Morning
The classroom was buzzing.
Finn practically skipped into class, face beaming, cradling a basket of homemade snacks.
At his side, clinging awkwardly to her books, was Darcy Leto.
Brown hair tied into a neat ponytail, sharp honey-colored eyes glancing around the classroom like a nervous animal.
Her uniform was a little too perfect, her movements too stiff.
But the second Finn smiled at her?
She melted.
Just for a second.
Before snapping back into that cold, stoic face she always wore.
Finn plopped the basket down proudly.
"Everyone!" he called out, louder than necessary.
"I made treats! Darcy and I stayed up all night preparing them!"
Darcy, behind him, blushed hard, almost imperceptibly, before hiding her face deeper into her book.
The class politely clapped.
A few students looked at Darcy with curiosity.
A few girls were jealous.
Meanwhile / At the back of the class
Kain lounged in his chair.
His legs sprawled out, arms casually draped behind his chair, an easy smirk playing on his lips.
Beatrix sat to his left, nibbling her lip, thighs pressed tight, unable to stop glancing at him from under her lashes.
Lyla was on his right, fidgeting, cheeks flushed, fingers tracing circles on her desk like she was writing secret love notes to him.
Ruby sat two rows ahead, but every so often, she would tilt her head back, giving Kain a view straight down her uniform shirt.
Smirking like the little succubus she was.
Every time their eyes met, his?
Their bodies twitched.
Yearned.
Finn picked up a treat from the basket and marched over proudly to Beatrix.
"Here! I made this for you!"
He held it out, eyes sparkling.
Beatrix gave a smile so fake it could've been painted on porcelain.
She took the treat gingerly, like it might bite her, and gave him a little side-hug.
"Thank you, Finn," she said in a voice so sweet it could rot teeth.
Finn beamed like an idiot.
Next was Lyla.
He offered her a cookie shaped like a heart.
Lyla forced a giggle, taking it between two fingers as if it were poisoned.
She gave him a brief, two-second handhold, squeezing once before letting go like she'd touched something hot.
Finn looked like he was going to cry from happiness.
Finally, Ruby.
He gave her a chocolate bar that he clearly tried to mold into a rose.
Ruby took it with a small nod, leaning forward to brush her lips on Finn's cheek.
Exactly 0.2 seconds of contact.
A request from Kain so that the fool can receive just the tiniest bit of love.
Finn practically levitated from joy.
Meanwhile, Kain?
He watched it all with lazy, cruel amusement.
He pulled out his phone.
3 New Messages.
Ruby:
Master, my body is still aching... please be gentle tonight…
Attached was a picture of her lying naked under his sheets, marked and smiling
Beatrix:
Your name is still bruised into my thighs... Please use me again…
Attached was a mirror selfie, showing the handprint he left on her ass
Lyla:
I'm wearing no panties under my skirt... I need you…
Attached was a close-up shot, proof she wasn't lying
Kain chuckled under his breath.
Finn turned to him excitedly.
"Kain! What do you think? Darcy said I should practice giving gifts! She's a genius!"
Darcy, still pretending to read her book, stiffened when Kain's gaze flicked lazily to her.
Those honey-colored eyes met crimson ones for a heartbeat, and Darcy immediately looked away, biting the inside of her lip.
Kain saw it.
He savored it.
There was loyalty in Darcy.
A deep, stubborn affection for Finn.
Kain tilted his head.
Eyes half-lidded, gleaming.
"Are you sure about that?"
Finn blinked.
"Huh?"
Kain sat up just a little, his voice still casual, but sharper now, a flicker of teeth under velvet.
"Because last I checked, dumbass..."
He reached out, casually flicking Finn in the forehead.
"You were face-down in a puddle of your own drool, knocked the fuck out like a baby after his first beer"
The class laughed, low and awkward, unsure if Kain was joking.
Finn rubbed his forehead, frowning.
"Wait... huh? No way, bro! I remember... Darcy woke me up and we started cooking together...!"
Kain narrowed his eyes slightly, his smirk widening into something colder.
A beast sharpening its claws.
He let his gaze lazily slide past Finn and back to Darcy.
Little Darcy Leto.
The "perfect" girl.
