━━━━༻ ♥ ༺━━━━ system 00100000 ━━━━༻ ♥ ༺━━━━

Tristan was, unsurprisingly, in an irritable mood. His jaw was set as he stalked to the ringing hallway phone and snatched the receiver up, still maintaining his royalty's grace. "Tristan Knight speaking," he said without any particular rancor, though his mood was anything but. He already had a good idea who the caller was."Ajumeoni?"

(A/N: "Ajumeoni" is a polite way of addressing married or middle-aged women in Korean. Note that their following conversation is in Korean)

A raspy undertone that came with age to an otherwise smooth voice answered his prompt. "Yes, Tristan dear?" An older female said in perfect Korean. "How have you been lately?"

The male forced his initial anger down and held back a sigh. "Fine. How are you, ajumeoni?"

"I'm perfectly chipper, thank you for asking. How's my grandson doing?"

The only Kim relative who cared about Kim Jaehyun in a mindset that wasn't steered towards profit and business: his grandmother and a bonafide sculptor.

"K—excuse me, your grandson is doing fine," he said tonelessly, choosing to leave out the part about the Game. The less she knew the better. "I heard Mr. and Mrs. Kim will be arriving here soon?"

"Change of plans," the elderly woman said with an annoyed sigh. "Those people. If he wasn't my son I'd give him a good beating with the lack of care he shows towards my poor Jaehyun. Maybe I should do that anyway." There was a moment of silence before she remembered something. "Oh! Your friend, the reliable one—Leon, was it?"

"Yes, that's his name."

"Yes, yes. I heard his father was coming by soon. Those two..." she trailed off, choosing her words carefully. "They're not on good terms, are they?"

That's one way to put it. "I'm afraid estrangement does that to people."

The woman let out a long sigh. "I can't say I approve of the father too much...but well, I have good news for Leonard—"

"Leon, ajumeoni. It's Leon Matthews."

"Oh dear, a slip of the tongue. Leon. I heard his brother is going to stay with you boys for the time being. His—aunt? Grandmother? Which was it?—can't hold out against the father's pressure for much longer."

That was news to him. Even Tristan hadn't heard of that. "Conan?" He frowned. "I was not informed of this." He switched the phone to his other ear as he pulled out his smartphone to check. It took him a few tries to get the password in.

"It was a last-minute decision," the woman sighed. "Well, that's that. I must get going now, even though I dreadfully miss my grandson...send him my regards, will you? I'll be sending a package of his favorite snack over when I can!"

"Y-yes," Tristan mumbled uncomfortably. Jaehyun's grandmother never failed to make him falter. The sheer amount of devotion and unwavering love she had for her only grandson always made him stumble. How one person could be so affectionate towards another astounded him.

He placed the phone back down with a satisfying click. He felt tired all of a sudden and made his way back to his room where he collapsed down in his usual spot, a chair by the window. The fatigue made his muscles slack, though a part of him still remained on guard, even in his own home. Not that he considered this place home; it was merely a cage for his "father" to monitor his third son. His son who was "too perfect."

His father had always been a paranoid man. And he was afraid of him. Afraid of his own son. Afraid that his genius son would pluck the crown from his head and kick him out of the safe castle called Fortuna Institute he and his ancestors have built over the years.

It was safer to entrust it to Tristan's older brothers, his father believed. They believed in the tradition. They believed in the Games.

Tristan did not.

A soft knock on his door drew him out of his brooding. "Come in," he said with the tired sigh of a whisper but the steeliness of an order. The door opened and Leon stepped inside, closing the door behind him.

Tristan shifted ever so slightly in his seat, crossing one leg over the other like usual and leaning his head against a hand. "Perfect timing. I have news for you." Leon's eyes slid to his, the only indication he gave of his interest. "Your brother will be coming to stay with us. From Kim's grandmother's tone, I expect him to be here by tomorrow."

The black-haired male's eyes widened, subtly, but enough for Tristan to catch it. "Are you not pleased?"

"No..." Leon began slowly. "Did something happen on his side?"

Tristan held back a sigh, knowing full well the news could send the easily angered male into a rage. "Your father. He's...pressuring her. And," he held up a finger before Leon could lash out. "He'll be visiting the dorm, most likely tomorrow."

