Eces' POV
The hall smelled of lockers and perfume, a mix of excitement and noise as students filed to class. I kept my bag tight against my side, shoulders squared, senses alert.
Keigan walked beside me, relaxed in a way that made everyone else notice him immediately. That wasn't my concern. My concern was staying invisible while still figuring out the layout, the people, and the patterns.
And then she appeared.
Emilia ( Actually I forgot the real name of Keigan's girlfriend, so I wrote this )
She barreled toward us, arms flailing slightly, face red. Her eyes were sharp, scanning me as though I were a threat.
"What do you think you're doing?!" she yelled.
I froze for a fraction of a second. Then calmly, as if speaking to a curious child, I tilted my head. "Pardon?"
"You!" she continued, pointing at me. "Trying to… trying to seduce Keigan?!"
I blinked. Blinked again. The words registered slowly.
"I… am not," I said evenly. "I don't—"
"Don't lie!" she shouted, cutting me off. "I see the way you look at him!"
Keigan's brows furrowed. "Emilia—"
"I said, don't," she snapped at him, then turned back to me. "You're not welcome around him. Understand?"
I stood perfectly still, expression calm, voice neutral. "I'm here for school. Not… whatever you think this is."
Her glare didn't waver. "School? You're a distraction! Stay away from him, now!"
I could feel the students nearby staring, sensing the drama, but I didn't flinch. I didn't need to. I simply studied her, careful, noting the tension in her shoulders, the protectiveness, the fear of losing control.
"I'm not here to interfere," I said quietly. "If you trust him, then there's no reason to yell."
Keigan stepped in front of me, shielding me subtly. "Eces is here to attend school," he said firmly, voice low. "Nothing else."
Emilia's chest heaved, but she didn't say more. She glared, eyes sharp and judgmental, but finally she spun on her heel and stalked away.
I let my shoulders relax a fraction. My heart rate hadn't even spiked. That was fine.
Keigan shot me a small glance. "Don't worry about her."
I tilted my head, expression unreadable. "I won't."
But as we walked on, I noted everything: her approach, her anger, her assumptions. A girl like that would test people. She would create chaos if she wasn't careful.
I didn't plan on being chaotic. I planned on surviving.
And if anyone got in the way of that—including overprotective girlfriends—they would quickly learn: I was not fragile.
The classroom felt smaller than the hallway, quieter, though my senses were alert to every sound: the scrape of chairs, the rustle of papers, the faint buzz of nervous energy.
I slid into an empty seat near the window, keeping my bag close, eyes on the doorway.
Keigan arrived a few minutes later, calm as ever, and took the seat across from me. His presence was grounding, even amid the chaos Emilia had caused.
I tried to focus on the teacher, on the lesson, but my peripheral vision kept catching movement.
Then she came again .
Emilia.
She marched across the room, shoulders stiff, jaw tight. Every eye turned as she stopped in front of Keigan.
"I can't do this anymore!" she announced loudly. "I can't trust you. I can't be around someone who—who lets her—" She glared at me, sharp and furious, but I didn't flinch. "—exist in your life like this!"
Keigan froze, eyes wide. "Emilia—wait—"
"No!" she snapped, cutting him off. "I can't. We're done. You can't see me again."
The classroom went quiet. Even the teacher paused, pen in midair, unsure.
I didn't move. I didn't even blink quickly. I simply studied her, noting the anger, the fear, the way her voice trembled despite her effort to sound strong.
Emilia spun on her heel and stalked out of the room, leaving a charged silence behind.
Keigan slumped into his seat, running a hand through his hair. "I… didn't expect that."
I tilted my head. Calm, composed. "She overreacted."
He looked at me, a mixture of disbelief and relief. "You're… fine?"
"I am," I said quietly. "She doesn't get to control how I move or how I exist. That's her choice, not mine."
He exhaled slowly. "You're… strong. I didn't know you could just… handle that."
I shrugged lightly. "I survive. That's enough."
For the first time since the yelling incident, the tension in the room eased, even slightly. I could feel Keigan's eyes on me, protective but also grateful.
The teacher cleared her throat, resuming the lesson, but I kept my gaze on the window. Outside, the world moved on. Inside, I had survived another test.
And I had learned:
Chaos was loud, angry, and dramatic—but it didn't touch me unless I allowed it.
I wouldn't allow it.
Not now. Not ever.
The cafeteria was crowded. The air smelled of sandwiches, cafeteria pizza, and a faint trace of perfume that I immediately recognized—Emilia.
I could hear the low hum of chatter, the scrape of trays, the occasional laugh—but my attention was on her. She wasn't looking at me yet. She was searching, hunting, the type of predator who made sure everyone noticed her before striking.
