Chapter 3

_Raven’s POV_

I woke up with a tight feeling in my chest.

The image of Cassian’s smirk from yesterday would not leave my mind. His voice. His eyes. The way he looked at me like I was something he could step on whenever he wanted.

I stayed in bed for a few minutes and stared at the ceiling.

It’s just school, I told myself. Just one more day. But my hands were already shaking when I got dressed.

I chose my uniform carefully. I tied my hair back and checked my reflection. I looked tired. My eyes were dull. But I told myself that it didn’t matter.

Mom had already left for work when I walked into the kitchen. The house felt quiet....too quiet.

I grabbed my bag and left.

School was loud the moment I stepped inside.

The hallways were already full. Students laughed, shouted and pushed past one another. I kept my head down and walked forward, trying to disappear into the noise.

I didn’t make it far.

“Morning, Raven.”

My steps slowed. I knew that voice.

I looked up and saw Cassian standing near the gate. He was with his friends. They were all smiling like they were waiting for something fun to happen.

My stomach tightened.

His eyes lifted. They locked onto me. His lips curved into a slow smile.

I turned my head and tried to walk past him but I didn’t get far.

“Hey, are you deaf?" Cassian said loudly.

The sound of his voice made my body stiffen. I stopped. I shouldn’t have.

Slowly, I turned to face him. “What do you want?” I asked, my voice tight.

His eyes swept over me, slowly and deliberately, like he was judging every part of me.

“Is that really what you wore today?” he asked.

His friends laughed. Heat rushed to my face.

“It’s a uniform,” I said. “We all wear the same thing.”

Cassian pushed himself off the gate and stepped closer. He was too close.

“Funny,” he said. “It looks worse on you.”

There was more laughter. I tried to step around him but he blocked my path.

“I need to get to class,” I said.

“So do I,” he replied calmly. “But I’m not in a hurry.”

One of his friends snorted. “Relax, man. She’s already shaking.”

I clenched my fists. “Move."

Cassian leaned closer. “That is no way to talk to people. Didn’t your mother teach you manners?”

My chest burned. “Leave me alone."

He smiled wider. “You say that every time.”

One of his friends chuckled. “Maybe she likes the attention.”

Cassian’s eyes flicked to his friend and then back to me. “Careful. She might cry.”

I clenched my fists and walked past him.

He followed.

I could hear his footsteps behind me as we entered the main building. His presence felt heavy and suffocating, like he was enjoying every second of this.

The hallway was loud. Lockers slammed, voices echoed and students rushed past us.

Cassian walked beside me like he owned the space.

“So,” he said casually, “you don’t have any friends?”

I stiffened. “What?” I asked, my voice sharper than I intended.

He didn’t back off. Instead, he tilted his head. His eyes narrowed like he was sizing up his prey.

“You’re always fucking alone. I’ve never once seen you with anyone who actually gives a damn. What’s the matter....too prickly for friends or do they just run the other way?”

I stopped walking.

Cassian halted right in front of me and blocked my path. His arms were crossed and that dark gaze locked on mine like he was daring me to deny it.

“Get away from me,” I snapped.

Students nearby started to look over.

Cassian laughed softly. “You don’t like being noticed, do you?”

I turned and tried to walk faster.

He didn’t stop. “Careful,” he said loudly. “You might trip.”

I ignored him.

Then he stepped in front of me again. “You’re always in such a hurry,” he said. “Relax.”

I tried to push past him. That was when he reached out. His hand grabbed my bag strap again...harder this time.

“Cassian....” I started.

He yanked hard.

My bag slipped off my shoulder and fell to the floor. Books scattered across the hallway.

Students gasped. Some laughed while others stopped to watch.

Before I could react, Cassian lifted a small paint container from his own bag. It was bright blue. He tipped it.

The paint poured over my chest. It soaked into my uniform instantly. It was cold, thick and heavy.

Time stopped. Then the laughter started.

“Oh my god,” someone said.

“Did he just...”

“That’s brutal.”

I stared down at myself in shock. Blue paint dripped onto the floor. My hands trembled as I tried to brush it off but it only spread more.

Cassian stepped back and raised his hands.

