The towering silhouette of Valgrave University stood like a cathedral carved from night itself. Gothic spires pierced the bruised sky as the exhausted survivors trudged through the grand gates. Their bodies were scraped, soaked, bruised—but their souls carried something worse.
Avni could barely keep her eyes open, her shoulder aching as she supported Raiden, who was still bleeding out. Luce walked beside them, his once-flawless white shirt torn and stained, but his face... it was unreadable.
From behind the iron-barred archway, Valgrave medics rushed in. Not students. Not professors. Medics in long, dark uniforms with no insignias. They carried Raiden off as Avni tried to follow.
“Wait! I’m coming with him!” Avni protested.
A medic blocked her path. “No visitors allowed during emergency surgery. He’ll be stabilized.”
Saya, too, stepped forward, her jaw tense. “We’re not asking for permission.”
The medic simply turned and vanished with the stretcher, the sound of echoing boots receding into the marble halls.
Avni clenched her fists, tears welling. Her best friend was behind that door.
A quiet glance passed between Erik and Avni. He had been watching her—no, watching Raiden. Their eyes locked for a brief second. Just long enough to ignite a question neither dared ask. Just long enough for feelings to rise—dangerous, inconvenient ones.
Meanwhile… in the Tower Above
Elda Kurogane sat in the Apex Chamber, the only light in the vast obsidian room being the dying sun behind her. Her sharp cheekbones and silver-lined black kimono made her look carved from cold stone. She had read the report five times.
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2342 were dead.
Among the dead: 23 elite spies, planted to kill the legal heirs.
She closed her eyes.Too many Spies... . Already. Someone wants bloodline war.
She poured herself tea, hands still precise despite the weight pressing on her shoulders. And then came the thought she didn’t say aloud—just felt burning in her chest.
“Raiden. Saya. And... Avni.”37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7dV3O1mhuC
Her grandchildren.
“Am I protecting them... or sending them to slaughter?”
A knock. No one knocks unless—
“Enter,” she said, voice brittle.
Luciano Moretti walked in.
She did not stand. “I was expecting you.”
He bowed mockingly. “Of course you were, Signora Apex.”
“Drop the charm. Speak.”
Luce’s eyes, usually laced with amusement, burned sharp. “Saya. I suspect she’s the traitor.”
Elda didn’t flinch. But something shifted in her.
“Someone informed the spies of the heirs' placements. That’s how spies infiltrated. That’s why Raiden was attacked before anyone else. That’s why Lev's unit was ambushed by fire from the hills. And that’s why I—” he paused, smiling tightly, “—was spared. No traps near me. Isn't that suspicious?”
Her eyes narrowed. “You're saying my granddaughter would betray her own cousin?”
“I'm saying your husband — the man who once wanted to ruled COMA — might be using her.”
That hit.
Elda didn’t blink, but her breath changed. Slightly.
Luce softened. Just a little. “You’ve always been the iron hand of COMA, Elda. But you’re also a grandmother. Tell me—how far would a man like him go?”
Elda turned toward the enormous window behind her — the glass painted with ancient mafia bloodlines.
“You’re mistaken.”
“I’m not. She’s too composed. Cold, even when Raiden nearly died. She was watching. Calculating. Not... grieving.”
“She is Kurogane. Composure is our legacy.”
“But murder isn’t,” Luce whispered.
Elda didn’t answer. The silence between them was heavy as war.
Finally, she spoke.
“You think I don’t see it?” she whispered. “You think I didn’t notice how she’s changed? You think a grandmother doesn’t recognize when a child stops looking her in the eye?”
He looked at her, softer now.
“Then why let her continue?”
Her answer came not as Chair of COMA—but as Elda.
“Because I still have hope she can be saved. And if I’m wrong...” she took a long breath. “Then I’ll do what needs to be done. Even if it breaks me.”
Luce stepped back.
