Chapter Six : Unexpected Assignment.
The morning light slanted through the tall dorm window, painting thin silver lines across Aurelia's desk. She sat still for a long moment, eyes fixed on the faint mark glowing faintly beneath her wrist. It wasn't burning, not exactly, just… tingling. The sensation came and went in waves, and every time it did, she remembered the same thing.
Lyra.
It always flared after some kind of confrontation with her. Aurelia frowned, rubbing her thumb over the mark as if she could erase it. What does that even mean? she thought.
A knock at the door broke her thoughts.
"Morning, sunshine," Amara's voice called as she leaned into the room, messy bun, oversized hoodie, and coffee in hand. "You're spacing out again. What's going on in that head of yours? Don't tell me you're stress-studying before breakfast."
Aurelia forced a smile. "Just thinking."
"Thinking looks painful," Amara said, taking a long sip. Then, brightening, "Oh, right! I forgot to tell you... I want you to meet a friend of mine, Cal. He's in my anatomy class. You'll like him, trust me. He's your kind of weird."
Aurelia chuckled softly. "Your definition of weird concerns me."
"Lunch, then. Don't ditch me this time."
"Fine," Aurelia sighed, trying to sound indifferent even as the mark under her skin pulsed again.
The corridors of the university were alive with chatter and echoing footsteps. Professor Ardyn's classroom, however, was almost unnervingly quiet.
He sat behind his desk, gloved fingers brushing absently over the insignia on his pocket watch a silver wolf just like the one he had on his cuffs. The faint shimmer of it tugged at something deep inside him, a memory that refused to fully surface. His gaze flicked toward the empty seats, and inevitably, to hers.
He'd told himself the uneasy feeling was nothing, just his mind playing tricks. But it had been happening too often, her voice drifting through his thoughts when she wasn't even near, her laughter ringing in his head at the oddest moments.
When the door opened and the students filed in, Aurelia followed quietly, taking her seat near the front. Her wrist still tingled. Ardyn, behind his desk, forced himself to focus on the stack of papers before him.
He walked past her desk to distribute assignments, their hands brushed just barely, and for a moment... the world seemed to still.
Aurelia's breath caught. She flushed,quickly bending her head, trying to scribble something on her notepad to distract herself.
He moved on, pretending it hadn't happened, though his pulse had quickened in a way that infuriated him.
By the time he turned to write on the board, she was doodling again, lines and swirls forming unconsciously into the very same insignia that she once saw gleaming on his cuff.
He paused mid-sentence.
Something ancient stirred behind his composed exterior, but he said nothing. The rest of the lecture passed in silence, heavy with unsaid things.
As soon as the class ended, Aurelia shoved her books into her bag and practically bolted out of the room. She wasn't in the mood to cross paths with Lyra today, not when her mind was already a tangled mess. She turned a corner and there she was.
Lyra Elarin, radiant, poised, and clearly waiting.
Aurelia ducked into the stairwell before Lyra could notice, her heart hammering. "Not today," she muttered.
By the time she reached the cafeteria, Amara was waving from a corner table, excitement written all over her face. Sitting across from her was a tall, curly-haired guy wearing spects with a disarming grin. She felf an instant connection with him that she couldn't explain.
"Aurelia, meet Cal Rivers," Amara said proudly. "Cal, this is the friend I told you about, the one who knows way too much about ancient civilizations."
"Ah," Cal said with mock seriousness. "Another trivia addict. Excellent."
"Guilty," Aurelia replied, smiling at his teasing. Amara rolled her eyes and sipped her juice, pretending to be annoyed.
"Medical students, huh?" Aurelia asked.
"Second year," Cal said. "Amara and I survive by mutual caffeine dependence."
"I call it a partnership," Amara quipped.
Aurelia smiled genuinely for the first time all morning. The mark beneath her wrist stayed still, silent, calm...as if the universe finally gave her a breather.
Their banter flowed easily, bouncing between mythology and anatomy jokes. They joked about ancient rulers and overdramatized myths, arguing playfully over which kingdom had the most tragic history. When Amara tried to tease them for turning lunch into a historical debate, they only laughed harder.
But fate, ever fond of irony, was not done yet.
Professor Ardyn happened to pass by the cafeteria window at that exact moment. His eyes found her instantly, Aurelia, laughing, her hair catching the sunlight as she leaned across the table toward Cal Rivers.
Something inside him twisted. It wasn't anger. Not exactly. Just this unfamiliar, searing possessiveness that made his jaw tighten. He didn't like it. He didn't want to like it.
Before he could stop himself, he pushed open the cafeteria door. The echo silenced the nearest tables. He ignored the startled looks and walked straight toward them.
"Miss Vale," he said evenly, though his tone carried that quiet authority that always drew attention. "When you're done here, report to my study."
Aurelia blinked, confused. "Did I-?"
He didn't wait for her to finish. "After lunch," he said simply, then turned and left, his coat sweeping behind him like a shadow.
Amara mouthed, What was that?
"I… honestly have no idea," Aurelia admitted, heat rising to her cheeks.
By the time she knocked on his office door, her nerves were taut.
"Come in," his voice called.
The study was dimly lit, shelves of old tomes crowding the walls. Ardyn stood by the window, pacing, clearly irritated, though whether at her or himself, she couldn't tell.
"You wanted to see me, Professor?" she asked carefully.
He froze, suddenly aware of how ridiculous this must look. He had no rational explanation for summoning her like that. So, in the first burst of defensiveness, he blurted out, "I've decided to appoint you as my research assistant."
Aurelia blinked. "I...what?"
"Yes. Your essays have shown… promise. You have potential."
Her brows lifted. "Because of my grades?"
"Obviously," he replied too quickly.
"Of course," she said, though her tone was laced with suspicion.
A silence lingered between them, humorous, charged, undeniably awkward.
Finally, he cleared his throat. "You should focus on your studies," he said, softer this time. "Not on boys."
Aurelia's eyes widened. "Excuse me?"
"It was… general advice," he added lamely.
Her face flushed crimson as she turned for the door. "Right. I'll keep that in mind, Sir."
The door banged shut behind her,as she rushed to get out of the awkward conversation.
For a long moment, Ardyn just stared at it, half irritated, half… amused. A reluctant smile ghosted across his lips. "Brilliant," he muttered to himself. "You've truly outdone yourself this time."
Outside the study, Aurelia slowed her steps, clutching her books to her chest. Her cheeks still burned from his words, focus on your studies, not on boys. That sounded personal.
She wasn't even sure what had just happened in there, whether it was an awkward lecture, an accidental compliment, or something entirely different. All she knew was that her heart wouldn't calm down, and for some maddening reason, Professor Ardyn's voice refused to leave her head.