Noah wasn’t sure if it was his own growing confidence or the quiet assurance that came from walking in with Killian, but he moved through the classroom door with his head held high. He kept his gaze forward, refusing to focus on the way conversations died mid-sentence and heads turned. A hush fell over the room almost instantly. Sylvia’s eyes burned with pure rage, as if she might burst into flames on the spot. Her friends clustered around her, whispering frantically and trying to calm her down despite the professor standing right there. Strangely, the teacher didn’t seem to care. She barely glanced at the commotion.
"You two are late," the professor said curtly.
Noah offered a quick apology, but Killian didn’t bother. The woman didn’t seem to expect one from him anyway. Noah scanned the room, hoping to slip back to his usual wrecked seat near the back—far away from Killian. But the moment he tried to move, Killian’s hand shot out with lightning-fast reflexes and caught his wrist. The small action drew even more eyes their way.
Something felt off. The stares sharpened, carrying heavier judgment than before. Sylvia’s disdain had twisted into something darker and more venomous. Having read enough stories, Noah recognized that look immediately: she was fed up, reaching her breaking point. Whatever came next would be dangerous, and it would be aimed straight at him. The thought offered zero comfort.
"Where are your fellow alphas, Damian and Marcus?" the professor asked, directing the question at Killian. He didn’t even look her in the eye, clearly irritated by her presence.
"I’m not their keeper, Miss. If you miss them that much, I’m sure you can go to their rooms and find them. They can probably spare you a fuck or two."
A stunned silence blanketed the classroom. Noah took a sharp breath, feeling deeply uncomfortable. He wanted to pull away, but Killian’s grip held firm. The professor didn’t react much, as if crude remarks like that were normal. Killian simply looked inconvenienced, like the entire conversation was beneath him.
"Okay, this is some weird shit I shouldn’t be in the middle of," Noah thought.
He didn’t get the chance to escape. Without waiting for permission, Killian started walking again, still holding Noah’s hand. His head stayed high, emerald eyes cold and detached like rare stones no one was allowed to touch. He led them to his usual seat in the elite section, casually cleaning the spot beside him for Noah. The gesture didn’t go unnoticed. Noah’s stomach knotted tightly. This level of kindness felt diabolical, too calculated.
Across the room, near the door, Lamia and Rose watched with open pity, as if they already considered him done for. Eugene sat near Sylvia, the most obsessed with her in the group, while Killian remained the most distant. Now Noah was beginning to understand why this little scene mattered so much to them.
"What is this thing you brought close to our circle? Don’t you know paupers aren’t allowed here?" Eugene declared loudly.
Killian ignored him completely. He picked up his book and started scribbling notes on whatever the professor was saying. Half the class wasn’t even paying attention, and the elite circle was the worst. They whispered among themselves, and Noah quickly realized the main topic was him and Killian. Something about kissing. He decided to ignore it.
Noah tried to tune Eugene out too. The guy would keep barking no matter what. He reached for his own book, only to find it missing. "The hell? Where did I keep my book?"
He glanced around and saw Killian flipping through pages that looked suspiciously like his.
"That’s my note," Noah complained.
Killian shrugged. "It’s awfully incomplete. Are you even studying at all?" He handed it back. Noah flipped through it himself and winced. Barely anything was written inside—just a few messy scribbles. Ashton’s handwriting looked like absolute chaos. "Was he even attending lessons? Or was he too busy chasing people? How am I supposed to start from here?"
While he was still lamenting his situation, a fresh, pristine exercise book slid across the desk toward him. The subject title was written neatly on the cover: Mystical Creatures. It matched exactly what the professor was teaching. The handwriting inside was impeccable. Noah couldn’t help wondering if there was anything Killian couldn’t do perfectly.
He slipped on a pair of glasses that made him look like a complete nerd, yet somehow still breathtakingly handsome. Noah had to force himself not to stare too long. It was almost unfair.
Pushing aside the distraction, he opened the book and immersed himself. They weren’t studying ordinary animals. The pages covered demons, dragons, cursed beasts, leviathans, spirits, and many more terrifying entities. Their strengths, weaknesses, habitats—everything was laid out in clear, structured detail. Noah found himself genuinely drawn in.
"Leviathans? Dragons? Do you think all of these are real?" he asked quietly.
Killian shrugged. "Anything is possible in this world. You can’t predict what you’ll meet next. But don’t worry. Don’t be scared. I’ll protect you."
The words made Noah’s stomach do a strange flip. At the same time, they enraged Eugene. The other alpha’s face turned pale with fury. He slammed his fist on the table, freezing the entire classroom in time. Everything stopped—except Noah, though he didn’t immediately notice. Eugene held back what could have been a devastating release of power.
"You don’t own him. Don’t fucking touch him anymore unless you want me to hate you for real," Eugene growled.
Noah seized the moment and slipped away, hurrying over to Rose and Lamia’s side.
"What would you do? Don’t you want your perfect angel Sylvia again?" Noah shot back.
Eugene froze everyone around them completely this time, except Noah. He didn’t realize someone had slipped through his ability. With a powerful kick, he slammed his foot into Killian’s stomach, sending the alpha flying across the room. Killian crashed hard into the front wall near the board, rattling the entire foundation. Blood trickled from his lip as he gasped for air. The professor looked terrified.
"Not again," Rose groaned.
Noah could tell this kind of violence happened between them often, but he still didn’t understand why Eugene had done it—and why he had called out his name specifically.
"Seems like Eugene likes you, at least in his own twisted way," Rose whispered. "The only person he usually fights for is Sylvia. Now he’s doing this in your name."
Seeing the deadly impact, Noah broke into a heavy sweat. In his name? What kind of messed-up reverse harem plot had he landed in? He silently begged the universe or the book itself: please make the male leads follow the damn script and leave him alone.
Before he could process it further, Sylvia finally lost control. Watching two powerful alphas fight over Noah pushed her over the edge.
"I’m going to kill you!" she screamed.
Students scrambled for safety, including Rose and Lamia. Noah himself backed away quickly. Sylvia raised her hands, and a blinding white light erupted toward him, consuming everything in its path. The world went blank.