The first few days of the new semester felt like slipping back into a familiar rhythm. Classes had started smoothly, no surprises, no headaches, just the steady pace of lectures, hallway chatter, and the endless thrum of machines from the robotics wing. Lila, Sam, and I stuck together like usual. Same major, same schedules, same caffeine-deprived rants between classes.
Nico, too, had fallen back into his routine, early mornings at the lab, long hours buried in wires and code. But no matter how late he stayed, he always came home to me. Sometimes with graphite on his fingers, sometimes too tired to speak more than a few words. But he held me. He always held me. And those nights, even the silence between us felt full.
Everything felt normal.
Until today.
I wasn't even supposed to be in that hallway. The one next to the Robotic Ethics and Human-AI Integration Department. It sat tucked between the faculty building and the private wing for board members. I usually avoided it, too quiet, too formal. But today, I don't know… something pulled me that way. A detour without a reason.
And fate, apparently, decided to meet me there.
I was halfway down the hall when I heard a voice, deep, composed, the kind that doesn't just speak but carries weight. Elias Camden.
I slowed.
The lounge door wasn't fully shut, and through the narrow opening, I saw him. His back was straight, one hand tucked in his pocket, the other gesturing calmly as he spoke to someone. His suit was sharp, his eyes colder than they had been during the opening ceremony. Whatever charm he wore on stage was gone now.
Then she stepped into view.
Kayla.
My breath caught.
She was standing right there, like she belonged, hair pinned up, lips painted blood-red, wearing a dress that probably cost more than my entire closet. She was smiling, speaking softly, fingers brushing the lapel of his suit like they were in on some shared secret.
I ducked back behind the corner, pulse racing.
What the hell was she doing here?
I carefully peeked out again. Elias didn't look at her like David did. There was no desire, no hunger. He looked at her like she was a weapon he knew how to wield. Or maybe one he was carefully keeping sheathed for now.
Kayla leaned in, whispering something against his ear. I caught the faint curve of a smirk on her lips as she pulled back. Elias didn't move, didn't blink. But I saw it, his jaw, tight for half a second. Whatever they just agreed on, it wasn't small.
And just like that, Kayla turned toward the exit.
I pressed myself against the wall, holding my breath as her heels clicked past me.
My heart pounded so loud I thought she might hear it.
What was going on?
Why was she back?
And why the hell was she speaking with someone like Elias Camden?
This wasn't some random appearance. Kayla didn't do random.
She was up to something.
And she wasn't working alone.
I pressed my back against the cold marble wall, my heart pounding like a damn drum against my ribs. I didn't even dare to breathe until the echo of Kayla's heels finally faded down the corridor.
What the hell did I just witness?
Kayla wasn't just back, she was involved. Deep. Her being here at all was bad enough. But standing there, whispering to Elias Camden, the newest and most powerful name on the school board? That twisted something sharp and sick in my gut.
This wasn't personal anymore.
I risked another glance around the corner. The lounge door was shut now. Whatever they were discussing, it was done. For now.
I don't even remember moving, but my legs carried me toward the library. Not that I was going there anymore. There was no way I'd be able to focus on books or papers or anything but the sound of her voice and that smug look on her face. My mind was spinning too fast, too loud, and my body felt too tight to sit still.
I needed air.
I needed Nico.
But not like this. Not yet. I couldn't walk into his arms and throw this at him without knowing more. I hated this feeling, this coil of dread wrapping tighter around my chest with every step. I knew that look in Kayla's eyes. I'd seen it before. That calculated, desperate hunger for control. Like she'd burn down everything in her path just to feel powerful again.
But Elias? Why him? What the hell did he have to do with her obsession?
By the time I reached the edge of campus, the sun had dipped low, throwing streaks of gold across the sidewalk. I pulled out my phone, fingers shaking slightly, but I didn't type a thing. I just stared at the screen.
This wasn't random.
Kayla didn't throw herself at Elias Camden without a reason. And he didn't entertain someone like her without getting something in return.
Something's coming.
And deep down, I already knew, it was coming for Nico.