"And why do you sound so pleased by that?" Leon growled, his larger frame visibly shaking as it took his all to reign in his anger. "Why the f*ck would I let that son of a b*tch come anywhere near Connie?!"

"Think about it," Tristan said as if he was a teacher scolding a student. "This dorm is rather isolated compared to the rest. Not even my father knows what happens here. All they care about is that we're in one place."

Leon's scowl didn't fade but he calmed down a little. "And your point is?"

Tristan rarely smiled. But when he did, there were only three kinds he gave. The polite business smile, the smile he didn't know he had in him but only showed to a certain (h/c)-haired girl and lastly, one that wasn't a far cry from Kieran's—that annoying bugger—devious smirks.

Lethal, wicked, and most of all, subtle.

"Who would ever notice if another person went missing?"

TEMPUS:DORM ━━━━━༻ ❀ ༺━━━━━ мσяηιηg

Fear. Then anger. That was all (Y/n) felt as she woke up that morning. It had been a normal day for her; a dreamless night, no interruptions with the name of snowman or Yeti, and a lifetime supply of pillows she used to only be able to dream of owning. It was a habit of hers to scan the room whenever she woke up—a habit from the past she's never been to shrug off.

And there, on her table, was a familiar-looking mug that always belonged on her shelf at home. Her real home. Her apartment with her father.

It wasn't supposed to be here. There was no way someone had coincidentally found a perfect copy, even with that little chip on the rim, and left it in her room as a present. It only meant one thing.

They had gone inside her apartment. They had intruded upon her privacy.

And her father—oh God—her hands clenched tightly around the sheets. If they did anything to him...or if my father had the bad luck to be home this one time—

Tristan would erase all witnesses. Wasn't she the prime example?

She seized the mug from the table and stormed downstairs in all her pajamas and tousled hair glory, to the kitchen where she was sure they were. And they were. She flung open the door, her face completely unamused as the kitchen's inhabitants looked up curiously.

"Nice clothes you have on," Kieran said as he took a sip of his drink, his arm slung over the back of his chair. He raked his eyes up her form appreciatively. "Could use a little less cloth though. Need some help?"

She ignored his provocations and gestured angrily to the cup in her hand. "May I ask how you people got this?" She said through gritted teeth, barely able to restrain her anger.

Now Leon was interested. He turned around from where he was making his coffee but didn't say anything. Only looked at the mug with disinterest before his eyes flickered, momentarily, to Tristan. But it was enough for her to catch it.

"P—Tristan," she sneered. "You have anything to do with it?"

Tristan's hand paused in midair at the mention of his name. He lowered the teacup onto the table and turned his steel-blue gaze to her. "You're making a big deal over...a mug?"

"Not just any mug!" (Y/n) half-spluttered half-shouted. "It's my mug. From home. Where it should be right now. But it's not. Any explanation?"

Kieran let out a low whistle and folded his hands behind his head. "Didn't know you were one for breaking and entering, Trish-chan~"

"I'm not." Tristan shot him a harsh glare. "I assumed you'd be more comfortable with your things so I had people bring them over. Was the mug the only thing you noticed?"

True, there were other of her old things lying neatly around the room but she could barely think of that.

That still didn't excuse what they did. "This mug was my mother's. You have no right to just go into my place and take it. What did you do to my dad—threaten him? Silence him?"

Tristan's cool mask slipped, just a little, and irritation flashed brightly in his eyes. "Is that how you think of me?" He asked in a dangerously low voice. "That the only tongue I know is coercion?"

"Have you done otherwise?"

"Touché," Kieran purred softly with evident amusement in his voice. That annoying arse was enjoying this. "Ladies don't like a man without a gentle touch. Or those who are too straight forward."

Tristan's brow twitched, the only sign that he was affected by her words. "If you are going to stay here, it would be best if you got comfortable—"

She sucked in a sharp breath. "But I don't want to stay here!" She almost threw her hands up in exasperation had it not been for the mug in her hand. "I want to leave! Can't you get that through that thick skull of yours?!"

"I don't understand—"

"Don't understand?! You have my best friend locked up in the basement! Sure, you're not torturing him or anything but you threatened to cut off his fingers!"

