Rain covered Valmere Academy in silver shadows. Expensive cars stopped near the entrance while students in perfect uniforms walked through the halls like royalty.

The academy looked elegant from outside, but everyone knew secrets lived longer there than people did.

Daze Lorian walked through the corridor quietly, headphones resting around her neck as whispers followed behind her.

“She’s so rude for no reason.”

“She acts like she hates everyone.”

“Heard her family died.”

Daze ignored every word. People loved creating stories about things they didn’t understand.

She opened her locker calmly before a girl beside her scoffed.

“You know, if you smiled once, maybe people would actually like you.”

Daze closed her locker slowly and looked at her.

“And if you stayed quiet once, maybe people would tolerate you.”

A few students laughed under their breath while the girl rolled her eyes in embarrassment.

"Cold"

That was the word everyone used for Daze Lorian.

But nobody ever asked what made her that way.

That same morning, the academy buzzed with rumors.

Ares Valren had returned.

The heir of the Valren family rarely attended school, yet his name alone was enough to make students nervous. Nobody knew why he disappeared months ago, and nobody dared ask.

A black car stopped near the gates. Ares stepped out wearing a dark uniform, his expression unreadable and distant. Students instantly moved aside for him.

Even teachers looked uncomfortable around him.

“Welcome back, Mr. Valren,” the principal said carefully.Ares glanced at him once.

“You say that like I had a choice.”

Then he walked away.

During literature class, the atmosphere felt tense. Everyone secretly stared toward the back seat where Ares sat alone near the window, completely uninterested in anything around him.

“Mr. Valren,” the teacher said nervously, “would you like to introduce yourself?”

“No.”

The answer came cold and immediate.

Silence filled the room.

Near the second row, Daze continued writing in her notebook without even looking back once.

Lunch break arrived with loud conversations flooding the academy rooftop. Daze sat alone near the stairs, sketching absentmindedly inside her notebook while the wind moved strands of hair across her face.

Her only friend, Celeste Arden, dropped beside her dramatically. “The entire school is obsessed with Ares Valren.”

“Sounds exhausting,” Daze replied lazily.

“You seriously don’t care?”

Daze closed her notebook. “Rich boys with cold personalities aren’t rare here.”

Celeste laughed softly before noticing Daze staring toward the cloudy sky again.

“You always look like you’re thinking about something tragic.”

“Maybe I am.”

There was something unsettling about the way she said it.

By evening, thunder echoed across Valmere Academy. Students hurried through the halls as rain hit the windows violently.

Then suddenly the fire alarm rang.Screams filled the corridors instantly.

Smoke spread from the east wing while students pushed each other in panic trying to escape. Teachers shouted for everyone to stay calm, but nobody listened.

Somewhere near the staircase, someone slipped.

A loud crash echoed.

When Daze reached downstairs, a male student lay injured on the marble floor, blood slowly spreading beneath him while dozens of students stood frozen.

Most of them were recording.

"Disgusting."

Daze pushed through the crowd and kneeled beside him immediately, pressing her blazer against the wound.

“Call the ambulance instead of acting useless”

She snapped coldly.The injured boy winced painfully.

“I think… my arm’s broken…”

“You’re conscious, so stop talking like you’re dying.”

Even in pain, he laughed weakly.He is a little weird.

Near the academy entrance, Ares watched everything silently beneath the dim lights. His expression never changed, but his eyes stayed fixed on Daze.No panic. No fake sympathy. No fear.

She looked strangely familiar with tragedy.As the ambulance arrived, Daze stood quietly and picked up her soaked bag without waiting for attention or praise.

For a brief second, her eyes lifted toward the upper floor of the academy.A shadow stood behind the smoke-covered window watching her.

Then the lights flickered and the figure disappeared.

"-"

The shadow behind the smoke-covered window disappeared the moment the academy lights came back. But the image stayed in Daze’s head all night like a scar she couldn’t scratch away.

The next morning, Valmere Academy acted normal again. Students laughed through the halls, gossip spread faster than truth, and teachers pretended yesterday’s fire never happened.

Only the rumors survived.

