The classroom gradually settled into a steady rhythm once again after the earlier commotion, though the energy within it had subtly shifted, carrying an undercurrent of curiosity and disbelief that had not yet fully dissipated. Students still exchanged occasional glances and hushed whispers, unable to completely move past the revelation that had just been dropped so casually, yet as the minutes passed, the structure of the lecture slowly reclaimed control over the room.

At the front, Seraphina continued teaching with her usual composure, her voice smooth and unwavering as she explained complex concepts with effortless clarity. Her blue hair, tied neatly into a bun, remained undisturbed as she moved across the board, writing and turning with precision, her presence as controlled and distant as ever. To an outsider, there was nothing unusual about her demeanor, nothing that hinted at the tangled web of events that had unfolded just recently.

Yet in the last row—

Luca sat completely detached.

Leaning slightly back in his chair, his posture carried an almost careless ease, one that stood in stark contrast to the tension quietly coiling within his mind. His gaze drifted toward the window, unfocused, as sunlight filtered in and stretched faint patterns across the floor, though even that failed to hold his attention for more than a fleeting moment.

The lecture continued.

Words were spoken.

Concepts were explained.

But none of it truly reached him.

His thoughts had already drifted far beyond the classroom.

At some point, his eyes began to lower slightly, not fully closing but losing sharpness as his awareness dulled into a quiet haze, his mind slipping deeper into its own internal space.

A sudden nudge broke through that haze.

Eric.

Leaning slightly toward him, his expression edged with irritation.

"Would it kill you to at least pretend you’re paying attention?" Eric muttered under his breath, his tone carrying quiet annoyance. "You bastard."

Luca turned his head just enough to glance at him, his expression dull and unbothered, as though the complaint barely registered. He let out a slow, heavy exhale, offering no real response before his gaze drifted away once more, slipping right back into the depths of his own thoughts.

And there—

The real battle continued.

Aurelia...

The name alone was enough to pull his focus inward completely.

His mind began constructing scenarios, one after another, each more vivid than the last.

He imagined standing before her, the words forming clearly on his lips as he forced himself to speak the truth.

"There’s something I need to tell you..."

The scene unfolded.

Her expression shifted.

Confusion at first.

Then realization.

Then—

Pain.

Her violet eyes trembled, filling with tears as she stepped back, her voice breaking as she struggled to process what she had just heard.

"Why...?"

The word echoed.

Fragile.

Shattered.

The image twisted abruptly.

Replaced.

Now her face was no longer soft.

No longer trembling.

It hardened.

Her gaze turned cold.

Her hand rose—

And struck.

The sharp sound of the slap echoed through the imagined silence as she looked at him, not with hurt—but with rejection.

"We’re done," she said, her voice devoid of warmth, stripped of everything that once existed between them. "From now on... we’re nothing."

The scene fractured again.

Another replaced it.

This time—

Far worse.

Aurelia stood not as herself—

But as someone bound by power, by status, by responsibility.

Her presence distant.

Unreachable.

"The Valentine territory will answer for this," she declared, her voice steady, resolute, carrying the authority of someone who no longer saw him as anything personal.

The name of the Iron Duke lingered behind her words like a shadow, heavy with implications Luca did not need spelled out.

Conflict.

Irreversible consequences.

A line drawn.

Luca’s brows tightened sharply in reality.

His hand clenched faintly.

"No..."

The word escaped under his breath as he shook his head once.

Then again.

Harder.

As if he could physically force those thoughts away.

Stop...

The imagined scenes shattered.

Faded.

Reality returned all at once.

The scraping of chairs.

The sound of students standing.

The lecture was over.

Luca exhaled slowly as he pushed himself up from his seat, his expression outwardly calm, though the storm within him had only grown heavier with each passing moment.

Students began leaving the classroom in a steady flow, conversations rising again as the structured silence dissolved into the familiar noise of everyday life.

Luca turned slightly, preparing to leave along with them—

Then—

A hand closed around his wrist.

Firm.

Sudden.

He stopped immediately.

There was no surprise in his expression.

No resistance.

He already knew.

Seraphina.

He did not turn toward her.

He did not speak.

Instead, he simply remained where he was, standing in quiet stillness as one by one, the remaining students exited the classroom, the door eventually closing with a soft sound that left behind nothing but silence.

And the two of them—

Alone once again.

The silence in the classroom lingered heavily after the last student had left, the faint echo of footsteps fading completely as the door closed behind them. Sunlight streamed through the tall windows, casting long, quiet shadows across the room, yet the calm atmosphere did little to soften the tension that now existed between Luca and Seraphina.

