The boy tilted his head slightly, his fingers still resting on the piano keys as if ready to play again at any second.
"So," he said slowly, his voice calm but carrying a sharp edge of curiosity, "you followed the sound?"
She nodded quickly, her cheeks warming up even more. "Yes… I..I heard it in the corridor."
Something flickered in his eyes, amusement maybe, or interest. He leaned back a little on the piano bench, one hand lazily sliding over the black and white keys, pressing one absentminded note. The single sound echoed in the silence between them, making Athena's chest rise and fall faster.
"You must really like music then," he said, his tone softer this time, almost teasing.
Athena swallowed hard. "I do." She hesitated, then added quickly, "But it's not just the music… it was the way you played. It was… different."
She instantly regretted saying that much, her lips pressing together as if she could pull the words back. Her cheeks burned hotter, but it was too late, his eyes had already sharpened on her.
"Different, huh?" His lips curved into the faintest smile, the kind that wasn't playful, but powerful. The kind that made her feel like he could see right through her. "That's an interesting thing to say."
Athena shifted her weight from one foot to the other, her hands tightening on her bag strap. She felt like a mouse under the watchful eyes of a lion, but for some strange reason, she couldn't bring herself to look away.
The boy finally stood.
Her breath caught again when he rose to his full height. He was tall, taller than she expected, his white school blazer falling perfectly over his shoulders. He didn't rush. Every movement was slow, deliberate, like he knew exactly how much attention he commanded.
He stepped away from the piano, his shoes soft against the polished floor, and started closing the distance between them.
Athena's heartbeat pounded against her ribs. She wanted to step back, but her feet refused to move. She was frozen, trapped by those deep blue eyes that didn't blink, just locked straight on hers.
When he was close enough, he stopped, not too close, but close enough that she could feel the air shift between them. His gaze lowered slightly, sweeping down her figure, then back up to her eyes.
"You know," he said in that same calm voice that somehow felt more dangerous now, "most people would knock before entering. But you…" His lips curved into another small, knowing smile. "You just walk right in."
Athena felt her throat tighten. She parted her lips, then closed them again, realizing she had no excuse that would make sense.
She finally managed to whisper, "I'm… sorry."
The boy tilted his head again, studying her. "Don't be," he said quietly, and for some reason, those two words sent shivers down her spine.
Athena's chest rose and fell faster as he stood so close, closer than he was before, his deep blue eyes never leaving hers. For a moment, she thought he would just stare and say nothing. But then his hand lifted, slow and deliberate, until his fingers brushed through a strand of her braid.
Her breath hitched.
"Nice hair," he said, his voice low but smooth, like it carried more weight than the simple words should.
Athena froze, her heart skipping hard against her ribs. No one, no one except Oliver, had ever told her that before. She didn't even know why such simple words made her chest feel tight and warm at the same time.
"T-thank you," she whispered, her lips barely moving.
He gave her one last unreadable look, then let his hand drop. Without another word, he stepped past her, his shoulder almost brushing hers as he walked away. His pace was unhurried, calm, as if the conversation was already finished in his mind.
Athena's throat felt dry. Something in her refused to let him just walk out like that. So before she could stop herself, she turned her head slightly and called out, "What's… your name?"
He didn't stop walking. Didn't even turn back. But his voice came out clear and sharp across the empty music room.
"Azrael."
The name rolled off his tongue like a water, sharp yet smooth.
Athena stood there rooted in place, her heart still racing, her fingers unconsciously brushing the braid he had touched.
Azrael.
She whispered it under her breath, like testing how it felt on her lips, before realizing she was smiling faintly to herself without meaning to.
—
Athena had barely walked a few steps from the music room when someone suddenly called out.
"You're the new girl, right?"
Athena turned. A girl with chestnut-brown hair bouncing in soft curls stood there, eyes sparkling like she had struck gold. Before Athena could even say yes, the girl grabbed her arm with surprising familiarity.
"I knew it! You're the one everyone's talking about. No wonder, wow, you're even prettier up close." She gave a playful grin, tugging Athena along like they were already friends.
Athena blinked, surprised by the sudden warmth. But instead of pulling away, she allowed it, curious.
The girl leaned closer, lowering her voice as though about to spill forbidden secrets. "Listen, if you're going to survive here, you need to know about the four most dangerous creatures walking these halls."
Athena arched a brow. "Creatures?"
The girl grinned wider. "Okay, fine guys. But honestly? Sometimes they don't even feel human. They're called the Phantom Four. They're rich, gorgeous, and terrifying in their own ways. Everyone either worships them or keeps their distance."
Athena's chest tightened at the name, though she didn't know why. Something about it felt heavy.
The girl waved her hands dramatically. "Let's start with the obvious one. Eryx Draven. Flame."
Athena tilted her head, quietly listening.
"He's… God, how do I even describe him? Red hair, molten-gold eyes with a red dot in the middle, body sculpted like art. He's the school's bad boy, the heartthrob, the one everyone warns you about but still runs straight to begging him to destroy you anyway. He'll make you feel like you're the only girl alive, and the next moment, poof, you're forgotten."