“I’ve buried half the people I ever loved,” she said, voice hollow. “Don’t let her become one of them.”
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Luce nodded once and disappeared into the shadows.
Behind him, Elda whispered to the dark:
“Forgive me, Saya. If I lost you, and Raiden, and Avni... this war will be mine to end.”
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Valgrave Dormitory – Girls' Wing
The room was too fancy for the mood. Silk curtains. Polished blackwood. Ornate chandeliers. But the girls — Avi, Sayaka, and Sai — looked like they’d fought dragons.
“I feel like I’m sleeping in a coffin,” Sai muttered, inspecting the too-soft bed.
“It’s a mafia university,” Saya said dryly. “What were you expecting? Beanbags and Netflix?”
Avi collapsed onto a velvet couch. “This is stupid. Why are we treated like royalty when we just crawled out of hell?”
Sayaka glanced at her fingernails, strangely composed. “Royal blood gets royal treatment.”
“Was that a dig at me or yourself?” Avi narrowed her eyes.
Saira tossed a towel at them. “Relax, both of you. We need to think. Something’s coming. You feel that, right?”
They did.
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All of them.
Valgrave Dormitory – Boys' Wing
“Don’t you DARE take the warm water, Veer!”
Ishaan pounded on the bathroom door while Veer inside yelled back, “Too late, bro! Lava shower is mine tonight!”
Erik sat near the window, drying his wet hair, pretending to not listen.
Dev shook his head, smiling. “Idiots.”
And in the middle of it all — was silence.
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“Where’s Luce?”
Back in the Dorms - After some time
Lev burst into the room, towel barely tied.
“Where the hell were you?!” he yelled at Luce, who was peacefully sleeping in bed.
Luce stretched dramatically. “Missed me, my prince?”
“You were gone for two hours!”
“You timed it? That’s adorable. If I didn’t know better, I’d think you cared.”
Luce was already there, lying on the bed, shirtless, eyes closed, hands behind his head.
“Hey my boy,” Luce said lazily.
Lev stiffened. “What the hell you were doing?”
“Talking to your future grandmother-in-law.”
Lev frowned. “Excuse me?”
“I mean, imagine it: Moretti and Dragunova bloodlines united.” Luce sat up slowly, smirking. “Should I call you ‘husband’ already?”
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Lev’s eye twitched. “You’re impossible.”
Lev scowled. “Cut the crap. I’m watching you.”
Luce sat up with a smirk, messy curls falling over his eyes.
“If you’re going to keep watching me like that, Lev, at least buy me dinner first.”
The room groaned.
Just then, Avi stormed in. Her face froze.
Luce — half undressed. Lev — in a towel.
Her expression: priceless.
“WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?!”
Luce gasped. “Avi! I swear I didn’t touch your beloved ice prince. Yet.”
Lev turned red. “It’s not what it looks like!”
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Avi threw a pillow at him. “Stop making out and get dressed! Raiden’s awake!”
Lev flushed. “It’s not—he’s just—”
“Relax,” Luce purred. “She knows I’m too good for just one of you.”
Avni facepalmed. “I need therapy.”
The shrill sound echoed across Valgrave.
Emergency Alert – All Students
All ten of them—Avni, Luce, Lev, Raiden (now stitched and standing), Saya, Erik, Ishaan, Veer, Saira, and Dev—were called into the Assembly Hall.
Each was handed a map. It led deep into the uncharted side of Valgrave—a place none had seen.
A line was printed at the top:
“You have 24 hours. Reach the location marked. Only then will your inheritance be revealed.” “New coordinates have been issued. The next trial begins in 6 hours. Failure to report to the marked zone will result in disqualification. You are being watched.”
And just like that… the next phase began.
Lev whispered, “Inheritance?”
Raiden’s voice was hoarse. “What do they mean?”
Luce’s smile faded.
“Let’s find out.”
ns216.73.216.139da2
and then Add to home screen.