Leo pressed a hand to his chest dramatically, pretending to be wounded. "Ouch. Straight to the heart. You're colder than Frost himself."
Felicia burst into a laugh, covering her mouth, while Leo grinned at Athena, clearly entertained.
Who knows the angel have a sharp mouth.
Athena, however, just turned her attention back to her food, ignoring him.
But Leo leaned closer, lowering his voice just enough for her to hear. "Don't act like you don't enjoy the attention."
Her hand tightened slightly around her spoon but her face was calm.
Athena had decided to ignore Leo's teasing, her spoon clinking softly against the tray as she focused on her food. Felicia was rambling about something, and Leo was still trying to get a reaction out of her, but then...
The air in the cafeteria changed.
It was subtle at first, a hush rolling across the tables like someone had pressed pause on the entire room. Conversations died down, laughter died mid-breath, and even the clattering of plates seemed to fade too. Only a few nervous giggles remained, like people couldn't contain themselves in the suffocating silence.
And then they walked in.
The Phantom Fours.
Four beauty walked through the room, each step heavy with a presence that couldn't be ignored.
Athena's hand stilled, her spoon hovering above her plate as her eyes locked onto them one by one.
First Eryx.
The guy from the classroom. The red haired one with molten gold eyes. The moment her gaze met him, Athena froze. So he was one of them… she guessed right afterall. So he was part of this group that had the whole school on edge. His lips curled slightly, which actually looks more like a flirt.
Her eyes flickered quickly to the second Azrael Mournvale.
Calm. Silent. That same midnight-blue hair with ocean patterns, his aura like a siren luring everyone in with his beauty. He glanced at her once, sharp and fleeting, then looked away as if she was nothing more than background noise. Something in her chest tightened at his indifference.
Then came Theodore Argentis.
White hair, green eyes cold enough to make her skin prickle. He carried himself like ice carved into human form. When his gaze landed on her, a smirk tugged at his lips, mocking, almost daring her. Athena felt her jaw tighten, anger flashing in her veins that she almost rolled her eyes at him.
And finally, Rhydric Veylor.
The Black Storm.
If Theodore was ice, Rhydric was air. Every piece of him screamed danger, black hair, storm-grey eyes that seemed to look through people rather than at them. His aura was heavy, oppressive, like the air before a storm breaks. Everything about him was dark, commanding, and terrifyingly beautiful in a way that made people hold their breath. He looked like a walking devil, and Athena's blood pulsed harder in her veins the longer she stared.
As they drew closer to her table, the tension sharpened. Athena could feel Eryx's molten gaze on her, searing like fire. When they passed, he had the audacity to wink, a lazy smirk pulling at his mouth.
Azrael didn't linger just that brief glance earlier, then nothing. Like she wasn't worth the effort.
Theodore smirked wider as he walked by, eyes glinting like he was still amused from the class chaos. Athena's teeth pressed together, and she barely stopped herself from standing up and slapping that stupid smirk out of his face.
And Rhydric…
He didn't spare her a single glance. Not once, not like he knows who she is though. His presence loomed darker than the others, his aura pressing down on everyone around him.
They walked past her and found their usual table, their movements smooth, unbothered, completely in control. The silence lingered for a moment longer until, slowly, conversations started again, whispers breaking out across the cafeteria. The giggles returned, the noise rose back up, but the air was still heavy, charged from their presence.
Athena exhaled slowly, not realizing she'd been holding her breath.
Athena continued eating like nothing had happened, her fork moving calmly to her mouth, chewing slowly as if the Phantom Fours hadn't just walked in and stolen the air from the room. Felicia kept stealing glances toward their table, eyes sparkling with excitement, while Leo was smirking like he was about to say something stupid again.
Then
BAM!
A hand slammed hard against their table, rattling trays and making Athena's cup tip over. The water spilled instantly, spreading across the surface like a small flood.
Felicia jumped in her seat, eyes wide. "What the fuck?" she snapped, glaring at the culprit.
Leo just leaned back casually, his arms folding behind his head. "Adrianna…" he muttered, his tone dripping with annoyance, "always so dramatic. Aren't you exhausted." He gave her a stupid, exaggerated look, like he was a minute from snapping her head off.
Athena, however, didn't move at first. She let the water spread across the table, droplets running toward her tray. Her eyes stayed on her food, her movements unbothered. Then, slowly, she lifted her gaze.
Her lashes lowered halfway as she looked at the girl standing before her. Adrianna.
Athena leaned back in her chair, calm and steady, one hand resting on the edge of her tray like she had all the time in the world. She tilted her head slightly, eyes locked on Adrianna's face, waiting, as if silently asking,and what exactly do you want?
The tension at the table shifted instantly. Felicia was still boiling, muttering curses under her breath as she tried to pull napkins to mop the water, Leo just smirked wider like he was expecting a show, but Athena… she just stayed still. Silent. Her gaze sharp yet indifferent, her posture awfully relaxed, like she doesn't care.
Adrianna's hand pressed against the table harder, her nails tapping in an impatient rhythm. She leaned in close until her perfume mixed with the faint smell of food, her words meant for Athena's ears alone.
"Don't play games with me, new girl," she whispered, her tone laced with venom. "Eryx Draven is mine. So you better stay in your lane."
Athena blinked once. Then again. No anger, no panic. Just the kind of calm that was louder than a scream. Slowly, a faint smirk tugged at her lips, so faint it was almost insulting.
So this little bitch right in front of her thinks, she wants to snatch her boyfriend, really? Among all the guys in the school, she was going to settle for a fucker?
"Is that supposed to be a warning," Athena asked, her voice smooth and controlled, "or are you just practicing your lines?"
The words were quiet but sharp enough to cut. Adrianna froze, caught off guard. Her jaw tightened before she pulled back slightly, her voice rising now, needing others to hear.
The new girl wanted the drama and she was going to give her just that.
"Who the hell do you think you are?" she snapped, her tone sharp enough to draw the attention of the tables around them. Heads turned. Students leaned in, sensing the drama about to explode.
Athena didn't move. Her gaze stayed steady, unbothered, like Adrianna was nothing more than a background noise. She tilted her head slightly, her hair strands sliding over her shoulder as her calm voice sliced through the tension.
"The difference between you and me," she said, her words slow and deliberate, "is that I don't need to scream a man's name to make myself feel like I own him."