The next day, the academy felt normal... almost too normal. Sunlight streamed through the tall windows, and the usual chatter of students echoed in the halls. But for Adrian, everything felt distant.
He woke up later than usual. When he turned his head to the other side of the room, Lucien's bed was empty. The sheets were messy, the pillow slightly dented. He wasn't there. He was gone.
Adrian sat up slowly, rubbing the back of his neck as a soft groan escaped from his lips.
"Where did you go so early?" he murmured.
Lucien never left this early unless something was wrong. And last night, that bruise on his face had looked worse. Whomever did it must've hit him hard.
Adrian sighed and stood up. He got ready as quickly as possible, slipped on his shoes, and grabbed his cane. The wooden tap against the floor guided his steps to the small table where his bag lay. He picked it up, adjusted his uniform, and left the dorm.
He wanted to go to class, but his thoughts were elsewhere.
'If only I had time last night...' he thought bitterly. He'd wanted to sneak into the security room and check the camera footage. To see who had hit Lucien. To confirm what he already suspected.
Because he already had a name.
Ricky Brown.
Adrian had seen it yesterday evening when he'd held Lucien's phone... that list with names. Isabella's name had been crossed out, and below it was Ricky's.
Ricky wasn't exactly popular, but Adrian knew every name and voice in this academy. Ricky was the type of guy who craved attention but never received it in the right way. He copied Lucien's haircut, wore the same jackets, and even joined the football team because of him.
Everyone laughed about it sometimes, except Lucien.
Lucien was always polite. Always calm. Just his usual mask. Even when Ricky shouted at him on the field, even when he shoved him during practice, Lucien never fought back. He smiled and said they'd talk later.
But Adrian saw things others didn't. There was always a slight twitch in Lucien's hand when he was angry. The small pause before that polite smile returned to his handsome face. That darkness behind his calm voice.
Yesterday, Lucien came back with a bruise on his cheek.
Today, he was gone.
Adrian walked into the classroom a few minutes late. The teacher didn't bother scolding him... he never did. Adrian quietly found his seat near the window and set down his cane.
He didn't need his eyes to know Lucien wasn't there. The usual front seat was cold and empty.
He tilted his head slightly, listening to some of the students laughing, whispering, pens tapping, pages turning... just normal sounds even when the teacher was in front of the class. But among them was one voice that made him tighten his jaw.
Ricky Brown.
He was two rows behind, laughing about something stupid with his friends. Adrian slowly turned his head toward the sound. He didn't smile.
'So you're still alive,' he thought. 'Good. For now.'
Of course, something inside him was excited. His chest tightened a little, and he could almost feel his pulse quicken. Lucien's list wasn't wrong. Ricky was next.
He wondered how it would happen. Would Lucien strangle him quietly? Poison him? Cut him like he did Bella?
The thought made Adrian's fingers tremble faintly against his desk. He quickly folded them together, forcing himself to breathe evenly.
Lucien was unpredictable... that was what made him fascinating.
.
.
By the end of the first period, Adrian couldn't focus. He kept glancing toward the door, expecting Lucien to appear. But he never did.
When the bell finally rang, students rushed out. Adrian stayed seated, pretending to pack his bag more slowly than usual. He turned his head slightly toward Ricky's direction again.
He was still there... or at least, he was for a few seconds. Then, as Adrian zipped his bag, he noticed the chair creak. Ricky stood, mumbled something to his friend, and walked out.
Adrian frowned.
"Where are you going?" he whispered under his breath.
He stood up quickly, grabbing his cane. The teacher was still gathering papers, so no one noticed as he slipped quietly out of the classroom.
The hallway was noisy. Students walked in groups, chatting and laughing, but he could still catch the faint echo of Ricky's sneakers hitting the floor ahead.
Adrian followed him.
He carefully stepped behind him so he wouldn't get caught. He even held his cane high, so it wouldn't make any sound as it hit the floor.
Ricky's footsteps led him toward the locker rooms.
Adrian stopped at the corner, tilting his head slightly. The sound of the door creaking open reached his ears. Then silence.
He waited a moment longer. His chest tightened.
Lucien was in there. He could feel it.
'Don't tell me he really...'
Adrian turned away reluctantly. He couldn't just walk in. He had to act normal. He went back toward the main hall, trying to calm his racing heart.
