Arc 1 The invisible girl: Chapter 1 The Girl in the Rain

At Aether Academy, Yuna Vale only wanted to stay invisible. But after catching the attention of seven rich and arrogant boys, her quiet life turns into a dangerous game—one where the players slowly begin losing their hearts first.

CHAPTER 1

The Girl in the Rain

Yuna POV

Rain always made everything quieter.

That was probably why I liked it so much.

The sound against the classroom windows drowned out people's voices just enough to make them bearable. Outside, gray clouds covered the sky above Aether Academy while students rushed through the courtyard with umbrellas and expensive shoes they were probably overprotective of.

Meanwhile, I sat peacefully in my corner beside the window with my book open and my headphones on.

Exactly where nobody would bother me.

Perfect.

I turned another page slowly, ignoring the loud conversations around me.

Someone near the front was talking about a party.

Another group was screaming over social media drama.

Honestly, rich people had too much free time.

I adjusted my glasses slightly before taking a sip from my iced coffee.

Just survive the day.

That was the goal.

Unfortunately—

the classroom door suddenly opened.

And the entire room exploded.

"Oh my god, they're here—"

"Move!"

"Did you see Kai this morning?"

I already knew who it was.

The kings of Aether Academy.

Seven rich boys who acted like the school belonged to them.

Technically...

it probably did.

I kept my eyes on my book, hoping they would stay far away from me.

Then footsteps stopped directly beside my desk.

...You've got to be kidding me.

A shadow fell across my page.

"You're sitting in my spot."

I slowly looked up.

And immediately regretted it.

Kai Mercer stared down at me with calm dark eyes, one hand inside his pocket while rainwater still dripped slightly from his black hair.

Why did he look like a magazine cover at eight in the morning?

More importantly—

why was he talking to me?

I glanced around the classroom.

There were literally empty seats everywhere.

I looked back at him blankly.

"Looks like you have plenty of others."

The classroom became silent so fast it was almost impressive.

A girl near the front looked seconds away from cardiac arrest.

Did nobody at this school speak normally to each other?

One of the boys behind Kai suddenly laughed.

"Damn," Eli Navarro grinned. "She rejected you immediately."

Another one leaned against the doorway looking entertained.

"That might be a first," Noah Vance added.

I already had a headache.

I looked back down at my book.

Conversation over.

Or at least it should've been.

Instead, the chair in front of my desk scraped loudly against the floor.

Kai sat down facing me.

Why?

Why was this happening to me?

The whispers around the classroom grew louder.

I could practically feel people staring now.

Wonderful.

"What's your name?" Kai asked.

I frowned slightly.

"Why?"

One of his eyebrows lifted.

"Because I asked."

"That doesn't answer my question."

Eli started laughing again.

Honestly, he laughed like someone who enjoyed causing problems for fun.

I sighed quietly before closing my book.

There was probably no escape now.

"Yuna."

"Yuna what?"

"Does it matter?"

For a second, Kai just stared at me.

Not annoyed.

Not angry.

Just... watching.

It made me uncomfortable.

People who stared too much usually expected things from you.

And I hated expectations.

Then suddenly—

he smiled.

Not a normal smile.

A dangerous one.

The type that looked calm on the surface but felt like trouble underneath.

My instincts immediately screamed:

Avoid him.

Unfortunately, before I could escape, the teacher entered the classroom.

"Take your seats, everyone."

Finally.

The boys moved away while the classroom slowly returned to normal.

Well—

normal for this school.

I reopened my book immediately.

But for some reason...

I could still feel someone looking at me.

And every time I glanced up slightly—

Kai Mercer's eyes were already there.

Watching.

Lunch break couldn't come fast enough.

The cafeteria was probably packed by now, which meant absolutely not.

Instead, I escaped toward the old library wing carrying my lunch and coffee like usual.

Most students avoided this area because the signal was terrible.

Personally?

That made it perfect.

Rain tapped softly against the tall windows while I sat near the back corner overlooking the courtyard below.

Quiet.

Peaceful.

Safe.

I had just opened my lunch when—

"Found you."

I nearly choked.

I looked up slowly.

Of course it was them.

Jace Holloway stood there smiling brightly while holding two canned coffees.

Behind him appeared Eli and Noah.

Why were they here?

Actually—

better question.

How did they find me?

"You always hide here?" Jace asked curiously.

"How did you find me?"

"Kai told us."

I stared at him blankly.

Wonderful.

I immediately stood up.

"Then I'm leaving."

Before I could walk past them, Noah casually blocked the staircase with one arm.

Not aggressively.

Just enough to stop me.

"Relax," he said. "We're not gonna bite."

"Speak for yourself," Eli grinned.

I blinked slowly.

Honestly, rich boys were weird.

"What do you want?"

The three exchanged glances.

And somehow—

they actually looked unsure.

Jace offered me one of the canned coffees.

"Peace offering?"

I eyed it suspiciously.

Could coffee be poisoned?

Probably not.

I carefully accepted it anyway.

Eli gasped dramatically.

"She accepted your gift. That means she likes you."

"No," I answered immediately. "It means I'm thirsty."

Noah laughed so suddenly that even I looked surprised.

For a moment—

the atmosphere felt strangely normal.

And somehow...

that felt more dangerous than anything else.

Outside, rain continued falling softly across the academy grounds.

And without realizing it—

my quiet little life had already started changing.

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