The day passed in a haze, each class blending into the next. The teachers seemed indifferent, and Lucas was certain Mr. Morton had spoken to the head of the school. In a small town like Crestwood, where the second richest man generously funded the school, corruption was almost expected. Lucas didn't mind; it was just another part of the town's fabric.
As Lucas navigated the bustling hallway, his thoughts were occupied with Dimitri. He was certain Dimitri had something to do with Kane being on the run, and Lucas was plotting his confrontation. The setup was too intricate, too clever, and it only fueled Lucas's curiosity.
His thoughts were abruptly interrupted when he spotted Dimitri across the courtyard. Dimitri was accompanied by a taller, gangly boy with thick glasses and an awkward gait. The boy's attire—ill-fitting clothes and a backpack stuffed with textbooks—made him stand out as a classic nerd. Despite his unassuming appearance, the boy seemed deeply engaged in conversation with Dimitri, who wore that familiar, disarming smile.
Lucas watched from a distance.A sharp, unfamiliar pang of jealousy twisted inside Lucas's chest, so sudden it startled him. He didn't understand why he felt it, or why it bothered him so much,of course Dimitri was bound to have friends. The boy was nothing, just a nobody—but seeing them together felt wrong. Dimitri was *his* to torment, to play with.
Lucas turned to walk away, his mood darkening, but as he did, he caught sight of Dimitri's gaze across the courtyard. Dimitri's eyes met his with a glint of mischief, and a knowing smile spread across his lips. It was the kind of smile that seemed to say Dimitri was fully aware of Lucas's reaction and was savoring every moment of it. The smile deepened as Dimitri observed Lucas's growing frustration, clearly pleased by the effect he had achieved.
Lucas stood frozen in the hallway still standing ,even though Dimitri was long gone,his mind still reeling from the earlier encounter with Dimitri. The presence behind him startled him. Before he could react, a hand tightened around his neck, firm enough to be menacing but not enough to choke.
"Well, well," a voice whispered into his ear, taunting. "Looks like Kane won't be saving you this time, huh?"
Lucas's eyes flicked sideways, catching a glimpse of the intruder—tall, lean, with wild eyes full of mockery and something darker. The boy's gaze was possessive, as if he relished the power he held.
Despite the boy's threatening grip, Lucas's face remained expressionless, his breath calm. But inside, his anger was boiling over. It wasn't directed at this insignificant threat, but rather at the tumultuous feelings Dimitri had stirred up.
Lucas's frustration was a mix of jealousy and self-loathing. He was disgusted with himself for the feelings he had for Dimitri, feelings he couldn't quite understand. Dimitri's knowing smile, the way he seemed to revel in Lucas's discomfort, only intensified Lucas's anger. The thought of Dimitri orchestrating everything while he was home, the way Dimitri had gotten under his skin, fueled his rage.
As the boy's hand tightened, Lucas's eyes were dark and distant. The boy mistook his lack of visible reaction for fear and squeezed harder, his smirk widening with cruel satisfaction.
"Come on, where's your savior now?" the boy mocked, his voice dripping with malice. He leaned in closer, his breath hot against Lucas's ear. "He's not coming, is he? And now, you're all mine."
Lucas's lips curled just slightly, barely perceptible, but enough for the boy to notice. The tension in Lucas's body shifted, and though he remained still, the air around him seemed to grow heavier, more dangerous. The boy hesitated, sensing that something wasn't right.
Lucas, still calm, finally spoke, his voice cold and devoid of emotion. "Kane doesn't need to save me."
The boy's grip faltered just slightly, but Lucas didn't need any more of a sign. In one smooth motion, he grabbed the boy's wrist, yanking it off his neck with a force that was both swift and controlled. The boy staggered back, eyes widening in shock.
Lucas turned to face him fully now, his expression still blank, but his eyes—his eyes were burning with an icy fire that sent a chill down the boy's spine. The boy, who had moments ago been so sure of himself, took a cautious step back.
