Alex’s brain completely short-circuited.
He had seen beauty in the capital. He had witnessed elegance after arriving at the academy—Charlotte’s charm, Lilith’s mystique, Seraphina’s untouchable poise, and Elaria’s arrogant spark.
But nothing—absolutely nothing—could’ve prepared him for the bombshell standing before him.
Golden hair that shimred like molten sunlight spilled over her shoulders in silken waves, catching the light just enough to look unfairly divine. Her pale skin practically glowed—moonlight given physical form, porcelain-smooth and utterly unblemished.
High cheekbones sculpted with surgical grace frad a face that didn’t look born so much as carved by divine intent.
And her eyes...’ gods above, her eyes’. Twin suns of pure, molten gold that pierced through flesh and bone and soul.
They stripped you bare, peeled back every mask, dug up every secret you ever swore to bury, and laid it out like a library catalogue.
Alex tried to blink.
Failed.
Tried again.
Still failed.
One word floated to the surface of his stunned brain.
’Gorgeous.’
It didn’t co with lust or longing—it ca with awe. The kind of reverence monks whispered while chanting before a divine statue.
The girl—no, goddess?—rose slowly from her lavish, velvet-lined chair. Her every movent exuded grace, the kind of ease that couldn’t be taught, only born. Regal yet effortless, a sovereign of her own dinsion.
She tilted her head ever so slightly, golden eyes lazily examining him as if he were a rather puzzling insect that had wandered into her garden.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, voice like the brush of silk across skin. A lodic lilt—sweet, serene, and slightly chilling, like a harp string plucked during a snowfall in a graveyard.
Alex opened his mouth.
"I... I... I..." he stamred, sounding like an enchanted squirrel trying to recite poetry.
But the words just wouldn’t co out.
His tongue, which usually operated with the speed and precision of a master swordsman, had suddenly declared mutiny and joined the enemy.
He shook his head, finally snapping himself out of the trance-like stupor. Panic flickered in his eyes. ’What’s my na again?’
"...Balax Wagonheart?" he muttered under his breath. "No, no, that’s the na little Sophia gave ..."
Then more confidently—though not much—he declared, "My na is Alex Dragonheart."
The girl didn’t even blink.
"I already know that," she said, tone colder than an ice dragon’s sneeze. "I asked what you’re doing here."
"...Right," Alex coughed into his fist, trying to regain composure. "Guess I’m famous, huh?"
Her glare sharpened.
Alex’s heart skipped a beat. "O-okay, okay! I was just... running away from so cadets! They were chasing !"
Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Did you do sothing wrong?"
"No, no, Miss Evelyn, absolutely not!" Alex said quickly, raising both hands in defense. "It’s not because I did sothing wrong, it’s because I did sothing with too much perfection."
For the first ti in the conversation, Evelyn’s otherwise frozen expression... twitched. Just slightly. A barely noticeable crack in her icicle mask.
"So you know ," she said flatly.
"Of course I know you," Alex replied, placing a hand over his chest with dramatic flair. "How could I not know the apex of the third years? The leader of the Seven Shades?"
Internally, Alex was already thinking.
’Seven Shades... a gathering of monsters wearing cadet uniforms. Each one personally chosen as a disciple by one of the academy’s seven top figures. Resources, ntorship, authority—they had it all.’
’And Evelyn?’
’She wasn’t just any Shade.’
’She was the disciple of Aldric Verlane, the headmaster himself. The man known as the Bane of the Abyss. The kind of figure who, if he sneezed, entire academies might declare a state of ergency.’
’Okay, the last line was a little over-exaggerated.’
But that wasn’t even the most shocking part.
Because in the ga—Etheron Chronicles—Ethan was supposed to be the only child of Duke Arthur Williams.
Ethan was the only child. No sister. No Evelyn. No golden-haired ice queen who could make your heart race and your soul tremble with just a glance.
Evelyn didn’t even exist.
So this led to only one conclusion in his mind.
’An anomaly. Just like him.’
Alex’s eyes narrowed slightly, hiding the ripple of unease in his chest.
’This girl... this Evelyn... was never part of the story.’
’Which ans either this world isn’t an exact replica of the ga...’
’...or soone changed the ga entirely.’
’She’s just like —an anomaly.’
So how did Alex even know she existed?
