The university campus was buzzing with excitement.
Students carrying backpacks.
Faculty members checking attendance.
Volunteers directing everyone.
The annual road trip had officially begun.
Ivaan parked the SUV near the departure area.
The moment he stepped out—
Several faculty members approached him.
Meanwhile, Ishira got out from the passenger side.
Stretching slightly.
Already preparing herself for hours of travel.
Kiara spotted them immediately.
And came running.
"You actually came together!"
The accusation made Ishira roll her eyes.
"Unfortunately."
"I can hear you."
Ivaan replied calmly.
The answer earned a glare.
A few moments later—
One of the event coordinators approached.
"Professor Mehra."
Ivaan nodded.
"Everything is ready."
"Good."
The coordinator handed over a folder.
Then hesitated.
Slightly nervous.
"Sir, about your travel arrangements..."
Ishira suddenly became suspicious.
Very suspicious.
"What travel arrangements?"
Nobody answered.
A terrible sign.
Then the coordinator smiled.
"The university approved your request."
Silence.
"What request?"
Ishira asked slowly.
Dangerously.
The coordinator looked confused.
"You don't know?"
Immediately—
"No."
The answer came from Ishira.
The coordinator pointed toward a luxury SUV parked near the front.
"The faculty travel vehicle."
A pause.
Then—
"Professor Mehra requested separate transportation for security and supervision purposes."
Silence.
Complete silence.
Ishira slowly turned.
Very slowly.
Toward the Devil.
"You planned this."
"No."
"You absolutely planned this."
"No."
"The university approved it."
"They did."
"The university doesn't approve things by magic."
A faint smirk appeared.
Gone instantly.
But she saw it.
Meanwhile—
The buses were beginning to leave.
Students waved through windows.
Music played.
The trip had officially started.
Unfortunately for Ishira—
Her trip wasn't on a bus.
Five minutes later...
She found herself sitting once again in the passenger seat of the SUV.
The exact same seat.
Beside the exact same Devil.
"This is a conspiracy."
"No."
"It is."
"No."
"It literally is."
The argument started before the vehicle even moved.
From another vehicle—
Kiara watched the scene.
Then sent a message.
📱 Kiara: Good luck.
📱 Kiara: You're trapped with him for hours.
Ishira immediately replied.
📱 Ishira: Pray for me.
Beside her—
Ivaan started the engine.
The powerful SUV came to life.
The convoy began moving.
Following the road trip route.
As Blackwood University disappeared behind them—
The real journey finally began.
Just the Devil.
The Butterfly.
Several hours of driving.
And absolutely no escape for either of them.
The convoy moved smoothly along the highway.
The city skyline had long disappeared behind them.
Now there were only open roads.
Trees.
Mountains in the distance.
And endless stretches of highway.
Inside the SUV—
Silence.
A rare occurrence.
Very rare.
Ishira sat beside the window.
Watching the scenery pass by.
Meanwhile—
Ivaan focused on driving.
One hand resting on the steering wheel.
Expression as unreadable as ever.
For nearly twenty minutes—
Neither spoke.
Then suddenly—
Ishira turned toward him.
Suspicious.
Very suspicious.
"What?"
Ivaan asked without looking away from the road.
"What what?"
"You've been staring."
The accusation made her gasp.
Immediately.
"I was not staring."
"You were."
"I wasn't."
"You were."
The familiar argument returned.
As expected.
A few moments later—
Her phone vibrated.
A message from Kiara.
📱 Kiara: We're stopping in 30 minutes.
📱 Kiara: Students are already being annoying.
Ishira laughed.
Immediately.
"What happened?"
Ivaan asked.
"Nothing."
The answer came too quickly.
His eyes narrowed.
Slightly.
"That's a lie."
"No."
"It is."
"No."
Then her phone buzzed again.
Another message.
This time from Zyan.
Which immediately surprised her
.
📱 Zyan: Alive?
📱 Zyan: Or has the King started issuing orders already?
A smile appeared on Ishira's face.
Immediately.
"What?"
Ivaan asked.
Without looking away from the road.
"Nothing."
A lie.
A terrible lie.
His hand extended.
Silently.
Patiently.
Expectantly.
"What?"
"The phone."
"No."
"The phone."
"No."
The conversation lasted exactly three seconds.
Then somehow—
The phone was in his hand.
"HEY!"
Too late.
Much too late.
His eyes moved over the screen.
Stopping on Zyan's message.
Immediately.
A message was typed.
Short.
Direct.
Dangerous.
📱 Ivaan: You seem to have a lot of free time.
The reply arrived instantly.
📱 Zyan: I make time for important things.
A dangerous silence filled the SUV.
Then—
📱 Zyan: How's Butterfly?
The atmosphere changed.
Immediately.
