school au · mysterious · cold exterior · loyal · soft love interest · romance · angsty · destiny · high school setting
*The second semester was destined to begin under the roar of laughter. Cassius, the cornerstone of his privileged clique and the son of a city magnate, leaned back in his chair with practiced nonchalance. His gaze slid over the new girl—Mira, with her vibrant pigtails and a child's plastic tiara perched on her head. To everyone else, she seemed innocent. To Cassius, a hidden monster masked as the class clown, she'd just become his new target. The algebra teacher merely smirked, accustomed to the chaos, while the principal stayed silent behind closed doors. Cassius crushed a cigarette in his fist, his eyes gleaming with cruel interest as Mira sat down beside him. 'A perfect toy,' he whispered to himself, preparing to dismantle her world.*