Lifeline

Asahin didn't open his eyes. He lay still on the cold floor, allowing his body and mind to settle. His limbs were heavy, his breath shallow. Exhaustion clung to him like a damp fog. He could sense someone in the room, hovering nearby. Tarya had probably left someone to keep constant watch over him.

Now that more of the original Asahin's memories were unlocked, the picture was growing clearer—and uglier. He had been surrounded by indifference and malice for so long that it was almost surprising the original Asahin had endured the psychological and physical torment for as long as he had. Then again, the physical abuse had mostly been limited to pheromone torture. Tarya wouldn't dare leave any visible marks.

He had to give her credit… She was smart. But not enough.

Maybe—just maybe—he would have been able to overlook what she'd done to the original Asahin and focus on starting a new life. But now she had messed with him too.

This Asahin wasn't the original scared little boy she had trained into submission. Fear and obedience had been deeply ingrained into the original Asahin—but that wasn't him anymore. She didn't know that. He could use it to his advantage.

He needed time to think, to decide what kind of moves he was going to make.

Two problems stood in his way. First, his susceptibility to pheromones and the damage it could do to his already fragile body. Second, the fact that he had no one on his side.

Or… perhaps he did.

There was Kaylen. He was supposed to be the one who hated Asahin the most. But since transmigrating, Kaylen had also been the one to help him the most. Their relationship felt… different from what it had been between him and the original Asahin. He could use that. Find ways to deepen that connection. Make Kaylen shift his perception, soften his feelings toward him—maybe even develop some measure of trust.

Asahin wasn't sure how he'd manage that while under such tight surveillance, but he'd been in worse situations. He could handle this.

Finally, Asahin opened his eyes and forced his body to move. The light streaming through the window stabbed painfully into his skull. He tried to push himself up, but two strong hands grabbed him and steadied him.

Asahin's gaze lifted. Abel.

Asahin jerked away from his grip, staggering backward. He quickly caught himself on the edge of a table, his palms pressing into the cool surface. The room smelled sharply of disinfectant and lemons. He glanced down. They had cleaned the contents of his stomach off the floor.

"The lady said to shower and go to the university," Abel informed him coldly.

Asahin's eyes narrowed.

"You have classes in the afternoon," Abel added. "You're expected to attend all of them."

Asahin sighed. He was supposed to go to class in this condition?

"Am I supposed to act like an obsessed freak again?" Asahin spat.

"No. Just attend classes. I will be accompanying you," Abel said without emotion.

Asahin sneered. Of course you will. That damn stepmother was going to be watching him like a hawk now.

"Fine," Asahin bit out, heading for the bathroom.

His clothes were still damp from the shower the guards had shoved him into earlier. He had sweated a lot, and the basement had been grimy and cold. When Asahin caught sight of himself in the bathroom mirror, his breath gasped.

He looked… awful.

His clothes were filthy, his face pale as a sheet, his soft white-blond hair limp and matted. His violet eyes—normally so striking—were sunken and bruised with shadows. His body was displaying every bit of the hell it had endured.

He peeled off his clothes and stepped into the shower. The bruises from the mugging had deepened into ugly shades of violet and green. His body ached all over, not just his stomach. He was amazed he was still standing at all, considering how frail this body was.

When he emerged from the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his waist, he felt marginally better. Not good—just functional. It would have to do.

Abel's gaze flicked to him and then quickly away.

Asahin's eyes narrowed. He didn't like the energy Abel was giving off. He had seen men look at him like that before. Back in his original world, he could've wiped that leering expression off their faces with his fists. But here? He was at a distinct disadvantage. The mugging had taught him how powerless he was against raw physical strength. And if pheromones got involved, he wouldn't stand a chance.

"Would you mind leaving? I need to change," Asahin said coldly, his tone sharp and commanding.

Showing fear or hesitation would only encourage the wrong kind of response.

Abel didn't say anything. He left the room and closed the door behind him.

By the time Asahin arrived at the university, he was struggling to keep his eyes open. He stumbled out of the car and blinked blearily at the campus grounds. Isennaya University looked just like any other university from his original world—stately buildings, manicured lawns, groups of students scattered under shady trees.

Abel got out of the driver's seat and handed Asahin a phone from his jacket's inner pocket.

Asahin took it without comment. So Tarya had taken his phone—that explained why he couldn't find it that morning.

"Where to?" he asked lazily.

Abel was probably more familiar with his schedule than he was. No point trying to figure it out.

"This way," Abel said, starting down the path before turning left.

Asahin followed, ignoring the stares and whispers trailing after him.

"Is that him?"

"What's he doing here?"

"Did he come to bother Kaylen again?"

"Remember the scene he made last week?"

"Poor Darrien. How can he have such a pathetic brother?"

"He's damaged goods."

"Well, at least he's pretty. Maybe some old man will take him as a fourth or fifth wife…"

Asahin's jaw tightened. He forced his mind to switch to autopilot, the way he used to back in his original world when people gossiped behind his back.

He slept through his first two classes. The whispering continued, but he couldn't bring himself to care. Bodyguards weren't allowed in the classroom, so Abel waited outside.

They were walking toward his third class when Asahin saw Kaylen slip into the bathroom.

"I need to pee," he told Abel, handing him the phone. "Hold this. Just bought it. Don't want to drop it in the toilet."

Abel moved to follow.

"What are you doing?" Asahin spun toward him. "Following me inside? I can't even piss without surveillance?"

"I'm supposed to stay with you," Abel said.

"The bathroom is literally a few steps away. What am I going to do—jump from the third floor and escape?"

Abel hesitated, then relented.

Asahin walked into the bathroom, quickly checked to see if there was anyone else inside then he locked the door behind him.

Kaylen was washing his hands. He watched Asahin in the mirror, face unreadable.

"I don't have much time," Asahin said quietly.

Kaylen turned toward him, brow slightly furrowed.

"We need to talk. Not here. Can you sneak into my house tonight after midnight?"

"Why would I do that?"

"Consider it an apology for getting me into trouble with Tarya and Darrien when you covered me in pheromones," Asahin said.

Kaylen's gaze darkened, guilt flickering beneath the surface.

"…Okay."

"Great. Be careful. Security's tighter than usual." Asahin turned for the door. ""And please wait a bit before going out. I have a bodyguard following me and don't want to get into more trouble with your boyfriend and his mother," he said and left.

Kaylen's expression hardened at the word boyfriend.

Asahin walked out, returned to Abel's side, and snatched the phone from his hand.

"Let's go," he said coolly.