Time skip. 8 years later.

Reading is like an Ocean. The longer you swim, the longer you read, you lose the grip, you get detached from the world. And then you sink into the words, and for a few minutes in your life, you can breathe freely. But then..

"Mr.Avederio, I assume you prefer to read instead of paying attention to the class."

I raised my head calmly, not caring about the glances that few of the other students managed to throw at me. But I could sense them. Some of them were filled with sarcasm, some looked...scared and the most intense smell was jealousy, envy. I understand it. The fact that there is a boy in your class from royal status, from one of the most powerful families in the world, while your parents are mere low class CEO businessmen is a harsh reality to accept. But that doesn't mean that you shouldn't take it into consideration. Respect is what we demand.

"Your assumption is correct," I answered calmly, giving him an artless smile. He hummed as a response. people giving in so easily was no fun. I was not dreading a conversation, but sometimes it's satisfying to see someone argue back, who is not afraid of your status, but I suppose, I'm already aware that it will not happen. My eyes went back to the book when the man started to walk back to his place, dismissing the lesson.

I felt someone's sharp gaze burn holes in my neck and I didn't need to turn around, knowing who it was. Sylvia. She was the daughter of the lawyer. Her father does the job of defending the bad men, us, from the prison, and truth be told, he is not that bad at his job. I have met him. He is rather serious, and knows how to act around upper classes. Has guts to look at the dead body, with the blood and brain splattered on the ground. Unlike his daughter. Sylvia, is a ticking bomb, she snaps at everything and everyone, she does not follow the etiquette and is rather, interesting. The way she dresses and styles her hair. She seems like an angel from outside, but I can't help but see Jeanne d'Arc in her. Will she get burned by her own fire? "Hey." I don't look up, I keep my eyes glued to the book, what does she want now?

"Do you have time for the bonfire ritual tonight, or are you busy having dinner with your 'pa-pa"" she was mimicking me. A childish game she played, indeed. I heard multiple laughs behind me. I smiled. She was funny. "I am free today, but what would it be for me to attend your child's play?" I asked, finally closing the book as I noted the page. 167. "Tsk, look what we have here, a little kitten acting as if she was an equal to us. You mustn't even speak without our permission " Samuel Crowford. An heir of our mafia rival. I am not friends with him, but I have to act as if I am, since when he gets the role of the leader and so do I, we have to get along to end this rivalry between us. He is cunt.

"You better not forget who saved your maudlin father from the lifetime sentence." She spat. The girl knows how to argue, how to play with words. This seemed to rile Samuel up, as he took a few steps towards her and to my surprise, she backed down. That's when I stand up. "A dinner with my father is much more important than you frying marshmallows at the bonfire. So excuse me," I said, turning to Samuel who just glanced at her one last time, with the most disgusted gaze and walked out of the auditorium. "I don't need your protection." brave words to say from a girl who was just quivering a second ago. "I said what I meant to say, and you should learn your place." With that, the sweet conversation was done, even though I ached for more. What was this feeling? I ignored it and put on my helmet, but it got worse. All the thoughts that I was trying to spill out of my head, got stuck and started to increase, ready to burst. I ignored it, lately, being carefree is what I got good at.

The adrenalin filled my veins and I felt the blood rush through them as if it was gasoline and oxygen was fire. I was on fire. And I fucking liked it.

I slowed down as I approached the area of my house. Dad had multiple cameras set up around this place and I definitely don't want him to see me latching forward like this. 'Don't let me see you riding dementedly, or you can say goodbye to your bike.'

Hell no.

"Hey, Rodery." I smirked, taking off my helmet and tossed it at one of the guards. He caught it one handedly and I winked.

"Take care of her for me, will you?"

"Of course, sir" satisfaction.

I walked into the house, plopping down on the couch with my backpack, which had only two books in it, aside. If it was up to me, I wouldn't even go to university. You might wonder what's the point of all of this, I can have anything I want in a blink of an eye anyways. The thing is, I'm bored. I always have free time and plus, seeing lecturers struggle to answer my questions is fun. I like the mind torture. I heard faint whining from behind me and I grinned knowing who it was,

"Here, boy" It was Morte. His mouth hung open, with his tongue showing.I patted his head when he sat between my parted legs, moving my hand behind his ear, knowing it was his favourite spot to scratch. Morte always scared everyone, even the maids and some guards, because of his appearance. Everyone kept saying that he looked like death, and that's where his name, Morte, came. But he was not that scary at all, he knew how to protect and how to shield. Morte is my best friend. Like my brother.

"Matthias,"

I snapped out of my thoughts and hung my head back, seeing the reversed version of my father.

"Dad? You're home at this hour?" I glanced at my phone. This was a surprise, a nice surprise indeed. He was normally home at six or seven.

"Is there a problem with that?"

Dad and I have a special bond. That was slowly strengthened by the pain and grief. This is not the right time to talk about this.

"Not at all, on the contrary." His fingers knotted through my curls as he hummed, the previous thoughts finally rushing out freely and my mind was at peace. He was my home.