Seraphina did not release his wrist immediately.

Instead, her gaze settled on him more intently, her violet eyes narrowing slightly as though observing something beneath the surface.

"...Your aura," she said slowly, her voice measured, "it feels different."

Luca did not respond right away.

Her grip loosened as she stepped slightly closer, her expression sharpening further.

"You broke through, didn’t you?" she asked.

There was no accusation in her tone—

Only certainty.

Luca gave a small nod.

"Yes."

For a brief moment, Seraphina remained still, absorbing that confirmation, though the faint furrow in her brows deepened.

"How?" she asked next, her voice quieter now, yet far more focused.

That single word carried weight.

Luca hesitated.

Not outwardly—

But within.

His thoughts shifted rapidly.

Should I tell her...?

The memory of the previous night surfaced again, vivid and unsettling, the presence of that woman, the overwhelming force, the loss of control—

Everything.

For a brief second, doubt lingered.

Is it something I should keep to myself...?

But just as quickly—

His answer came.

No...

His gaze lowered slightly.

We are already tied to this...

If something goes wrong...

His jaw tightened faintly.

She’s the only one who can help me.

Luca exhaled slowly.

Then he spoke.

"...It happened last night," he began, his voice calm but heavier than before.

Seraphina’s attention sharpened instantly.

"That black substance..." he continued, choosing his words carefully, "it appeared again."

Her eyes narrowed slightly.

"Stronger than before."

Luca’s fingers curled faintly at his side as he recalled the sensation.

"I couldn’t control it this time either," he admitted. "So I went back to my room, thinking I could endure it until night..."

He paused briefly.

Then continued.

"But before I could do anything..."

His expression hardened slightly.

"She appeared."

Seraphina’s gaze sharpened instantly.

"...She?" she repeated quietly.

Luca nodded.

"That woman," he said, his tone steady, though the weight behind it was unmistakable.

"The same one from the mission."

A brief silence followed.

Then he continued, recounting everything.

How she had appeared without warning.

How his condition had spiraled beyond control.

How she had suppressed it—

In her own way.

And how, by the time it ended—

He had already broken through.

Seraphina listened without interrupting, her expression growing more serious with each word, her brows drawing together as the implications settled into place.

When Luca finished— 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

Silence filled the room once more.

Her gaze remained fixed on him, unreadable for a brief moment.

Then—

"...You should have come to me."

Her voice was calm.

But firm.

There was no anger in it—

Only something heavier.

Something closer to concern.

Luca paused slightly before answering.

"I thought... you might still be in class," he said quietly. "I didn’t want to interrupt..."

Seraphina shook her head faintly.

"No matter what the situation is," she said, her tone leaving no room for argument, "you come to me."

Her eyes held his firmly.

"Do not make that decision on your own again."

Luca held her gaze for a moment.

Then gave a small nod.

"...Understood."

The tension eased slightly.

But the silence that followed carried something different now—

Something unspoken.

Seraphina shifted her gaze slightly before asking,

"...Have you told Aurelia?"

The question came more directly than expected.

Luca’s expression faltered just slightly.

He shook his head.

"...Not yet."

He exhaled quietly.

"I tried earlier... but couldn’t finish."

His gaze lowered briefly before steadying again.

"...I plan to tell her today."

The words carried quiet resolve.

Because now—

There was no more room left to delay.

The park stood quiet beneath the soft glow of the descending evening sun, its golden light filtering gently through the trees and casting long, wavering shadows across the stone path. A faint breeze stirred the leaves above, their rustling the only sound that accompanied the stillness between the two figures standing across from each other.

Luca stood there.

Facing her.

Aurelia.

She had arrived not long after his message, her expression still carrying traces of the earlier worry that had yet to fully leave her, though now it was mixed with something else—something more cautious, more uncertain—as she watched him in silence, waiting.

The air between them felt heavy.

Unspoken.

Fragile.

Luca’s fingers curled faintly at his sides, his posture steady yet tense, as though every part of him understood that once he spoke—

There would be no taking it back.

His gaze lowered for a brief moment.

Then slowly lifted again, meeting her violet eyes directly.

His chest rose.

Fell.

A quiet breath left him.

And then—

He spoke.

"I..." his voice faltered slightly at first, the weight of the words resisting even now.

He steadied himself.

"I need to tell you something."

Aurelia did not interrupt.

She simply watched him, her eyes searching his face, sensing the gravity in his tone.

Luca swallowed faintly.

Then—

Forced the truth forward.

"I... slept with someone."

The words left him quietly.

But the impact—

Was anything but.