Morning sunlight gently spilled through the curtains, warming the air. Nao slowly opened his eyes—and the first thing he saw was Raviel's face, calm and watching him.
"Good morning," Raviel said softly.
Nao smiled sleepily. "Morning…"
Raviel stood up, brushing his hair back. "You should take a shower."
Nao blinked. "Wait… All night, you didn't sleep? You were watching me?"
Raviel's lips curved into a faint smile. "Yes."
Before Nao could respond, a soft knock echoed on the door. It was Amara.
"Mr. Nao," she said from outside, "your best friend Elias is here. He's waiting for you downstairs."
Nao stretched and replied, "Alright, I'll be down soon."
Meanwhile, in another room, Adrian stepped out, rubbing his eyes.
"Amara, is Nao awake?" he asked casually.
"Yes, sir. His friend is waiting in the hall," she replied politely.
Adrian's expression changed. "His friend… is it Elias?"
"Yes, sir," Amara confirmed.
Adrian's eyes widened fully. "Okay…" He threw on his night suit gown and walked quickly toward the hall.
Downstairs, Elias sat quietly on the couch, visibly nervous. His fingers fidgeted in his lap, and his eyes darted toward the door every few seconds. He hoped—prayed—that Adrian wouldn't show up.
But before he could breathe, a voice whispered teasingly near his ear.
"Are you missing me?"
Elias jumped, startled. Adrian was behind him, his lips so close that Elias could feel the breath against his skin. He immediately tried to avoid eye contact, but Adrian sat beside him, smirking, and then boldly pulled Elias's waist toward him.
"N-No… stop it," Elias stammered, pushing Adrian away and standing up in a panic.
Just then, Nao arrived. His brows furrowed as he saw them.
"Adrian! Are you teasing Elias again?" he said, crossing his arms.
Adrian raised both hands playfully. "No, I swear I didn't do anything!"
Nao sighed. Adrian walked out of the hall with his usual lazy grin.
Elias, still flustered, turned and hugged Nao tightly. "Are you okay? I was so worried when I heard what happened last night."
"I'm fine," Nao replied with a gentle pat. "Really. Don't worry."
They both sat on the couch, finally able to talk in peace. But behind the door, Adrian stood watching them with narrowed eyes. His hand clenched slightly. Watching Elias hug Nao made something twist painfully in his chest.
At that moment, Raviel walked into the hall, his eyes locking onto Adrian's intense stare.
"Are you alright?" Raviel asked, his voice smooth but cutting.
Adrian blinked and quickly stepped back. "Oh, it's you. Yeah… I'm fine."
Without another word, Adrian turned and walked away, but Raviel's eyes followed him with quiet suspicion.
After Adrian left, the atmosphere lightened. Nao and Elias sat together on the couch, the morning sun painting soft patterns across the floor.
"You really scared me," Elias said, his voice trembling slightly. "When I saw the news, my heart almost stopped."
Nao gave him a gentle smile. "I didn't think something like that would happen either… but Raviel protected me."
Elias looked down at his hands. "Raviel… He's always around you now."
Nao glanced at him curiously. "You don't like him?"
Elias shook his head quickly. "No—It's not that. He just feels… different. Mysterious."
Nao nodded. "He is different. But he's not dangerous. At least… not to me."
As they talked, Raviel stood silently near the wall, watching the two of them with calm eyes. He didn't interrupt, but Elias could feel his presence like a shadow. It made him more nervous.
Nao noticed the tension. "Raviel, come sit," he offered.
Raviel walked over but chose to stand beside the couch instead. "I'm fine here."
Elias cleared his throat and looked at Nao. "Are you going back to school soon?"
Nao nodded. "Maybe next week. Mr. Den says I need to rest a little first. And we still don't know who tried to hurt me…"
Elias's eyes flicked toward Raviel for a moment, then back to Nao. "I hope they find out soon. You… you don't deserve this."
Before Nao could reply, Amara entered the hall quietly.
"Mr. Nao," she said softly, "Miss Isadora is calling you to the study. She said it's urgent."
Nao's expression hardened. He stood and nodded. "Alright. Tell her I'll be there in a minute."
Once Amara left, Elias touched Nao's arm gently. "Be careful, okay?"
Nao gave him a faint smile. "Always."
As Nao walked out, Raviel turned to follow him.
But before he did, he paused beside Elias.
"You're worried about him," Raviel said in a low voice, "but don't worry… I'm not just his shadow. I'm his shield."
Elias looked up, stunned by the quiet intensity in Raviel's voice. Before he could respond, Raviel was already gone.
As Raviel and Nao left the hall, Elias quietly picked up his bag and walked toward the door to leave.
But before he could step out, Adrian grabbed his wrist and, without a word, dragged him upstairs—straight into his room.
Elias stumbled, startled. "What are you doing?" he asked nervously.
Adrian didn't answer. Instead, he pushed Elias onto the bed. His eyes held a dangerous spark. "Last time... we couldn't finish our conversation," Adrian whispered as he leaned closer, "but now we can."
Elias tried to get up, but Adrian pinned him down, his body hovering just above. Elias froze. The warmth of Adrian's body, his scent, his closeness—it overwhelmed him.
"W-What do you want from me?" Elias whispered, barely able to breathe.
Adrian's lips curled into a smirk. "When I said you're taking responsibility for my breakup… I meant it."