Chapter 1: Name is, Favian Gray Wolfe

ROWAN trembled knelt on the cold, tiled floor of the unfamiliar room, his scraped hands pressing against his school jeans. His breath hitched as he whispered, voice raw with desperation, "Please... help me." His voice cracked, his body shaking, but none of it mattered not compared to the fear that gnawed at him.

"I'll do anything you ask," he added, eyes darting toward the heavy door behind him.

From the far end of the room, a tall figure stepped forward. His presence was calm, measured, but something about him held authority, controlled, deliberate.

"Anything?" the man asked, his voice unreadable.

Rowan nodded without hesitation. "Yes. Anything."

The man stopped a few feet away, watching him with quiet intensity. "How do you want me to call you?"

He swallowed hard. "Rowan R-Reed..." The name barely left his lips. He stared at the floor, unable to lift his gaze.

The man lowered his leg slightly, bringing himself closer to his level. His expression softened just enough to notice.

"It was nice seeing you here, been waiting for you. Call me, Favian."

The Campus Student Council Vice President. Favian Gray Wolfe.

Rowan hesitated but eventually forced himself to look up. Their eyes met his filled with uncertainty, Favian's with something far more difficult to examine.

"I'll help you," He continued, "but there's one thing I want from you."

Rowan frowned. He does not say anything but his expressions waiting for an answer.

"Yourself," he said simply. "Not in the way you fear. I want your loyalty. Everything you can become."

Rowan blinked, confusion flickering across his face. "I... I don't understand."

"You will," Favian assured him. He stood, his school coat shifting slightly with the movement. "Do you think I let just anyone into my office? I knew who you were before you even set foot in this school."

Rowan inhaled sharply.  He stayed silent.

"I know what you're capable of," Favian added, his voice edged with certainty. "The skills you've tried to hide. The things you've done to survive. I don't need a servant, I need someone who can adapt, someone who can learn. Someone who can be useful."

Rowan’s chest tightened. “Are you the same person who anonymously sent the invitation letter?

Silence stretched between them. Favian's gaze sharpened slightly. “It wasn’t from me,” Favian uttered as he tilted his head slightly to the right. “It might’ve come from someone who knows me personally… or someone who knows you and wants to save you from falling behind,” he added.

Rowan clenched his fists, took a slow breath, and nodded. "Alright. I'll do it."

A faint smile touched Favian's lips. "Good. Then let's begin."

The School Council’s Vice President office was illuminated only by the dim glow of his monitor and the fading sunlight filtering through the blinds. Rowan sat at the desk in the corner, his fingers moving rapidly across the keyboard with his laptop. His eyes remained locked on the screen as lines of code scrolled past.

 Favian leaned against the doorway, arms crossed. "I want you to focus on one thing…" he starts off. He stood firm. “We have to be honest with each other...”

“Ofcourse.” Rowan didn't look up. As he said it, Favian nodded. “To take him down, he used me for things that were illegal and unfair. I’m not trying to hurt him. I just want him to know what it feels like to lose control.”

The school's basement and underground were an open playground for him, firewalls easily bypassed, security systems nothing more than a minor obstacle. His target: the school underground private server aka the basement, where data on extracurricular activities was stored. More importantly, the live feed from the underground e-sports club room, where the king and his friends were running their secret tournament.

Favian nodded slowly. "Just remember precision, not emotion. You're not a victim anymore. You're the one behind the screen."

He smirked. "Exactly."

Rowan pulled up the camera feed. There was the king, Lucas Liu Wesley cocky as ever, surrounded by classmates cheering him on. He was mid-match, headset on, barking orders like a king itself.

"Let's shake things up," Rowan muttered.

He accessed the room's smart lighting system, flickering the lights just enough to cause distraction. Then he tapped into the internet server, introducing a subtle lag spike, barely noticeable, but enough to throw off Lucas's rhythm.

His character glitched mid-fight and was instantly eliminated. He ripped off his headset, furious. "What the hell was that?!"

"This isn’t enough to destroy you." he whispered. Not the right time to reveal himself.

The room went silent. The boss face drained of color as he scanned the crowd, confused, frustrated and paranoid.

Back in the office, Rowan leaned back in his chair, satisfied. "That should do it."

Favian stepped forward, placing a hand on his shoulder. "This is just the beginning. If you want to make real change, you'll need more than just revenge."

He nodded, his expression changed. "It felt good to play him around." Rowan’s tone suddenly changed.

The feeling of being played around before, He now realize how hard it is for him to act like Lucas most useful pet.

Favian smiled faintly. "Then let's see what else you can do."

The two decided to meet in a place no one would ever think of visiting: the Student Vice President’s office, a quiet corner of the building where the hallways remained empty and only he had access. The same office where Rowan’s came to begged.

The office was quiet, lit only by the soft glow of monitor and the hum of the bird through his window. Favian stood from his swivel chair before a digital whiteboard, arms crossed, while Rowan sat nearby, reviewing files on his laptop.

