14

14
Mirella’s POV

I froze.

My brain didn’t catch up to what I’d just heard. Kaelen Durov had joined my group. Of all people.

The class was still quiet from the shock. Even Iris and the stutterer looked like they’d swallowed their tongues. Kaelen walked towards me, calm and collected, like he owned the room. His voice was even when he said, “You’re the group leader, right? Let’s get started.”

I blinked. “What?”

“You heard me,” he said. “You’ll lead the group. I’ll follow your instructions.”

It was the most absurd thing I’d heard all week. The same Kaelen who commanded everyone in school was suddenly calling me leader? I could hear the whispers around us already starting.

“She’s so dead.”
“He’s just playing with her.”
“She doesn’t know who she’s dealing with.”

Iris kept her eyes down. The stutterer looked like he wanted to vanish into his seat. I folded my arms and looked up at Kaelen. “I don’t want you in my group.”

That set the whole class off. A few gasps, a few laughs. One boy whispered loud enough for everyone to hear, “She’s insane.” Another added, “And proud. Guess suspension didn’t teach her anything.”

Kaelen didn’t react. He just stared at me, expression unreadable. Then, in that calm tone again, he said, “If you can find a replacement, I’ll leave.”

I almost laughed. That didn’t sound hard. I looked around and asked, “Does anyone want to join my group?”

The silence was suffocating. Not one person moved. Not even a nervous cough. Everyone stared straight ahead, pretending not to hear.

My heart sank.

Of course.

No one would dare go against the legions, not when Kaelen was one of them. I felt their eyes on me — pity, fear, and amusement mixed into one.

Kaelen leaned closer, his voice low enough that only I could hear. “You still haven’t learned, have you?”

I glared at him. “Learned what?”

“That power wins,” he said softly. “Always.”

The words stung more than I wanted to admit. He didn’t even sound arrogant — just certain, like it was a law written into the universe. And maybe, in this place, it was.

I clenched my fists under the desk. I hated him for being right. I hated that I had no influence. But more than that, I hated how it made me want it — power. Real power. Enough to make people listen. Enough to crush the same system that made everyone like him untouchable.

The teacher started handing out the project brief, and I forced myself to focus. The topic was something about leadership structures in history. Fitting. Too fitting.

I took a deep breath. “Let’s divide the tasks,” I said quietly. “We’ll handle the research together first.”

Iris gave a small nod, eyes still on her notebook. The stutterer scribbled without lifting his head. Kaelen leaned back in his seat, clearly entertained.

When I began outlining my ideas, he interrupted almost immediately.

“That’s not going to work,” he said.

“Why not?” I asked.

“Your points are too general. You’re missing the practical examples.”

“I was getting there,” I said sharply.

He tilted his head. “Were you?”

I gritted my teeth. “Yes, Kaelen. I was.”

For some reason, he looked amused. “Fine. Go on, then.”

I continued, explaining how we could compare monarchies to modern student leadership models, but he interrupted again.

“Wrong analogy.”

“Then what do you suggest?” I asked, trying to keep my tone calm.

He smiled slightly. “Something real. Something that actually reflects control and obedience. Not everyone follows because they respect you — sometimes they follow because they’re afraid not to.”

I wanted to argue, but part of me knew he was right. And that annoyed me even more.

Still, I said, “It’s a group project, not your personal lecture. Let others contribute too.”

He looked at me, eyes sharp. “They don’t want to talk.”

“They will if you stop breathing down their necks,” I said.

He gave a quiet laugh and leaned back again. “You’re brave, I’ll give you that.”

I didn’t reply. I didn’t need his compliments or his condescending tone. All I wanted was to finish this stupid project and get him as far away from me as possible.

When class ended, I shoved my books into my bag and walked out fast. Iris caught up with me. “Mirella, wait!”

I stopped but didn’t turn around. “What is it?”

She looked around before speaking. “You shouldn’t have talked to him like that. Kaelen doesn’t just join groups. If he did, it’s for a reason.”

I frowned. “What reason?”

“That’s what scares me,” she said quietly. “He doesn’t do things for no reason.”

I folded my arms. “Maybe he just wants to mess with me again.”

She shook her head. “It’s not that simple. The legions always have a motive. And Kaelen—” She hesitated. “He’s different. He plays a long game.”

Iris’s tone made me uneasy, but I refused to let it show. “I’ll handle it,” I said.

“I said the same thing once,” she muttered, eyes dropping to the floor. “And look where it got me.”

That made me pause, but before I could ask what she meant, she forced a smile and waved goodbye.

\---

Later that night, I sat at my desk, laptop open, frustration bubbling in my chest. The screen’s glow painted my face pale as I scrolled endlessly through search results.

“Kaelen Durov.”

Nothing useful. Just articles about student council events, some charity event photos, and a mention of his family name in a business column. His father owned something big — a company or a chain of them. But beyond that, there was nothing.

It was like his life outside this school didn’t exist. No social media. No public profile. Not even gossip threads.

“How?” I muttered. “Everyone leaves a trace.”

But not him.

I leaned back in my chair, rubbing my temples. My mind kept circling back to his words — power wins.

Maybe he was right. Maybe the only way to change this system was to beat it at its own game.

I thought of the stutterer, of the girl in the bathroom, of Iris — all too scared to fight. And then there was me, still angry, still powerless. But for the first time, I didn’t feel hopeless.

I felt determined.

The moment I had enough influence, I’d build something stronger. A new order that didn’t bend to anyone.

The thought of it made my lips curl into a small, quiet smile.

But then another image crept into my mind — Kaelen, leaning close earlier, that calm voice whispering in my ear, You still haven’t learned.

I shook it off and forced myself to look away from the laptop. Enough. He didn’t deserve that space in my head.

I lay down, staring at the ceiling. Sleep didn’t come easily. My mind was restless, filled with half-formed plans and the shadow of Kaelen’s smirk.

When I finally drifted off, I wasn’t sure if I was dreaming — or just sinking deeper into the reality I’d chosen.

And somewhere in that blur between sleep and thought, I could almost hear his voice again.

Soft. Cold. Certain.

Power always wins.