Male Lead (ML): Victor Willems Work/Role: A world-renowned particle physicist and brilliant young prodigy brought in from abroad. He is the university's special guest investigator, tasked with running the advanced physics labs, overriding thesis proposals, and directly supervising master's and PhD research tracks.

Female Lead (FL): Mila De Smet Work/Role: A fourth-year undergraduate physics major. She is a sharp, analytical student who is about to enter his advanced lab track and work directly under his supervision while hiding a dark, obsessive secret.

lets start

this story is going to be super dark so read at ur own ....%

The university courtyard was absolutely packed for the new semester's welcoming party. Music was blaring from the speakers, and everyone was crowding around the food tables. But my friends and I stayed near the back, sitting on a wooden bench under the shade. All of us were physics majors, so instead of partying, we were arguing about our upcoming lab schedules.

Up on the stage, the principal and the city mayor were wrapping up their opening speeches. Standing right next to them was a man who completely stood out from the rest of the stiff, older faculty. He looked young, incredibly sharp, and wore a dark blazer over a simple black t-shirt. He had this effortless, brilliant aura around him. The principal grabbed the microphone.

I stared at him, completely captivated. He spoke with so much confidence, yet he felt entirely untouchable.

The crowd cheered again. As the speeches ended, the professors and the mayor began walking off the side of the stage, heading toward the VIP lounge. Because of the crowd, Victor had to pass right by the edge of the lawn where our bench was. He walked quickly, his sharp jawline tight, looking straight ahead. He didn't notice me or my friends at all as he brushed past. But as he walked by, he pulled his hand out of his blazer pocket. A small piece of dark navy fabric slipped out with his hand and tumbled silently onto the grass right next to my feet.

He kept walking, completely unaware. I quickly leaned down and snatched it up before anyone else could see. I unfolded it slightly under the table. In the corner, embroidered in neat white thread, was his name: Victor Willems

Why would I give it back? I thought. He’s a famous, brilliant scientist. He doesn't even know I exist, and he probably has a hundred of these. To him, it was a lost rag. To me... it was a piece of him. There was no way I was handing it over

Victor’s POV The welcoming party was finally over, and I was incredibly glad to be back in the temporary apartment the university had provided for me on campus. The afternoon sun during those outdoor speeches had been brutal, and the heavy layers of my formal clothes hadn't helped. I took off my blazer and tossed it onto the sofa, unbuttoning the top of my shirt. Out of habit, I reached into my right trouser pocket to grab my handkerchief to wipe the sweat from my face.

My hand hit empty fabric. I frowned, checking the left pocket. Nothing. I searched the inner lining of my blazer, then my back pockets.

It wasn't just any regular cloth. It was a high-quality, custom handkerchief engraved with my full name, given to me right before I left for this international research assignment. I sat down on the edge of the bed, trying to retrace my steps. I remembered having it right before I walked onto the stage with the mayor and the principal. After my speech, I had walked off the side of the stage, cut through the student courtyard, and came straight here.

It must have fallen out of my pocket while I was walking through the crowd of students. By now, the courtyard would be completely empty, or the cleaning crew would have swept it straight into the trash. It was incredibly annoying to lose something personal on my very first day at this university. With a sigh, I forced myself to put it out of my mind. I walked over to my desk and opened my laptop. I had a mountain of PhD proposals to review before the morning lab hours started.

Mila’s POV The moment I got back to my apartment, I locked the front door. I didn't even bother to take off my shoes. I went straight into my bedroom, sat on the edge of my bed, and carefully pulled the navy handkerchief out of my pocket. My hands were slightly shaking as I unfolded it. The moment the fabric opened, a heavy wave of scent hit me in the quiet room. I brought the cloth up to my face and took a deep breath, closing my eyes.

It smelled exactly like him. There was the expensive, woody smell of his cologne, but underneath that, there was the distinct, sharp scent of his sweat. It was the smell of a man who had been traveling, standing under hot stage lights, and speaking with intense authority. It didn't smell dirty at all; it smelled masculine, raw, and completely intoxicating.

I traced my fingers over the white embroidered text. Victor Willems. He felt so completely out of reach, a famous scientist from abroad who hadn't even glanced my way on the lawn. But right now, I was holding something that had been pressed against his skin just an hour ago. A sudden, wild impulse took over my mind. It was completely irrational, completely unscientific, but the urge was too strong to fight. I wanted to know what he tasted like. I wanted to decode him

Slowly, my heart slamming against my ribs, I brought the center of the handkerchief to my lips. I opened my mouth slightly and pressed the tip of my tongue against the dark cotton, right where the scent of his sweat and skin was the strongest. The fabric was dry against my tongue, but the taste was immediate.

