Chapter 12: Level Nine
Adrian burst into laughter.
A full laugh… unrestrained.
It was not angry.
Rather, it sounded as if it came from genuine amusement.
The laughter gradually faded, but its echo remained in his voice.
You are amusing, Lily.
His eyes stopped on her.
A sharp look.
Precise.
You rejected me… and yet I want to know something.
Why would you accept an invitation from someone else?
Is it not better for you to live your life in peace?
Lily did not retreat.
She stood firm as she was.
Her chin lifted slightly.
She placed her hands on her waist.
She stood before him steadily, as if refusing to step back even a single step.
There was no hesitation in her stance.
In truth… I have many reasons that might drive me to leave my peaceful life.
She lifted her chest slightly.
And looked at him directly.
Reasons…
Stronger than your fear.
And stronger than your offer.
Adrian breathed slowly.
As if only one word had remained in his mind.
Fear…
I have not heard this word for a long time.
In the present… I have no fear.
As for the past—
When I was younger…
There was fear.
But I overcame it.
Because it was trivial.
His eyes settled on her once again.
A cold steadiness.
If your reasons are stronger than my fear…
Then you are underestimating something you do not understand.
The air between them grew still for a moment.
Then—
Let us make a wager.
If the day comes and your reasons are stronger than me—
I will bow to you in respect.
And I will grant you one favor.
His smile stopped at the corner of his mouth.
But if it is the opposite…
And I am the stronger one—
His voice moved a little closer.
Calm… calmer than it should be.
Then—
You will become my toy.
A brief silence followed.
A few seconds… but they seemed longer than they should.
From now on…
You have one year.
Prove to me that what drives you… is stronger than me.
The words were simple.
But their weight felt like an unwritten agreement.
A contract.
Or the beginning of a confrontation that would not be decided now.
Lily raised her eyes to him.
Her heart was beating violently inside her chest.
And yet—
She did not allow fear to appear.
Adrian tilted his head slightly.
His voice softened.
The tone became lighter… almost playful:
But in reality…
Sometimes the door opens.
Whether you want it… or not.
Something hidden trembled inside her chest.
A feeling she could not explain.
She tried to make her voice sound natural:
You speak as if you are certain that this other world is real.
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
This time it carried no mockery.
Because it is real.
His eyes remained fixed on her.
Calm in a disturbing way.
And you…
Are closer to it than you think, Lily.
Her eyes widened immediately.
What do you mean?
He did not answer at once.
He slowly raised his hand.
But it did not move toward her.
The gesture stopped at her neck.
At the place of the bite.
This…
The word came out calm.
Heavy.
This… was my brother's doing.
Alex.
Lily froze in her place.
As if her body had stopped responding for a moment.
The mark may disappear.
But the truth does not disappear.
You saw more than you should have.
And what began that night…
Will not stop.
He kept looking at her.
A steady gaze.
And it seems my brother…
Is the reason that will bring you into this world.
A short laugh slipped from his lips.
What a surprise.
He shook his head lightly.
So, Lily…
In the end…
My brother did not choose you for nothing.
Another moment of silence.
Then a faint sideways smile.
It seems he misses the old days.
Heh heh.
He turned calmly.
His steps moved away without hurry.
And after a few moments—
He disappeared at the end of the corridor.
At the same time—
On the upper floor.
Inside the principal's office.
The lighting was dim.
Only the glow of the screens reflected on the walls, casting cold shadows over the silent furniture.
The principal sat behind his desk.
Completely still.
No movement to mention.
In front of him was a row of surveillance screens.
Each screen displayed a different part of the school:
The courtyard.
The gate.
The staircase.
The long corridors.
He slowly raised his hand.
His fingers settled on the control panel.
A small press.
One of the scenes changed immediately.
The corridor appeared.
The same corridor.
The place where Lily had been standing minutes earlier.
The recording began to move backward.
Second after second.
Students crossing the corridor.
Ordinary conversations.
Soft laughter.
Bags moving.
Nothing that draws attention.
Then—
The principal's finger stopped.
At that exact moment.
Adrian entered the camera frame.
And suddenly—
Small white squares appeared around the students' faces.
One after another.
Automatic tracking.
The system was working as it should.
No squares disappeared.
The program did not malfunction.
Nothing stopped.
But what happened after that—
Was far colder.
The white squares continued their work around everyone.
Identifying faces.
Tracking movement.
Recording data.
Everything normal.
Except for one thing.
Around Adrian—
No white square appeared.
Instead, a completely different frame appeared.
Red.
The frame appeared quietly.
It did not blink.
It did not delay.
It settled around Adrian alone.
Words appeared beneath the image:
Identity Confirmed.
A brief moment passed.
Then the warning appeared.
Threat Level: 9 — Original Class
As if it had been placed there deliberately… not as the result of an automatic process.
The system had not failed to recognize him.
It had done the exact opposite.
It recognized him immediately.
And for that exact reason—
The frame turned red.
The principal replayed the clip.
The image moved backward.
Then forward again.
The same scene.
Students.
White squares.
The normal movement of the corridor.
And when Adrian entered the frame—
The red returned.
Precise.
Steady.
The principal was not surprised.
His expression did not change.
He froze the image on Adrian's face.
And continued looking at him.
Then his hand extended.
A small press.
The sound of the recording disappeared.
The corridor became completely silent.
He stood up slowly.
Moved toward the door.
The key turned in the lock.
A faint metallic click.
He returned to his desk.
He leaned slightly.
Opened the lower drawer.
A drawer rarely opened.
From inside it—
He took out an old phone.
A simple device.
Not connected to the public network.
His eyes remained for a moment on the frozen screen.
The red frame was still around Adrian.
Then he pressed the call button.
When the line opened—
His voice lowered:
The breach has been confirmed.
He paused.
No explanation.
No details.
The call ended immediately.
He remained standing for a few seconds.
His eyes still on the screen.
The red frame…
Had not disappeared.
At last his lips moved.
He whispered the words without visible concern:
Alright…
So it is war.