I stayed later than usual on campus that night, the halls dim and mostly quiet as students shuffled back to their dorms or off to grab a late bite. Our department, Human-AI Integration, had been prepping for an inter-school robotics exhibition, and of course, somehow, I ended up being the one coordinating the setup for our booth. It wasn't unusual for me to stay behind, it gave me time to breathe, to focus.
But tonight… it felt off.
Something clung to the air, like the faint static of a storm not quite visible yet.
I had just packed up the last mockup poster and was heading toward the west stairwell when a freshman girl from our major stopped me, looking nervous.
"U-Um, you're Nyx, right? Someone from the lab said Nico's looking for you. He said… he's waiting in Prototype Chamber 2."
I blinked. "Now?"
She nodded quickly. "Yeah. Said it was urgent. I----I just offered to pass the message."
Something in my chest pulled taut.
Nico hadn't mentioned anything earlier… and usually, he would.
But still, I smiled and nodded, thanked her, and turned toward the research wing. I told myself not to overthink. Maybe it was something last minute. Something about the fail-safe again. He'd been extra cautious ever since summer started winding down.
But my footsteps slowed the closer I got.
Then I heard it. Faint, muffled laughter. A woman's.
No. Please, no.
I rounded the last corner and stopped dead.
Through the glass wall of Prototype Chamber 2, under the dim security lights, I saw her.
Kayla.
She was standing way too close to Nico, her arm hooked lightly through his, her body brushing against his side as she tilted her head up to whisper something in his ear. Her voice dripped with flirtation, her dress more suited for a date than a lab.
Nico didn't touch her back, but he didn't look shocked either.
My heart sank, and for a full second, I didn't breathe.
It looked exactly like what Kayla wanted me to see.
She glanced over her shoulder, and locked eyes with me. A slow, victorious smile curled across her lips. Her trap had been perfectly set. The freshman's message. The timing. The smug confidence in her eyes said everything.
But what she didn't know… was that I had already seen the pass Elias gave her. I already knew she'd slither her way in somehow. I wasn't here by coincidence.
Still… seeing itz seeing her with Nico, even knowing it was staged, hurt.
I bit the inside of my cheek, swallowing back every knee-jerk reaction, every flare of anger she wanted me to explode with.
No. Not this time.
I stared back. Calm. Composed. And when I finally turned and walked away without a word, her smile twitched, just a little.
Because that wasn't how the scene was supposed to end.
Let her wonder.
Let her think I broke.
But I'd be damned if I let Kayla, or Elias, think they could chip away at what Nico and I had with one pathetic performance.
Not when I already knew the script.
I waited by the campus gates. The air was cooler now, dusk slowly folding the sky into layers of lavender and charcoal. My hands trembled, not from heartbreak, but from restraint. My expression was carefully blank, the corners of my lips just slightly downturned, my eyes heavy, like I'd been crying.
I hadn't.
But Kayla didn't need to know that.
And neither did Nico. Not yet.
The doors to the robotics wing hissed open.
Nico stepped out, his footsteps fast, frantic. He was still half-zipping his jacket, his brows drawn tight as his eyes scanned the quiet stretch of pavement ahead.
Then he saw me.
His steps slowed. Guilt flickered across his face.
I looked away on purpose.
Behind him, Kayla emerged like she owned the night, her heels clicking with confidence, lips curved in a satisfied smirk.
I felt her eyes on me like poison sliding against skin.
She thinks she won.
Good.
Let her keep thinking that.
Let her feed on the illusion that she cracked the unbreakable.
Nico hesitated, a hand reaching toward me, but I didn't move. Just stood there, like I hadn't already expected all of this. Like my world had just collapsed.
Kayla walked past him, brushing his sleeve lightly, her gaze never leaving mine.
God, she looked smug. Like a queen returning from battle with blood on her heels and a crown of thorns.
I let my mouth part slightly. I didn't even blink.
She tilted her chin and walked away.
Satisfied.
I could practically feel her ego pulsing with victory. She believed it. All of it. That I was just another naive little girl left gutted by a man she couldn't keep. That she'd slipped past my walls and shattered something sacred between us.
What a joke.
What she didn't see, what Nico didn't see, was the way my fingers tightened at my side. How my mind was already ten steps ahead.
