CHAPTER THREE

NOAH'S POV

The moment Professor Ares walked out of the hall, something in me urged to follow him. I had no idea why, maybe it was the way he had looked at me, like he was trying to see through me. Or maybe it was the intense aura around him

I hesitated, gripping my backpack strap. What was wrong with me? He was just a professor, a ridiculously good-looking, intense, and way too smart professor.

Then why did I feel hot air on my skin every time he looked at me?

I shook the thought away, trying to ground myself, but my focus shattered when a bright, chirpy voice interrupted.

"Hi! I'm Penelope, but you can call me Penny! And you must be Noah, right?"

I turned to see a petite girl with bright eyes and a contagious smile, standing far too close for comfort.

I hesitated, adjusting my voice to maintain a deep, masculine tone. "Yeah… that’s me. Nice to meet you."

Penny beamed. "I knew it! New face, clueless expression, classic signs of a newbie. I know what you must be thinking, ‘Oh, great, another girl crushing on me.’ But don’t worry, I’m not. You’re cute, sure, but I'm engaged to a very good looking guy. You'll meet him sometime and I also have a hot bestie, I bet you both will get along pretty well"

She winked playfully, and I couldn't help but chuckle.

She talked fast, so fast I could barely keep up. Yet somehow, it wasn’t annoying. There was something warm about her, like she carried the sun in her pocket and scattered pieces of it wherever she went.

"Then, as if suddenly realizing it, Penny sighed. "Sorry, I talk too much. she admitted with a sheepish grin. "My fiancé tells me that all the time."

I found myself smiling. "It’s okay. It’s kinda nice."

Penny’s eyes sparkled. "Good! Because I’m officially your tour guide. Unless someone’s already given you a tour?"

I shook my head. "Nope."

"Great! Let’s start with the cafeteria. Food is life, after all!"

As we walked through campus, Penny filled every silence with details about Siege University;the best professors, the worst classes, hidden study spots, and, of course, the latest gossip. She made it easy to relax, even when I caught the occasional weird glance from some students. For the first time in a while, I felt normal.

Halfway through the tour, Penny suddenly squealed and grabbed my arm.

"Oh! There he is!"

I followed her gaze to a tall, dark-haired guy leaning against a pillar. His sharp gaze immediately locking onto me. His presence was intense, calm yet powerful, like someone who knew too much and spoke too little.

"Noah, meet Nathan, my bestie and the victim of my endless talking."Penny announced proudly.

Nathan’s smirk deepened. "So, you’re the new guy she has been bugging my ear about?"

I chuckled, shaking his hand" I can imagine."

His grip was firm, his eyes lingering a second too long.

"You’re… different."

A cold shiver ran down my spine. "What do you mean?"

Nathan shrugged. "Just a feeling."

Penny rolled her eyes. "Ignore him. He loves acting mysterious, but he’s really just being dramatic."

Nathan shot her a bored look. "Right."

Penny turned back to me. "Anyway, what do you think of our new lecturer, professor Rex? He’s sexy, right?"

I froze. My thoughts immediately flashed back to professor, the way his golden eyes burned into me, the way my skin prickled under his gaze.

Sexy? Yeah. Annoyingly so. But there was something else beneath that sculpted face. Something dark. Something… lonely.

Nathan scoffed. "Oh, please. Noah and I are handsome too."

Penny rolled her eyes. "Obviously. But you don't have to be so cocky."

As they bickered playfully, I chuckled, shaking my head.

Yet, despite the lighthearted conversation, I couldn’t shake the feeling that Nathan was watching me too closely, like he was trying to figure something out.

~~~

As the day went on, I felt it again, that sensation of being watched. It was subtle, just a whisper against my senses, but it was there.

When I glanced around, I caught sight of a familiar figure standing at the window of the faculty building.

Professor Rex.

He was staring.

Not in a casual way. Not in a way a professor should look at a student. His golden eyes were locked on me, sharp, searching, like he was trying to unravel something hidden beneath my skin.

I swallowed hard, my pulse quickening.

Why was he looking at me like that?

Penny nudged me, drawing my attention back. "You okay? You looked kinda lost for a second."

"Yeah," I forced a small smile. "Just thinking."

I didn’t glance back. I didn’t need to. I could still feel Ares' gaze, burning into me even as I walked away.

~~~

By the time I reached home, the sun had dipped below the horizon, casting shadows across the street. Our apartment wasn’t anything fancy, just a small but cozy place my brothers had rented to keep us hidden.

I paused at the doorstep, hesitating.

Voices.

Angry voices.

I pushed the door open quietly, stepping inside just as I heard Lucas’ sharp tone.

"Do you even understand what’s at stake?" Lucas’ voice was sharp, furious. "If Ares knew, he’d...."

Ares? Who is Ares? And what the hell were they talking about?

"If he knew, he’d protect her!" Gavin shot back.

Protect who? What the hell is going on?

My breath hitched. Were they talking about me?

Lucas growled in frustration. "And then what? She loses what little normalcy she has left? Always being locked in some...."

RING.

The sudden shrill of my phone cut through the tension like a knife.

Both voices stopped.

Shit.

Panicked, I scrambled for my phone, gripping it with trembling fingers. "H-Hello?"

A silence stretched on the other end before a familiar, teasing voice spoke.

"Penny here! Just wanted to make sure my new bestie got home safe."

I exhaled shakily, forcing a smile into my voice. "Yeah. I’m home."

I could feel my brothers watching me, their gazes heavy with something unspoken.

Penny giggled. "Great! Sleep tight, pretty guy. You’ve got a long day ahead."

As the call ended, I slowly lowered my phone.

Lucas and Gavin were still staring at me.

I opened my mouth, but no words came.

Because deep down, I knew whatever they had been about to say before my phone rang…

Held the answer to my unanswered questions.

Lucas’ eyes narrowed. "How long have you been standing there?"

I swallowed hard, tightening my grip on my phone. "I just got here," I said, keeping my voice steady.

His expression didn’t change, but the tension in his shoulders eased, just barely.

Gavin stepped forward, his tone lighter but laced with something unreadable. "How was your first day at school, Pookie?"

I forced a small smile. "It was fine."

That was a lie.

Nothing about today was fine.

Not the way Professor Ares looked at me.

Not the strange connection I felt toward him.

Not the way my brothers were arguing about something, about me, behind my back.

I needed space.

Without waiting for their response, I turned and made my way to my room, closing the door behind me with a quiet click.

Leaning against it, I l

et out a breath I didn’t know I was holding.

What were they hiding?

And why did I have the sinking feeling that whatever it was…

It would change my life forever?