The moment Nikolai Volkov stepped into Blackwood Academy, Adrian Calloway knew he had a problem.

Ace had ruled this school for years—top of every class, captain of the debate team, effortlessly charming. He had power, influence, and a last name that meant something. Then he arrived. Niko, the arrogant transfer with sharp eyes and a sharper tongue, who didn’t just challenge Ace’s reign—he threatened to tear it down.

Their war began in the classroom, silent at first. Niko aced every test, dissected every discussion with ruthless precision, and made sure Ace knew it. Ace retaliated by ensuring Niko never found solid ground—undermining his points in debates, beating him in competitions, making sure he stayed one step ahead. Soon, their hatred spilled into the halls, the lunch tables, the very air of Blackwood itself.

Every glance between them was a loaded gun. Every conversation was a battle of wit, words twisted into weapons. They weren’t just rivals—they were predators in the same territory, circling, waiting for the other to fall.

But the problem with a war like this? Sooner or later, someone has to lose.