Maybe that wasn't the best idea she's had, lashing out at them like that, but her anger had gotten the best of her.

Tristan's face hardened as he glared at her, a poisonous retort no doubt ready at the tip of his tongue, able to be fired at any moment, but something was holding him back. He didn't say anything for a few moments so was she as they glared at each other. It helped that he was sitting—she didn't have to lose more pride and crane her head up just to look at him.

"I...was not aware they were of sentimental value to you," he finally said in a gruff voice, forcing the words out through his teeth like they were bitter. "You have my apologies."

She gave him an unimpressed look and inclined her head towards him. "Do I? I don't have a trace of a sorry since the time you kidnapped Reese."

He looked like he wanted to argue the k-word again but wisely chose not to. "I...apologize for entering your apartment without permission." Both of them knew full well he couldn't pass it off as her father allowing him to take the things. Aaron White never allowed (Y/n) to live at the dorms—if she did, he might've understood. But she didn't, so he wouldn't listen to some blueberry who waltzed in and demanded his daughter's things.

"Fine. I accept your apology." She restrained herself from making air quotes around the word apology. It wouldn't do her any good to provoke him more. And pettiness equaled instant karma.

Two people at war. That was the intensity of the sparks crackling in the air between their gazes. And they weren't the delicious kind of sparks. They were the kind that made her want to pull out more hair, whip up her nonexistent alien spaceship and send them all to the vacuum of space.

His eyes glistened. Under his ice-cold exterior was a flame inside his chest. A cold one or a burning hot one, she didn't know.

"I'll be in my room," she spat out towards the three. "Don't come if you don't need me. Don't come even if you need me."

"So soon?" Kieran said with an edge of reluctance. "How about we make that my room instead?"

"You're really pushing it here, snowman. Really pushing it."

His eyes twinkled, no doubt about to fire off another dirty innuendo. (Y/n) mentally groaned—she really wasn't in the mood for this today.

"No," she cut him off before he could say anything. "Gotta make sure Tristan 2.0 didn't shat on the carpet." And with that said, she was gone, making a beeline for her room before WWIV occurred.

Real Tristan's face was priceless.

Kieran, that bugger, was enjoying this way too much.

TEMPUS:DORM ━━━━━༻ ❀ ༺━━━━━ ℓαtєя

"I am coming, you arse!" (Y/n) shouted angrily as she ripped through the contraption of strings and sparse cloth Kieran called clothes to the ones she normally wore. Potato bags.

"Not enough!" Kieran called back from just outside her door in a teasing voice. "Though I'd prefer to hear that when you're—"

"Not being rushed!"

How the prick managed to convince her to leave her room, albeit unwillingly, you really didn't want to know. It consisted of a lot of his usual teasings through the door and the iPhone alarm being put on repeat for ten hours. Not to mention him threatening to "serenade" her with Baby.

Beavers, she shuddered. Ugh.

But it did the trick. She was out of her room. She even contemplated locking herself out in the balcony again but even through the glass and her hands over her ears, she could still hear his laughing voice. She was close to blowing a fuse.

"One minute, babe!"

"Fudge you too!" She scowled, slamming open the door. "Okay, I'm here! The heck do you want?"

Kieran tapped his chin as he observed her, a roguish smirk dancing on his lips. "Why didn't you wear the clothes I picked out for you?"

"You mean these things?" She pulled out a lacy garment that belonged in an underwear ad. "These can't even be considered undergarments, and you want me to wear them as normal clothes?"

He shrugged, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Called up a few girls to organize your wardrobe. That's what they picked out. Though"—he winked at her—"Can't say I'm complaining."

"You asked your flings to make a wardrobe for another girl?" She didn't know who was crazier, him or those girls.

"They know I share everything." He leaned forward so fast she didn't have time to move away, his nose nearly brushing her skin. "Including myself."

"I hear syphilis is a terrible thing to catch," (Y/n) stated matter-of-factly, pushing his face away from hers.

He sulked a bit at her rejection and threw his hands behind his head. "Who am I to deny my great company to the ladies?"

"Think of the diseases. Think of them."

"I'll have you know I've never caught anything in my life. I have standards."