It was salty. A sharp, rich, biological saltiness that belonged entirely to him. It tasted like pure human effort, completely stripped of his famous title, his degrees, and his polite public persona. It was the real, physical essence of Victor Willems, bleeding right through his expensive perfume. I dragged my tongue a little further across the cloth, a sudden shiver running straight down my spine. My breathing became shallow, and my face burned with a mix of thrill and secrecy.

I slowly pulled the handkerchief away, staring at the small, wet spot I had left right next to his engraved name. I carefully folded the handkerchief back up, smoothing out the edges, and slid it safely underneath my pillow. He was sitting in his faculty apartment right now, completely unaware that a student he hadn't even noticed had his handkerchief—and knew exactly how he tasted

The fluorescent lights of the basement lab flickered, casting long, nervous shadows across my research desk. I was checking the heat levels on the particle simulator when the door clicked behind me. I didn't expect anyone. The welcoming party was still happening upstairs. I turned around. A man was standing by the door. He wore heavy tactical gear, and his face was completely hidden behind a thick, matte-black mask

The masked man didn't answer. He walked forward slowly, his boots thudding against the concrete floor. He pulled a silver, high-voltage cattle prod from his belt. The tip crackled with blue electricity.

Zap. The electric current hit my chest, throwing me to the ground. My muscles locked up in pure agony, a scream tearing from my throat.

He didn't hesitate. He jammed the crackling metal rod into my side. The pain was blinding this time, a white-hot flash that felt like it was melting my veins. I collapsed onto my side, sobbing, my chest heaving as the smell of burnt fabric filled the room.

The masked man froze for a second. Then, a low, dark chuckle vibrated through his mask. It turned into a loud, mocking laugh that echoed off the concrete walls.

The man stood up, looking down at me through the dark lenses of his mask. He slipped the weapon back into his belt and adjusted his gloves.

Victor’s POV Two hours later, the basement hallway was a chaotic mess of flashing red lights and shouting police officers. I pushed past the yellow crime scene tape, my jaw clenched so tight it ached. The principal and the mayor had still been giving me toasts at the welcoming dinner when the emergency call came in.

I ignored him, stepping into the lab. The room was completely black. The walls were scorched with thick soot, and the glass test tubes had melted into distorted shapes. In the center of the room lay the body of my senior lab assistant, horribly burned.

I walked closer to the main desk, my analytical mind racing. My eyes scanned the room, automatically calculating what was missing.

I didn't answer. I noticed a small piece of cardboard pinned to the undamaged corner of my whiteboard. It was a note, written in hasty, shaky handwriting. It looked like the assistant had written it in a panic before the blast.

I pulled it off the board. It read: Dark Matter. They saw me. I saw them.

I crumbled the note into my fist, my mind flashing back to the missing handkerchief from earlier. First my personal items go missing on the lawn, and now my entire research lab is targeted and my assistant is murdered. This wasn't an accident. This was a targeted strike against my work.

I walked out into the cool night air, my blood boiling. Someone knew exactly why I was at this university. Someone was watching me.

The wheels of my heavy suitcase rattled loudly against the tiled floor of the master’s degree hostel. It was my very first day moving in, and the lobby was total chaos. Girls were carrying cardboard boxes, parents were arguing with the receptionists, and the heat was unbearable. I dragged my luggage toward the common room, completely exhausted. I managed to find an empty couch and collapsed onto it. As I sat down, my heavy, dark hair slipped over my shoulder, cascading all the way down past the edge of the cushion.

I looked up. Two girls were sitting on the adjacent chairs, surrounded by their own bags. The one who spoke had bright eyes and a friendly smile. But before I could even answer, both of their eyes widened as they stared at me. Or rather, at my hair

I walked up the stairs to the smoky, cramped office. Mr. Jacobs, a middle-aged man with thick glasses, was drowning in paperwork. When he saw me, he let out a heavy breath.

Panic started to rise in my throat. I thought about the heavy suitcase downstairs, my upcoming lab hours, and the fact that I didn't have any family in this part of the city.

He just shrugged, completely unbothered by my crisis. I walked back down to the lobby, my eyes stinging with frustrated tears. I sat back down on the couch next to Elena and Lin, burying my face in my hands. My long hair fell forward like a dark curtain, hiding my face.

Elena and Lin exchanged a quick look. Elena didn't even hesitate. She reached over and patted my knee.

As we walked out of the hostel toward the transit station, my mind finally started to calm down. At least I had a roof over my head. But as I clutched my jacket pocket, my fingers brushed against the hidden, stolen navy handkerchief inside. I shivered slightly. I had a place to sleep, but tomorrow, I still had to walk into the physics lab and face the untouchable Professor Willems.