guarded even more heavily than the weapons hall. Whoever had sent this either had death wishes—or knew far too much.
She closed her communicator and stood. She couldn't afford hesitation. The longer she lingered, the more dangerous the game became.
---
By the time she reached the Observatory, the corridors were deserted, shadows stretching like claws across the floor. Every step echoed, loud enough to betray her position.
She pressed her ear against the massive steel door. Silence.
Then—
"Ashira."
The voice was soft, low, and it came from behind her.
She whirled around, her blade half drawn. Her eyes narrowed as the figure emerged from the darkness. It was Professor Darius—the young professor everyone admired for his icy brilliance, the one who always seemed too composed, too untouchable.
"Professor…?" she hissed, her grip tightening on the hilt. "Why are you here?"
Darius stepped into the faint glow of the moonlight streaming through the glass ceiling. His sharp jawline caught the light, his gaze unreadable. "You're reckless," he said calmly. "Do you have any idea how many people want you dead right now?"
Ashira didn't lower her weapon. "And how would you know that unless you're one of them?"
A faint smile curved his lips. Not warm, not mocking—something in between. "If I wanted you dead, Ashira, you'd already be a body floating in the river behind the east wall."
Her stomach knotted. He wasn't bluffing.
"Then why are you here?" she demanded.
"To give you a choice," Darius replied, his eyes flashing. "You've been dancing between the three wolves—Raiden, Kieran, and Alden. Each of them thinks they can cage you, use you for their own ends. But they're just distractions from the real game."
Her breath caught. "The real game?"
He took a slow step forward, his presence pressing against her like a wave of gravity. "This University isn't just a school for criminals, Ashira. It's the breeding ground for the next King of the Underworld. Everything you've seen—the blood trials, the alliances, the betrayals—are tests. And whether you realize it or not, you're one of the candidates."
Ashira's blood ran cold. She staggered back a step, her blade trembling in her grip. "That's impossible. I'm just a spy. I'm not…"
"Not criminal enough?" Darius cut in, his tone dangerously smooth. "Then why did the headmaster place you here, in the center of the board? Why do your enemies keep multiplying every day you breathe? You're not here by accident, Ashira. You're here because you've been chosen."
Her heart slammed against her ribs. She wanted to deny it, to laugh in his face—but deep down, she knew he wasn't lying.
Her father's voice echoed in her mind: Trust no one, not even yourself.
"Why tell me this now?" she asked, her voice low, edged with steel.
Darius leaned closer, so close she could see the reflection of her own wide eyes in his. "Because soon you'll have to choose where your loyalty lies. With the wolves who only see you as a prize… or with me."
Her fingers went numb around the hilt.
"With… you?" she whispered.
He smirked faintly, but there was no humor in it. "I'm not like them. I don't play for affection or loyalty. I play to win. And if you stand beside me, Ashira, you'll win too."
The air thickened between them, suffocating, intoxicating. Ashira's thoughts swirled with the faces of the others—Raiden's fiery protectiveness, Kieran's cold obsession, Alden's manipulative tenderness—and now this man, her teacher, offering her something entirely different.
Not love. Not lust. Power.
And part of her… wanted it.
---
"You're dangerous," she breathed, forcing herself to step back. "More dangerous than all of them combined."
Darius tilted his head, his expression unreadable. "And that's why you'll survive with me. Think about it, Ashira. When the masks fall, when all their feelings burn away, you'll need someone who doesn't falter."
Before she could respond, the steel door behind them creaked open. A faint glow spilled out, followed by hushed whispers.
Ashira froze.
Darius's hand brushed against hers for the briefest second, his voice a whisper at her ear. "Your time is running out. Choose wisely."
And then—he was gone. Melted into the shadows as if he had never been there.
Ashira stood rooted in place, staring at the open Observatory door.
Her blade trembled in her hand.
For the first time since she stepped foot in this cursed University, she wasn't sure if she was the predator anymore—
or the prey.
---
✨ End of Chapter 49 ✨