"They said the cameras stopped working before the fire started."

"Someone saw blood near the east wing."

"Heard the injured student kept repeating the same name."

Daze Lorian walked through the corridor silently while Celeste Arden followed beside her with coffee in hand.

Celeste sighed.

"Why does this school feel like a damn crime scene every week?"

Daze shrugged lazily.

"Rich people get bored easily."

Before Celeste could reply, someone slammed a locker shut near them.

Viviana Laurent.

Perfect jwellery. Expensive perfume. Rotten personality.

Three girls stood behind her like backup dancers as she looked Daze up and down with open disgust.

Viviana scoffed.

"You seriously came back after yesterday looking like that?"

Daze raised an eyebrow.

"Sorry. I forgot psychopath chic was your thing."

A few nearby students laughed quietly.

Viviana’s smile twitched.

"You know, for a girl with no status, you talk too much."

Daze leaned against the locker calmly.

"And for a girl with everything handed to her, you’re still painfully insecure. Tragic."

Celeste almost choked trying not to laugh.

Viviana stepped closer.

"Keep acting smart, bitch. One day someone’s gonna humble you."

Daze smiled faintly.

"Maybe. But it definitely won’t be a spoiled Barbie with daddy’s credit card."

The hallway instantly went silent.

Even Viviana’s friends looked shocked.

Viviana’s face darkened with embarrassment.

"You think people actually like you?"

Daze answered immediately.

"No. But unlike you, I don’t beg for attention like a damn stray dog."

Celeste whispered under her breath.

"Jesus Christ..."

Viviana glared at Daze before turning away aggressively.

"This isn’t over."

Daze picked up her bag.

"That line only sounds cool in movies."

By afternoon, sports period started outside near the academy field. Cold wind moved through the tall trees while students stretched lazily under the cloudy sky.

Daze stood near the back of the line, completely uninterested in existence itself.

Meanwhile, Viviana barely exercised. She spent most of her time staring toward the basketball court nearby.

Because Ares Valren was there.

Black uniform sleeves rolled slightly upward, headphones around his neck, one hand spinning a basketball effortlessly.

Even from far away, nobody approached him casually.

Not because he looked angry.

Because he looked untouchable.

Viviana fixed her hair instantly.

Celeste noticed and muttered quietly to Daze,

"She’s one compliment away from proposing marriage."

Daze snorted softly.

"She’d sell a kidney for his attention."

Unfortunately, Viviana heard that.

She walked directly toward them with narrowed eyes.

Viviana crossed her arms.

"You jealous or something?"

Daze looked genuinely confused.

"Of what?"

Viviana smirked.

"Please. Every girl here wants Ares."

Daze looked toward the basketball court once before looking back.

"He looks emotionally exhausting."

Celeste burst out laughing.

Viviana’s expression hardened immediately.

"You act like you’re above everyone, but honestly? You’re just some damaged freak with attitude problems."

For the first time, Daze’s expression lost warmth completely.

The air turned colder around her.

Then she smiled.

Slowly.

Daze stepped closer.

"And you’re just a pretty girl desperately trying to convince people you matter. See? We both have issues."

The girls behind Viviana went completely silent.

Before Viviana could explode.

A basketball suddenly rolled across the field and stopped directly between them.

Silence followed instantly.

Everyone turned.

Ares Valren walked toward them slowly, dark eyes unreadable.

Viviana straightened immediately.

But Ares didn’t even glance at her.

His gaze stopped on Daze for one brief second before he picked up the basketball again.

Then, without a word he walked away.

"-"

The moment the basketball rolled near them, Ares Valren bent down to pick it up—but before he could leave, someone suddenly grabbed him by the neck from behind.

"Well damn. The ghost of Valmere finally came back to school."

Ares barely reacted.

"Get your hands off me, Cassian."

Cassian Moreau laughed and let go of him before spinning the basketball on his finger. Unlike Ares, Cassian looked effortlessly approachable—messy dark hair, lazy grin, expensive uniform worn carelessly. The type of guy teachers complained about but secretly liked anyway.

He was from another section and hadn’t attended school for almost a week.

