Location: St. Monarch University – One Hour After the Cafeteria Incident
The thread returned.
"Monarch Watch" — the encrypted chat full of whispers, theories, fears.
And now?
It was burning with updates.
Zeke: "He said it. Out loud. In front of all of us."
Arielle: "That was Damon. I don't care what the records say."
Elina: "I don't know who he is anymore… but I know who he was."
Nova: "I'm done waiting. I'm going to find out."
But before anyone else could reply, a new name joined the thread:
Username: ChainBreaker77
"I'll get the proof.
Even if I have to break him open myself."
Scene: Rival Moves First – A Reckless Play
Zayn Cortez, the spoiled son of a corporate giant Damon once bankrupted, took action.
He hired a private investigator.
Bribed a faculty assistant to run a background trace.
Sent out a digital bounty under the table: "Find everything on Damien Vale."
But what he didn't know?
Damon had already traced the attempt.
System Check-In: Threat Monitoring Suite
Check-In Complete
– Reward: $4,000
– New Tool Unlocked: "Firewall Mirror"
→ Any attempt to uncover your identity is tracked, copied, and laced with false breadcrumbs
Threat Flagged: Zayn Cortez – Status: Interfering Rat
Recommended Action: Silence or Humiliation
Damon's Response – Public. Precise. Ruthless.
The next morning, during the Citadel midterm pitch event, Zayn presented his company:
"Cortez Aerospace Futures: A new legacy of global sky transport—"
Damon interrupted.
Softly.
From the back row.
"You may want to stop there."
Zayn blinked.
"Excuse me?"
Damon smiled—cool, calm.
"Because your company was just bought.
By me."
A pause.
Laughter. Confusion.
Until Damon turned the screen on his laptop to face the room — displaying official digital buyout contracts, timestamped and finalized twenty minutes ago.
"Guess you should've focused on stocks instead of stalking me."
The room erupted.
Zayn turned pale.
And somewhere in the crowd, Nova whispered:
"Oh my god…
That's Damon Black."
Meanwhile – Old Love Interest Reacts
Elina passed him in the hallway later.
Stopped.
No crowd.
Just the two of them.
"You're not even trying to hide it now."
Damon tilted his head.
"Hide what?"
She stepped closer.
Too close.
"The way you move.
The way you speak.
That chill in your aura—
It's him."
Damon didn't deny it.
Just leaned in.
And whispered against her ear:
"Maybe ghosts don't hide.
Maybe they haunt on purpose."
Then he walked away—leaving her breathless.