Bla Ethan. That loudmouth couldn’t shut up about his perfect older sister. Any opportunity he got, he’d start singing praises about her—how beautiful she was, how untouchable, how cold yet noble, as if she walked straight out of a divine tapestry.
If Alex had a credit for every ti Ethan said, "My sister doesn’t need emotions. She is perfection," he’d be richer than a royal heir.
’He praised his sister like I praise myself.’
Alex shook his head rapidly—once, twice, thrice—trying to banish Ethan’s disturbingly devoted ramblings from his mory.
Then Alex looked up to et Evelyn’s piercing golden gaze. She was still staring at him, unblinking, like a predator studying a curious insect.
"Don’t look at like that," he said defensively. "Your brother was the one who told all that. Bla him."
For the first ti, Evelyn’s lips moved slightly, but not in reply to him. She was muttering sothing under her breath, as if speaking to soone invisible.
Her expression shifted subtly—curiosity, confusion, irritation. Almost like... she was having a conversation. With soone else.
Alex narrowed his eyes. ’Is she... talking to soone inside her head?’ A small chill ran down his spine.
"Take a seat," Evelyn suddenly said, voice still as lodious as a winter’s breeze. "Tell what you did. Based on that, I’ll consider handing you over—or helping you."
Alex groaned, rubbing the back of his neck. "Do you really have to? I an, if it’s uncomfortable for you, I can just go—"
"Sit," she said, voice now as cold as an arctic blade.
He froze mid-step and instinctively saluted. "Yes, ma’am."
He took the nearest seat like an obedient cadet at roll call.
"Now talk."
So he did.
He recounted the whole ss with Professor Rick in dramatic fashion, exaggerating his innocence and, of course, his looks. "If I had known that being so handso and a genius was such a criminal offense, I would’ve kept my brilliance under wraps."
On most people, the line would’ve earned a blank stare. But Evelyn—stoic, statuesque Evelyn—had the faintest twitch at the corner of her mouth. A micro-expression. Barely noticeable.
But Alex noticed.
He leaned forward with a grin. "So tell , senior... did I do sothing wrong? Just because I’m a one-in-a-billion genius doesn’t an I’m gonna blindly follow soone else’s instructions."
Evelyn sighed softly, shaking her head. "Okay. I understand. You can go. No—you should go. Imdiately."
Alex stood up quickly, a little too quickly. He was halfway to the door when he heard her mumble sothing faint.
"No, I would never go with this lunatic..."
"We can get information so other way..."
"Okay, okay... it’s all for my brother’s sake."
All of it said in a neutral, lifeless voice. Like a machine reciting lines it didn’t understand. That confird Alex’s suspicion—she was talking to soone.
Maybe even being controlled.
’Could she be... soone’s avatar? Or soone from another world like ?’ The haunting realization sent a chill down his spine.
His thoughts were interrupted as Evelyn’s golden gaze snapped back to him.
"Stop."
Alex felt his heartbeat quicken. "Sorry! I just rembered sothing super important—I’ve gotta go—"
He bolted.
Or tried to.
Before he could reach the door, Evelyn lifted her hand lazily and flicked her finger.
The world stopped.
Literally.
Ti froze.
Alex’s body locked mid-stride, his legs unable to move, his breath caught in his throat. Cold realization dawned on him—she stopped ti. One of the most broken affinities in existence.
Her affinity was ti. And she could manipulate it effortlessly.
"Listen to ," Evelyn’s voice echoed, haunting and slow. "Don’t run. Don’t try to run. You’ll regret it. Do you understand?"
Then ti resud, the world snapping back like a rubber band. Alex stumbled forward but caught himself. His eyes, which had been wide with panic, slowly turned colder.
He t her gaze.
"Okay, gorgeous," he said, voice serious, "I know you’re powerful. I’ve seen it. But let make one thing clear. I don’t like being ordered around."
There was a beat of silence.
"I’ll give you one million credits," Evelyn said calmly, "for every minute you sit here and cooperate."
Alex’s face imdiately brightened. He plopped back down into the chair, flashing a grin. "Of course, I love being ordered around! For soone as gorgeous and intelligent as you, I’ll even throw in a complintary smile."
Evelyn stared at him expressionlessly. Then, under her breath, she muttered, "Looks like my brother was spot on about his money-loving nature."
---
A/N:
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