Athena's lips pressed together. She didn't know this Eryx, yet the way the girl described him, the red hair and molten gold eyes with dot in the middle felt so familiar. The description almost fit the other guy from the classroom. "What makes him so popular?" Athena asked, her tone casual.
The girl gave her a look like she had asked why water was wet. "Because he's Eryx. He's dangerous, confident, and hotter than sin. People call him Flame because he burns through everyone. But he'll leave you in ashes if you're not careful."
Athena said nothing, only nodded lightly, though inside she felt a strange unease ripple through her chest.
The girl didn't give her time to think. She practically bounced on her heels. "Now, my favorite, Azrael Mournvale. The Siren."
Athena glanced at her sharply without realizing it. "The… Siren?"
"Yes!" the girl clapped like she'd been waiting for that question. "He doesn't even have to try. He walks into a room and suddenly everyone feels him. Calm, quiet, mysterious. He doesn't talk much, but when he does? Every girl listens. And worse, they fall, and they fall hard."
Athena's heart gave a small thump she couldn't explain.
The girl's expression softened, dreamy now. "He's different from Eryx. Eryx is, loud, burning, consuming. Azrael is calm more like the ocean, deep, endless, and you never know if he'll drown you or let you float. People call him the Siren because just like in myths, he'll lure you in without even meaning to. You'll think you're safe, but you'll never escape him."
Athena's breath caught slightly. A strange image filled her mind, blue eyes and a matching hair, calm and bottomless, like the sea itself. She clenched her hands quickly, steadying herself. So this Azrael guy is part of them.
"He sounds… dangerous too," Athena finally murmured.
The girl smirked knowingly. "Dangerous? Oh, honey, they all are."
Athena's brows were still furrowed from the mention of Azrael, but before she could think too much, the girl beside her still clinging to her arm as though they'd been best friends for years, suddenly lowered her voice and leaned in closer. Her eyes glimmered with the kind of excitement only gossip could bring.
"Okay, okay, hold your breath for this one," she whispered dramatically. "You can't survive this school without knowing about Rhydric Veylor."
Athena tilted her head, curiously. "And what makes him… so special?"
The girl's lips curved into a mischievous grin. "Oh, darling, everything. Rhydric isn't just some rich kid with a pretty face, he's the Black Storm."
Athena blinked. The Black Storm?
"He's… intense. You'll know what I mean when you see him. He's got this…this presence. Like when he walks into a room, it feels like the air gets heavier. People literally stop breathing for a second. He doesn't even need to talk much, one glare, just one glare and everyone shuts up."
The girl shivered a little in exaggeration but kept smiling, clearly enjoying her own storytelling.
Athena's lips twitched. "Sounds… terrifying."
"Oh, he is," the girl agreed eagerly. "But he's also brilliant. You know those people who are always three steps ahead of everyone? That's him. Calculated, manipulative, and… ugh, just dangerously good-looking."
Athena couldn't stop herself from asking, "What does he look like?"
The girl clasped her hands dramatically. "Black hair. Perfectly brushed back with few strands fall over her face, you know? And his silver eyes, like a stormy clouds before lightning strikes. Cold, sharp, and honestly… too pretty for someone that scary. If looks could kill, he'd have a body count by now."
Something about the description clung to Athena's thoughts like a shadow.
But the girl didn't notice her silence. She was already bouncing onto the next.
"And then there's the last one, the coldest and cockiest of them all. Theodore Argentis."
Athena lifted her gaze. "Cold… as in personality?"
The girl shook her head fiercely. "No, no, you don't get it. He's literally called Frost. He's like… ice in human form. Have you ever met someone who could stare right through you like you didn't exist? That's Theodore."
Athena shifted uncomfortably. "That doesn't sound pleasant."
"Oh, it's not. He doesn't smile, doesn't joke but he talks the most and laugh the most when he is with his group member, he doesn't even try to make friends with anyone else. But somehow, that makes him even more, how do I say this, irresistible?" She fanned herself playfully, then added in a hushed tone, "He's lethal. Not in a loud way, like Eryx. He's the silent kind. The type you don't see coming until it's too late."
Athena swallowed. "…And people actually like him?"
"They worship him," the girl said without hesitation. "That white hair, those green eyes he looks like winter carved into a person. When he walks by, the air feels colder. I swear, once I saw him pass someone in the hallway and the poor guy started shivering. That's just who he is."
Athena exhaled slowly, her chest feeling tighter with every new detail. "So, they're really that untouchable?"
The girl's grin widened, smug with the secrets she was unloading.
"They're not just untouchable, Athena. Together, they're The Phantom Four. No one dares cross them. No one dares approach unless they allow it. And anyone who does…" She smirked knowingly. "Well, they don't last long."
Athena forced a small nod, her mind running faster than her heart. So Azrael is… part of them? That was what bothered her the most, like it should.