Lucas stepped forward, closing the distance between them, his voice now a low growl. "If you think Kane's the only one you need to worry about," he leaned in, his tone deadly soft, "you've already made a mistake."
The boy swallowed hard, his confidence cracking, but Lucas wasn't finished. He could feel the heat of his own rage bubbling under his skin, and though it wasn't for this boy, he would take it out on him nonetheless.
As the boy stood there, his posture wavering, Lucas's expression shifted. His features, once cold and menacing, softened, morphing into something far more innocent, almost nervous. His wide, vulnerable eyes blinked up at the boy as if suddenly unsure of himself, like a lost child. It was a mask—a perfected one.
The boy, whose confidence had faltered moments before, now felt it flooding back. The aggressiveness that Lucas had shown was quickly forgotten, wiped away by this sudden shift. The boy's lewd grin returned as he watched Lucas, who now looked so easily manipulated, so pliable.
"Why don't we get out of here, huh?" the boy said, his voice lower and smoother now, coaxing Lucas as if he were offering him a secret. "Somewhere... quieter. Just you and me."
Lucas hesitated, biting his lower lip in a show of false nervousness. Then, with a slight nod, he agreed, his voice soft and unsteady. "Okay."
The boy's grin widened, his arm snaking around Lucas's shoulders as he guided him down the hall, away from any prying eyes. Lucas allowed himself to be led, his body language perfectly mimicking someone who was uncertain, but compliant. The boy kept glancing at him, satisfied with how easily Lucas was falling into his trap.
They turned a corner, slipping into a dark, secluded area behind the building, far from where anyone could see or hear them. The air was colder here, the shadows thicker. The boy glanced around quickly, ensuring they were truly alone before turning his attention fully back to Lucas, his grin now predatory.
"You're not gonna be so tough now, huh?" he murmured, stepping closer to Lucas, his hands already moving to touch him.
But Lucas's expression changed again, the nervous innocence draining away in an instant. His face went cold, his eyes hardening as he stared at the boy with a level of detachment that made his previous softness seem almost like a cruel joke.
The boy's smile faltered just as Lucas's fist connected with his stomach, knocking the air out of him. Before he could even register what had happened, Lucas grabbed him by the collar and threw him against the wall with a sickening thud.
The boy groaned, slumping to the ground, but Lucas wasn't done. He crouched down in front of him, his face now completely devoid of emotion, and with swift precision, he drove his knee into the boy's ribs, a sharp crack echoing through the narrow alley.
The boy gasped, clutching his side, his bravado shattered, but Lucas didn't stop. His fist came down again, this time to the boy's face, splitting his lip. Blood splattered onto the pavement, and Lucas watched it with a detached fascination. He paused for just a moment, his chest rising and falling with the rhythm of his anger. His thoughts, however, drifted back to Dimitri—to that smirk that had lingered in his mind, fueling this dark moment.
Lucas grabbed the boy's hair, forcing his head back to meet his gaze. The boy's eyes were wide with terror now, his earlier arrogance gone, replaced with fear and desperation. He tried to speak, to beg for mercy, but all that came out was a pained wheeze.
"I told you," Lucas said softly, his voice eerily calm. "Kane doesn't need to save me."
With one final, brutal punch, Lucas knocked the boy out cold, his body slumping against the wall, unconscious and broken. Lucas stood up, brushing the blood off his knuckles with a detached grace. He glanced down at the boy, no longer even registering him as a threat, but as a piece of insignificant trash lying on the ground.
A glint of interest sparked in his eyes, his demeanor shifting to one of morbid fascination. He crouched beside the boy, studying the still form with an unsettling intensity.
Lucas's eyes traced the contours of the boy's face and body with a clinical detachment, as if he were examining a specimen rather than a human being. His fingers hovered close to the boy's skin, twitching slightly as th
ough tempted to touch but restrained by a perverse curiosity.