She's planning something, I thought, closing my eyes briefly to listen—not with my ears, but with my mind.
Her thoughts brushed against mine faintly, like a ripple in a pond: He shouldn't be talking to her. She's not supposed to be here. I'll show him who's boss.
I exhaled quietly.
I could feel the tension she radiated to everyone around her, the subtle nudges to friends nearby to stare at me, whisper, doubt. I shifted slightly, resting my chin on my hand. Calm. Observant. Invisible until I chose not to be.
Keigan sat a few tables over, trying to focus on his lunch. I could hear him thinking too — I hope she doesn't start anything.
She's thinking the same thing as always, I noted.
Emilia finally made her move. She dropped her tray deliberately near mine, rattling it, forcing a clatter. Heads turned. Her gaze locked on me, sharp as a blade.
"You think you can just sit here?" she hissed, loud enough for a few people to glance over.
I didn't flinch. I tilted my head, expression neutral. She wants a reaction.
No.
Instead, I let my mind drift outward, brushing lightly against the students around us, picking up on thoughts like threads. Nervous ones. Curious ones. A few quietly rooting for me. Even a couple of kids mentally rolling their eyes at her theatrics.
I moved one tray over casually, letting it land neatly next to me. "I'm just eating lunch," I said softly, almost to myself.
Her thoughts hit me again: Ignore me? That's impossible. You'll make him choose. He'll choose me, not her!
I smiled faintly, almost imperceptibly. Wrong choice.
"Excuse me," I said, voice low, calm, and carrying the authority of someone who had long ago learned how to make people think twice, "do you need something? Or are you just making noise?"
Her mental push came stronger this time, desperate: You can't… stop me!
I tilted my head, eyes meeting hers lightly. "I don't need to stop you. I just… understand you too well already."
Her expression faltered, ever so slightly. Her perfect mask cracked for the briefest moment.
I leaned back, sipping my drink slowly, letting her realize—without me saying a word—that I had already seen every move she planned. Every thought. Every attempt to manipulate.
The room's hum returned, students focusing back on their trays, whispers dying down. Keigan glanced over, relief softening his features.
Emilia huffed, grabbing her tray and moving to another table, muttering under her breath. I'll find another way…
I allowed myself the tiniest smile.
She could try. She could scheme. She could overreact.
But no one who underestimated me—and my patience—would win.
Not in this room. Not in my space. Not ever.
I finished my lunch. Calm. Collected. Invisible. Untouchable.
And I knew, quietly, perfectly, that I had already won.
Keigan's POV
I found her after the last bell, leaning against the lockers near the back hallway. Her bag was still slung over one shoulder, posture relaxed—almost too relaxed.
The cafeteria incident replayed in my mind. Emilia. The yelling. The stares. Most people would have flushed red, panicked, or at least tried to defend themselves.
But Eces? She hadn't moved a muscle. Not one. Calm. Unshaken.
I approached quietly, hands in pockets. "You really didn't even flinch in there," I said, voice low.
She turned to me slowly, expression neutral. "I didn't need to."
I frowned slightly. "You could have… y'know, gotten hurt. Or embarrassed."
Her eyes met mine, sharp but steady. "They were the ones panicking. Not me."
I studied her. Her calm was deliberate. Measured. Like she already knew the outcome before it happened.
"You were… reading them, weren't you?" I asked, more softly this time.
Her lips twitched—just the smallest acknowledgment. "I can sense thoughts. Faintly. Enough to know what they'll do before they do it."
I ran a hand through my hair, incredulous. "You're… dangerous."
She shrugged slightly. "I'm cautious. That's all."
"No," I said quietly, stepping closer. "Not cautious. You're… too much for most people to notice until it's too late. That kind of calm? That kind of control? Most people can't handle it. I didn't expect someone like you to exist."
Her gaze softened just slightly, but she didn't speak.
I took a deep breath. "Just… don't get careless. People will underestimate you, and that could be a problem. But… I get it. You're capable. Too capable."
She nodded once. "I know."
For a long moment, we stood there, silent. Not awkward, not tense—just two people understanding each other without needing to speak much.
I let my voice drop, softer this time. "I just… want to make sure you're okay."
She glanced at me. Calm. Steady. "I'm fine. Thanks, Keigan."
I nodded, though I didn't look entirely convinced. There was more beneath that calm surface—always more.
And somehow, I knew she wouldn't let anyone see it.
Not now. Not ever.
+++++++++++++++
Ready for the fight between Eces and Emilia ...
And before you guys ask that there is no Keifer and Jay in the chapter, this is because I wanted to mention Eces mind reading power.
Next chapter Target : 10 comments ( one comment per person )
Spoiler
~ New ship coming ( any guess )
~ Jayfer wedding
~ Eces disease