"Great," she said, closing and locking the door behind her. She shifted the bag she was holding to the other arm, Tristan 2.0 running circles around her legs and growling before hiding behind a vase. "But I didn't ask."

"You sounded curious," Kieran said as he easily caught up to her. When she turned the hallway, speeding up to lose him, he only quickened his pace and walked to her other side. "Finally discovered what you're missing out on?"

"Yeah. I'm overjoyed."

It wasn't just his teasing that put her on edge. Jaehyun's confession yesterday...and the way he smiled, so innocent and affection but at the same time some about it set her on an edge. There was something in his face that made her uneasy. Even the way he hummed and tilted his head cutely, awaiting her answer, it didn't feel right. Something felt off. Like he's just found a new game caught in his trap.

In her troubling thoughts, she didn't notice Kieran was still talking to her. He'd been saying something and then fell silent when he noticed she seemed out of it. Thinking hard about something he'd bet a pretty penny he knew what it was. Something, or someone that wasn't him.

And for some reason, that filled him with a bitter sense of irritation and disappointment that drowned him in a gray flood, rancid as ashes and sharp as briars.

It was a new feeling, and he really didn't like it.

"Come on, you're going the wrong way," Kieran interrupted her thoughts with forced cheeriness. She let out a surprised yelp as his hands clamped down on her shoulders and he began steering her in a new direction. "The pool's that way~ Did you get changed into your swimming costume yet? Or did you need help? I'd be more than happy to help."

(A/N: swimsuit is swimming costume, bathing suit, or cozzy in the UK)

"I'm going to have to turn down that offer," (Y/n) drawled after recovering from her initial surprise. "And remind me why we're going to the pool?" She wasn't even surprised they had a pool at this point and even less that he suddenly suggested they went to one. Another one of their whims, she reasoned.

"Why not?" was his coy response.

Called it.

The pool they arrived at was an outside one. Google "rich people pool," take that image, slap it into this story, and that would be about right. The (h/c)-haired girl eyed the crystalline waters with distrust while Kieran's grin was really starting to border on catlike.

But first, she had to give him another good smack. "The only reason I'm here is because I refuse to listen to your off-key singing." She slapped his hand away from where it was creeping awfully close to the hem of her shirt. Even if she had a swimsuit underneath, there was no way she was letting this arse hole undress her.

That came out wrong.

Kidding. To hell with it. She went to the opposite end of the pool and plopped herself down on a beach chair. There was no way she was getting in that water. Swimming? More like floating. Facedown. In the water. Drowning.

Yup.

"You can't swim?" She turned away as Kieran pulled off his shift and slid easily into the pool, barely making a splash. He dove under the water and reappeared in front of her, his hair hanging limply over his eyes.

"I can float," she offered, wrinkling her nose as he shook his head obnoxiously, the droplets hitting her face. "Stop it. You're getting me wet—no please, don't say anything!"

He shrugged, a suggestive smirk still on his face. "I didn't say anything."

"I hear that unsaid 'yet.' You're tolerable when you don't talk."

"First compliment from you," he sighed, folding his arms on the bank and resting his chin on it. He was still in the pool and looked perfectly content to stay in it. "I'm flattered."

(Y/n) wiped the water from her arms and lifted an eyebrow. "Second, you mean. You asked me for a compliment last time. I gave one."

"Did you? Must've slipped my mind."

"Rude."

The rest of the morning was spent with Kieran trying to get her into the pool. She refused, arguing that she was busy being one with the chair and was allergic to swimming. He did manage to draw a laugh from her as he did his usual dissing Tristan Knight skit. Taking advantage of her momentary distraction, he pulled himself up before she could react and threw her into the pool.

Pool plus (Y/n) was not a good equation. It resulted in a drowned rat. An angry drowned rat.

"YOU BUGGER! I'M GOING TO FEED YOU TO TRISTAN 2.0!"

"As tempting as that sounds, I'm not into that sort of thing—WAIT NOT THE HAIR AGAIN!"

For a moment, she almost forgot about her situation, about her friend in the basement, about Jason's strange death, and about Jaehyun's cold smile. She almost forgot that even now as she kicked Kieran back into the pool, Tristan was most likely going forth with his plan in dethroning his father.