The "quiet" one.
Head down in her book.
Pretending not to listen.
But her knuckles were white against the pages.
Her shoulders are too stiff.
Her ears were burning red.
'Got you!'
Kain spoke louder, loud enough for Darcy to hear.
"And speaking of..." he drawled, tapping a pen against his desk with an obnoxious
Click-click-click!
"Who the hell is Darcy?"
Finn blinked, startled.
"Oh! Uh — she's just... uh... You know... my new friend!" he said, scratching the back of his head.
"She's kinda shy! But she's super smart! She helps me study!"
Across the room, Darcy shrank further behind her book.
Kain just smiled, slow and vicious.
"Help you study, huh?" he mused, voice dripping honey and venom.
"Real friendly of her to be your personal chef, too"
Finn nodded enthusiastically.
Darcy shifted again, a tremor in her hands she couldn't hide.
Kain didn't press further.
Not yet.
Instead, he lounged back again, giving Finn a lazy wave.
"Guess you're just a lucky guy," he said, chuckling darkly.
Finn, oblivious, beamed like a golden retriever.
Darcy finally dared to peek up from her book, just once, and met Kain's eyes.
Monster.
Prey.
She quickly looked away, heart hammering.
But Kain?
He saw everything.
The way her fingers trembled.
The way her thighs pressed tightly under the desk.
The way her lips parted, just a little, in fear... or something darker.
Another crack in her armor.
Another game to play.
Another soul to unravel, slowly, sweetly, inevitably.
Class droned on.
Professor something-or-other scribbled formulas on the board.
Kain didn't really give a shit, the dude was some pervert who once got smacked by Kain so hard that he lost some memory.
Finn scribbled little hearts next to Darcy's name in his notebook.
Kain?
He was working.
Silently.
Swiftly.
Beneath half-lidded eyes and that lazy smirk, he pulled open his system.
A flick of thought.
The Scan is activated.
His gaze locked briefly on Darcy Leto.
[SCAN COMPLETE]
[ Name: Darcy Leto ]
[ Affection toward Finn: 82% (High) ]
[ Loyalty toward Finn: 78% (Stubborn) ]
[ Mood: Nervous (70%) / Curious (20%) / Secretly Excited (10%) ]
[ Current Class: Assassin ]
Kain's eyes sharpened slightly.
'Assassin, huh?'
'Of course'
He wasn't scared.
Please.
He could fold her in half with two fingers if he wanted.
But the problem wasn't strength.
It was stealth.
It was subtle.
An assassin watching too closely?
Might catch things... might catch him.
Catch the girls.
Catch everything.
And Kain?
Kain wasn't ready yet.
Not until Finn was further along.
Not until Finn had conquered more little hearts.
Until he was bloated, ripe, overripe with affection...
Only then would Kain shatter him.
Kain's lips twitched into a thin smile.
He opened a group text thread.
Queens
(Because he was a generous King. And they were his royal harem.)
Kain:
Change of plans.
New rat in the maze.
Darcy's class is Assassin.
She's loyal to Finn.
Too loyal.
No lewd acts for now.
No risky moves.
Play the girlfriend role.
Smile, laugh, blush.
But NO kissing.
NO teasing.
Keep it clean.
Understand?
Three immediate replies:
Beatrix:
Awww, but I wanted to sit on your lap and whimper a little…
Followed by a crying emoji.
Ruby:
Fiiiine~ But you owe me later, Master~
Attached was a wink selfie.
Lyla:
Understood, master.
Kain chuckled under his breath.
Good girls.
But Kain's mind was already racing ahead.
Darcy.
She wasn't a pawn yet.
She was a blade in the dark.
Unclaimed.
Unchained.
And Kain hated loose ends.
He leaned back, hands behind his head, watching Darcy from across the room.
She kept stealing glances at Finn.
Blushing.
Hugging her book tighter to her chest whenever he looked at her.
Tch.
Once again, he could never understand why girls would cling to Finn.
The fucking idiot would only do the bare minimum.
Like fucking handholding was the most scared act he would do.
It was clear to Kain that she wasn't cold.
She was starving.
For affection.
For the warmth the moron would not dare do.
