Chapter Text
Aero:
My music isn’t loud enough to drown out Kai.
The (unfairly good looking) idiot is leaning back in his chair in the middle row of the lecture hall, surrounded by his usual bunch of jesters.
One of them is tying his shoelaces while another takes his notes for him.
Anyday now and they’ll be bowing to the floor when he walks into a room and screaming “His Greatest Majesty has arrived.”
Like his ego needs to get any bigger.
I let myself zone out for the rest of the lecture, turning the volume in my earbuds up until my head starts throbbing, letting my thoughts drown into the ocean of lyrics and sound.
I only realise the bell has rung when the hall begins to move, students getting up to leave in packs, their shapes blurring around me. I pull my hood lower over my head.
Packing my earbuds away with one hand, I grab my backpack with the other, slinging it over my shoulder and heading for the door, head down, shoulders slumped. The perfect picture of unnoticeable.
To everyone but Kai it seems.
I catch his tall frame approaching me in my peripheral, my hands curling into loose fists as years of instinct training settles into me. Logically, I know that Kai can’t attack me on campus, in broad daylight. Even his family couldn’t survive the consequences of breaking one the most important rules of the Underworld.
No fighting in the schools.
I know that.
But it's better to be safe than sorry.
He steps in front of me, blocking my way to the door out of the lecture hall. I reluctantly drag my gaze up from where it's settled on the tiles, trailing up the black fabric of his loose buttoned shirt and jeans. Up the red lips stretched into a smirk with silver snake bite rings before reaching his eyes.
Sea green meets depthless gray.
My fists clench tighter and his smirk grows as if sensing my reaction.
“What do you want, Kai?” My voice comes out quieter than I want it to.
“That’s not very nice, Aero.” His lips release the ‘o’ with an almost sigh, stretching it out slightly. “Let's try again. Good morning Aero, how are you today?”
I clench my teeth and release a huff of air through my nose.
“Cut the crap Kai. What do you want? Getting bored of your little group of jesters there?”
His lips curl up slightly, eyes sharpening.
Fuck.
Those fucking lips.
My body feels a bit too warm for the chilly room.
“Good morning Aero.” He repeats, voice slow and patient. “How are you today?”
Fuck it. I’ll play his game.
“Good morning Kai.” I let his name roll off my tongue, lips pulling into a smile so sweet it's poisonous. “I’m doing fine. How are you?”
He smirks, snake bites glinting under the fluorescent lighting.
“Not too bad. I just thought I’d advise you something. As a friend.” His voice pitches up on the word. Nervous curiosity courses through me, attention perking up at his strange statement.
“What are you -”
I’m cut off by the blare of the emergency alarm. My head whips up towards the speakers on the ceiling, panic and adrenaline filling my system. I glance back up towards Kai, eyes wide.
He takes a step closer, leaning in until his face is inches from mine.
“I hope you know.” His voice is quiet now, all hints of teasing gone. “I didn’t agree to this. And I’m sorry.”
And then he's running.
Shock keeps my body still for another second, before I sprint after him as well, arms pumping as I race to keep up with him.
I follow him through the corridors, panting heavily as my heart seems to explode in my chest. We reach the front door of the business building, him barrelling through the automatic doors, me right on his heels.
What I see outside makes the world pause. My ears start ringing and I can hear my heart thump with every shaky breath.
Because there, hanging from the grand oak tree that guards the university entrance, is my fathers body.
Dead