Her role in all of it still confused her. Was Tristan only bringing her here just to satisfy Jaehyun? That thought was absurd. Why would he agree to a single kid's demands?

Nevermind that. (Y/n) had a pretty good idea what she'd do next, no matter what they were up to. Convince the blue-haired male to let her visit Reese every day. If not every day then every other day. And one of those days she'd be prepared to bust open those bars and run over Tristan's blue head with her friend. That would be so satisfying.

Too bad her future still looked bleak. (Y/n) wiped the water from her eyes and dunked Kieran's annoying face under the water. "Keep doing that and I'll dunk you under the water," she scowled.

He came up, spluttering. "Tell me that before you do it," he whined, circling his arms around her and resting his chin on the top of her head. "I think I got water in my eyes. It hurts. Comfort me, (Y/n)-chan~"

"Spit on it."

"Why did I expect anything else?"

Their momentary truce didn't last long, however. And no, it wasn't because (Y/n) got tired of supporting his weight and pushed him back into the pool where he belonged. Okay, maybe it was. A little.

For the most part, it was that furious voice from behind them, laced with poisonous threats of murder.

"What are you doing with him?"

A cold shudder ran down her spine at the dark tone. The cowardly part of her shrunk down but the I-don't-give-two-sh*ts part dared to turn around, her eyes falling on a blond boy who couldn't look more like Lucifer incarnate.

Jaehyun.

"I said," the blond snarled, stalking up to the water's edge. "What are you doing?" Even as he was glaring at Kieran or more specifically, his arms that were still around the (h/c)-haired girl, she felt like he was addressing her.

Before she could open her mouth to speak, Kieran cut her off. "What's it to you?" He said in a sensual purr, not in the least intimidated by the boy's toxic gaze. "Did our little Jay feel left out? Why didn't you say so? I'll recommend you to the nearest daycare."

"I don't think it's a good idea to provoke him right now," (Y/n) hissed urgently, trying to pry his strong arms off. "Kieran!"

"At least you're finally saying my name," he grinned. "Nevermind him, we can move to another location. How about my room—"

"Kieran!" Jaehyun growled, rounding around the pool until he was right in front of the two in the water, glaring down at them. His breaths came out short and jagged, filled with nothing but pure anger.

A slow smile spread wider over Kieran's lips. "Jay~"

"Let go of her right now," the boy steamrolled on, ignoring his comment. "Do it or you'll find yourself without those arms in the next second."

(Y/n) flinched. Something about his tone told her he was completely serious about the threat. She was sure Kieran sensed it too but he barely seemed to react.

"I'll have to turn that offer down. Can't take (Y/n)-chan here to bed if I don't have arms, hmm?" He pressed a kiss to her temple for emphasis, winking at the blond.

Jaehyun snapped. That was the last straw. "KIERAN!" The white-haired male separated from the girl with a laugh, pushing himself further into the pool as the blond dove for him, his fingers swiping through the air. (Y/n) backed into the pool wall with the force of his push. Kieran was still laughing as Jaehyun futilely swiped at him, something in his hand shining silver under the sunlight. She squinted at the object, trying to make out the details. A chain? A key? Or—

Kieran let out a sharp hiss as the object nicked his arm and red instantly bloomed in the water. "Ouch," he whined, blowing on the injury. "Did you have to cut so deep?"

"Not deep enough," Jaehyun seethed, spinning the knife in his hand. "I'll have your entire arm!"

"Didn't you hear me the first time?" The taller male danced back, moving with a gymnast's grace even in the water, vaulting over the floating devices and onto the deck. "I like my arms intact, thank you very much."

"Bloody hell, Kieran!"

A...a knife?! (Y/n) could only watch in horror as the blond wielded the deadly weapon with expertise, each slash coming dangerously near Kieran's vitals. But the white-haired male didn't seem to care. In fact, the close calls and the danger seemed to excite him. He was grinning, and it wasn't the cocky one he usually wore. No, it was a full-on smile with an edge of madness and pure hunger.

"Not good enough!" Kieran laughed as he stepped out of reach of the knife. "You won't be able to touch a single hair on me at that level." Even as he continued to taunt the boy, Jaehyun was far from a beginner. His movements were swift and precise, leaving no room for extra movements. Replace his brush with a knife and it appears that he could wield both with the same level of skill.

