Adrian and Charm walked side by side down the dimly lit street, the neon glow from Rave U's nearby buildings casting long shadows as they approached the "Always Home Diner." The joint was a neighborhood spot, nothing fancy, but always clean and welcoming. Its name said it all—open arms, good food, and a sense of home, no matter who walked through the door. Sarah, the diner’s manager, had a knack for setting up the right mood for any situation.

Tonight was no different.

Inside, the diner had a classic old-school vibe—checkered floors, leather booths, and that faint smell of fried food that clung to the air. A few regulars sat scattered around, sipping coffee and talking low. Sarah had set them up at a corner booth, candlelight flickering just enough to make it feel a little more special. Charm looked impressed by the setup; she wasn’t expecting Adrian to pull out something like this. Dude had style. She liked that.

Adrian, dressed in a slick leather jacket and dark jeans, pulled out Charm's chair smoothly before sitting across from her, his usual confidence never wavering. His sharp features stood out under the dim light, and that cool expression on his face only made his presence more intimidating. Charm played it off, though, twirling her hair like it was no big deal, even if she was secretly feeling flustered.

The door chimed open as Rachel, walked over to their table, her face lighting up when she saw Adrian. Rachel had always doted on Adrian, treating him like her grandchild.

"Well, if it isn’t my favorite young man!" Rachel’s voice cracked with a laugh as she placed a hand on Adrian’s shoulder. Her face wrinkled with a smile. "You’re lookin’ sharp as ever, Adrian. Who’s this fine young lady you’ve brought with you?"

Adrian leaned back with a cocky grin. "This here’s Charm. We’re just gettin’ to know each other, that’s all." His tone was cool, playing it like he wasn’t trying to impress, but he knew how to work a room.

Rachel nodded approvingly. "A real beauty, huh? You keep this one close, Adrian. Good folks are hard to come by." She winked at Charm before walking off to fetch their order.

Charm couldn’t help but smirk. "You’ve got a real smooth game, don’t you?" she teased, leaning forward slightly, trying to read him.

Adrian chuckled softly, his eyes locking onto hers. "Ain’t nothin’ to it. I just know what I want when I see it."

Meanwhile, across campus, Ennuy was sitting in the shadows, watching the chaos unfold outside with a mixture of relief and unease. He knew he just dodged two problems without lifting a finger. Charm had always been tight with him, but he could never see her like that. She had feelings for him that he couldn’t return. That was just how it was. So when Adrian stepped in and asked her out, it felt like a weight off his shoulders.

Find this and other great novels on the author's preferred platform. Support original creators!

He had to stop Payback from stepping in, though. Ennuy knew Payback had a crush on Charm for the longest, but it wasn’t ever gonna happen. Charm told him before, straight up, in private—Payback wasn’t her type, and that was that. Ennuy kept it to himself because it wasn’t his place to say anything. But now, with Charm moving on with Adrian, Ennuy could breathe easier. He didn’t have to feel guilty about his growing attraction to Selene.

But then there was Xyra—Selene’s ruthless sister, always scheming, always pushing his buttons. She was cold, but the way her and her crew kept flirting with him, buying him gifts, snacks, trying to get close, made things complicated. He appreciated it, for sure. Who didn’t like getting attention? But Selene was the one who had his heart, no doubt about it.

As he watched, the scene outside escalated. Selene and Xyra were straight-up going at it. The two sisters were fighting, and it was brutal. Teachers, security—everyone was too scared to step in. All anyone could do was watch.

Xyra's soul weapon was a wild thing—a blood-red chain that moved on its own, snaking around like it had a mind of its own, always trying to wrap around Selene. Meanwhile, Selene was in the air, wings made of blood sprouting from her back, firing explosive feathers at Xyra. But Xyra’s chains blocked every shot, counterattacking at the same time, not letting up for a second. It was chaos, and Ennuy couldn’t help but feel like he stood no chance against either of them in a fight. Still, part of him wanted to test himself, just once, when things cooled down.

At the same time, across campus in the library, Celesse and Aether were deep in conversation. Mortis, Celesse’s familiar, wrapped around her arm, suddenly hissed, its tongue flicking out in agitation.

"I smell blood," Mortis whispered in Celesse’s ear.

Celesse’s eyes darkened. "It’s Selene," she said, standing up abruptly.

Aether looked at her, sensing the tension. "What’s going on?"

"She’s fighting Xyra," Celesse replied, already moving toward the door.

They hurried outside, and as soon as Celesse saw the carnage, she didn’t hesitate. Her soul weapon, a gleaming mirror, materialized in front of her. The second it appeared, both Selene and Xyra were trapped in a hallucination, the reflective surface of the mirror casting a disorienting aura around them. The illusion only lasted a minute on Xyra, but it was enough time for Ennuy and Aether to rush in, dragging Selene away while Xyra was stuck in her trance.

With Aether’s help, they carried Selene into the library, her body limp but breathing heavy. She was beat up, bleeding from a few cuts, but alive. Ennuy looked at her, brushing her hair out of her face as they laid her down.

"Thanks," Selene murmured, her eyes flickering open.

Ennuy nodded. "Anytime," he said quietly. He turned to Aether and Celesse, appreciation in his eyes. "Good lookin’ out. Both of you."

Celesse, with Mortis still wrapped around her, gave a small nod. "That was reckless, Selene. You need to be more careful."

Selene coughed weakly but managed a small grin. "When have I ever been careful?"

Ennuy chuckled under his breath, shaking his head. "Y’all really don’t give a damn, do you?"

"Not even a little bit," Selene whispered, eyes closing as exhaustion overtook her.

Outside, the tension in the air remained thick, the looming threat of more violence hanging over them all. But for now, in the quiet of the library, the world felt a little safer. At least for a moment.