"Whoa there."
A pair of strong hands steadied me by the shoulders. "Careful."
I stepped back quickly, an apology already forming on my lips, and looked up.
And up.
The guy standing in front of me was tall... maybe as tall as Malachi, which I didn't think was possible. He had the same sharp features, the same aristocratic bone structure, but where Malachi's eyes were warm and friendly, this guy's were... wrong.
His grey eyes held no feelings, no emotions… just a cold ruthlessness.
"Sorry," I mumbled, trying to step around him.
He moved with me, blocking my path with an easy grace that seemed casual but definitely wasn't.
"No harm done." His smile was perfect. Too perfect, like it was trying to compensate for the iciness in his eyes.
"You're Amara Cole, right? The first-year who just scored perfect on the practical?"
Great. Just great.
"That's me," I said, keeping my voice neutral.
"I'm Xavier Della." He extended his hand. "Second year. A class."
Della. As in...
"You're related to Malachi," I said. It wasn't a question.
"Cousins." His smile widened, but it still didn't reach his eyes. Those stayed fixed on me with an intensity that made my skin crawl. "Though we're not particularly close. Different philosophies, you could say."
I shook his hand because refusing would've been weird. His grip was firm, confident, and lasted just a fraction too long.
"Well, it was nice meeting you," I said, pulling my hand back and trying again to move past him.
"Interesting," he said softly.
I stopped. "What?"
"You." He tilted his head, studying me the way someone might study a puzzle they couldn't quite figure out. "A first-year with barely any magic power, scoring 100% on an exam designed to push even the strongest students to their limits. Surviving a shadowbeast encounter. Getting personally recommended by two professors."
He paused.
"You're interesting, Amara Cole."
The way he said my name made something cold slither down my spine. I wanted to ask him how he knew about the recommendation about me... but I decided against it.
"I'm really not," I said flatly. "Just lucky."
"Luck." He laughed, and it sounded genuine, which somehow made it worse. "I don't believe in luck. I believe in anomalies. Things that don't fit the expected narrative." His eyes gleamed. "And you, Amara, are definitely an anomaly."
I kept my expression blank. The same face I'd perfected back home when dealing with people who thought they could read me, manipulate me, figure out what made me tick.
Xavier's smile shifted slightly. Not disappearing, but changing. Becoming more real, somehow. More amused.
"Fascinating," he murmured. "Most first-years would be either flattered or intimidated right now. You're neither."
"I'm tired," I said. "It's been a long day."
"I'm sure it has." He finally stepped aside, giving me a clear path to leave. "I'll be watching you, Amara Cole. I have a feeling you're going to do something remarkable."
The way he said "remarkable" made it sound less like a compliment and more like a threat.
I walked past him without responding, feeling his eyes on my back the entire way down the corridor. I didn't look back. Didn't speed up. Just maintained the same steady pace until I turned the corner and he was finally out of sight.
Then I let out the breath I'd been holding.
What the hell was that?
Xavier Della gave me the same vibes as those old cautionary tales Mom used to listen to; stories of monsters who wore human faces so well no one ever saw the danger… until it was too late.
I needed to stay as far away from him as possible.
----
The dream started the way it always did... soft with everything kind of blurry except for him.
Zaine stood in what looked like a garden, except the flowers were too bright, the colors too saturated to be real. He had his hands in his pockets, that same relaxed posture he always had, his dark hair falling into his eyes. When he saw me, he smiled.
"Hey, kiddo."
"Zaine!" I ran to him, and he caught me in a hug that felt solid despite being in a dream. He smelled like rain and something else I could never quite place... maybe starlight, if starlight had a smell.
He pulled back, holding me at arm's length. "Sorry I haven't been around. It's been... a minute."
"A minute? Try over a month." I crossed my arms, trying to look annoyed, but honestly I was just happy to see him.
He shrugged, that infuriatingly casual gesture that meant he wasn't going to elaborate. "Things have been wild up there. Some serious stuff going down in the god world."
I waited for him to continue. He didn't.
"And?"
"And nothing. Don't worry about it." He waved his hand dismissively, already moving on. That was Zaine. He'd drop these massive statements and then act like he'd just commented on the weather. The man could not be bothered to explain anything if his life depended on it.
