In the half moonlit night, a lone figure rumbled through the deserted streets on a sleek black motorcycle. Clad in a matching black leather jacket and trousers, the rider wore a dark helmet that concealed his face. The roar of the engine echoed through the empty lanes as he kicked the bike to a sudden halt in front of a bar.
With a swift motion, he swung his long legs off the motorcycle, the black leather absorbing the impact. The figure removed the black helmet, revealing tousled dark hair. His gray eyes scanned the desolate surroundings before striding purposefully toward a dimly lit bar at the end of the street.
Entering the establishment, he took a seat at the counter. The dim glow highlighted the sleek lines of his black attire. He ordered a drink, and as he waited, his sharp gray eyes surveyed the room.
Just as he took a sip, another man approached, sliding onto the barstool beside him. "Hey, Leo Bennett," he greeted with a mocking friendly tone.
Neil's gaze turned icy as he shot the newcomer a sharp glare. "I hate that name. Don't call me that again, Liam," he warned, his voice low and tense. He had been hearing all the professors address him with that name, he was already tired of it.
The man addressed as Liam, raised his hands in mock surrender, a smirk playing on his lips. "Relax, man," he laughed. "So, how's your life as a professor going at the university, Neil?"
Neil clenched his teeth, resentment flickering in his gray eyes. He despised his mission of posing as a professor, but he wouldn't give his friend the satisfaction of witnessing his frustration. "Good," he replied tersely, masking the turmoil beneath his calm facade.
Liam leaned back on his stool, a lopsided grin on his face, his low-cut hair giving him a casual yet sharp appearance. Dark eyes twinkled with mischief as he regarded Neil, his longtime friend with an overwhelming aura of stoicism.
"So, Neil," Liam began, swirling the ice in his drink, "how's the mission unfolding in the Ivy Grove institute, have you found any clues yet or are you too busy attracting the girls?" His tone carried a hint of amusement, and he shot Neil a playful side-glance.
Neil's expression remained stone-cold, his gaze fixed on the swirling liquid in his glass. "It's progressing," he replied curtly, his voice revealing little emotion.
Liam chuckled, undeterred by Neil's stoic demeanor. "Progressing, huh? You better not get too swayed by the beauties, unless you want your head severed clean by General David," he teased, knowing full well Neil wasn't the type to mess around, not to mention when he was there for a mission. He would puke blood the day he found Neil giving any female_ apart from his long time best friend, Davina_ attention without having any purpose to his mission.
Taking a sip of his own drink, Liam continued when Neil didn't reply, "Must be thrilling to be a professor, lecturing unsuspecting students on the_ whatever you teach them in class."
Neil's icy stare intensified, but Liam seemed immune to the cold front Neil exuded. "Thrilling indeed," Neil replied dryly, his words laced with sarcasm. Thrilling was the last thing in his mind when it came to Ivy Grove institute. Sitting in an office all day and going to those stupid classes to teach spoiled brats and annoying girls who play stupid tricks on each other, was unlike him. And he wouldn't be doing this if it wasn't the only thing to make him let go of all the years of hatred and vengeance in his blood.
Ever since Neil had turned his back on a normal life after an incident that drastically changed his life years ago, he'd hated mingling with normal people who weren't up straight like the soldiers he'd grown up around. They irritated him to no end, and if it wasn't a necessity for him to come out of seclusion, he wouldn't be in Zen city now, but in the camp commanding new recruits or on his island estate.
Fifteen years ago, he had lost the spark of life. Fifteen years ago, life had stripped and deprived him of happiness and a normal life. And two years ago, he had done something unforgiving. Now, he was just a man on a mission to fulfill the promises he'd made to his twelve year old self after that incident.
Liam chuckling snapped Neil back to his presence. Clinking his glass against Neil's with a mischievous glint in his dark eyes, he said, "I always knew you'd make an excellent educator, Neil. But jokes apart, let's get to business." he said, his humor immediately vanishing as he asked, "Have you found the girl who reveled the news about Da Kroll to the news agencies?"
"Yes. Though I haven't asked her any questions yet, I plan to do that tommorow." He said nonchalantly.
"Wow, that's a good progress, man." Liam praised as he patted his back, then asked, "How about the main mission, any clues on that yet?"
Neil's demeanor turned even more serious at that question, his gray eyes darkened dangerously. "No. Everything looks clean to the eyes, but not to me. The school will be throwing an event of some sort in a few months, I plan to get to the bottom of everything with the school owners by then. For now, I will focus on the girl who let out the news. But I hope as hell she wouldn't end up annoying the fuck out of me in the process or else...."
Liam, who understood his friend's no-nonsense attitude, knew full well how Neil wouldn't tolerate people who are irresponsible and who speak too much without saying anything. Liam couldn't help but pity the students at the Ivy Grove institute.
Liam slightly chuckled, patting Neil's back with a playful camaraderie. "Just don't go breaking a student's arm with that temper of yours, Professor Bennett," he joked, his humor cutting through the tension like a well-honed blade.
