The room was still.
The screen was dark. The music had stopped. People were murmuring, turning back to their conversations, pretending they hadn't seen anything.
But Sarah hadn't moved.
Her hand was still in his, but her grip had gone cold. Her eyes were fixed on his face.
"What was that?" Her voice was calm. Too calm.
Dorian's mind raced. Lie. Say something. Anything.
"The lecture. We ran into each other. That's all."
She didn't blink. "You ran into each other. And someone took a picture. And it ended up on a projector screen."
"I don't know how—"
Sarah's voice cracked. "I asked you. You said you'd tell me if there was something going on."
"There isn't."
"Then why did she look at you like that?"
"She's just friendly. You know how she is."
Sarah's eyes narrowed. "I don't know her."
He opened his mouth. Closed it.
A translucent blue screen flickered in his peripheral vision.
System: 5E: EXPOSURE – COMPLETE. Public scene witnessed. Quest progress updated.
System: 5C: DECEPTION – PAUSED. One target has discovered evidence of another. You have 12 hours to restore both relationships or the quest will fail.
Priya appeared beside them, Marcus a step behind. Her expression was hard, her smile gone. She looked at Dorian, then at Sarah, then back at Dorian.
"I didn't mean for any of this to happen," she said. Not to him. To Sarah.
Sarah stared at her. "What does that mean?"
Marcus put a hand on Priya's arm. "Let's go."
Priya hesitated. Her eyes met Dorian's. He saw something there—hurt, maybe, or anger. Then she turned and let Marcus lead her away.
Sarah watched them go. "She's not just his friend, is she?"
Dorian shook his head. "I don't know. Maybe."
She looked down at their hands. At the bracelet on her wrist. The sunflower charm caught the light.
"You wrote me a letter," she said quietly. "You said you'd never lie to me."
"I didn't."
She pulled her hand away.
---
The mixer ended.
People filtered out in clusters, laughing, talking, already forgetting the drama. Jenna gave Dorian a long look from across the room, her clipboard pressed to her chest. Rachel left with Kofi, his hand on her lower back, her head tilted toward his.
Tyler appeared at Dorian's elbow. "Dude, what was that on the screen? You and that girl? Sarah looked upset."
"It's nothing."
"Didn't look like nothing."
"I said it's nothing!" Dorian's voice was sharp, edged with irritation. The old version of him surfaced for just a moment—the one who didn't explain, didn't apologize, didn't care.
Tyler blinked, taken aback. "Okay, okay. But if you need to talk, I'm here. I'm very emotionally available. Kyle says I have the emotional range of a teaspoon."
Kyle, beside him, said nothing.
Dorian walked Sarah out.
---
The campus was quiet. The night air was cold. It bit at his face. He wished it would bite harder.
Sarah didn't speak.
Dorian tried to fill the silence. "The lecture was crowded. We sat next to each other by accident. Someone must have taken the picture without us knowing."
She didn't answer.
"Sarah."
She stopped walking. Turned to face him.
"Dorian, I need to know. Is there something between you and Priya?"
He stepped closer, took her hands. "No. There's nothing. I swear to you. She's just someone I talked to a few times. That's it. You're the one I want to be with. Not her. Never her."
She looked at him. Her eyes were wet, but she wasn't crying.
"Okay," she said.
Her voice was hollow.
She doesn't believe me.
She turned and kept walking.
---
At her dorm, she stopped at the door.
"I'm tired," she said. "I'll see you tomorrow."
She kissed him. Brief. Not warm.
"Goodnight."
She disappeared inside.
Dorian stood there, the cold pressing against his back.
System: 5C paused. 12 hours remaining.
---
The dorm was dark when he got back.
Marcus was on his bed, sitting up, not reading, not on his phone. Just staring at the wall.
Dorian sat on his own bed. The silence stretched.
"Marcus," Dorian said. "About the photo—"
"I don't want to talk about it."
Marcus's voice was flat. He didn't look at Dorian.
He stood, grabbed his jacket from the back of his chair.
"I'm going for a walk."
He left.
The door clicked shut.
The room was too quiet. Dorian wished Tyler would come back already.
---
His phone buzzed.
Unknown: This is just the beginning. There's more to come.
System: 5C paused. 12 hours remaining.
Another buzz.
Priya: We need to talk. Tomorrow. Alone.
He stared at the screen.
The door opened. Tyler and Kyle walked in, laughing about something.
"Dude." Tyler flopped onto his bed. "You look like you need cheering up. Want to hear about the girl I met? She actually laughed at one of my jokes. A real laugh, not the pity kind."
He reached out, almost patted Dorian's shoulder, then thought better of it.
Kyle sat on his bed, pulled out his book. He glanced at Dorian once, then looked down.
Tyler kept talking. "I think she was impressed. I told her about the BLIMP launch party. She said she might come. That's basically a yes, right?"
Dorian's phone buzzed again.
Unknown: Tick tock.
He closed his eyes.
[END OF CHAPTER 23]