He forced himself to go to his next class, but his thoughts stayed in that locker room. Or wait... He had somewhere else to be.
.
.
Meanwhile, in the locker room, Lucien stood in front of the long mirror. The white tiles behind him were spotless, reflecting the cold fluorescent light. His hand brushed the bruise on his cheek.
The skin still stung where Ricky had hit him yesterday. The memory made his jaw tighten.
He'd said it was fine. He'd smiled in front of the team, told the coach it was an accident. But inside, something had snapped.
He was tired. Tired of being the golden boy. Tired of pretending he didn't hear the whispers... that he was soft, weak, harmless.
He wasn't. He was the only one who knew that.
Or so he thought...
Lucien reached into his locker and pulled out his phone. A single message was already typed:
>Lucien:Meet me in the locker room after class. We need to talk.
He pressed send.
Then he waited.
Minutes passed. The steady hum of the air conditioner filled the silent locker. Lucien leaned against the lockers, calm and still, though his pulse wasn't.
The door finally creaked open.
"Where the hell is this bastard?" Ricky's voice came first, loud and irritated. "Why the fuck did he call me here?"
Lucien stepped out from behind the row of lockers, his tone soft. "I'm here, Rick,"
Ricky turned, his face already annoyed.
"What's this about? You couldn't text me later? I got practice, man."
Lucien's expression stayed calm. "I just wanted to talk."
Ricky gave a mocking laugh. "Talk? About what? You want another punch?"
Lucien flinched lightly, lowering his gaze. "I'm sorry about yesterday. I shouldn't have ignored your signal. I should've passed the ball to you."
Ricky smirked, crossing his arms.
"Yeah. You'd better be sorry. If you'd passed it, I wouldn't have hit you that hard. You're lucky I didn't break your nose."
Lucien nodded slowly. "You're right. You're the best, after all."
Ricky grinned, clearly enjoying the praise.
"Damn right I am."
Lucien tilted his head slightly.
"But if I had passed it to you..." he paused, then smiled faintly. "You wouldn't have won. You always miss your shots, Ricky."
Ricky froze.
Lucien's tone hadn't changed, but the words sliced through.
"What the hell did you just say?" Ricky's voice dropped low.
Lucien's gaze lifted, and for the first time, the polite smile disappeared. "You heard me damn right, you son of a..."
That was enough. Ricky lunged forward and threw the first punch.
Lucien's head jerked to the side. The sting spread across his cheek again. He didn't fight back... not yet. He let Ricky hit him, once, twice, until the air filled with the sound of fists hitting flesh.
Ricky shoved him down, kicking him hard in the ribs.
"You think you're better than me?" he spat. "You think everyone loves you, huh?"
Lucien coughed, blood staining his lip.
He lay still for a moment, letting Ricky's laughter echo off the walls.
"No one is more perfect than I am!"
Then he whispered, voice barely audible.
"You talk too much."
Ricky frowned. "What?"
Lucien's cold eyes opened. He moved faster than Ricky expected. His hand shot out, grabbing Ricky's leg and twisting sharply. Ricky shouted, stumbling forward.
Lucien stood, his face now expressionless.
"You should've stayed quiet."
He slammed Ricky's head against the locker. The metallic bang echoed across the empty room. Ricky groaned, disoriented, trying to push him off.
Lucien grabbed the nearest towel strap, wrapping it tightly around Ricky's throat. The boy struggled, clawing at the fabric, but Lucien's grip was steady.
Ricky's body thrashed violently, then went limp.
Lucien's chest rose and fell once, then again. He looked at the motionless body on the floor.
After a few seconds, he let go.
The towel slipped to the ground.
Lucien crouched beside him, brushing the blood from his own mouth.
"I told you... You talk too much."
He stood, wiped his hands clean, and quietly began to drag Ricky's body toward the back door.
"He's so damn heavy!" He cursed under his breath but kept dragging him before stuffing his body into a huge bag. Before he zipped it, he hung his finger beneath Ricky's nose and smirked.
"Good, he's not dead yet. Because this kind of death is too easy for him,"
He looked around and turned his head to the back door again. That was the best path to follow. He'd already prepared this. He'd learned which cameras faced the exits, which ones were blind. By the time anyone noticed Ricky missing, no one would connect it to him.
The golden boy never killed anyone.
At least, not in their eyes.