Late afternoon settled over St. Aurelius Elite Academy with the quiet elegance the school was known for.
The golden light of the setting sun stretched across the campus lawns, casting long shadows beneath the towering iron gates at the front entrance. Expensive cars waited along the curb as chauffeurs stood patiently beside polished black vehicles, ready to drive students home.
Elena Rivera stepped out of the academy building, her music notebook tucked carefully beneath her arm.
The cool breeze brushed gently against her face, carrying the faint scent of autumn leaves. Normally, she would walk straight toward the small bus stop a few blocks away. It was where the scholarship students usually waited for public transportation.
But today, her steps were slower.
Her thoughts were still tangled from earlier.
Seraphina's warning replayed in her mind again and again.
Don't get too close to Adrian Volkov.
Elena sighed quietly.
"I wasn't trying to get close," she murmured to herself.
At least, she didn't think she was.
She adjusted the strap of her bag and continued toward the front gate. Around her, students chatted excitedly as they left the academy grounds. Laughter echoed along the pathway, and the hum of engines filled the air as luxury cars pulled away one by one.
But as Elena approached the tall iron gates, something made her slow down.
A black car was parked across the street.
It wasn't unusual to see expensive vehicles near St. Aurelius. Most students came from wealthy families, after all.
But this car felt... different.
Its windows were darkly tinted.
The engine was still running.
And the two men standing beside it weren't dressed like chauffeurs.
They wore black suits, their expressions serious and watchful. One of them held a phone to his ear, speaking quietly while glancing toward the academy entrance.
Elena felt a strange chill run down her spine.
She quickly looked away, telling herself she was imagining things.
Just security guards, she thought.
Probably waiting for someone important.
Still, something about the way they scanned the students leaving the gate made her uneasy.
She stepped through the iron gates and turned toward the sidewalk.
Behind her, the academy courtyard slowly emptied as more students left for the day.
That was when a familiar voice spoke from nearby.
"You shouldn't walk alone."
Elena stopped.
Her heart skipped slightly as she turned.
Adrian Volkov stood a few steps behind her.
As always, his presence seemed to shift the air around him.
Students passing by instinctively gave him space, their conversations lowering into whispers as they moved away.
Elena blinked in surprise.
"I didn't know you were there," she said.
Adrian's dark eyes studied her quietly.
"You never notice your surroundings."
There was no accusation in his voice.
Just observation.
Elena frowned slightly.
"I do too."
Adrian said nothing.
Instead, his gaze moved briefly across the street.
Toward the black car.
Toward the two men standing beside it.
For the first time since Elena had known him, his expression changed.
Not visibly.
But something in his eyes sharpened.
Cold.
Calculating.
Elena noticed the shift.
"What is it?" she asked.
Adrian's attention returned to her.
"Nothing."
The answer came too quickly.
Elena followed his earlier glance toward the car across the street.
"You were looking at them," she said.
Adrian didn't respond immediately.
The two men by the car had stopped talking and were now watching the school gate more openly.
Elena suddenly felt uneasy again.
"Do you know them?" she asked.
Adrian's voice was quiet when he answered.
"No."
But the way he said it didn't sound convincing.
A moment passed.
Then Adrian stepped slightly closer to her.
The movement was subtle, but Elena realized he had positioned himself between her and the street.
As if shielding her.
"You take the bus home," he said.
It wasn't a question.
Elena nodded slowly.
"How did you know that?"
Adrian ignored the question.
"Walk the other way today."
Elena blinked.
"What?"
"Take the east street," he said calmly.
"It's longer, but safer."
Elena stared at him.
"Safer from what?"
Adrian's eyes flickered toward the car again.
Then back to her.
"Just trust me."
The seriousness in his voice surprised her.
"But my bus stop is this way," she said, pointing toward the street.
Adrian shook his head.
"Not today."
Elena hesitated.
She didn't understand what was happening.
But something about the tension in Adrian's expression made her uneasy.
"Okay," she said finally.
Adrian gave a small nod.
"Good."
Elena turned toward the east street, still confused but strangely reassured by his presence.
After walking a few steps, she paused and looked back.
"Adrian?"
He was still standing near the gate, his gaze fixed across the street.
"Yes."
"Thank you," she said softly.
For a brief moment, Adrian looked at her.
Something unreadable flickered across his expression.
Then he looked away again.
"Go."
Elena nodded and continued walking down the quieter street.
When she disappeared around the corner, Adrian's calm expression finally hardened.
His eyes returned to the black car.
One of the men beside it spoke into his phone again.
Watching.
Waiting.
Adrian slipped one hand into his coat pocket and pulled out his own phone.
He dialed a number.
The call was answered almost immediately.
"Someone's watching the academy," Adrian said quietly.
His voice had lost every trace of warmth.
"Find out who sent them."
There was a brief pause.
Then Adrian added coldly,
"And make sure they understand they chose the wrong place to stand."
Across the street, the two men suddenly seemed less confident.
Because the boy everyone feared had noticed them.