Ollie didn’t see him coming.
Which was intentional—because Kyle made sure of it.
He figured Ollie must still be inside taking the exam, and the last thing he wanted was to distract him or anyone else by striding in like a delinquent. So Kyle waited silently by the side corridor, out of sight but not out of range.
But from his vantage point, he could see Ollie clearly.
And what a sight it was.
Ollie looked impossibly serious. His posture was sharp, determined. His hair was an absolute disaster, like he’d stuck his head into a wind tunnel of regret, and yet his signature hair antenna stood tall, defiant, proud, as if ready to attack.
Kyle watched, breath held.
Even with dark circles and the look of someone two questions away from a breakdown, Ollie still looked radiant. Positively glowing.
Just how much spiritual water did he drink to look like a beacon?
And the adjutant felt his heart clench. He’s really working hard...and when he’s like this, he’s just irresistible.
It would really be important to keep him safe.
Tsk. But from whom? From himself? Thought the same guy who was thankfully self-aware.
Meanwhile, the test taker in question, clinging to the last fraying edge of consciousness, could’ve submitted his exam twenty minutes ago—but he didn’t.
Because he was in too deep now to be complacent, and since he was already doing this, he was going to do it right.
He checked every single page. Every digital tab. He flipped through each section, squinted at the diagrams, and even rechecked if he correctly marked his answers like his life depended on it.
Because who knew? Maybe it did.
He couldn’t afford to miss a question. Or worse—an entire section this time around. Not when he was up against someone who was clearly out for blood.
Maybe he was hallucinating a little. His vision swam. His fingers were numb. But even then, he persisted.
And then—the bell rang.
The exam was over.
He turned in his tablet with trembling hands.
But unlike the usual student relief at finishing a long exam, Ollie felt dread.
Sure, he answered a lot more confidently this time. But what if it still wasn’t enough?
He couldn’t have gotten another 39%, right?
Right?
But just as he was preparing to step out of the exam hall, blinking at the light, he immediately regretted being born.
Because waiting by the side was a very familiar figure, smug and poised and far too calm for someone who had been dramatically dragged back to land just a day ago.
Lyka Vela.
She stepped into his path smoothly, smiling like someone who knew exactly where to stab.
"Well, that’s done," she said sweetly. "Now we just wait for the results."
Ollie flinched.
"Don’t worry," Lyka added, voice sugary. "Even if you did your best, there’s no shame in losing. As long as you accept it with grace."
She tilted her head, too-perfect hair falling just so. "You will accept it, won’t you? I mean, it’s not like you’d go running to Kyle even before the results are out. Not if you had any pride left."
She wouldn’t say the rest out loud, but this was her real play.
She was trying to buy time, stalling in hopes that Ollie might hesitate. That maybe, just maybe, he’d be too embarrassed to seek Kyle out right away. Because who wouldn’t be?
If she could delay him just a little, plant even the tiniest seed of doubt, then she’d be able to wedge herself back into the space between them.
There was a moment of silence while the blonde tried processing what she said with what little remained of his sanity.
Ollie’s mouth opened even though he wasn’t sure what he wanted to say.
But instead of being able to continue, someone else answered for him.
"Oh? Why don’t you tell me more about this bet?"
The voice was cool. Even.
And chilling.
Kyle’s voice rang across the examination hall just as he, Xavier, and Jax entered through the far side.
The sound of footsteps echoed like a slow, heavy drumbeat. Rhythmic. Unrelenting.
The kind that made students stop breathing and the assistants pause mid-check.
People turned. Voices quieted.
The atmosphere shifted as soon as Kyle entered, all sharp eyes and colder expression, walking like judgment incarnate.
It wasn’t the first time the students of the Royal Military Academy saw someone from House Nox walk into a room, because this was a common broadcast occurrence.
But this time—this time—it was personal.
And everyone knew what the bet was.
They just didn’t expect him to show up for it.
For a moment, they wondered who he came for.
But the same couldn’t be said for Kyle, who knew his very purpose for storming in.
Ollie.
"I studied," he wailed into Kyle’s uniform. "Like, really studied. My eyeballs went dry. I drank sixteen cups of you-know-what and now I think I’ve developed a permanent tremor!"
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