The school auditorium smelled like dust, sweat, and cheap polish... the kind they used before assemblies to pretend order still mattered. West sat in the middle rows, knees bouncing, backpack wedged between his feet. Loud conversations rolled like static.
Everyone was waiting.
When Caleb Rourke walked in, the noise changed.
It didn't get louder.
It got sharper.
Heads turned. Whispers cut. Phones came out and camera flashes were heard.
Caleb walked down the aisle like the room belonged to him, hands in his pockets, posture loose, grin lazy.
There it was.
That faint pressure.
West felt it even from here like the air had thickened around Caleb alone. He didn't know how to describe it, only that it made his chest feel tight and small.
Three days ago, Caleb had been just another loudmouth with a decent build and mediocre grades.
Now?
Now teachers smiled at him.
Now students leaned toward him.
Now girls tracked his movements without realizing they were doing it.
The principal cleared her throat at the podium. "Before we begin, we'd like to recognize a recent achievement."
Achievement.
That word used to mean grades.
"Caleb Rourke," she said. "For his successful Awakening."
Applause exploded.
Caleb turned, grinning, soaking it in. He raised a hand like a celebrity acknowledging fans. Someone shouted his name. Someone else whistled.
West rolled his eyes. Who cared about awakening. He just needed to get through this year and he'd be admitted into college.
He subconsciously glanced to his left and noticed that his girlfriend, Lena was staring at Caleb.
Not subtly.
Her lips were parted slightly. Her eyes followed him the way people watched something expensive.
West felt something cold slide down his spine.
---
By lunch, the school had fully reorganized itself.
West stood with his tray, scanning for Lena.
She wasn't at their usual spot.
Lunch break had started five minutes ago.
Usually Lena would already waiting near the vending machines, scrolling through her phone, pretending she wasn't hungry while absolutely being hungry.
However, she wasn't here. So where was she?
Bathroom? Talking with friends?
Normal excuses. Reasonable ones.
Then he heard the laughter.
Not Lena's laughter exactly but more like a group.
West followed the sound.
The crowd parted just enough for him to see.
And the world stopped.
Lena was sitting on Caleb Rourke's lap.
Not sideways. Not awkwardly.
Comfortably.
Her back was against his chest with his arm loose around her waist like it had always belonged there. She was currently laughing with her head tipped back slightly and one hand resting on his shoulder as if that was normal. As if it hadn't taken West three months just to hold her hand without her stiffening.
Caleb leaned in, murmuring something into her ear.
Lena giggled.
West felt something tear inside his chest.
For half a second, he thought maybe he was hallucinating. That stress had finally cracked him. That if he blinked hard enough—
Caleb's hand shifted and he smacked her ass.
The sound was reverberated loudly across the surroundings.
Lena yelped, laughing and swatted his arm. "Caleb!"
The table erupted.
Phones came up instantly.
West's tray slipped from his hands and clattered to the floor.
Nobody noticed.
His feet moved before his brain caught up.
"Lena."
Her head snapped up.
Their eyes met.
The smile on her face didn't vanish immediately.
That was the worst part.
"Oh," she said. "…West."
Lena was the kind of pretty that didn't announce itself.
She wasn't striking at first glance, not the type that turned heads when she walked into a room but the longer you looked, the harder it became to look away.
She had soft features, expressive eyes, and a smile that felt genuine when she wanted it to be. She had a warmth that made people feel chosen when she focused on them.
Her red hair was always neatly kept, usually falling just past her shoulders, and she dressed simply but thoughtfully. She liked looking presentable, like she belonged wherever she stood.
And from what West could remember, she had always been a good girl who spoke of wanting the mundane things of life. She wasn't like other girls who chased bad boys or only cared about the awakened... well, that was what West thought until today.
Caleb looked up slowly, already grinning. "Damn. Speak of the background character."
The laughter hit harder this time.
West's ears roared. "Get up," he said. "We need to talk."
Lena hesitated.
Caleb's arm tightened slightly around her waist.
