Chapter 6: Chapter 6 – The Plot Begins to Move
Selene's crimson gaze lingered like a weight on Aeron's back.
He didn't turn again. Didn't flinch.
But inside?
Panic.
Why is Selene here already? Isn't this way too early?! She doesn't show up until Chapter 12 in the original novel!
Still pretending to be calm, Aeron smiled at Emric beside him and popped the lemon candy into his mouth with theatrical slowness.
"Sweet," he said lightly, while screaming internally.
"Do you… know that woman?" Emric asked, glancing back at the balcony.
"Nope," Aeron lied smoothly. "Probably just a rich sponsor or something."
He already knew exactly who she was.
Selene Argent. The villainess of the story. An Alpha born into a legacy of corporate power and blood-stained ambition. Cold, calculating—and in the original novel, she was the one who murdered the body he now inhabited.
And now?
She looked interested.
---
The Encounter
Lunch break came, and Aeron—out of both anxiety and habit—retreated to the garden behind the east building. It was quiet here. Safe. Mostly.
Until he heard the unmistakable sound of someone kicking a bench.
"Damn it," a voice muttered. "Missed again."
Aeron peeked through the hedge and froze.
There she was.
Riven Kael. Jet-black ponytail. Violet eyes like storm clouds. Half a sandwich in one hand and a soccer ball under the other foot. She looked like someone who could break a window—and then the rules—without blinking.
The MC of his favorite yuri novel.
Aeron's brain short-circuited.
I'm talking to the protagonist. The protagonist. Who ends up killing Selene with Lyra. Which only happens after my death.
Suddenly Riven looked up—and made direct eye contact with him.
"You hiding?" she asked bluntly.
Aeron stepped out from behind the hedge, brushing his sleeves off. "Not hiding. Strategically observing."
Riven tilted her head. "From a bush?"
"…Advanced camouflage," he said with a completely straight face.
She laughed. "Okay. I like you already."
Wait—what? That's not in the script. You're supposed to ignore me until Volume 3!
"Lyra's twin, right?" she asked, walking over. "You don't look like an Alpha."
"I'm not," Aeron replied calmly. "I'm an Omega."
Riven's eyes narrowed slightly. "Strange. You don't smell fragile."
Aeron shrugged. "I moisturize."
She blinked, then broke into a genuine grin. "Gods, you're weird."
Mission accomplished.
The two stood quietly for a moment. Then Riven, never the type for small talk, asked, "Why were you looking at me like I owed you money earlier?"
"I just thought you'd be taller," Aeron muttered before he could stop himself.
Riven laughed again, sharp and honest. "You're trouble."
You have no idea, he thought grimly. You're supposed to fall in love with Lyra, not flirt with me!
---
The Villainess Moves
Later that day, Aeron took the long way back to his dorm, hoping to avoid more dramatic encounters.
But drama had other plans.
A sleek black car pulled up beside him as he passed the central courtyard. The door opened. And out stepped Selene Argent—again.
Her heels clicked softly on the cobblestones as she approached.
"Little twin," she greeted, voice silky. "We didn't get a chance to talk earlier."
Aeron turned, his face arranged into perfect politeness. "I assumed we wouldn't need to."
Selene arched an elegant brow. "But I wanted to. You're interesting."
Interesting = dead in Chapter 8, he reminded himself grimly.
"What brings someone like you to the East Wing, Miss Argent?" he asked, tone light.
"I'm not a student," she replied. "I'm a sponsor of the Academy. I fund what I like. I visit what I own."
"Does that include Omegas?"
"Sometimes. Especially the quiet ones who play dumb a little too well."
Aeron blinked. "That's oddly specific."
She stepped closer, eyes scanning his expression. "Tell me, Aeron… do you believe in fate?"
"Only when it's being inconvenient."
She smiled, but her eyes glowed faintly red. "Then you must be experiencing a lot of fate today."
Yup. I'm dead. I'm already dead. Just bury me behind the east dorms and put "RIP Plot Armor" on my grave.
Selene reached out and brushed a nonexistent wrinkle from his collar. Aeron didn't flinch.
"You really are calm," she said softly. "I'm starting to think you're more dangerous than you look."
"I'm not dangerous," he said quickly. "I'm an herbivore. I drink milk. I knit."
She smirked. "Liar."
With that, she walked off, her guards falling in line behind her.
Aeron stood frozen for a long second.
Then he whispered, "I should've stayed in the bush."