Because if Kayla was smug now, that meant she'd go running to Elias. Gloating. Fueling whatever plan they'd built together.
And if Elias truly was the type of man I suspected, he wouldn't pass up the opportunity to approach the girl left behind. The one he thinks is vulnerable.
Let him come.
I'll let them both play their game.
They just don't know I've already flipped the board.
I hated this.
I hated the way his voice trembled just enough to tell me this wasn't easy for him. I hated the way his eyes, usually so sure, now searched my face like I was slipping through his fingers.
But most of all, I hated that I couldn't tell him the truth. That I knew. That I saw through everything.
Because if I did… Kayla would know she failed.
And she can't know that. Not yet.
So I stood there, frozen. Pretending to be hurt. Pretending I didn't already see that pass being slipped into her hands. Pretending I didn't expect her to show up the way she did, bold, manipulative, smiling like she owned the world and the man standing in front of her.
Nico.
He looked so wrecked. So desperate to make things right. Every word he said carved another line in my chest. Every step he took toward me made it harder not to fold. Not to cry. Not to throw my arms around him and bury my face in his shoulder and say, I know. I believe you. I always have.
But I didn't.
I just stared, letting the silence stretch between us like a thread fraying on both ends. I couldn't even fake anger. Just… numbness. Let Kayla think I was breaking. Let Elias think they'd struck gold.
Let them believe they were winning.
I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from shaking when he said it, Please… don't believe what they want you to believe.
Oh god, Nico…
I blinked slowly, like I was still processing. My throat was tight, aching to speak, but all I managed was a quiet, barely-there, "Okay."
Just one word.
Just enough to keep up the act.
He stepped closer, reaching out like he wanted to touch me, but I shifted back just enough for hesitation to settle between us.
I had to.
Because if this worked… if they reached out to me next… I'd finally get close enough to see the truth from the inside.
And then?
Then I'd burn them both to the ground.
But right now, I had to let the man I loved think he might've lost me.
And I don't think I've ever hated anything more.
When we got home, I didn't wait for him.
No lingering in the hallway. No slow removal of shoes side by side. No reaching for his hand like I always did.
I walked in, placed my bag down, and headed straight for the bedroom.
My bedroom.
Not his.
Not ours.
It was the first time I ever did that. And I knew he noticed, because I felt him stop behind me, confused, his silence stretching across the living room like a chasm. But I didn't look back. I couldn't. If I did, it'd all fall apart.
My hand closed around the doorknob. For a moment, I hesitated. A heartbeat. A breath. The pain already starting to throb at the base of my throat.
Then I slipped inside and closed the door gently behind me. Not a slam. Just final enough to hurt.
I sank onto the edge of the bed, the one we used to share before this night. The sheets still carried the faintest trace of him. Warmth. Citrus. A little oil from whatever project he'd been working on. Every part of this room whispered of him. Of us.
And now I was making it a lie.
I buried my face in my hands.
It wasn't Kayla's smug hands on his chest that tore at me. Not even the trap they'd crafted to wedge itself between us. It was this. Me. Choosing silence. Choosing pain. Choosing to hurt him, because I had to fool her.
Kayla couldn't know that I was ahead of her. Elias couldn't know I'd seen the pass handed over. They had to believe this worked. That I was broken.
I sucked in a breath, shaky, strained, and it all burst out.
The tears. The pain. The guilt.
I sobbed into the pillow, muffling the sound as much as I could, but not enough. I knew he heard. I heard his footsteps pause just outside my door. Felt the way the air shifted with his presence.
Then…
"Nyx…"
His voice broke me in ways Kayla never could.
Just one word. Low. Hurting.
He didn't knock. He never would, not when he thought I needed space. Nico respected wounds, even when he didn't understand how deep they ran.
I stayed quiet.
If I opened that door… if I looked into his eyes… I'd ruin everything.
He stood there for what felt like forever.
And then, he walked away.
The silence that followed wasn't empty.
It was everything they wanted.
But what they didn't know, what they couldn't predict, was that every tear I cried tonight was a promise.
They thought they were playing with pawns.
But I'm the one rewriting the board.