And Kain knew exactly how to feed her.
In his mind, the plan was already forming.
He would do as he always did.
Befriend them first.
Then build up the seed of doubt.
And finally replace Finn with himself, offering them what they so desperately need.
Slow.
Sweet.
Inescapable.
She was going to be another flower plucked and crushed against his chest.
After class
The bell rang.
Chairs scraped.
Students burst out into the hallway like freed prisoners.
Kain moved more slowly.
Lazy.
He watched Finn and Darcy.
Finn was babbling excitedly about "how everyone loved the snacks!"
Darcy smiled, a real smile, so small it could've been missed if you blinked.
Kain's eyes gleamed.
Target acquired.
He timed it perfectly.
Waited until Finn got dragged away by a couple of classmates (idiots wanting cooking tips).
Darcy stood alone near the lockers, clutching her books.
Kain sauntered up.
"Hey"
Darcy turned, stiffening the second she saw him.
Her honey-colored eyes sharpened immediately; there was no warmth or softness, just cold instinct.
"Stay away from me," she said, voice flat.
"And stay the hell away from Finn's girls"
Kain blinked once.
Then he laughed.
Not mockingly.
Not cruelly.
A low, genuine, amused chuckle, like she had just told the sun not to shine.
Little did she know...
If Darcy could see the System screen hovering invisibly over Kain's head, she'd faint.
[HAREM: ACTIVE]
[ Beatrix: 100% Affection, 100% Loyalty ]
[ Lyla: 100% Affection, 100% Loyalty ]
[ Ruby: 100% Affection, 100% Loyalty ]
They weren't Finn's girls.
They were his.
Still, Kain played along.
He leaned against the locker next to hers, casual, hands in pockets.
"Bold words," he murmured.
"You're willing to fight me over Finn?"
Darcy glared.
God, it was adorable.
She was trying so hard to seem tough.
"If you hurt him," she said, voice low and sharp.
"I will make you regret it. I don't care how strong you think you are. Go fuck yourself"
Kain smirked.
That fire.
That loyalty.
It would taste exquisite when he broke her.
But for now?
He wanted to play.
"So," Kain said, tilting his head, "what are you to Finn, anyway?"
Darcy stiffened.
Her cheeks flared red instantly.
"I- I'm—" she stammered, clutching her books tighter like a shield.
"I'm just... helping him"
Kain lifted an eyebrow.
A lazy, knowing smile curled on his lips.
"Helping him by staying up all night, making him snacks?" he drawled.
"Helping him by blushing every time he smiles at you?"
Darcy flushed deeper.
Her ears were red now, too.
"I—It's none of your business," she snapped, turning her face away.
"Finn's... he's different. He deserves better than someone like you around him"
Kain laughed again, low, dark, delicious.
"You're right," he said, voice dipping into a velvet purr.
"Finn deserves an angel like you at his side"
Darcy blinked.
Confused.
Kain leaned closer, not touching, just enough to make her heart hammer.
"But," he whispered, "even angels fall eventually"
Darcy shoved past him, fleeing down the hall with her books clutched tight.
Kain straightened, watching her go.
Smirking.
Good.
Let her run.
Let her stew.
Let her think.
He had planted the seed.
All he had to do now was wait for it to rot inside her chest.
Night Time
The academy grounds lay still.
Dorm lights winked like scattered stars across the hills.
The moon, full and fat, bathed everything in a soft silver glow.
Kain stood on his balcony.
Hands resting loosely on the railing, his sharp eyes drinking in the view.
The cool night wind ruffled his hair.
It smelled faintly of flowers.
A perfect night.
And yet...
His lips pulled into a thin line.
Something gnawed at him.
His plans were failing.
Darcy, sweet, loyal, fiercely protective Darcy, had shut him down harder than any girl he'd met since the Game began.
His memory flashed of the day's events.
Kain smirked, reaching to brush a strand of her hair away.
Darcy grabbed his wrist mid-air, squeezing hard until his bones almost popped.
"Touch me again," she said coolly, "and I'll rearrange your future kids, you freak"
Cut.
Kain tries to charm her with a lazy smile.
Darcy deadpanning, "If you smile at me one more time, I swear I'll break your jaw"
Cut.