(Y/n) had been seriously underestimating the P4.

"I'll kill you...I'll KILL you!" Jaehyun kicked a chair out of his way and threw his knife at the other male who merely tilted his head with a wild grin, the blade embedding itself into the tree behind him. "You're trying to take away what's supposed to be mine...I won't let anyone do that. Not even you!"

"If you're trying to intimidate me it's not working," Kieran said in a sing-song as he dodged another projectile the boy launched his way. "You might want to take a few lessons from Leo-chan. At least he knows how to break my bones the right way."

"Shut up, shut up, shut UP!"

"G-guys!" (Y/n) pulled herself out of the pool, water dripping off her hair and pooling at her feet. A breeze streamed through the space but she barely felt the chill. Stepping as close to the fray as she dared, she held out her hands. "Okay, whatever the issue is here, we don't have to get violent, do we? Jay, please put down that knife—"

She nearly screamed as the blond's furious eyes were suddenly on her. He was suddenly coming in her direction, slamming her against the wall, his hand tight around her neck. "Don't do that again," he said through gritted teeth. The knife, fortunately, was at his side. His grip was tight enough to hold her there but not enough to hurt her.

That didn't make it any more comfortable. "Let go of me!" She snapped, pulling at his wrist and attempting to kick him. Jaehyun didn't dodge her strikes, only continuing to glare at her. If he felt the pain from her hits, he was good at hiding it. "What are you even talking about?!"

"Meeting with Kieran. Talking to him. Looking at him." His eyes searched her face, leaving behind burning trails in his wake. "Him. Anyone. You shouldn't be thinking of anyone but me."

She tried to speak but no sound came out when she opened her mouth. He shook her, his hand falling off her neck and curling around her arms. As she coughed and hacked to regain her breath, his enrage eyes turned sorrowful, almost desperate.

"Come on," he said, his voice a little hoarse. "Hurry up and answer me. I told you I loved you, didn't I? You love me too, don't you? It's impossible to be anyone else...because I erased them all."

"W-what?" Her throat felt scratchy and uncooperative as she struggled to meet his gaze, which suddenly turned thoughtful.

"No...there's one more," he mused. "The annoying one. But Tristan won't let me do anything to him..."

Reese...?!

His face twisted into one of anger again as his fingers dug into her arms painfully. There was definitely going to be a bruise tomorrow. "You should only look at me. Only think of me. You'll do that, (Y/n), won't you?" He shook her harder, unexpected tears pricking his eyes. "Right? Say you will!"

Confusion melted into shock that faded into outrage. She finally found the strength to push him away. He stumbled back, surprise written across his face. When he looked up, his expression was one of disbelief. "W-what are you—"

"If you're looking for a slave to follow your every whim, you're looking in the wrong place," (Y/n) said with controlled anger. "I can only tolerate this for so long. First, forcefully relocating me and Reese and refusing to let us out. And now—you want me to become a mindless puppet? Love? You're deluding yourself. You're not looking forward to a relationship"—Ew, the r-word—"With me. You want a puppet who'd agree to anything you say. And I'm not having any of that."

In the corner of her eye, she saw Kieran stagger to his feet from where Jaehyun had pushed him into a rose bush. He caught her eye and gave her a warning look. Jaehyun's eyes only grew more furious when he realized she wasn't looking at him.

"I get it now." He stepped back. She blinked in confusion. That easy?

"You...do?" She watched him warily as if he was a wounded beast. "So you'll let us go?"

But he was shaking his head, his head hanging down and hiding his face from his eyes. A broken laugh escaped his lips. "I get it," he repeated. His chuckle soon turned into a giggle. "You still don't understand my love. You're still being swayed."

His eyes rose to meet hers and the hollowness—the sheer emptiness in them made her blood chill.

"I should gouge your eyes out..." he whispered, a smile creeping onto his face. "Then you can't look at anyone else. An image of me in your heart is enough."

And with that, he spun around, seizing Kieran who was creeping up on him by the neck and throwing him into the floor with a sickening crack.

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A/N: Going through your amazing dorm name suggestions, I decided on season because why not. Tempus is the Latin word for season. Tempestas is storm or tempest.