“Oops,” he said loudly. “That really was an accident this time.”

His friends burst out laughing.

My face burned. My throat tightened. Tears filled my eyes before I could stop them. “You did that on purpose,” I whispered.

Cassian shrugged. “Prove it.”

I dropped to my knees and reached for my books. My fingers shook so badly I could barely grab them. Paint dripped onto the pages. I heard whispers all around me.

“She looks so pathetic.”

“Why does he hate her so much?”

“This is cruel.”

A sob escaped my chest.

Cassian looked down at me. “You should stop crying,” he said calmly. “It’s embarrassing.”

I looked up at him. “Why are you doing this to me?”

His eyes were cold. “Because you don’t belong here. And everyone should know it.”

That was when I broke. Tears streamed down my face. I couldn’t stop them. My shoulders shook as I tried to breathe.

I felt so small....so alone.

“Enough," a male voice said.

The laughter stopped. I looked up and saw a boy step forward from the crowd. I had never seen him before.

He was tall, with black hair and sharp green eyes. His face was serious but his gaze softened when it landed on me.

He knelt beside me without hesitation.

“Are you okay?” he asked gently.

I shook my head, unable to speak.

He picked up my books and stacked them carefully. Then he shrugged off his jacket and gently placed it over my shoulders, covering the paint stains.

“You don’t deserve this,” he said quietly.

My breathing slowly steadied.

Cassian scoffed. “Who the hell are you?”

The boy stood up slowly and faced Cassian.

“Raphael,” he said. “And you’re done.”

Cassian laughed. “You think you can tell me what to do?”

Raphael’s gaze didn’t waver.

“Touch her again,” he said calmly, “and you’ll regret it.”

“You think you scare me?”

Raphael stepped closer. “I don’t need to,” he said quietly.

Cassian’s smile widened at first. Then his eyes narrowed. He studied Raphael more closely, like he was seeing something others could not.

“Oh,” Cassian said slowly. “So you’re also a…”

He stopped himself.

His lips curved into a knowing smirk. “You’re just like me.”

I frowned. I was confused. I did not understand what he meant.

Raphael’s jaw tightened. “You should not bully people weaker than you. It says more about you than it does about her.”

Cassian let out a short laugh. “You talk like you know me.”

“I know enough,” Raphael replied.

Something changed in the air. Cassian’s smile faded just a little. For the first time, I saw uncertainty flash in his eyes.

Then, teachers’ voices echoed from the end of the hallway. “What is going on here?”

The crowd scattered. Cassian took a step back but his eyes stayed on me.

“This isn’t over,” he muttered.

Raphael turned to me. “Come on,” he said softly. “Let’s get you out of here.”

I nodded.

We walked outside together. The air felt colder but I could finally breathe again.

“Thank you,” I said quietly.

“You don’t have to thank me,” he said gently. “Anyone would have done the same.”

I shook my head. “No,” I whispered. “They wouldn’t have.”

He didn’t argue. He only looked at me for a moment, like he was trying to make sure I was really okay.

“Come on,” he said after a pause.

He led me toward the parking area behind the school. I followed. My steps were slow and unsure.

“I drove today,” he explained as we walked. “My driver is sick. He took the day off. I had to bring the car myself. I will drop you home.”

I stopped. “You don’t have to take me home,” I said quickly. “It’s fine. I don’t want you to miss your classes because of me.”

He turned to face me.

“I won’t miss anything important,” he said calmly. “And I don’t mind.”

“I really don’t want to be a problem,” I said. My voice came out smaller than I wanted.

“You’re not,” he replied without hesitation. “And you shouldn’t have to walk home like this.”

I hesitated. My fingers twisted together. I wasn’t used to people insisting. I wasn’t used to someone choosing my comfort over their own time.

“I can manage,” I said softly.

He smiled, just a little. “Let me do this. Please.”

I looked at him. At his steady green eyes. At the calm in his face.

Slowly, I nodded. “Okay.”

As we got into the car and it pulled away from the school, I glanced back through the window.

Cassian was still standing near the entrance. He was watching us. His expression was unreadable. His eyes were dark.

And I knew that this was far from over.