Kain casually offered to "walk her to her room."
Darcy instantly pulled out a combat knife from her sock.
(Where the hell was she hiding that??)
Back to now.
Kain exhaled sharply through his nose.
He wasn't mad, exactly.
Just... irritated.
It was supposed to be easy.
Get Finn to collect girls like trophies.
Then steal them all away.
Simple.
Elegant.
Cruel.
Exactly the way Kain liked it.
But Darcy...
Darcy was ruining it.
He dragged a hand down his face, muttering, "Why the hell is her loyalty so damn high? She's an assassin, for fuck's sake..."
He was just about to turn back inside, to bury himself in the annoying pile of homework he had deliberately been ignoring, when something caught his eye.
Or rather...
Someone.
Down below, half-hidden in the trees near his dorm...
A faint glimmer.
A quick movement.
Like light reflecting off a lens.
Kain's eyes sharpened instantly, but he didn't move.
Didn't even twitch.
Play dumb.
Pretend he didn't notice.
Pretend he was just a bored, pretty boy admiring the stars.
Meanwhile, from the corner of his eye...
He saw her.
Darcy.
Hooded cloak.
Hidden in the shadows.
One of her skills is active, probably [Ghostwalk] or [Silent Steps].
She was using some kind of strange device, not a phone, it was small, compact, snapping pictures of him.
Pictures.
Kain's smirk returned.
So.
She wasn't just some overprotective girl after all.
She was reporting to someone.
A secret employer.
One she hadn't even told Finn about.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Kain stretched lazily, letting out a theatrical yawn, pretending he was just getting sleepy.
He didn't even glance her way as he slipped back into his room.
The door clicked shut behind him.
And in the darkness, Kain chuckled to himself, low and dangerous.
"...Looks like this game just got a hell of a lot more fun"
The Next Day
Class is a dull, grinding blur.
The clock ticks like a hammer smashing Kain's patience.
The lectures, useless.
The students, annoying.
The girls, silent, trying too hard to look normal.
Not one wink.
Not one teasing glance.
Not one "accidental" brush of fingers against his thigh.
Kain knows why.
He ordered it.
No lewdness.
No affection.
Play the perfect little girlfriends for Finn.
And it's working.
Oh, it's working.
Finn looks like he's riding a damn cloud, all smiles, soft stammers, blushing like a schoolgirl in spring.
Even Darcy, usually cold, gave him a half-smile when he passed her a pencil earlier.
It's enough to make Kain want to punch the drywall.
But worse, far worse, is this:
Darcy.
Untouched.
Untouchable.
Still.
After class, Kain tried again.
Casual, smooth, the way any normal handsome guy would.
He leaned against a wall as Darcy walked by, arms crossed, a lazy smile on his face.
"Hey," he says, "you seem tense. Need a distraction?"
She doesn't even stop walking.
Doesn't even look at him.
She flips him off over her shoulder and says:
"Go fuck yourself"
Flat.
Bored.
Effortless.
Like he was beneath her.
Kain stared after her, a vein throbbing in his forehead.
Another attempt failed.
Later, at Lunch
He offers to "help" her carry her tray, a charming gesture, harmless, low-risk.
Darcy eyes him like he's an infectious disease.
"You help me, you lose a hand," she says bluntly, walking right past him.
The students around them start whispering and chuckling.
Kain can feel his ego bleeding out on the cafeteria floor.
AND ANOTHER ATTEMPT FAILED!
Study group.
Everyone's scattered, scribbling notes.
Kain "accidentally" slides his chair a little too close to hers.
Darcy doesn't flinch.
Doesn't yell.
No.
She just smiles sweetly, leans close...
And whispers in a voice colder than death:
"Get. The fuck. Away from me. Before I end you in ways that won't leave evidence"
Kain slowly, slowly, rolls his chair back across the room without a word.
Inside, he is screaming.
Meanwhile.
Finn.
That little shit.
Laughing, chatting with the girls.
And to his surprise, some of their classmates.
Getting pats on the back.
Getting called "cute" and "sweetheart."
His Affection meters are climbing higher and higher, like smug little middle fingers to Kain's entire plan.