Cassian looked around the field dramatically.

"So this is what I return to? Rich girls fighting over eye contact?"

Viviana immediately fixed her posture.

"We weren’t fighting over anyone."

Cassian looked at Ares.

"She’s lying."

Ares finally spoke while watching Daze and Viviana silently.

"I know."

Cassian smirked.

"You came to school after months just to watch cat fights?"

Ares grabbed the basketball back from him lazily.

"Best entertainment this place has offered so far."

That single sentence made Viviana visibly embarrassed.

Meanwhile Daze looked deeply unimpressed by everyone involved.

Viviana glared at her again.

"You seriously think you’re better than everyone."

Daze answered calmly, "No. I just think you’re embarrassingly desperate."

Celeste turned away fast to hide her laughter.

Viviana stepped closer aggressively.

"Watch your damn mouth."

Daze tilted her head slightly.

"Make me."

That was enough.

Viviana shoved Daze hard by the shoulder, but Daze instantly grabbed her wrist and pushed her back against the metal bench nearby.

Students gasped loudly.

Cassian looked entertained immediately.

"Oh shit. Now it’s getting good."

Ares stayed quiet beside him, but there was faint amusement in his eyes now.

Viviana snapped toward Ares.

"You think this is funny?!"

Ares answered without hesitation.

"A little"

That was enough.

That made things worse.

Coach Raven arrived seconds later, already looking disappointed in humanity.

His sharp eyes moved between the students before stopping on Ares.

"And why do you look entertained?"

Ares shrugged lazily.

"Cat fights are educational."

Coach Raven looked exhausted already.

"Fantastic. The academy’s richest disappointment has jokes now."

Celeste nearly coughed trying not to laugh.

After hearing enough complaints from everyone, Coach Raven rubbed his forehead.

"You two. Detention after class."

Daze frowned.

"She literally attacked me first."

Coach Raven pointed at her calmly.

"And you looked one second away from throwing her into another dimension."

Then his eyes moved toward Ares.

"And you’re coming too."

Ares looked genuinely offended.

"The hell did I do?"

"You encouraged it with your face."

By evening, most students had left Valmere Academy. Rain tapped softly against the windows while Daze cleaned dust off old classroom desks with visible irritation.

Meanwhile, Ares sat on top of a desk near the back wall doing absolutely nothing.

Not helping.

Just existing beautifully and uselessly.

Daze threw a cloth toward him.

"Coach said clean, not sit there looking expensive."

No answer.

Ares kept scrolling through his phone.

Five minutes later-

Daze spoke again.

"You allergic to work or just emotionally attached to being useless?"

Still nothing.

A muscle in Daze’s jaw twitched.

She walked toward him directly and grabbed the collar of his jacket sharply.

"Either help me clean this damn room or get out."

For the first time, Ares looked at her properly.

Then suddenly his hand caught her wrist.

Fast.

The tension shifted instantly.

Daze froze slightly as Ares pulled her closer without warning, their faces only inches apart now.

His voice dropped lower.

"You always grab people like that?"

Daze’s heartbeat betrayed her once.

Annoying.

She tried pulling away, but his grip only tightened slightly.

"You gonna cry if someone touches back?"

Ares asked lazily.

Daze stared straight into his eyes.

"You talk a lot for someone who looks dead inside."

For one second ares smirked.

Actually smirked.

Dangerously pretty.

Then he leaned slightly closer.

"And you look like trouble pretending to be calm."

The air suddenly felt too heavy.

Too quiet.

Daze hated that her pulse reacted first.

Before either of them could move, Coach Raven’s voice echoed from outside the classroom.

"If one desk is dusty when I come back, both of you are cleaning toilets too."

Ares immediately let go of her wrist.

Daze stepped back quickly, fixing her sleeves like nothing happened.

But the silence between them had already changed.

And neither of them liked it.

A few moments later, the classroom lights flickered once.

Then twice.

Ares’ expression darkened instantly.

Daze noticed it.

From somewhere deep in the empty hallway

A soft metallic sound echoed.

Like a locker slowly opening by itself.

"-"