part 1 :Enemies in the Same Class
Lucien Vale lounged back in his chair, a cigarette dangling lazily from his lips, smoke curling around his dark eyes as he stared out the window. The classroom buzzed with the low murmur of other students, but Lucien barely registered it. He didn’t care about grades. He didn’t care about rules
Across the room, Seraphina Nightshade sat upright, her notebook immaculate, pen poised like a weapon. She was the golden girl—top of the class, always perfect. And utterly annoying.
Mr. Dalton, the history teacher, stalked past Lucien’s desk. “Vale! Put that out. This isn’t a fucking nightclub.”
Lucien exhaled smoke slowly, flicking it toward the trash without breaking eye contact. “Relax, Dalton. It’s just smoke.”
From the front, Mrs. Carmichael, the English teacher, glared sharply. “Lucien, your attitude’s worse than your grades. And you’re disrupting the class.”
Lucien gave a lazy grin. “Maybe if the class was worth my time, I’d try harder.”
The room fell silent. Mr. Dalton’s jaw clenched. “That’s your last warning.”
Lucien shrugged, flicking ash onto the floor. “Or what? You’ll write me up?”
“Come with me to the principal’s office,” Mr. Dalton snapped.
The bell rang, and Lucien sauntered out, dragging the cigarette behind him like it was his badge of honor.
In the principal’s office, Mr. Reynolds slid a thick envelope across the desk. “Warning letter. Your grades are slipping, Vale. This won’t end well if it continues.”
Lucien caught the letter without a word, his calm façade never cracking.
Back in class, Mr. Dalton jabbed a finger at the empty seat beside Seraphina. “Sit with her. Maybe her brain will rub off on you.”
Lucien’s eyes met Seraphina’s—sharp, controlled, with just a flicker of challenge.
She smirked slightly. “Looks like the bad boy’s got homework now.”
He shrugged, lighting another cigarette with a match from his pocket. “Don’t get used to it.”
Mrs. Carmichael shook her head, muttering under her breath, “Rich kid thinks he owns the world.” But Lucien didn’t care. He wasn’t here for grades. He was here for something else—something only Seraphina could make him feel, even if he’d never admit it.
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