Even Kain's harem girls, HIS GIRLS, are stuck in their roles.
They send him pitiful, guilty glances across the room...
But they can't break character.
Not now.
Not yet.
Kain had ordered it.
And now he had to suffer the consequences.
Night falls again
Kain sits alone in his room, staring at the ceiling, arms crossed.
The moon outside is a mocking thing now, fat and silver, laughing silently at his misery.
He replays every moment with Darcy like a horror reel:
"Go fuck yourself"
"Lose a hand"
"I'll end you"
Each line stabbing deeper than the last.
Kain finally mutters to himself.
"...I'm going to kill something"
He stares at the ceiling harder.
As if it owed him an apology.
He finally forced himself to stop brooding and picked up his homework, cold, mechanical, uncaring.
He slams the book shut after ten minutes.
No use.
He can't stop thinking about it.
About her.
Darcy.
That cold-blooded, sharp-tongued little assassin.
He should be pissed.
He should hate her.
He should crush her.
But instead, he wants her more.
Because he knows.
'What you can't have tastes the sweetest when you finally obtain it'
He stands up, pacing.
Plotting.
Scheming.
But then, he notices it.
The window's open.
The air smells strange, crisp, almost metallic.
He pretends not to notice.
Keeps pacing, muttering about homework under his breath.
Out of the corner of his eye.
There.
A faint shimmer.
Barely visible.
A cloaking skill.
Darcy.
Once again, spying on him.
She's taking pictures.
Once again.
A secret employer.
An unknown force.
Kain smiled to himself.
Delicious.
But he doesn't say a word.
Doesn't call her out.
Doesn't even look at her.
He sits back at his desk, casually pulls out a notebook, and starts scribbling garbage notes.
All the while, he thinks:
'Go ahead, Darcy. Watch me. Report on me'
'You're not the hunter'
'You're just another little rabbit caught in a bigger net'
The Next Morning
A new idea blooms like venom in Kain's mind.
If he can't seduce her the normal way... he'll turn her own instincts against her.
But fate is not merciful.
As Kain waits near the garden courtyard, pretending to read, Darcy comes walking up the stone path.
Kain smiles, lazy, smooth, slow.
"Morning, gorgeous," he says, voice like silk.
Darcy stops three feet away.
Crosses her arms.
Cocks her head.
Her lips curl into the most disrespectful smile imaginable.
And she says:
"Go fuck yourself"
Soft.
Deadpan.
Like she's offering advice about the weather.
Kain froze.
But then he laughs.
Laughs so hard he actually doubles over, clutching his sides.
Darcy stares at him like he's insane, which, maybe, he is.
As he catches his breath, he finally says:
"You really don't know what you're playing with, do you?"
Darcy only shrugs.
"Stay away from Finn!"
"Stay the fuck out of my way!"
She turns and walks off, boots crunching the gravel.
[ Her Affection level for Finn: sky-high ]
[ Her Loyalty: Unshakable ]
And every fiber of Kain's being burns for her now, for the chase, for the battle, for the taste of eventual victory.
Meanwhile, in the Distance
Finn is laughing, surrounded by Kain's girls, who pretend not to notice Kain's suffering.
Their eyes flick to him sometimes, sorrowful, apologetic, but they must stay loyal to their mission.
They can't even hug him.
They can't even wink.
They can only smile sweetly at Finn and make Kain's soul die a little more each second.
Later That Day
Darcy was against the academy wall, arms crossed, her sharp eyes cutting through the campus crowd like blades.
Students pass her by, oblivious.
Laughter.
Gossip.
Footsteps.
But Darcy?
Darcy watches one boy.
Kain.
She squints.
It bothers her.
Everything about him bothers her.
He looks weak.
Slim frame (Kain was hiding it with illusion magic).
Relaxed posture.
A lazy smirk like he doesn't have a single care in the world.
Like a peasant who stumbled into the academy and decided to stay.
And yet—
There's something off.
Something that gnaws at her instincts like rats chewing on old wood.
"Why does he walk like he owns the place?"
"Why do my instincts tell me to draw my blade when he smiles?"
"Why... does he look at Finn like a wolf staring at a lamb?"