"Taking down Lucas isn't just about exposing him," Favian began. "It's about dismantling his entire circle, piece by piece. If we go straight for him, he'll bury everything and vanish. We need to make him bleed slowly."

Rowan nodded. "Are you plotting something against him?"

The Vice President tapped the board, and a web of names and connections appeared. Lucas at the center, surrounded by his inner circle: Yuri followed by the other pawns of Lucas.

"We take them down one by one. Each fall weakens the next."

He pointed to the first name: Marcus Peters.

"He handles the money. He lacks sloppy in digital security, making him unpredictable... You'll plant a traceable transaction in his account and make it look like he skimmed off the top. Once the school's finance committee sees it, he's out."

Next: Jameson Wakes. The circle’s fighter.

"He's been intimidating students for years. We'll leak footage from the gym's security cameras, him cornering a freshman. No edits. Just the truth. Once it spreads, he'll be suspended."

Then: Samara Ray Morrill.

"She's the one who covers their tracks. But she's also ambitious. We'll feed her false intel and make her think Lucas’s planning to pin everything on her. She'll panic. Maybe even flip."

Rowan leaned forward. "And how about Yuri Katada?"

Favian's expression shifted. "He's already cracking. We keep feeding him just enough to make him question his loyalty. When the time comes, he'll choose survival over loyalty."

"And Lucas?" Rowan asked.

The villain of all: Lucas Liu Wesley

Favian's eyes narrowed. "When he's isolated, paranoid, and desperate, we drop the full dossier. Every transaction, every threat, every lie. We don't just expose him. We erase his influence."

the partner stared at the board, the plan unfolding like a chess match. "You've been planning this for a while?" he was curious, why every detail matches the description of his old companion.

"I've been waiting for the right piece to move," He answered, glancing at him. "And now I have you."

Rowan nodded, resolve hardening in his chest. He sat at the edge of the long table, staring at the digital board filled with names, connections, and timelines. The plan was airtight—too airtight and that's what unsettled him.

"Lucas isn’t the type of person to lose that easily…" he finally said, breaking the silence. “If sees this coming? He turns it all bac--"

Favian, seated across from him, didn't look up from his tablet. "He won't." stopping him.

"You sound so sure," Rowan said, frustration creeping into his voice. "I've seen what he's capable of."

Favian finally looked up, calm as ever. "And I've seen what you're capable of. That's why I chose you."

He shook his head. "You don't get it. He has m-more people. Influence. Fear. I'm just—"

"You're not alone in this," Favian interrupted. He stood and walked to the board, tapping two names that had been grayed out until now. They lit up: Elliot Noir and Theo Blake.

"Elliot Noir Monte?" Rowan blinked. "The current student council p-president? And T-Theo Blake Moon," He added. "Son of the school director and the chairman of Cybernetics Department?"

He stared at him. "You brought them into this?"

"I didn't need to," Favian said. "They came to me. Elliot been quietly cleaning up council corruption for months. He's tired of pretending everything's fine. And Theo? He's seen how Lucas’s actions are staining his father's reputation and limiting him to track it down. He wants it to end."

Rowan leaned back, stunned. "So, this was never just about me." Letting out a chuckle, the sudden change in his tone made the ally squint his eyes.

"No," Favian said. "It's about all of us. You were the spark, Rowan. But now we have the fire." He walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Doubt is natural. But don't let it stop you. You've already done more than most would dare."

Rowan looked at the board again and this time, not with fear, but with focus. "Command me."

The Vice President smiled. "Elliot going to call an emergency council audit. Theo will lead a report to the school board. And you? You're going to make sure Lucas schemes are ready to surface the moment he tries to run."

Rowan nodded slowly. "Roger!"

The school's finance office buzzed with quiet activity as students filed in and out, submitting club budgets and requesting reimbursements. Marcus, the student financial affairs officer, sat confidently at his desk, tapping away at the school's financial system. He had no idea he was already under surveillance.

In the Nexus, Rowan monitored the live feed from the finance office. Haru stood beside him, arms folded, eyes on the screen.

"Ready?" Favian asked.

He nodded. "The script's in place. It'll look like a system glitch, just enough to trigger a smooth transaction."

He hit Enter.

Within a minute, the school's financial database began to shift. A subtle loop in the code rerouted a small portion of club funds just enough to raise suspicion into Marcus's personal student account. The transaction was timestamped during a time he was logged in, but the trail was clean. No trace of Rowan's interference.

Moments later, a notification popped up on the finance officer's screen.

"Unauthorized transaction detected. Flagged for review."

Marcus's brow furrowed. He clicked through the logs, confusion turning to panic as he saw the transfer.

"What!? What the fck is this?" he muttered, enough to make his voice echoed.

Across campus, Elliot, the student council president, received the alert. He immediately called for an emergency audit, citing "A potential system error affecting student funds."

