Nova Pov-
The hall was chaos—boots scraping, voices overlapping, everyone scrambling for partners before the Kings could decide for them.
And then his voice cut through everything.
"Omega. You're with me."
The noise dimmed, as if the whole room had sucked in a breath.
I froze. My stomach plummeted. He didn't even use my name. Just… Omega. Like that was all I was. Like that was all I'd ever be.
Every pair of eyes turned my way, first-years gaping, seniors smirking. Whispers swirled, fast and merciless.
"Oh my god, she's dead."
"Why her?"
"Poor thing won't last five minutes."
I wanted to disappear into the floor.
But Damien was already watching me, that unreadable storm in his gaze, and there was no mistaking it—he'd chosen me on purpose.
Tessa's hand shot out, gripping my wrist so hard I thought she'd bruise me. "Nova," she hissed, wide-eyed, voice trembling with excitement and horror. "Holy fuck. He picked you."
"I noticed," I whispered back through clenched teeth, my throat dry.
Her jaw dropped, as if she couldn't believe I wasn't fainting. "You don't get it. Nobody—nobody—gets chosen by Damien Blackthorne. He doesn't even train with people. He destroys them."
Fantastic. Just what I needed on my first day.
Damien crooked two fingers, summoning me like I was some dog he expected to heel. My legs felt heavy, each step toward him like walking straight into a guillotine.
The circle of space around us widened as the others paired off, everyone watching.
Damien didn't speak at first. He just looked at me—slowly, deliberately—like he was peeling back my skin and cataloguing every weakness underneath.
When he finally spoke, his voice was quiet. Cold.
"Show me what you've got Omega."
My throat tightened. I dropped my bag, raised my fists the way the instructors had shown us in the morning drills. My stance was shaky, but I forced myself to hold it.
His smirk said it all. Pathetic._;
He didn't attack. Not right away. He circled me, like a predator deciding whether the prey was even worth sinking his teeth into.
"First rule of combat," he murmured, circling closer, "don't let your fear show."
And then, without warning, he struck.
A blur of movement, a twist of his arm—and I was on the ground, my back slamming against the mats, the breath torn from my lungs. Gasps erupted around us.
Damien crouched low, pinning my wrist, his face inches from mine. "Too slow," he said softly, so only I could hear.
Heat rushed up my throat—humiliation, anger, something else I refused to name. I shoved against him, desperate, but he barely budged.
His eyes glinted. "This is where you belong Omega. Beneath me."
The room exploded with whispers, laughter. My cheeks burned hot.
But something in me snapped.
I twisted my hips the way the drills had shown us, hooking my leg around his and shoving with everything I had. For a heartbeat, his balance faltered—his weight shifting just enough that I rolled free.
Gasps rippled through the room.
I scrambled to my feet, chest heaving, fists up again. My pulse was wild, but I held his gaze.
For a fraction of a second, his mask slipped.
Surprise.
Quickly hidden behind a sharper smirk, but I saw it. And it sent a jolt through me stronger than adrenaline.
"Well," Damien drawled, straightening to his full height. "The Omega has claws."
The others laughed, but it wasn't the same kind of laughter anymore.
This time, they were watching me.
This time, he was watching me.
And that, somehow, was worse.
Here's a continuation for Chapter 7, keeping the tension high, ending with that first spark of enemies-to-something tension, and setting up Chapter 8:
The second he caught my counter, his eyes flickered—just for a heartbeat—before the smirk returned. I thought maybe, for a split second, he'd respected me.
Then the world tilted.
A sharp push to my side sent me flying across the mats, the impact jarring me all the way to my knees. Pain lanced through my body, and when I looked down, my skin was already bruised, darkening in angry purple against my pale uniform.
I ground my teeth, glaring up at him.
He crouched slightly, close enough that I could see the faint crease at his brow, the tiniest shadow that made me think… for a moment… maybe concern?
But it was gone before it could take root. His gaze hardened, cutting through me like ice.
"You think you're clever, Omega," he whispered, leaning in, close enough that I could feel his breath. "You're nothing but a nuisance. A pathetic, fragile nuisance, I'll say you cut your losses now and leave."
The venom in his words hit deeper than the mats ever could. My knees burned, my pride ached, and yet—something else stirred in me.
I wanted to wipe that smirk off his face. I wanted to hate him more than I already did. But the twist in my chest was confusing, hot, and sharp all at once.
