A FEW WEEKS LATER
XAVIER'S POINT OF VIEW:
The academy erupted when I walked in. Cheers, clapping, and the rush of excitement filled the air. Students gathered around, shouting my name, congratulating me on my return. I couldn't even remember the last time I felt this much attention but none of their words registered. Not really. I couldn't stop thinking about that moment, that monster fight... and the omega who had saved me.
I pushed through the crowd, forcing myself to smile as I waved, but inside, all I could feel was the unease. I wasn't the same person I was before the fight. I wasn't sure who I was now.
"Xavier! You're back! We were all so worried!" A voice cut through my thoughts Jace. He slapped me on the back with a grin that was so wide, it almost seemed painful.
I shot him a smile, but it felt empty.
"Yeah, I'm alive. Surprised, huh?"I said.
Jace chuckled.
"Surprised? Hell no, man. You're the hero. Nothing takes you down."He said.
But even as he said that, I could see the nervous flicker in his eyes. He had to have seen the way I was acting, the way I was looking around like I was still stuck in a dream. I nodded, pretending to listen as the students around us kept on chatting and congratulating me. Their voices felt far away, like I was hearing them through water. I tried to push the thoughts of the omega aside, but the more I did, the harder it became to forget them. And then I saw him.
A boy stood off to the side, distant from the crowd. Tall. Broad-shouldered. Mask covering the upper half of his face. Lean, black fabric tied behind his head like it belonged there. Dark hair, almost glowing in the sunlight. His uniform was neat, precise... too precise. Like he had something to prove. He didn't smile. He didn't flinch. He just watched.
"Who's that?" I asked, nodding toward him.
Ren followed my gaze.
"Oh, him? That's Villiam Blackstone. New alpha student. Transferred last week while you were still recovering. "Ren said.
"Blackstone?" I frowned. "As in the Blackstones?"I asked.
"Nah." Ren scoffed. "Old noble name. Basically extinct. Records say he's a distant relative or something, but the House is gone. He's not connected to anything important. Still, the guy is intense. Doesn't talk much. A real ghost."He said.
Villiam. Blackstone. He stood alone like he preferred it. Like he was used to it. And something about him… the way he held his stance, the way his eyes seemed to assess the world with cold calculation and it felt… familiar. My instincts stirred uncomfortably. I crossed my arms.
"He been in combat class yet?"I asked.
Ren chuckled.
"Yeah. Wiped the floor with two alphas on the first day. Didn't even break a sweat."He said.
Of course he did.
"Interesting." I muttered, eyes never leaving the newcomer.
Lunch at the Academy was usually loud. Alphas bragged, betas laughed, and omegas whispered in corners. The cafeteria was a chaos of energy and ego. The kind of place where power dynamics played out in every line for food, every clash of trays. And yet, Villiam Blackstone was a ghost in the middle of it all.
I spotted him right away, seated at the very end of the hall, back to the wall, head slightly bowed as he ate alone. A simple plate. Rice, plain vegetables, and a boiled egg. No sauce. No meat. Just the bare minimum to survive. I frowned.
"What alpha eats like that?" I murmured.
Ren slid onto the bench across from me, his tray already half empty.
"What's that?"He asked.
"Him." I nodded subtly toward the corner. "Blackstone. He eats like a monk."
Ren followed my gaze.
"Huh. You're right. I've never seen him even look at the hot food bar."He said.
"No meat." I muttered, narrowing my eyes. "And he always eats alone."
"No one sits with him." Ren pointed out. "I mean, no one wants to. Guy is creepy."
"Or maybe he wants it that way." I said under my breath.
Villiam didn't even glance at anyone. A group of giggling omegas passed nearby, their conversation loud and deliberate, staged to catch attention. But Villiam never even looked up. Another alpha swaggered past and muttered something snide under his breath, tossing a napkin toward Villiam's tray. Villiam didn't react. Didn't flinch. Didn't acknowledge the insult at all.
He just kept eating with slow, deliberate movements, like he hadn't even noticed. But I saw the twitch in his jaw. Barely there. But it was there. He noticed everything.
Something was off about him. Not in a bad way. Not in a weak way either. He didn't demand attention, but somehow, that made everyone pay attention more. I leaned forward, muttering mostly to myself.
"No friends, no pack, no status games… who the hell are you, Blackstone?"I whispered.
AT THE SAME TIME
VANESSA'S POINT OF VIEW:
He was back. I heard the news before I even made it to morning training. The halls buzzed with it.
"Prince Xavier's returned!" One said.
"He's alive!" Another said.
"The royal hero survived!" Third said.
I nearly dropped my cup when I overheard it in the mess hall. My hands shook just slightly. Not enough to notice. Not enough to give anything away. I pulled the mask tighter across my face. It itched today. Maybe it was guilt. Maybe it was the scent of him already lingering in the air like burned steel and rain.
Maybe it was the reminder that I left him breathing… barely. I didn't mean to save him. I just... couldn't quite leave him to die. He wasn't supposed to live. I sat at my usual table. Alone. Back to the wall. Hood low, mask tight, eyes hidden. No one came close, they didn't dare. Being an alpha wasn't enough. Being me, quiet, cold, masked, that kept the questions away, but now he was here. Prince perfect. Golden hair, golden blood, golden damn reputation. I remembered the way he had crumpled near the monster's corpse. How his hand had twitched, reaching for his sword even as his life leaked out of him. Idiot.
"Stupid brave bastard." I muttered under my breath.
My fingers drummed once against my knee. He didn't know it was me. Couldn't. Villiam Blackstone didn't exist before that night. Just a forged name. A burned sigil. An old noble house no one remembered anymore, convenient and empty enough to claim. My story was vague but solid. Enough to slip past questions. Enough to sit at the alpha's table without needing to be one of them. I had stolen a dead boy's name. Inherited a lie. Took a seat that wasn't mine. And now the truth was walking through these halls with royal boots and haunting gold eyes. I'd just have to keep my head down.
No mistakes. No slips. No heat. No scent. I exhaled slow through my nose, biting back the nerves.
"Villiam Blackstone." I reminded myself slowly.
That was the name. That was the armor. Vanessa died in the woods with the last shred of warmth I ever knew. The moment I killed the monster, saving a stupid hero. I took this name, and now I am going to use it until the moment I die.