Luelle
Luelle has now settled into the rhythms of school life after six months—though the term "settled" might be relative. Her days are no longer burdened by the weight of uncertainty, yet she still navigates the complex social currents that shape her place in this world.
She has forged a bond with James and Aria, their friendship offering her a sense of belonging. Aria is a constant presence, her energy at times overwhelming but always genuine. And then there's Rowan, who lingers at the edges of her awareness, occasionally stepping into her orbit with his pointed remarks and knowing smirks, serving as a wordless connection to Ethan—though Ethan himself feels tantalizingly out of reach.
Months have passed, yet Luelle's crush on Ethan remains as intense as ever. If anything, it has deepened, evolving from mere admiration into something far more complicated—an intricate blend of longing and frustration. Ethan, blissfully unaware, never fully engages with Rowan's shifting dynamics. Yet sometimes, she catches glimpses of him from afar—how he effortlessly commands a room's attention, how he occasionally appears lost in thought. Once or twice, she could swear she felt his gaze brush over her, a fleeting moment of acknowledgment that vanished just as quickly.
They are in a classroom when her phone buzzes on her desk, the screen lighting up with a message from the one number she knows by heart but rarely reads—her father.
She hesitates, her heart racing as she unlocks the screen. The message is brief yet charged, five words laden with the weight of command.
"Ethan's life is at risk. Protect him, but do not reveal your true identity. Be vigilant."
As she reads the line, the world around her contracts. The classroom, the muffled laughter of her classmates, the familiar hum of the day—everything suddenly feels distant and absurdly irrelevant.
She grips her phone tighter, re-reading the message, struggling to grasp its enormity. Ethan, the boy who has never truly seen her, the one she has quietly observed from a distance for years—his life is in jeopardy. And somehow, impossibly, she is meant to be his protector.
The secrecy is the cruellest thorn. She cannot reveal her true self to him, cannot allow him—or anyone—to discover the truth. She will have to walk in shadows, a nameless, faceless guardian.
But none of that matters—not when Ethan's life hangs in the balance.
Her mind drifts to the Dominion, the world in which she was raised. The Dominion is more than a faceless monopoly; it is an empire of power and influence that extends far beyond the comprehension of the average person. To outsiders, it appears to be a well-oiled machine with a respectable public face— Brendon Mars, her father. He embodies authority, speaking to the masses and representing the values of the Dominion with grace and integrity. Yet behind this facade lies the true power of the Dominion, orchestrated by Ethan's father— Johnathan Frost, a master tactician who conducts operations like a symphony, shrouding secrets and navigating the shadows that keep the Dominion operational.
Leadership within the Dominion is inherited, but roles are assigned with intent and strategy. Long ago, it was decided that Ethan would be groomed to take the helm as the public face of the business, while Luelle would occupy the role of the quiet guardian, inheriting Johnathan Frost's clandestine responsibilities. Whispers of her existence circulated, but her life remained cloaked in an intricate veil of mystery. Her father had a child, though details about this "child" were scarce—an enigma, really. Even within the Dominion's elaborate circles, her gender was shrouded in secrecy, a measure taken to protect her anonymity.
Luelle was raised in this duality, trained from birth to assume her role when the time came. She has lived as an unrecognized shadow in a world of shadows, able to parse intricate webs of intelligence and dismantle the tightening grip of security. While Ethan basked in the public spotlight, preparing for the untamed responsibilities of leadership, Luelle's path remained hidden, sculpting her into a guardian capable of defending and shielding the Dominion without attracting attention.
Her father's message now resonates with a weight she had always anticipated. This was her purpose—where the end justifies the means, where actions are taken without recognition, where protection exists without question. Ethan's future as a public figure makes him a target, his vulnerability a foregone conclusion of a life in the limelight. Yet she had not braced for the reality of her mission—to be simultaneously unseen and indispensable.
The stakes are personal as well. Her carefully hidden feelings for Ethan add an emotional complexity to her duty. How can she save someone who doesn't even know she exists? Even more daunting, how can she reconcile her emotions with the clinical precision her role demands?
