You turned to him abruptly, your patience wearing thin, eyes burning with frustration and desperation. Gripping his wrist tightly, you yanked him closer, your voice sharp but hushed, a whisper-yell that barely contained your emotions.

You didn’t just grab his sleeve—you yanked his tie, hard. The silk tightened around his collar as you pulled him down to your level, your faces mere inches apart. His breath hitched, and for the first time, you saw something flicker in his expression—shock, followed by something feverish. His cheeks flushed a faint pink, his pupils dilating as he shuddered under your hold.

"Now, tell me—why did you suggest this institution?" you whisper-yelled, your grip on his tie unwavering. "Did Maya enroll here? Or is one of those Tainted freaks who claimed her lurking inside these walls?"

His lips parted slightly, but no immediate answer came. His breath fanned against your skin, uneven, almost trembling, but you refused to back down. You tugged his tie again, just enough to make him tense, and his blush deepened.

"How do you know Maya’s here? How do I find her?!"

Ran let out a quiet, breathy laugh, one laced with an unsettling fondness. His fevered gaze darted between your eyes and your lips before he finally spoke, his voice thick with something unspoken.

“Ah… If you keep looking at me like that, dear, I might just get the wrong idea.”

"Tell me. Now."

Your voice was laced with uncontrollable rage, your grip on his tie unwavering.

Ran let out a breathy chuckle, his feverish eyes locked onto yours. "Well, can you let go of me first? Not that I mind this closeness. In fact, it proves that you really love me."

Your scowl deepened. With a sharp push, you shoved him away, making him stagger back slightly. Despite the force, he merely smoothed out his blazer, his ever-present grin never faltering. His crimson eyes gleamed with twisted amusement.

"Feisty as always," he mused, straightening his tie like you hadn’t just used it to nearly choke him. "I do enjoy when you get rough with me, my dear."

You crossed your arms, nails digging into your sleeves to suppress the burning frustration rising in your chest. "Talk," you demanded. "Now."

Ran hummed, tapping a finger against his chin in mock contemplation. "Alright, alright. No need to glare daggers at me, my love." His smirk widened. "I happened to overhear something interesting from a... let’s call him a ‘business associate.’ He works for one of my family's well-known rivals. Their goon was bragging about capturing some ‘orange-haired beauty’ who happened to be an Untainted."

Your stomach dropped.

Maya.

He continued, his tone dripping with nonchalance as if he were discussing the weather. "Apparently, they caught her a few weeks ago. But that’s all I know. What happened to her after that? No clue.”

Your entire body tensed, rage bubbling beneath your skin like molten lava. Your fists clenched so tightly your nails threatened to break through your palms. Your jaw tightened, the pressure making your teeth ache.

"You’re telling me she was captured weeks ago," you hissed, barely containing your fury. "And you’re just mentioning this now?"

Ran simply shrugged. "Well, darling, you never asked."

You nearly lunged at him again, but you forced yourself to remain still. Every fiber of your being screamed at you to wipe that smug expression off his face, but losing control wouldn’t get you the answers you needed.

"Then I assume they’re here?" you whispered, voice sharp like a blade. "Attending this godforsaken school?"

Ran’s smile didn't falter. "Yes."

Your heart pounded. That meant Maya could still be within these walls. Still alive.

"Then who?" you pressed, stepping forward. "Who are they?"

Ran tilted his head, feigning innocence. "Ah, now that, my dear, I won’t tell you. It’d put you in danger. And I can’t have that, can I?"

Your hands curled into fists at your sides. "I don’t care about the danger! If you and your family are allied with them, then you can probably request her release, right?!"

Ran’s playful demeanor shifted slightly, his gaze sharpening. "Uh-oh, no-no-no." He tutted, swinging a finger at you as if you were a disobedient child. "That’s impossible, my dear. We cannot cross their lines."

Your anger surged. "Cannot, or will not?"

Ran sighed dramatically, as if your insistence exhausted him. "Darling, you have no idea what you’re asking." His tone, though still laced with amusement, held a warning beneath it. "This isn’t as simple as you think. These people? They’re not just students of Elysium—they are backed by power far beyond what you can imagine. Their family’s influence is absolute within these walls. If I make the wrong move, it won’t just be my family’s alliance at stake—it’ll be war."

Your stomach twisted. You didn’t give a damn about alliances or wars—you just wanted Maya back.

"And yet, you suggested I enroll here," you bit out. "You knew Maya was taken, you knew the ones responsible are here, and yet you pushed me to come anyway."

Ran’s lips curled into something softer—almost fond, almost reverent. "Because I know you, my love." His voice lowered, like a secret just for you. "You wouldn’t rest until you got your answers. And I would rather have you close, under my watch, than let you run into a den of wolves alone."

You stared at him, trying to decipher the layers of meaning hidden beneath his words.

"You’re lying," you accused. "This isn’t just about keeping me safe. You have an agenda."

Ran’s smirk returned, but his eyes gleamed with something darker. "Of course I do." He didn’t even bother denying it. "But does it really matter? At the end of the day, we both want the same thing—you want Maya, and I…" His gaze softened. "I want you."

A shiver ran down your spine, and you weren’t sure if it was from anger or something else entirely.

"So what now?" you asked, voice steady despite the turmoil within. "What’s your grand plan?"

Ran chuckled, stepping closer—close enough that his scent, something rich and slightly intoxicating, invaded your space. "Simple," he murmured. "You play your part. You blend in. You let me take care of the details."

You frowned. "You expect me to sit back and do nothing?"

"Not nothing," he corrected. "You’ll be under our family’s sponsorship. That means they won’t question your sudden presence here." His fingers ghosted over the edge of your sleeve. "Your new identity? A Manipulative Tainted. Fitting, don’t you think?" His lips twitched. "Though personally, I’d have preferred you as a Delusional. We’d make a lovely pair, you and I."

You scoffed, pulling away. "Not happening."

Ran sighed dramatically. "A shame, really." His hand slipped into his pocket, and he retrieved a small, elegantly crafted ID card. Your name was already printed on it—along with the label Tainted: Manipulative Variety.

"You had this ready before I even agreed, didn’t you?"

He grinned. "Darling, I knew you’d agree. It was only a matter of time."

You snatched the card from his fingers, staring at it. The weight of what you were about to do pressed against your chest like a vice.

There was no turning back now.

Ran leaned in slightly, his voice dropping to a near whisper. "Welcome to Elysium, my dear." His smirk widened. "Try not to fall apart too soon."