Ash was nearing the end of his fifth week of training. Ever since he had followed Mira, he hadn't found a moment to talk to her about it.
Taking a longer route back to the dorm, he walked past the edge of the east block, where the buildings cast long shadows and the walls muffled most sounds.
That's when he heard a voice — low, murmuring — then a girl's soft whimper. He turned the corner quietly, eyes adjusting to the dimness. His steps halted the moment he spotted two figures pressed into the wall.
A man — tall, rough-voiced — and the girl.
Mira.
His eyes widened.
Mira was pinned against the wall by someone Ash didn't recognize.
The man tilted his head slightly, staring at her. "Why are you acting shy now, Mira?" he asked with a mocking tone.
She hesitated… then slowly turned her head.
Her eyes met Ash's.
And everything in that one moment hit him.
They were tired, tearful, empty and that brightness on her face was no longer there.
Then she turned her gaze away– lips trembling –and whispered " Sir... please... can we go to a more comfortable place?"
The man laughed low in his throat.
"Comfortable? We can do it here if I want. No one 's gonna stop me"
He leaned close to her ear and whispered "You didn't seem to mind last time" his hand slidding under her shirt, fingers brushing against her skin " Don't pretend you're not getting wet right now."
Ash froze. His hands clenched.
He still didn't know who the man was– but that didn't matter. All he saw was Mira being forced and trembling.
And that was enough to make something in him snap.
Ash stepped forward without hesitation and punched the man. The punch landed square on his jaw, jerking his head to the side. He didn't fall, but staggered back causing him to draw back his hold on Mira.
Ash grabbed Mira's arm and pulled her behind him.
The man snarled, "Do you know who you're touching with your filthy hands?"
"No, I don't. But I do know she doesn't like what you're doing to her." Ash said with a cold and steady voice.
Mira huddled against the wall, her head bowed down low. The man wiped a trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth, a cruel smirk spreading across his face.
"Who told you she's not enjoying it?" he hissed and without warning, he lunged forward , his fist crashing into Ash's face with brutal force. The impact sent Ash staggering losing his footing before he crashed hard to the ground.
He wiped the blood from his mouth, a dark smirk curling at the corner of his lips as his eyes locked onto Mira.
" Hey, come back here " he snarled, voice dripping with menace.
She stepped forward, her movement hesitant. As she glanced back at Ash , a brief, reassuring smile softened her features.
Ash stared at her in disbelief.
The man's gaze sharpened , a cruel satisfaction gleaming in his eyes. His sly grin widened as he sneered." See? She's coming all on her own". His words dripped with mockery.
As Mira finally reached the man's side the two turned and walked off together. Ash let out a soft breath the sting on his lips reminding of the punch " That's what you get from trying to help" he thought bitterly wiping the blood from his mouth with the back of his hand.
************
Ash pushed open the dorm door, the soft click of it shutting behind him barely audible over the buzz of low voices and laughter inside.
Luca, Sebastian, and Matteo were comfortably sprawled across his bed. On the opposite bed, Léo leaned back against the wall while Emil sat cross-legged beside him, deep in whatever joke had them chuckling.
Emil's eyes narrowed. "Ash?" he said, already halfway off the bed. "What happened to your lip?"
"I fell," he said simply, walking past them like nothing had happened. "It's nothing serious."
Emil didn't look convinced.
As Ash rifled through the locker for a towel, Léo's voice cut through the silence behind him.
"A fall won't leave your jaw that red, Ash," he said calmly, but there was concern behind his tone.
"Yeah, that looks like a hit," Matteo added.
"Or a punch," Sebastian chimed in.
Ash didn't respond. He just grabbed his towel, shut the locker a little too hard, and walked straight into the bathroom.
The water did little to wash away the tension in his body. His knuckles still ached from the punch he gave that man.
When he came back out, the room had quieted down. But the air was dense.
Five pairs of eyes snapped toward him the second he stepped in. None of them said anything for a moment, but the serious glances spoke louder than words.
Luca was the first to break the silence. "Ash, we're being serious here. What happened?"
Ash let out a long sigh and dried his hands slowly with the towel, eyes fixed on the floor. After a pause, he spoke, voice low but steady.
"…Do any of you know a girl named Mira?"
Luca raised a brow, a mischievous grin creeping onto his face.
"Ohh… you had a fight with your girlfriend? And let me guess—you got slapped?" he teased, laughing lightly.
Léo didn't even bother responding to him. He just sighed and shook his head slowly.
Sebastian looked over at Luca with clear disapproval. "Luca, seriously?"
"What?" Luca asked, genuinely confused. "I'm just trying to lighten the mood."
Léo finally spoke, his voice low and firm.
"I don't really know her… but trust me, mingling with her won't do you any good."
Emil's tone was cautious but honest.
"She's… the plaything of the higher-ups here," he said quietly. "I heard she was brought in because she killed a customer at the bar."
The room fell into a thick silence for a moment, until Léo pulled out a cigarette and lit it. He took a long drag, then blew the smoke slowly toward the ceiling.
"The way they're treating her isn't cool at all," he muttered, eyes narrowed with something close to disgust. "They're just… fucking her. Anyhow. Anywhere. Like she's not even a person."
"The last guy that tried to help her?" he continued, voice dropping into something darker. "Ended up dead."
**************
Author's Note 📝
Hey everyone 👋😁
Thank you sooo much for being patient!
We're really sorry for the late update — a lot has been going on lately, but we're back on track.
Hope you enjoy this chapter 💜
Xoxo
Quillqueens 💞