That's my dad for you..
Though we both hated that word.
"Dad" felt weird when he looked like he was maybe in his mid-twenties, and definitely didn't look like someone who was over five thousand years old. So I call him Zaine. It was the name he bore as a human when he met my mom.
I remember the one time he'd told me his actual god name... Zerephtyrael. I'd made him repeat it three times and still couldn't say it right. He'd laughed so hard he'd almost faded from the dream. I'd stuck with Zain after that.
"So what's new with you?" he asked, settling down on a bench that definitely hadn't been there a second ago. "How's school? Still acing everything?"
I sat next to him, tucking my legs under me. "School's... school. You know how it is."
"Do I?" He raised an eyebrow. "I'm a god, remember? Never had to deal with homework."
"Lucky you."
We talked for a while about nothing important, just stuff he'd been hearing from other gods, some funny mortal drama he'd witnessed, whether I'd been sleeping okay. He told me some vague story about a minor deity who'd gotten into trouble for messing with mortal dreams, but he kept it light, joking around.
This was nice.
"How's mom doing?", I ask him quietly. I'm aware that he watches her secretly with his powers but he has never approached her since he left.
"Melina's fine and as drama bound as ever. She had the funniest thing happen at the bakery last week. This guy came in and ordered a custom cake, right? Wanted it to say 'Congratulations on your divorce' with little champagne bottles."
I snorted. "That's wild."
"Wait, it gets better. So she makes this gorgeous cake, super classy, and when he comes to pick it up, his ex-wife is there buying honeyspell buns. They end up having this huge argument in the middle of the bakery, and the cake gets knocked over. Frosting everywhere. Melina just stood there with a spatula wondering if she should intervene or let them work it out."
He was laughing now, that genuine laugh that made his eyes crinkle. I could see that he really loved my mother.
Then I remembered.
"Oh! I got into Arethia University. Full scholarship... And I was just placed in A-class."
The change was instant. His whole face shifted, the easy smile dropping away.
"Amara." His voice was different now, more urgent. "Listen to me very carefully. You can't be in that class and you absolutely cannot use your powers. Not there. Not anywhere. Do you understand?"
"I—I know, you've told me before—"
"No." He grabbed my shoulders, his grip tight enough that I could feel it even through the dream-haze. "I need you to really hear me. Never. You can never use them. No matter what happens, no matter who asks, no matter how safe it seems. Promise me."
I'd never seen him this intense. It scared me.
"I promise, but..."
"They can't—" He stopped himself, jaw clenching. His eyes went distant for a second, and when he spoke again, his voice was barely audible. "I won't let them take you away from me."
"Take me? Who? What are you—"
"Forget it." The mask slipped back on so fast it gave me whiplash. He let go of my shoulders, running a hand through his hair. "Forget I said that. You're going to be fine. Just... keep your head down, yeah?"
"Zaine, what did you mean..."
"I have to go." He stood abruptly, and I could already see him starting to fade at the edges. "I'm proud of you, kiddo. So proud. You're going to do amazing things."
"Wait, you can't just..."
He leaned down and kissed my forehead, and I felt the warmth of it spread through my whole body. "Be safe. Be smart. And remember what I said."
"Zaine—"
But he was already gone, dissolving into particles of light that scattered like dandelion seeds on a wind I couldn't feel.
I woke up gasping, my hand reaching for where he'd been standing. My room was dark and quiet, the silence pressing in around me. I touched my forehead where he'd kissed me. It still felt warm.
They can't take you away from me.
Who was "they"? And why had he looked so scared?
I lay there for a long time, staring at the ceiling, my mind racing. Arethia University. A-class. The best of the best, where everyone would be watching, where I'd be expected to excel, to stand out and be extraordinary.
I knew I couldn't be in A-class. But Zaine's worry made it worse. If he was that worried, then I needed to leave.
By the time the sun started creeping through the curtains, I had a plan.
I was going to do whatever it took to get myself dropped down to D-class, where nobody paid attention or expected wonders.
I admit it wasn't an awesome plan but it was the best I could come up with at the moment.