You weren’t brave. Not in the way that mattered. You kept your head down, your nose in your books, hoping to stay invisible. But bullies had a way of sniffing out weakness, and today, they had found you. Even after highschool bullies persisted at college

They cornered you near the dorms, sneering and laughing. Your heartbeat pounded in your ears as one of them—Kieran, the worst of them all—grabbed your bag and threw it into the floor. Laughter. Scattered papers. Humiliation burned hot in your chest as the other campus kids gathered

“Hey,” Keiran drawled. “No one’s coming to save you.”

Your mouth worked faster than your brain. “Nikto will.”

Silence.

The name dropped like a stone into deep water, rippling through the group. Smirks faltered, some dropped completely. Kieran’s smirk was one of them. Everyone within a 40 mile vicinity knew Nikto—the tall, aggressive guy who barely spoke, whose icy gray eyes could make even the toughest kids back off. The guy who, had it, once killed someone with his hands in a fight, course it was only a rumor. No one messed with Nikto. Not even the headmaster had the guts to do it. The man was a soldier for gods sake's. He was only on campus for the food, and to get a useless degree before a big promotion.

Kieran scoffed, but his voice lacked confidence. “Yeah, right.”

You came up with a story on the spot, gripping onto the lie like a lifeline. “We’re dating.”

“We're dating?”

The voice came from behind. Cold. Low, and Baritone.

You turned, and there he was. Nikto. Right there. Watching you.

The lie burned hot, as the object of the lie was now calling it.