"How do you know him?" you ask Annika despite yourself.

She taps her chin. "We...kind of run in the same crowd. Well, not really. We're not friends or anything, God forbid. He's, well, you could say acquaintances with my brother. Scratch that—they're really close, and I've been specifically told to stay away. Specifically, I mean that my brother would take away my socials if I go near his friends. Can you imagine that type of torture?" She wraps her arms around herself. "I just got chills."

"Oh my God!" Ava snaps her fingers. "I knew your last name sounded familiar. Your brother is Jeremy Volkov, isn't he?"

"The Jeremy Volkov?" you repeat, incredulous.

You're a certified hermit, but even you heard the name as soon as you stepped foot on Brighton Island. Jeremy Volkov is older than you, your brother's age, and is currently finishing his master's degree.

The reason his name is so infamous on both campuses is simple: he's a god that should not be crossed.

It's said that he killed someone who pissed him off—strapped rocks to his body and threw him to the bottom of the ocean. Once, a student tripped against his car and hobbled away with a broken leg. Another time, someone accidentally spilled water on him, then went ahead and punched himself just to escape his wrath.

Of course, it's all rumors, but they're savage rumors. The type that clearly tell you to stay the hell away.

Because, of course, Jeremy is the leader of the Heathens. Rumor has it that the initiation process into the club starts by spilling blood. Rumor also has it that the other Heathens are as crazy as he is. Some are even worse.

You didn’t know their names before, but something tells you Killian’s name belongs there.

Kill.

That's what Annika—who's currently fidgeting from one foot to the other—called him. He's a 'kill' type of person.

Grandpa Henry, your mum's father, once told you that every person has a share of their name. Killian is the entirety of his.

Annika lowers her head. "What are the chances of going back to before you learned that piece of information about my brother?"

"Slim to none," Ava says. "Can't believe you're siblings."

"I mean, he's not as bad as the rumors say. He's the best brother alive and cares about me."

"He ruins people's lives for fun," Ava says matter-of-factly.

"We can't choose our siblings?" Annika tries with an awkward smile.

"Can totally relate," Ava sighs. "Still. This is big news. I'm surprised he let his sister study at REU. I thought he hated us."