The afternoon sun blazed through the floor-to-ceiling windows of Silvercrest High's elite lounge—a space reserved exclusively for students whose family donations could fund a small country. Kael Everhart sprawled across a leather couch like a king surveying his domain, one arm draped over the backrest.
At seventeen, Kael had everything. Captain of the basketball team. Two million followers on social media. A face that launched a thousand brand deals. His mer physique was the kind that made people stop and stare—broad shoulders, defined muscles that moved like poetry under his designer uniform, dark hair artfully tousled in that "I woke up like this" way.
"I'm bored," he announced.
Jax Sterling didn't look up from his own phone, his fingers flying across the screen as he responded to comments on his latest post. "You're always bored. Maybe get a personality?"
"Harsh." River Morgan tossed a basketball from hand to hand, his grin wicked. "But accurate."
The three of them—Silvercrest's holy trinity of untouchable influencer royalty—had been friends since elementary school. Their parents ran in the same circles, attended the same charity galas, invested in the same ventures. They'd grown up with everything handed to them on silver platters.
Kael's eyes drifted across the courtyard below, scanning the usual crowds. Groups of fers giggling near the fountain, hoping to catch his attention. Mers from the basketball team messing around. Teachers pretending they had any authority over students whose parents paid their salaries.
Nothing interesting. Nothing new.
When did everything become so... empty?
"Seriously though," Jax said, finally setting his phone down. "We need to do something. This year is our last chance to make high school memorable, and so far it's been a total snooze fest."
River's eyes gleamed with mischief. "What did you have in mind?"
"A game." Jax leaned forward, his voice dropping to that conspiratorial tone that usually meant trouble. "Something to make things interesting."
"I'm listening," he said
Jax's smile widened. He stood, walking to the window with the air of someone about to make a grand announcement. His finger traced down the glass, following someone in the courtyard below.
"See that fer over there?"
Kael and River joined him at the window. Following Jax's line of sight, Kael spotted a figure sitting alone beneath a cherry blossom tree, completely absorbed in a book. The fer's delicate frame was almost swallowed by an oversized cardigan, round glasses perched on a button nose. Even from this distance, Kael could see the concentration on his face, the way he occasionally pushed his glasses up with one slender finger.
Asher Quinn.
Kael knew the name the way everyone at Silvercrest knew everyone else's name—through the grapevine, through class rankings posted on bulletin boards.
Top of their class. Perfect attendance. Scholarship student from a middle-class family. The kind of fer who actually cared about things like grades and college applications instead of follower counts and brand partnerships.
In other words, the complete opposite of everything Kael represented.
"The nerd?" River scoffed. "What about him?"
"That," Jax said, his tone dripping with amusement, "is Asher Quinn. Seventeen years old. Never been kissed. Never been to a party. Probably doesn't even know what sex is beyond what's in those dusty biology textbooks he's always reading."
Kael felt something uncomfortable"So?"
"So," Jax continued, turning to face them with that shark-like grin, "I propose a bet. First one to get him in bed wins."
River let out a low whistle. "Damn. That's cold even for you."
"That's the point. We're bored, right? This is a challenge. Quinn is untouchable, oblivious, and completely off our radar. Getting him to fall would be... what's the word? Oh right. Impossible."
"Nothing's impossible," River said, his competitive nature clearly piqued. "What's the prize?"
"Loser—or losers, plural—pay for a month in Bali. All expenses. Private villa. The works." Jax extended his hand. "What do you say? Are we doing this or are we going to spend senior year being boring?"
River reached out immediately, shaking Jax's hand with a laugh. "I'm in. This is going to be hilarious."
Both of them turned to Kael expectantly.
He should have said no. Should have told them to grow up, to find better things to do with their time. Should have recognized the cruelty in reducing another person to a game.
But Kael Everhart had never backed down from a challenge in his life.
His eyes drifted back to the courtyard, to Asher Quinn still reading peacefully under the cherry blossoms. A breeze ruffled his honey-colored hair, and he looked up briefly, squinting at the sky with a soft smile.
"Two months," Kael said, his voice steady and cold. "I'll have him in two months."
Jax's eyebrows shot up. "Confident, are we?"
"I don't lose." Kael shook both their hands, sealing his fate with a grip that felt like a noose tightening around his neck. "When I win, I want you two to post public apologies admitting I'm better than you. Tag me. Make it embarrassing."
"Deal," River laughed. "When I win, you're both my servants for a week."
"Keep dreaming," Jax shot back.
They laughed, clinked their overpriced smoothie cups together, and started strategizing like this was a military operation instead of a cruel game with another person's heart.
Kael played along, throwing out suggestions and accepting advice, but his eyes kept drifting back to the window. Back to Asher, who had no idea that his peaceful afternoon had just become the opening move in someone else's game.
It's just a bet, Kael told himself. It doesn't mean anything. He'll never even know.
But as he watched Asher gather his books and walk toward the library, movements graceful and unselfconscious, that uncomfortable feeling in his chest grew stronger.
For just a moment, Kael wondered what it would be like to know someone like that. Someone who cared about things that mattered. Someone who looked at the world with wonder instead of boredom. Someone genuine in a sea .
Then Jax clapped him on the shoulder, breaking the spell.
"So when do you make your first move?"
Kael turned away from the window, his expression settling into that confident smirk his followers loved so much. The mask slipped on easily—it always did.
"Tomorrow," he said. "I'll start tomorrow."
Just a game, he told himself again. Just a stupid game.
But somewhere deep down, in a place Kael refused to acknowledge, a voice whispered that this was a mistake. That some games had consequences. That hearts, once broken, didn't always heal.
Author's Note: Welcome to Azure Hearts! This story deals with mature themes including betrayal, pregnancy, and second chances. Updates every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday! Don't forget to add to your library and leave a comment—I read them all! ❤️ - AzureSkies