By the time Marcus arrived at the council room, the auditing team was already reviewing the logs. Elliot stood at the head of the table, calm and professional. "Marcus," he said, "We've found a discrepancy in the club budget allocations. It appears the funds were redirected to your account."

Marcus's face turned pale. "I didn't touch anything! It must be a bug. I swear it’s not me!" paranoid, he starts biting his fingernail.

Theo, the chairman of Cybernetics Department sat beside Elliot, leaned forward. "We'll investigate thoroughly. But until then, we'll need you to step down from your duties."

Marcus looked around, desperate. "You don't think I'd do this, right?!" his face looks pale “Lucas where the hell are you...” he whispered.

He hadn't shown up to the meeting. He just got promoted to Financial Affairs Office yet no presence of him.

And that silence spoke louder than any defense.

Back in the Nexus, Rowan watched it all unfold. "You rather guarding it."

Favian nodded. "One down. The rest will follow."

After the incident, the people of Financial Affairs have limited their access to all of the site and app use for the budget. The student councils and the Cybernetics Department have joint hands to investigate the case while Marcus is being interrogated by the school’s dean and other council officers.

Back in Favian's office, the air thick with tension. He sat at his own table, calm and composed, while Theo on the right is sitting upright and facing toward him, his sharp gaze fixed on Rowan.

Elliot couldn't make it as he was in-charge of the investigation.

Rowan on the left is leaning forward slightly with one arm resting near the table and other holding his laptop. "I get the plan. I see how it works. But there's one thing I need to know before we go any further."

Favian looked up "Go on."

He hesitated, then said, "I have my sister’s safety in line? If Lucas finds out I’m one behind this, she'll be the first one he targets. I can't risk her safety...not again."

The room fell silent.

Favian stood up and walked towards the door. "I thought you might say that."

Followed by the 3 knocks, He opened it, and two students stepped in.

The first, Kevin Yhuk Hunter, wore a simple hoodie with the logo of their school and carried a sketchpad under his arm. Quiet, observant, and always in the background, he was known for being everywhere without ever drawing attention. The second, Julian Jake Paulicio, had a calm, grounded presence, an athlete with a reputation for stepping in when things got out of hand, but never seeking the spotlight.

"They're not in the council," Favian said. "They're not involved in any politics. But they're trusted. And more importantly…they're capable."

Kevin gave a small nod. "We've seen what Lucas's people do. We're not okay with it." his husky tone and smirk as he looks seriously at him.

Julian added, "Leave it us. We’ll keep her safe."

Rowan looked at them, surprised. "This is too much… I don’t how to repay you guys… But off all students involved, Why me?"

Kevin shrugged. "Because someone should've helped you a long time ago."

Favian stepped and stood beside him. "You're not alone in this anymore. I don't move without protecting my people. Riley will be safe. Trust us on that."

Rowan's shoulders relaxed, the weight of fear lifting just slightly. "Thank you."

He gave a rare, genuine smile. "Now that your mind is clear, it's time to move to the next piece."

the boys have continued to plot their next target, Jameson Wakes.

While the atmosphere in the student council room was tense. Marcus sat stiffly in a chair across from the audit committee, his face pale, hands clenched tightly in his lap. Elliot stood at the front, calmly reviewing the financial logs projected on the screen.

"During our investigation," Elliot said, "these funds were redirected from the club budget to your personal account. Can you explain this?"

Marcus shook his head. "I didn't do it. I swear. I've never touched those funds."

Maria, the secretary "Then how do you explain the login timestamp? It matches your ID and your device."

"I—I don't know!" He stammered. "Maybe someone planted it. Maybe it's a glitch!"

The Council President exchanged a glance with Maria, then nodded.

"I understand your frustration. Until we complete the investigation, you're suspended from all financial duties."

Marcus's face fell. "You can't be serious—"

"It's protocol and I hope you understand." Elliot said firmly. "You'll be notified when the review is complete."

As the accused was escorted out, the door to the council room slammed shut behind him.

Meanwhile...

Lucas sat alone in the back of the library building, his phone buzzing with messages. He scrolled through them; rumors, whispers, screenshots of the audit meeting. His jaw tightened.

He dialed Marcus.

"What the hell is going on?"

Marcus's voice came through, panicked. "I don't know! They said I stole the money—I didn't! I swear, Lucas, I didn't touch anything!"

"You're the one in-charge of that. You were supposed to cover our tracks!" he roared.

"I did! I mean—I thought I did. Maybe someone set me up."

The boss eyes narrowed. "Who the hell would set you up!"

"I don't know. But Elliot acting like he's been waiting for this. And Theo backing him up."

Lucas ended the call without another word. “Stupid,” he muttered under his breath, thinking of the people mentioned. He was well aware of the influence those two held.

He sat in silence for a moment, then opened his encrypted chat app. He scrolled through his contacts, then paused.

Rowan.

He hadn't thought about him in a day. Not since he'd disappeared into the background. But now... something didn't feel right.

Lucas fingers hovered over the screen.

"Someone's moving against me," he muttered. "And I'm going to find out who."