171. Fragments Beneath the Ruins

ALEXEI POVBastorin.What little remains in my mind stirs old memories. Seeing the academy neglected, reduced to something like a haunted ruin, makes my chest ache. I do not even understand why I suddenly wanted to come here, even though there is no guarantee I will find any answers.I step inside and walk along the pedestrian path, taking in the garden that has turned into overgrown brush. My gaze drifts to the grimy windows, dull and sorrowful, and to the front doors standing wide open.Memories of my time studying here surface. Yet something feels off, as if there is more buried beneath those memories. My head refuses to cooperate, refuses to recall it all.I keep wandering through the academy, not thinking about any danger that might be lurking. Strangely, I feel safe here. Bastorin is the safest place for me. The place where I found…Love.“Love?” I murmur, confused.I step into the headmaster’s office and stop at the open doorway. The room is in chaos, ransacked brutally. Yet I

Last Updated : 2026-01-07

172. Between What I Was and What I Am

ALEXEI POVI woke up with my head feeling lighter, the pain finally easing. It turned out Imelda had genuinely helped me; she hadn’t planned to quietly get rid of me after all. Slowly, I sat up on the bed and stepped out of the bedroom.Imelda was sitting casually on the couch, reading a book. My eyes drifted to the coffee table. There was a box of donuts and two cups of coffee already there.“You’re awake? How’s your headache?” Imelda asked.I simply nodded. “Better.”“I didn’t know what you’d want for dinner, so I just got donuts first. I know it’s sugar, but I think you need it.”A little awkwardly, I sat down and picked up a donut. “Thank you.”Silence stretched between us. I focused on each bite, the sugar melting on my tongue. My weak body slowly regained energy, and the coffee helped clear my thoughts.“This really is you, right, Alexei?” Imelda stared at me intently. “Or am I just hallucinating? You were supposed to be dead, in the sea.”When I woke up in bed with parts of my

Last Updated : 2026-01-09

All Chapters of Tied to the Ruthless Three: Chapter 171 - Chapter 172

171. Fragments Beneath the Ruins

172. Between What I Was and What I Am