Campus looked brighter the next morning, but the brightness felt fake—like a thin curtain stretched over something darker beneath. Students laughed, music drifted from open windows, and clubs set up tables along the walkway, calling out to new recruits.
But Anabeth felt none of it.
All she could think about was Leon's silver eyes. The raven symbol. Rafael's fury.
And the new reality she couldn't escape:
She was no longer just "Anabeth, the campus girl."
She was a weakness someone wanted to exploit.
As she walked toward her morning class, she kept scanning the crowd. Every unfamiliar face made her pulse skip. Every shadow looked like it was leaning too close. Every laugh sounded like it had a hidden meaning.
She hated feeling paranoid.
But Rafael's voice kept replaying in her memory:
"I won't let anyone touch you. Ever."
That promise carried both comfort and fear.
When Anabeth reached the science building, she instantly noticed something different.
A man stood casually near the doors.
He wore a simple black polo, jeans, and a backpack—he looked like a student. A normal, average guy blending in easily. Except he wasn't reading, chatting, or scrolling on his phone.
He was observing.
Observing her.
The moment she stepped closer, he straightened. Not threatening. Not creepy. Just alert, his eyes sharpening as if he had received an internal signal.
Her stomach dropped.
Rafael had done this.
He had put someone here.
Anabeth slowed, staring at the man, uncertain.
But he gave her a tiny nod—acknowledging her without inviting a conversation—and then returned his gaze to the crowd, scanning calmly.
She swallowed.
This was real.
Everything was real.
Before she could fully process it, her phone vibrated.
Rafael:
He'll keep his distance unless you need him. Don't be afraid.
Her breath caught.
She typed back quickly:
Anabeth:
You put someone here?
A short pause.
Then:
Rafael:
Yes.
Another message followed immediately, as if he knew she would panic:
Rafael:
You're not alone in this. And you will never be unprotected again.
Her heart twisted—not quite fear, not quite relief—somewhere in between.
She slipped her phone into her pocket and walked inside the classroom, feeling the man's protective presence behind her. It gave her a strange sense of security, even though she hated the reason he needed to be there.
She took her usual seat by the window, but her mind barely focused on the lectures. Words blurred on the projector, students whispered, pens clicked—yet she felt suspended in another world.
A dangerous one.
A world where men watched.
A world where symbols were threats.
A world where love wasn't soft and sweet—it was sharp and risky.
When class ended, Anabeth left the building with cautious steps. She expected to see the man still by the doorway, but he had repositioned himself across the courtyard, leaning against a tree with a coffee cup in hand, almost invisible among the lunchtime chaos.
And yet, somehow, she could feel him watching over her.
It was strange.
Comforting.
But strange.
As she approached the cafeteria, her phone buzzed again.
Unknown Number:
Turn left.
Her blood ran cold until, a second later, another message came from Rafael.
Rafael:
It's me. New number. Turn left. Away from the crowd.
Relief washed over her—mixed with curiosity and confusion.
She followed his instructions, stepping away from the main walkway and into a quieter garden behind the library. T tall hedges created a hidden corner. A breeze rustled the leaves overhead.
Then she saw him.
Rafael.
Standing with his hands in his pockets, jaw tight, eyes searching instantly for her. The moment their gazes met, the tension in his shoulders loosened, like the sight of her was the only thing grounding him.
Anabeth walked toward him, her footsteps soft on the grass.
"You shouldn't be here," she whispered. "Someone might recognize you."
"Let them," Rafael murmured. "I needed to see you."
Her heartbeat quickened—not from fear this time, but from the fierce tenderness in his eyes.
He reached out, brushing his thumb gently across her cheek, his touch warm and grounding.
"I didn't sleep," he admitted quietly. "Not after what happened."
Anabeth swallowed. "Rafael… you put someone to watch me."
"Yes," he said simply. "And I'll put more if I have to."
"That's not normal," she said softly. "This is just… campus. I shouldn't need protection here."
His eyes darkened, and he stepped closer, lowering his voice.
"You're not just a campus girl anymore," he said. "Not to them. Not to Leon. Not to anyone watching my movements."
Her breath trembled.
"I never wanted you dragged into this," Rafael said. "I tried keeping distance. I tried ignoring what I felt." His eyes locked onto hers. "But I failed."
Her chest tightened at the raw honesty in his voice.
"It isn't your fault," she whispered. "I walked into this too."
He shook his head. "You walked into my world without knowing the cost. And now someone like Leon thinks he can use you."
The wind rustled around them, carrying the faint echo of distant laughter and music from the campus lawn.
"I won't let that happen," Rafael said, his voice rough with determination. "If I have to put ten men here, I will. If I have to come myself every day, I will. Your safety is the only thing I care about."
Her lips parted, emotion swelling.
"Rafael…"
He stepped closer, his presence warm, overpowering, protective in a way that made her feel seen and cherished and terrified all at once.
He lifted her chin gently.
"You're mine to protect," he whispered.
It wasn't possessive—
It was desperate.
A man who had lost things before
who refused to lose again.
Anabeth exhaled shakily.
"Is Leon really that dangerous?" she asked.
Rafael's jaw tightened. "Yes. He likes games. And he's smart. Too smart."
"Why is he here?" she pressed.
Rafael's eyes softened, regret flickering behind them.
"Because he wants to remind me that I don't get to have… this." His thumb brushed her cheek again. "That people I care about become targets."
Her heart twisted.
"You deserve to have someone," she whispered.
He gave a small, broken smile.
"And somehow, out of the whole damn world… I wanted you."
The admission hit her like a warm wave.
She stepped closer on instinct, placing her hand over his heart. It thudded under her palm, steady and strong.
Rafael exhaled shakily, lowering his forehead to hers. "I'm doing everything I can to keep you safe, Anabeth. More than you know."
She closed her eyes. "I trust you."
He breathed in sharply—like those words meant more to him than anything else.
And in that quiet garden behind the library, hidden from the campus noise and the eyes watching them from the shadows, Rafael pulled her gently into his arms, holding her like she was the one thing in his life that wasn't stained with danger.
For a moment, the world slowed.
The fear eased.
The shadows thinned.
But the danger didn't disappear.
It simply watched from afar.
Waiting.