Chapter 25: The Mask Beneath the Mask
The sun hadn't even risen, but Zenith's West Wing was already alive. A place normally used for quiet study had been transformed into a battlefield of whispers, theories, and buried scandals.
Julian walked in wearing a black hoodie, backpack slung lazily over one shoulder. His face was unreadable—cold, calculating, but subtly aware of the thousand eyes watching him from behind half-open books and half-faked smiles.
Rumors had already begun to spread.
That he was sleeping with masked women. That he was being recruited by secret syndicates. That his watch could change time.
None of them knew the truth.
Not even him.
--
Dr. Morrigan, mid-thirties, wore tight leather pants, a silk blouse, and red heels that echoed against the tiles with every step. Her eyes—steel blue and wild—locked onto Julian the moment he stepped in.
"Late, Mr. Vale," she said, voice thick with edge and curiosity.
Julian sat down, not saying a word. She smiled.
He fascinated her—like a living, breathing psychological riddle.
What she didn't say was that she'd already been assigned to study him. Paid in secrecy by Velcore Inc. to track his choices, his responses, his relationships.
He was more than a student.
He was a test.
---
Flashback – Inside Dr. Morrigan's Apartment, Night Before
She lay on her couch, glasses slipping from her nose, as she watched surveillance footage on her laptop—Julian kissing Selina Maskara on the rooftop.
"Interesting…" she whispered.
Then came a file.
From an anonymous server.
Project Phantom: Subject Code V.A.L.E
"Who are you really, Julian?" she murmured, sipping red wine.
---
Julian met up with Trent Hollow, 19, his only real ally—a coffee-addicted computer science student with messy curls, round glasses, and a conspiracy blog that no one believed.
"Bro, I hacked into your task system," Trent whispered, sliding his phone across the table.
A new mission flashed:
Task #48 – Seduce a Love That Can Break You. Then Walk Away.
Timer: 72 hours.
Reward: Emotional Immunity.
Penalty: You feel every heartbreak of hers—forever.
Julian leaned back.
"That's twisted," he muttered.
Trent nodded. "This thing's not just playing games with you. It's trying to make you into something."
"Or break me."
---
Julian took a private car to Indigo Nova, a luxury tower where the elite held their most wicked parties. Invited anonymously, he stepped into a world of masks, velvet, perfume, and secrets.
Girls with serpentine tattoos offered drinks.
Boys in diamond suits snorted powdered temptation.
A slow song played. Shadows danced.
There, standing under golden light, was Theodora Raye—22, model, heir to a tech conglomerate, a walking storm of wealth, lust, and manipulation.
Long jet-black hair flowed down her back. She wore nothing but a silver robe tied loosely, revealing flawless skin and a crimson bra strap.
"You're late," she said, sipping from a wine glass. "But still worth the wait."
Julian didn't flinch.
"You invited me?"
She smirked. "No. But I want you to remember me. Before I break you."
They danced.
And for a moment… he forgot he was playing a game.
---
Leila Winters burned with jealousy as she watched the live stream of the Indigo Nova event. She slammed her laptop shut, breathing hard.
"I'm not letting him go."
Beside her, Professor Alden Crest, 42, tall and smooth with salt-and-pepper hair, leaned against her doorframe.
"You still trying to win him?"
She glanced at him. "I never lose."
He entered.
Closed the door behind him.
And kissed her.
---
A strange, secret romance bloomed where no one looked.
Mrs. Olive, 41, cleaning supervisor, and Mr. Kellan, 36, senior literature teacher, held each other in the dark, breathing fast, hearts racing.
"He'll change everything, Olive," Kellan whispered.
Julian, they meant.
"I know," she replied, pressing a kiss to his neck. "But we can't protect him from this world. It was never built for love. Only illusion."
---
He opened the door and found a letter taped to his wall.
"Don't fall in love. Don't break her heart. But don't ignore this task. Or the pain will haunt you. Forever."
Signed:
–The Watch
Julian exhaled.
Outside, the wind howled like a warning.
---
Task 48: In Progress
Penalty Trigger Window: 53 hours remaining
Reward Update: Emotional Immunity (Pending)
Unlocked Side Task: Steal a Kiss from the Most Desired Girl in Campus Without Her Knowing Why.
Bonus Reward: A Hidden Power from Your Father's Vault
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