Neil shot him a sidelong glance, his expression unyielding. "I don't break arms; I fucking break their illusions," he retorted with a deadpan delivery that betrayed no hint of amusement.
Undeterred, Liam laughed heartily, savoring the banter. "Ah, the wise words of Neil Wayner. I can see why they picked you for this undercover mission," he quipped, taking another sip of his drink.
Neil scowled slightly at the mention of his assigned duty. But then he suddenly recalled a certain someone. "They assigned me to supervise an annoying girl's assignment," he grumbled, his displeasure evident.
Liam's eyes gleamed with amusement. "An annoying girl, you say? Is she at least easy on the eyes?" he asked with a playful smirk, already reveling in Neil's impending irritation.
Neil's deadpan stare intensified as he replied, "I wasn't sent to Ivy Grove institute to observe beauty."
Liam burst into laughter, clapping Neil's on the back once again. "Come on, man, even a man of few words like you can at least admit when someone's attractive. Don't tell me your cold nature is blind to beauty as well?" he teased, wiggling his brows.
Neil's response was a nonchalant sip of his drink, but the subtle twitch at the corner of his lips betrayed a begrudging acknowledgment of Liam's jesting camaraderie. The duo, seemingly worlds apart in temperament, shared a history that bound them together despite their differences.
The next day when Mia arrived to school, as she didn't have any morning classes today, she decided to go to the library to catch on some articles that would help her with her assignments, as she couldn't find what she needed on Google, only some past research made by professional journalists would help her. She had to make preparations for the project she would be taking to Mr. Bennett before 2 o'clock. However, as she was climbing the stairs of the library, her phone vibrated in her bag.
She stopped and fished it out to see it was a message from Rayne, who was supposed to be in class this morning.
'Come and meet me at the gym hall immediately.' read the message.
Mia wondered why Rayne would be at the gym instead of being in class. She made a turn on the stairs and headed to the gym hall.
In a hurried rush, Mia burst into the gym hall, her steps echoing through the empty space. There, she spotted Rayne seated on one of the gym equipments, her focus buried in her phone with a deep frown on her face.
Mia approached, concern etched on her face. "Rayne, what are you doing here? You should be in class," she questioned, glancing around the empty gym.
Rayne looked up. Instead of answering Mia's question, she gestured for her friend to come closer. Intrigued, Mia stepped closer, and Rayne angled her phone to show the CCTV footage from yesterday's incident in the hall.
As the images unfolded on the screen, Mia's eyes widened in disbelief. Two of Diane's lackeys were caught on camera, sneaking into the locker area and brazenly taking Mia's clothes. The shock and humiliation Mia had felt resurfaced, compounded by the realization that Diane was behind this audacious act, even after stealing her assignment project and labeling her as an irresponsible student who plagiarized someone else's work.
What could she have done to make this spoiled rich brat come after her like this? Ever since Mia had arrived at his university, Diane would always give her dirty looks but had never approached her until they were given that assignment, and now that she had already humiliated her in public, she still dared to want to ruin her image in school completely.
Mia's hands curled into fists, rage simmering beneath the surface. Before she could express her anger, Rayne clicked her tongue and said, "I knew it, Mia. That lying bitch is behind all of this. She_ where are you going?" Rayne called out as Mia turned and started to walk away.
"I am going to confront her, I want to know what she wants from me. I will be fine, you can go ahead to your morning class." Mia replied over her shoulder.
Mia and Diane had the same classes, so obviously Diane also wouldn't be in class by now. Mia asked around and to her luck, she didn't have to look far before she spotted the latter under the shed close to the library building.
Diane was seated crossed legs on one of the chairs under the shed. She was wearing a black dress that barely covered her smooth thighs, her blonde hair was tied in a ponytail with a black choker around her swan neck. She was smiling at something Sally, her friend was saying when Mia approached them.
As there were no people around, Diane didn't bother to hide her dislike towards the plain jane of the university. But then to rub it in, she sized up Mia. "Well, well well, look who has come to finally apologise for stealing my project." Said Diane, flashing Mia one of her sweet flowery smiles that didn't reach her eyes.
Mia didn't bother to argue with her on the project again, she went straight to the point. "Don't you have any shame at all Diane? I know what you did yesterday," she shifted her gaze to the two girls standing beside Diane, "You sent them to take away my clothes so I could embarras myself in campus. Why, what have I ever done to you?"
Diane's smile immediately vanished, standing up from the chair, she came to face Mia. "Don't act like you don't know what you did to me in highschool, Mia. Those memories are still fresh in my mind."
Mia was taken aback by those words. What she did to Diane in highschool? Could it be that this spoiled brat was high on drugs on something?
"What are you trying to say, Diane? If I remember clearly, we didn't go to the same highschool. I don't even know of your existence until I came to this university."
Mia had attended a public highschool in Whispering way street, and she would be insane to think someone like Diane Foster the daughter of one of the governance of Ivy Grove institute, would attend such a school. Mia thought, aware that there are more things she didn't know about her own life.