Then she stood.
As she did, Caleb's hand slid down again and he gave her another spank.
A claim.
The cafeteria went wild.
Someone whistled.
Someone shouted, "Tier privilege!"
Someone else yelled, "That's cold!"
Lena turned red—but she didn't slap him. Didn't pull away.
She walked toward West instead.
Every step felt like knives digging into his ribs.
"Can we talk somewhere private?" West questioned with a hoarse tone.
Caleb leaned back in his chair, legs stretched, completely at ease. "Sure. Go ahead."
Then, louder: "Don't take too long. She gets bored."
West flinched.
Lena shot Caleb a half warning look.
They moved to the side of the cafeteria. Still visible. Still surrounded.
West lowered his voice. "What the hell was that?"
She crossed her arms. "You're making a scene."
"I'm making a scene?" His voice cracked. "You were sitting on his lap."
"So?"
"So you're my girlfriend."
The word sounded weak now.
Lena sighed, rubbing her temples. "West… things changed."
"When?"
"When Caleb awakened."
And there it was...
"He's Tier 1," she continued. "He's already in talks with a gang. Do you know what that means?"
West laughed lightly in disbelief. "It means you dumped me without telling me?"
"I didn't dump you," she said. "I just… moved forward."
"By sitting on his lap?"
"He wanted me there."
Caleb's laugh drifted over. "She listens well."
West clenched his fists. "Have you ever even—" He stopped himself.
Lena tilted her head. "Ever even what?"
He swallowed. "Nothing."
She studied him for a moment, then softened her voice. "You're sweet, West. But sweet doesn't survive here."
"Since when?"
"Since Awakening started deciding futures."
Caleb stood and then walked over to them.
Caleb draped an arm over Lena's shoulders again. "Look, man. I'll be straight with you."
He leaned in and voiced loud enough for everyone nearby to hear.
"She was loyal because she didn't have better options."
Gasps. Laughter. Phones zoomed in.
Caleb smiled wider. "Now she does."
West stared at Lena.
She didn't deny it.
Caleb tapped his chest. "Tier 1. Gang-backed. Future faction member."
Then he looked West up and down. "And you?"
Silence.
Caleb chuckled. "Exactly."
Lena spoke quietly. "I don't hate you, West."
That somehow hurt more.
"I just don't want to be held back."
Caleb squeezed her shoulder. "Come on."
She hesitated.
For half a second.
Then went with him.
As they walked away, Caleb turned his head just enough to say—
"Thanks for warming her up for me."
The cafeteria exploded.
Laughter, cheers and commentary rang out.
West stood there alone. In all his time of dating her, he didn't get so much as a hug or a kiss and yet Caleb already got to spank her ass.
He asked himself where he went wrong? He was a good boyfriend, loyal, caring, sweet as she so mentioned herself and yet...
Someone bumped his shoulder. "Move, man."
He didn't.
He couldn't.
No one stopped them.
No one defended him.
No one cared.
--
After school, he changed into his café uniform with hands that wouldn't stop trembling.
Crème & Ash smelled the same as always—sugar, coffee, warmth.
Jax grinned when he saw him. "Yo! You look like you got hit by a truck driven by fate."
West tried to answer but nothing came out.
They worked the rush.
West dropped a plate.
Spilled a drink.
Tripped over nothing.
By closing time, Mina told him to take five.
He locked himself in the storage room.
Slid down the wall.
Buried his face in his hands.
Nobody stopped it.
That thought echoed.
Nobody cared.
His chest tightened until breathing hurt.
Then—
The air went still.
Cold.
<[ Emotional Trauma Threshold Exceeded ]>
West froze.
> [Romantic Replacement Confirmed]
Blue light bled into his vision.
> [Host: West Einstein]
[Age: 17]
[Tier: 0 — Dormant]
His heartbeat roared.
> [World Truth Detected: Power decides worth]
[You were replaced because you are weak ]
<[ Cuckhold System Activated ]>
West stared at the glowing text with a look of confusion.