I forced myself upright, breathing hard, brushing dust from my uniform. He straightened, his eyes lingering on me for just a moment too long before he moved away, leaving me shaking on the mats.
By the time I left the combat hall, my head was buzzing, my body sore in ways that would leave bruises for days. But it wasn't just the physical pain—it was the lingering shadow of his gaze, that barely-there flicker of something behind the cruelty, the closeness that made my pulse spike.
I tried to push it aside as I walked down the hall, ignoring the whispers that followed me.
"Did you see that?" someone hissed from behind. "She actually… she tried to fight Damien Blackthorne."
"Reckless," another voice said. "That's not bravery. That's suicide."
"They're calling her… the Omega who challenged Damien."
My stomach churned. First, humiliation, now gossip. The hallways were a river of eyes, all pointing, all judging.
I felt a hand on my shoulder. Tessa. Her expression was tense, almost pleading.
"Nova," she hissed, tugging me to the side. "Listen… you can't do that. You can't draw this kind of attention. Nobody survives if the Four Kings notice you… not like this."
I stared at her, blinking. "Notice me? I barely did anything—"
She cut me off, her eyes wide, urgent. "They always notice. And trust me, love, you don't want them to notice the wrong way."
I swallowed, feeling the weight of her words—and the lingering ache of Damien's smirk burned in my chest. Something had changed. Something had shifted.
And I hated him for it.
But maybe… just maybe, that hate wasn't going to stay simple for long.
******
The hallway was a blur of whispers and sideways glances as I tried to make it to my next class. Every step I took felt heavier, like the walls themselves were pressing in. The rumor mill had already started, and my ears were catching more than I wanted. "The Omega who challenged Damien…" I grimaced, wishing I could disappear into the floor.
Before I could spiral further, a voice called from behind me—smooth, confident, with just a hint of cocky charm.
—Tessa was barreling toward me, practically bouncing on her heels.
"There you are! Finally!" she squealed, grabbing my arm and dragging me toward a corner of the hallway where she stopped. "I was beginning to think you vanished off the face of the planet."
Before I could answer, two figures emerged from around the lockers, weaving through the crowd with effortless confidence.
Tessa's grin widened like she'd been waiting for this moment. "Guys, meet Nova."
The first was a girl with wiry curls and sharp amber eyes, moving with an intensity that made me take a half-step back. She looked like she didn't need anyone's protection, and yet there was something almost protective about the way she scanned the hallway.
"This is Selene," Tessa said. "Witch-blood. Probably the smartest girl in the class,our beloved top student and student body president"
I blinked, startled by how much presence Selene carried. I could feel the hum of her power beneath the surface, subtle but undeniable.
And then there was the other one a boy—sharp features, dark eyes sparkling with mischief.
"This is Luca," Tessa continued. "Top student also second only to Selene—he's not just smart, he's brilliant. Oh, and he's gay, so chill out, Nova. No need to blush, he's not interested in you."
I sent Tessa a glare, and she could only chuckle.
Luca waved, voice smooth as silk. "Pleasure," he said with a bow that was half playful, half dramatic. "I hear we're supposed to be surviving this hellhole together now?"
I raised an eyebrow, already intrigued despite myself. "Surviving?"
"Yeah," Selene said flatly. "This place will chew you up if you're weak, naive, or stupid. And trust me, some people here love to watch the newbies get eaten alive."
I swallowed hard, glancing at Tessa. She gave me a knowing smirk. "They're good. You'll want them on your side."
Selene studied me for a long second, then nodded. "You've got some fight in you, Omega. I like that. Might actually help you last longer than a week."
Luca leaned against the lockers, smirking. "And with Tessa's guidance? You might just survive the Four Kings' attention… though one of them seems to already have you in his crosshairs."
My stomach dropped, and I tried not to think about Damien. Not here. Not now.
Tessa winked at me, nudging my shoulder. "See? Told you. Allies are essential. And these two? Absolutely invaluable."
"That Alpha heir—Blackthorne—he's dangerous," Selene warned, her voice almost a growl. "History of violent outbursts, fights, duels… rumor has it he nearly killed a rival heir last year. And trust me, he's not the type who forgives easily."
I swallowed hard, shoving my notebook closer to my chest. "You make it sound like he's some kind of monster."
Selene shrugged, dark eyes flashing. "Monster doesn't cover it. He's… he's all-consuming. And he notices everything. Every flaw. Every weakness. Every slip."
A shiver ran down my spine.