Ivaan's eyes narrowed.
Dangerously.
📱 Ivaan: Careful.
📱 Zyan: 😂
📱 Ivaan: You're testing my patience.
📱 Zyan: You've threatened me since breakfast.
📱 Ivaan: And yet you continue.
📱 Zyan: Because I'm brave.
📱 Ivaan: Because you're stupid.
Ishira laughed.
Actually laughed.
"Give me my phone."
"No."
"That's my phone."
"Unfortunately."
The answer came calmly.
Another message appeared.
📱 Zyan: Ethan talked.
Immediately—
The amusement vanished.
Gone.
Just like that.
The Devil returned.
His gaze hardened slightly.
The casual expression disappearing.
📱 Ivaan: Everything?
📱 Zyan: Not yet.
📱 Zyan: But enough to know someone powerful is moving pieces from behind the curtain.
Silence.
📱 Zyan: And whoever it is...
📱 Zyan: They know about the summit.
The SUV suddenly felt quieter.
For several seconds—
Ivaan didn't reply.
Then—
📱 Ivaan: Increase surveillance.
📱 Zyan: Already done.
📱 Ivaan: Double it.
📱 Zyan: Done.
📱 Ivaan: I want names.
📱 Zyan: You'll have them.
The conversation ended.
Just like that.
Business concluded.
Orders given.
No wasted words.
Across the seat—
Ishira had been watching.
Curious.
Very curious.
"Something happened?"
His eyes remained on the road.
"Nothing you need to worry about."
The answer was calm.
Controlled.
"That's usually what people say before something bad happens."
For a moment—
A very small smirk appeared.
"Smart."
"I know."
"Dangerously."
The reply came instantly.
Outside—
The highway stretched endlessly ahead.
The road trip continued.
Students laughed in the buses ahead.
Completely unaware.
While behind the wheel—
The Devil balanced two worlds at once.
A college road trip.
And a growing storm waiting somewhere in the shadows.
The trip was surprisingly peaceful.
For once.
No drama.
No chaos.
No emergencies.
Just students enjoying themselves.
The buses had stopped near a lakeside recreation area where everyone was taking photographs, eating lunch, and participating in activities.
Meanwhile—
Ishira was sitting on a wooden bench overlooking the lake.
The cool breeze moved through her hair.
For the first time in days—
She felt relaxed.
A few meters away—
Ivaan stood with several faculty members.
Listening.
Nodding occasionally.
Pretending to care about university discussions.
His phone vibrated.
Once.
Only once.
That was enough.
Because only a handful of people had access to that number.
And one of them was Zyan.
The moment he saw the name—
His expression hardened.
Slightly.
Almost imperceptibly.
📱 ZYAN: We have a problem.
Immediately—
Ivaan stepped away from the crowd.
Toward a quieter area.
📱 IVAAN: Speak.
The reply came instantly.
📱 ZYAN: Ethan finally talked.
Silence.
📱 ZYAN: The envelope wasn't random.
📱 ZYAN: He was involved.
The atmosphere around Ivaan seemed to change.
Immediately.
📱 IVAAN: How involved?
A few seconds passed.
Then—
📱 ZYAN: He didn't create the plan.
📱 ZYAN: But he helped them.
📱 ZYAN: Names.
📱 ZYAN: Schedules.
📱 ZYAN: Information about Blackwood.
The messages continued.
📱 ZYAN: He was angry after getting removed from the university.
📱 ZYAN: Someone approached him.
📱 ZYAN: Promised influence.
📱 ZYAN: Money.
📱 ZYAN: Revenge.
Ivaan's jaw tightened.
Dangerously.
Then came the final message.
The one that mattered.
📱 ZYAN: And Ethan specifically mentioned Ishira.
Silence.
Complete silence.
The wind continued blowing.
Students laughed in the distance.
Music played nearby.
Nobody noticed anything.
But the Devil had become very still.
Very quiet.
📱 IVAAN: Explain.
The reply appeared.
📱 ZYAN: He knew they were collecting information on her.
📱 ZYAN: He didn't stop it.
📱 ZYAN: In fact...
A pause.
Then—
📱 ZYAN: He helped identify her routine.
The phone screen remained in Ivaan's hand.
His expression unreadable.
Several seconds passed.
Then one message appeared.
Only three words.
📱 IVAAN: I'm returning tonight.
Across Manhattan—
Zyan looked at the message and sighed.
Because he knew exactly what that meant.
Someone's life was about to become significantly worse.
Back near the lake—
Ishira looked up from her phone.
Finding Ivaan standing alone.
Far away from everyone.
Looking toward the water.
Thinking.
Dangerously.
Something was wrong.
She could feel it.
And for the first time during the entire trip—
The Devil didn't look like a professor.
He looked like the King of BlackThrone.
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