Luelle has to make herself take a breath, to think. How does she keep him safe without being too suspicious? Who — or what — would threaten him? More importantly, how close can she get to him without becoming visible herself to protect him?
It has been several days since her father had sent her the message. Luelle's heart pounded as she followed Ethan at a safe distance, her body taut with each footfall. He strolled leisurely, his face as inscrutable as the outside world, but she never got rid of the sense that danger was lurking just out of sight. Her father's voice rang in her head: Ethan's life was in danger; she had to protect him, at all costs, even if it killed her.
The sun glared low over the outlying fields, over the school grounds, its rays draping the place in a golden sheen and sharpening the shadows on the ground. The route Ethan would take to his car was known, the path he drove winding through a little-block stretch next to the school's sports fields. It was isolated enough to set off warning bells in Luelle's mind — too many blind spots, too many chances for someone to err.
She slowed down and half hid herself behind some trees as she observed his movements. Every noise — a rustling leaf, the distant sound of a car engine — rattled her nerves. She did not know how the attempt would go, and the uncertainty was overwhelming. Her training had taught her to expect threats, but it hadn't dulled the gnawing tension of this moment. Ethan's safety hinged on her instincts and accuracy.
She was so intent on her task that she didn't spot Rowan until it was too late. He came around the corner and strode up to Ethan, his hands thrust casually into his pockets. Luelle froze for a half-beat, panic shooting through her. If Rowan Sweeney noticed her lurking, questions would ensue—questions that she couldn't risk answering.
Reacting quickly, she approached, pretending to be oblivious as she strode right into Rowan's way. They tapped lightly, Rowan's hand automatically reaching to steady her.
"Whoa, now," he said, crooked grin unfolding as his sharp gaze took her in, flustered. "You okay?"
Luelle nodded frantically, her brain racing for a justification. "Sorry, I wasn't paying attention," she said, the rush of adrenaline filling her, her voice steady.
Rowan cocked his head to one side, intrigued. "You do not normally space out like that. Something on your mind?"
Luelle chuckled, wiping imaginary dust off her jacket. "Just thinking about a project that's due next week. Got a bit lost in thought."
Rowan's grin widened, his eyes, however, holding on to hers a moment too long. "Fair enough. But keep your head up though—it's dangerous to walk around distracted."
Luelle did, grateful for the jest. "I'll remember that," she said, moving to go, but Rowan's voice halted her.
"Heading toward Ethan, huh?" he said, nodding in the direction Ethan had left. "You're sure you're not following him?"
Luelle froze inside but kept her face neutral. "Why would I do that? I didn't even see him." she said with perfect casualness, a hint of incredulity in her tone.
Rowan chuckled. "Relax, I'm joking. Anyway, see you around."
Luelle waited for Rowan to walk off, then exhaled slowly, her heart thudding. She hadn't merely drawn suspicion away from herself, she'd forged a quiet link with Rowan, a path she could use to remain closer to Ethan without raising too many questions.
Her eyes moved back toward Ethan, who was approaching the stretch of road that always made her uneasy. Luelle turned herself, as her mind came to clarity with determination. An ambush can be sprung at any time, and she cannot afford to fail.
Her eyes flicked to a parked car on the side of the road ahead, its engine running. It was too well-placed, too unnaturally motionless. The driver was a dubious silhouette behind the tinted window, their eyes almost trained on Ethan as he strolled toward the pedestrian crossing.
The scene had danger written all over it.
Instincts kicked in, and her fingers curled soundly around the strap of her bag. The car's engine made a faint growl, no movement from its position. It was not parked — it was waiting.
As Ethan stepped onto the curb, Rowan caught up with him, slapping a hand on his buddy's shoulder. The two shared hurried words, but the car remained unmoved, bloated and purring with menace in a way that sent shivers along Luelle's spine.
She choked back a cry as Ethan moved toward the edge of the road. The car's motor revved almost unnoticeably. The time for thinking was past.
"Rowan!" Luelle called, her voice ringing out over the still street with an audible edge.
Rowan spun around, his brow knit with the urgency in her tone. "What?" he called back, startled.
"Wait! I want to ask you something" she added, her voice both sharp and steady, as she jogged up on them.