She clicked her tongue in irritation.
No.
She can't ignore it anymore.
This isn't just some flirtatious idiot trying to get under her skin.
This is dangerous.
Real danger.
She remembers how easily he shrugged off her threats.
How he smiled at her insults.
How he looked at her when he thought she wasn't paying attention.
There was no fear.
There was no anger.
There was only something worse.
Amusement.
As if he were waiting.
As if he were planning.
As if he already owned her.
Darcy breathes out slowly, cold mist escaping her lips despite the spring air.
She clenches her fists.
"If he's a threat to Finn... Then it doesn't matter how handsome he is"
"It doesn't matter how weak he pretends to be"
"I'll end him!"
That night
Kain sat at his desk again, pretending to study.
Another "boring, normal night."
He hums a little tune under his breath.
Pretends to fumble with his pen.
He knows.
He can feel it.
A presence outside his window again.
But this time it's not stealthy.
Not shy.
Not cute.
It's heavy.
Sharp.
Full of intent.
Darcy is watching him.
No.
Darcy is hunting him.
She's up in a tree, half-shadow, half-anger.
Hand resting casually on the hilt of a dagger.
Eyes narrowed, analyzing him.
She's not looking at his face anymore.
She's watching how he moves.
How he breathes.
How he positions himself between walls and exits.
"That's no normal boy," Darcy mutters under her breath.
"That's a fucking nightmare in human skin"
Her loyalty to Finn flares hotter.
Her determination triples.
If she has to break rules—
If she has to kill a student—
So be it.
Meanwhile, inside, Kain finally smiles, a slow, genuine grin that cuts across his face like a scar.
He taps his pen lightly on the desk and thinks:
'Good, little assassin. Good'
'Chase me'
'Hunt me'
'Become obsessed with me'
'The more you hate me'
'The deeper you'll fall when you break'
He stretched lazily, about to head to bed when.
Slip!
He lets a thread of his true aura slip out.
A low, choking pressure fills the room like a rising tide of blood.
His smile vanishes.
"Ah... shit!"
Outside the window.
Darcy feels it.
Her instincts SCREAM.
No time.
No thinking.
No words.
Only action.
The window shatters.
Darcy bursts through in a flash of silver and death.
Daggers glint in the moonlight.
Her boots slam into the ground.
She lunges.
A blur.
A whisper of death.
But Kain—
He moves with a grace not meant for mortals.
Sidestepping so fluidly, it seems like he phases through reality itself.
A lazy smirk on his face.
The illusion around him flickers, then dies.
And what stands there now...
No longer the "weakling" boy.
No longer the lazy, harmless flirt.
But a monster.
Broad, ripped muscles that look like they could bend iron beams.
Each movement hums with barely contained destruction.
His hand flexes—
[ ECLIPSE GAUNTLETS ] materialize in a burst of black and crimson light.
[ BLOOD DEMON CAPE ] unfurls behind him, swallowing the moon's glow.
He looks like something summoned straight from a dying god's nightmare.
Kain chuckles, voice dripping with amused malice.
"Cute. You're actually trying!"
He swings once.
The shockwave obliterates the remains of his window.
Darcy dodges by the width of a hair, flipping backward with insane grace.
'She's amazing!'
Fast.
Sharp.
Precise.
Kain's heart thumps in excitement.
This isn't boring.
This isn't easy.
This is fun.
The battle spilled outside.
Students jolt awake to faint tremors but are kept asleep by Kain's passive [Sleep] Field skill.
The moon watches silently.
Darcy pants, knives ready, eyes narrow.
"Who the hell are you?"
Kain grins, stepping closer, boots cracking the earth underfoot.
"No need to answer," she growls, steadying herself.
"But I will ask one thing"
She points a dagger at his chest.
"If you're a threat to Finn... I'll kill you where you stand"
Kain stops, genuinely amused.
The bloodlust rolling off her is real.
Her loyalty is unbreakable.
Her resolve is beautiful.
And Kain...
Kain almost wants to let her try.
Almost.
Instead—
He raises a single finger, pressing it against his lips in mock secrecy.
"Shh. Little assassin," he murmurs.
"Secrets taste sweeter when you fight for them"