Drake woke to his alarm's insistent shriek. He silenced it with a slap, then lay still, staring at the ceiling.
His body felt different.
Stronger.
He sat up slowly, rolling his shoulders. No morning stiffness—just a strange vitality humming beneath his skin. His muscles moved with unfamiliar ease, as if his body had been reforged overnight.
Drake swung his legs over the bed and stood.
No dizziness. No fatigue. Just raw energy.
What the hell happened to me?
---
The bathroom mirror confirmed it.
Same sharp jawline. Same dark hair. Same abyssal eyes that drew wary glances. But something had changed.
His frame looked sturdier, shoulders broader. The hollows beneath his cheekbones had filled slightly, giving his face healthier definition. Even his skin looked clearer, the usual pallor replaced by a faint flush.
Most striking were his eyes.
They weren't just dark anymore—they burned.
A flicker of something primal lived in them now, crimson embers smoldering in the blackness.
Drake leaned closer.
Is this because of the vision?
The horned figure's voice echoed in his skull: "Surrender thy vessel, so I might return from the veil of death."
His hands clenched.
Not happening.
---
The cafeteria buzzed with morning chaos. Students clustered around tables, voices overlapping in a cacophony of gossip and laughter. The air smelled of fried eggs and bitter coffee.
Drake loaded his tray with scrambled eggs, toast, and a suspicious sausage before scanning for familiar faces.
He spotted Xian first.
The foul-mouthed joker lounged at their usual table, legs kicked up on the bench, smirk already in place. "Well, well," she drawled, "look who finally graced us with his presence." Her sharp eyes raked over him. "Damn, dude. You been juicing or something?"
Drake slid into the seat across from her. "What?"
Xian gestured vaguely. "You look less like a starving null and more like an actual person now."
"Thanks," Drake deadpanned.
She grinned, unrepentant. "Just saying. Whatever you've been doing, it's working."
Drake ignored her, stabbing his eggs.
Alexis dropped into the seat beside him, tray clattering. His dark eyes assessed Drake. "You good?"
"Fine."
Alexis didn't look convinced but let it go.
Xian had no such restraint. "So," she said through a mouthful of toast, "you gonna tell me what the hell happened yesterday?"
Drake paused mid-bite. "What do you mean?"
She rolled her eyes. "Oh, I dunno. Maybe how you went from getting wrecked to moving like some battle god?" She leaned forward. "News is all over school. Lowest-ranked student beats Riko—rank 1700." She counted on her fingers. "That's a 297-rank difference!"
Alexis shot her a warning look.
Drake set his fork down slowly. "I don't know what happened."
It wasn't entirely a lie.
Fragments haunted him: blood on steel, a thunderous heartbeat, something else moving his limbs.
Xian opened her mouth—
"Leave it," Alexis cut in.
Xian threw up her hands. "Fine. But you gotta admit, it was weird as hell."
Alexis didn't argue. "It was weird," he murmured into his coffee.
Drake's grip tightened around his fork.
Because it was.
---
The cafeteria doors burst open.
Silence fell.
Ryan Poseidonis—top-ranked first-year—strode in like he owned the place.
Tall, broad-shouldered, with wild silver-blond hair and glacial eyes, Ryan moved with the casual arrogance of someone who'd never known defeat. A battle maniac who'd reached Viscount rank as a first-year.
And his gaze was locked on Drake.
The silence deepened as Ryan grabbed food and marched toward their table.
Xian choked on her coffee. Alexis went rigid.
Ryan stopped before them, his presence alone making the air feel heavier. Without a word, he slammed his tray down and sat.
The cafeteria held its breath.
Ryan took a bite of toast, chewed, then grinned. "I like you."
Drake blinked. "What?"
Ryan's grin widened. "You're different. I can sense it. Fight me."
"No."
"Fight me."
"I said no."
Ryan leaned in, voice dropping. "I saw you yesterday. That wasn't just skill." His eyes gleamed. "I want to experience it."
Drake's stomach twisted.
Alexis's hand hit the table with a thud. "Ryan."
Ryan didn't glance at him. "Stay out of this, pretty boy."
Alexis's jaw tightened. "You're causing a scene."
Ryan laughed—loud and unbothered. "So?"
Tension spiked.
Across the room, Jackson Storm watched, golden eyes calculating. Other top students turned, expressions ranging from curiosity to hostility.
Ryan drummed his fingers. "One fight."
"No."
Ryan's arm slid around Drake's shoulders, grip tightening just shy of pain. "Just one fight. Please."
Drake stiffened.
Alexis was on his feet instantly, palm against Ryan's chest. "Back. Off."
Dead silence.
Ryan's gaze dropped to the hand on his chest, then back up. A slow, dangerous smile curled his lips.
Frost gathered at his fingertips.
The temperature plummeted.
Alexis didn't flinch.
For a heartbeat, no one moved.
Then—
"Enough."
A disciplinary officer—black-and-gold uniform, voice like steel—stepped between them. "Ryan. Walk away, you fucking maniac."
Ryan held the stare—then sighed dramatically, releasing Drake. "Fine." He stood, stretching lazily.
As he turned to leave, he shot Drake a final look. "This isn't over." He waved. "I'll keep coming back."
The cafeteria's noise returned as he left.
---
Nightfall found Drake on the abandoned east rooftop, the city's glow painting the sky in smears of orange and violet. The wind carried distant shouts from late-night training sessions, the ever-present hum of Arachis never truly sleeping.
"You're getting predictable."
Leo materialized from the shadows like a blade unsheathed, his usual smirk absent. He studied Drake with those too-perceptive eyes, lingering on the faint crimson glow still pulsing in his irises.
"You okay?"
The simple question nearly undid him. Drake's laugh came out ragged. "Do I look okay?"
They stood in silence, wind tugging at their clothes.
Finally, Leo spoke. "That power you tapped into yesterday..."
Drake tensed.
"It's not just you in there, is it?"
Drake's fingers curled around the railing.
Leo studied him. "Whatever's inside you... don't let it win."
Drake looked away.
Easier said than done.
His wrist buzzed.
The unknown number again.
Leo glanced at the message. "Seems Winston has a lot to say to you."
"I don't want to talk to him."
"Just hear him out."
Drake's eyes drifted back to the sunset. "You were listening to our conversation."
Leo chuckled. "Perks of super hearing." He pushed off the railing. "No training tonight. I've got work."
With that, he vaulted off the rooftop, leaving Drake alone with the storm raging inside him.
---