Rowan slid to a stop, grabbing Ethan's arm in an effort to bring him up short. Right then the idling car lunged, its tires pop-crunching against the asphalt as it roared past them in a blur.
The blast of air caused Rowan to take a reflexive step back, and his fingers were still curled around Ethan's shoulder as the boys gaped after the car in shocked silence. It sped away down the street, turned abruptly at the corner and was lost from view.
"That was close…" Rowan muttered, shaking his head as if to digest what had just happened. His normal relaxed body language all out the window.
"Are you okay?" Luelle said, moving closer to the boys. She glanced at each of them in turn for signs of injury, but her gaze stayed on Ethan a second longer.
Ethan nodded, still visibly rattled. "Yes, I think so," he said, in a hushed tone. He shot a glance at Rowan, who was already rubbing the base of his neck nervously. "What was that about?"
Rowan took a deep breath and looked back down the street, as if the car might come back at any moment. "I don't know," he said, his familiar smirk absent. "But whoever was driving that thing didn't look like they were in any rush to stop."
Luelle maintained a neutral expression, but her brain was a whirl. The way the car had idled, revving its engine as Ethan stepped toward the road didn't feel random. Her instincts told her it had been deliberate, but she couldn't say so without raising questions she wasn't prepared to answer. Not yet.
"Perhaps it was just one of those people being reckless," she said, with feigned lightness, though with little conviction. "They may not have even seen you."
Rowan looked at her, his keen eyes narrowing a bit as if considering her words. "Maybe?" he said, but doubt was obvious in his tone. "Still, it's weird."
Ethan stayed silent, staring at the ground with his hands buried in his pockets. Luelle couldn't tell if he was rattled, contemplative, or both. The rare vulnerability he showed in that moment pulled at something deep inside her, but she soon buried the feeling. There wasn't room for sentiment—not with the threat that was evidently building.
"Good on you for calling out, Luelle," Rowan said, after a moment, his tone gentler than it had been. "If you didn't, we probably would've walked right into ... whatever that was."
Luelle forced a small smile. "I'm just glad everybody's OK."
"You called me?" Rowan asks
"I… uh… Aria said you're really good at math," she said quickly trying to sound casual. She rubbed the taut skin at the nape of her neck sheepishly and regarded him almost shamefully. "I was hoping that you would be able to help me with a couple of things. I've been broken up with some problems."
Rowan blinked, surprise gone and replaced with a smirk, though the tension hadn't quite left his stance. "Math, huh? Aria's been tossing my name around again, huh?"
Luelle shrugged, and did her best solemn face. "Well, she said you're annoyingly good at it." And, I figured it can't hurt to ask."
Rowan cocked his head, and the smirk deepened when he looked sideways at Ethan. "Annoyingly good, huh? That's a new one. But if you need actual help, Ethan's the math whiz. He's way better than me."
Luelle's heart leaped, and she struggled to hold her expression neutral. This wasn't part of the plan. "Oh, I didn't know," she said, turning her gaze to Ethan, whose watchfulness had turned into a kind of curiosity, even mild surprise.
Ethan shrugged, still in post shock recovery mode, clearly struggling with the spontaneous focus on him. "I suppose I am good at it," he said, sounding nonchalant. "What are you stuck on?"
Luelle paused, for half a second, before answering. "Just some formulas, you know, balancing equations mostly. It is probably easy, but I just can't figure out."
Rowan laughed, thumping Ethan on the back. "Perfect. You have the best tutor here, though. If anybody can help, it's him."
Ethan looked at Rowan, clearly annoyed to have been volunteered for the task, but then nodded. "I guess I can look at it. When do you want to do it?"
Luelle's stomach flipped, though she kept her voice level. "Whenever you have the time," she said. "I don't want to be annoying.
"It's fine," Ethan said with the faintest of shrugs, his eyes calm but guarded. "I'll tell you when I'm free."
Rowan gave her a knowing look, a teasing something in his smirk. "There you go, bang, problem solved. Just don't load him up with too much homework — he has plenty of his own."