"Anything new?" I just hummed. I was feeling too relaxed to talk about anything right now. He seemed to understand so he didn't remove his hand, instead he brushed my unruly hair, trying to untangle the furiously attached curls. It felt nice. "I'm tired," I was the one to break the comfortable silence and he flicked my forehead, making me shoot my eyes open to see his right corner of the lip slightly twitched up. After so many years, it was still rare for him to smile genuinely.

"Go and rest before dinner, I will wake you"

Actually, listening to your father was sometimes the right thing to do.

—--------------

Or sometimes not.

I rushed forward, quickly hopping over my motorcycle, ignoring the firm demands that dad was shooting from behind me and I quickly drove away, going as fast as I could. I had to get there before they did, before Samuel's people would. I had to get there for her.

Just a few minutes ago, I got a text from an unknown number, with evidence that showed what was going to happen at the bonfire. Samuel wanted to make Sylvia pay for her snarls. I knew he had a high pride, but never expected such moves. Just because of a few words that Sylvia spluttered about his foolish father, he was going to teach her a lesson? I went even faster. I had forgotten my helmet, I had no time to put it on. I just speeded, ignoring the useless thoughts that kept going back to my father and how he would react when I would eventually return. But the fear that the bastard would hurt Sylvia was far greater than any other thoughts.

Since when did I care about her? Since when have I gone against my father's word for someone. This was absurd.

I arrived at the location. It was dark but I could see the dimmed light of the fire and I ran towards it. Fear that it would be late once I arrive wrapped around my heart like thorns. I should have gone there in the first place. My heart was drumming through my chest, and it stilled when I saw Sylvia in front of a gun. I moved before I thought and quickly shielded her, my gaze darkening when I met the disgusting features of the snake. The Crowford bastard. "Lower your gun." I spoke slowly, a warning, which I gave only once. His eyes were shaped confusedly. He looked at me and then behind my back, but I straightened even more, standing at my full height, trying to hide Sylvia. He did follow my command, good for him.

"She needs to be taught a lesson," He spat and I felt her press up on my back, her form quivering. I moved my attention to the fuming dog in front of me.

"She does indeed," she flinched.

"But you have no right to enter my territory and withdraw your gun. It's against the rules, Samuel." He stared at me with a plain face for a few moments, and just then I noticed unfamiliar figures right behind him,without breaking an eye contact, probably his men. He didn't even have the guts to hurt a girl alone. Pussy.

He smiled and shoved the gun in his waist. Raising his arms to surrender.

"Take your man and leave," I tilted my head higher and he took a few steps back, smirking.

"You can't hide forever, little rat. I will find you." As if I would let him harm her. Samuel finally stepped away and I resisted the sigh that urged me to leave my lips. I flicked my eyes to others, I recognised some of their faces but some I didn't, they scurried away. And it was just me and her still shaking frame behind me. I didn't move until she got away, and when she finally did I turned around, a smirk smudging over my face. He still had the guts to look at me fiercely after all this? "I didn't know this was your territory," she stated, raising her head slightly. Oh, so what's happening now? She is changing a subject?

"A thank you would have been wonderful" I crossed my arms and she did the same. Little parrot.

"He wouldn't have shot anyways, he just wanted to scare me."

"And he did scare you,"

"No he didn't."

I glanced down at her hand, which was still trembling and she got the hint, clenching it into a fist. I ignored it and she looked away. Who was she fooling?

I poured the water on the fire and stomped on it few times, making sure that the whole forest wouldn't burn down because of this one stupid bonfire party.

"Thank you," I heard a small mutter and I stilled for a second, completely unexpected from her. My nerves flicked.

"Why were you here alone."

Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "I wasn't, there were others."

"I meant, why wasn't there anyone to guard you or look after you? Did your father not sign a guard for you?" She glanced away, her hands fidgeting with each other slightly. I huffed letting out a chuckle. A small rulebreaker we have here.

"So, how did the princess manage to escape?" I teased as we walked back and Sylvia rolled her eyes.

"He isn't home," A small answer and her tone was enough for me to understand that she was not in the mood for this talk. And I wasn't either. We approached the exit, where my bike was and a car next to it, which I didn't notice earlier. Probably hers. I still asked out of.. Politelness.

"Need a ride?"

She huffed and shoved her hand in her pocket, pulling out her car keys. Silly little girl. Moving towards her I grasped her shoulders and turned her around to face me.

"There is a high chance that he had cut your wires before leaving, so I don't recommend driving that until you get it checked out." Her eyes widened and she looked at the car, as if she could detect it herself. My phone buzzed in my pocket for the 10th time since I left, but only now I paid attention to it. **Dad** In my office.

Shit. He will be pissed.

I sighed and swiftly hopped on my bike, glancing back at her.

"So. Need a ride?"

A smile.





SURPRISEEE!!! who would've thought that a sweet child would start to develop into a grown, independent man. Matthias, Matthias, tsk. You are even surprising an Author.