Luelle tried to muffle a laugh, ignoring the red that started to flood her face. "Thanks, Rowan. And… thank you, Ethan," she said, her tone sincere even as her mind raced.
Ethan nodded once, then faced the road again, occasionally looking back where the car had been. Rowan stayed a moment longer, his keen stare darting from her to Ethan, as though he were storing an impression for later.
As they started to wander off together, Luelle gave a soft sigh. She'd managed to alleviate suspicion and manufacture a reason to get closer to Ethan. But the relief was short-lived — she couldn't erase the car's purposeful course or the threat it posed. Whatever this was, it hadn't finished, and she needed to stay one step ahead in order to keep Ethan safe.
Ethan
Ethan's hands were stuffed into his jacket pockets as he walked, his mind preoccupied with the usual chaos of the day. A test he hadn't quite aced, a coach hounding him for extra practice, and Rowan's constant ribbing—it all swirled together into a dull hum that kept him distracted. The cool afternoon air was a relief, the quiet street a welcome escape from the noise of the school.
As he got to the curb, he saw the parked car, the engine on, its presence too concerted to be coincidence. It was like a shadow looking out at him from behind tinted glass, and the sick feeling spread as he felt the driver watch him like a hawk. Then he sensed a change in the air, a tautness that tugged at his instincts.
"Rowan!" Luelle's voice sliced its way through the air: sharp, urgent." Ethan turned, startled by the bite in her tone. He could see the way she padded toward them, her face a combination of determination and something he couldn't quite name.
Rowan halted, gripping Ethan's arm, the action pulling him back to the now. But before he had a chance to make sense of what was going on, the car that had been sitting idle screeched forward, tires shrieking against the asphalt as it sped past them. The whoosh of air slammed into him like a wave, making him take a step back, Rowan still gripping his shoulder as they both stared at him in awestruck silence.
"What the hell was that?" Ethan followed with his racing heart trying to understand what had just come so close to hitting them. That made the adrenaline pumping through him – the confusion, the fear – feel familiar.
"I don't know," Rowan said, his trademark smirk failing him, his expression one of disbelief. "But whoever was driving didn't seem like they were going to stop for anybody."
Ethan nodded, still passing through the shock. He looked at Luelle, who was searching them for injuries, her eyes lingering on him a second too long. The concern that marred her features and overlaid her gaze, it twisted something inside of him.
"Are you okay?" she asked, her voice steady but tinged with fear.
"Yes, I suppose so," he said, with a softer-than-usual tone. The adrenaline still coursed through him, making it difficult to concentrate. "What just happened?"
Luelle's expression changed and he could almost hear the gears in her mind turning. "Maybe it just was someone being reckless," she said, but there was doubt in her voice.
"Maybe?" Rowan said, skepticism in his voice. "Still, it's weird."
Ethan became silent, looking down at the ground, chewing through a bundle of feelings. He had felt vulnerable, exposed in a way he wasn't accustomed to. The incident had shaken him, and he could feel the strain in the air, but he couldn't quite put his finger on why it bothered him so much.
"Nice one for calling out, Luelle," Rowan said after a pause, his tone gentler now. "If you hadn't, we could've just walked straight into … whatever that was."
Ethan glanced at Luelle, gratitude swelling in him. "Yeah, thanks," he said, although his response felt insufficient.
Ethan notices how Luelle's demeanor shifted again, turning to Rowan, her voice casual with an edge of urgency. "I… uh… Aria told me you're really good at math. I was wondering if you could help me out with a few things."
Ethan arched an eyebrow, taken aback by the abrupt shift in conversation. He noticed Rowan's surprise transforming into a smirk, and felt a flash of annoyance at being dragged into this.
As they talked, Ethan felt an uneasy sensation beginning to wash over him. The car, the almost-accident, Luelle's urgency — it all felt linked to him, though he couldn't quite get a handle on how. He looked at the road again, glancing where the car used to be, the unease coming back.
Rowan shared a knowing look with Luelle, a teasing smile on his lips, but Ethan's mind was elsewhere. The moment weighed heavily on him, the potential threat waiting just outside their perception. Whatever was going on, it wasn't finished, and he needed to be alert.