CHAPTER 57: CHAPTER 57: SO THAT’S THE FAMOUS PHANTOM FOURS?

Alaric leaned slightly forward again, his elbows resting lazily on the table, eyes fixed on Athena.

"So..." he said, that teasing smile curling back on his lips, "I don’t have to deal with any guy, right?"

Athena’s brow shot up, and a soft scoff left her lips. She raised her gaze to him, one brow arched. "Meaning?"

Alaric smirked, his tone smooth as ever. "Meaning that white-haired guy, Theo, right? He was already acting possessive in class. I was just thinking if I should start preparing myself to deal with him." His words came out casual, but there was a hint of amusement in his voice. "He seems to have a problem with me talking to you."

Athena didn’t reply. She just let out a small sigh and fixed her attention back on her food like the topic wasn’t worth her energy.

Felicia, on the other hand, almost choked again but managed to swallow before speaking. She grabbed her water, took a sip, and finally said, "Theodore Argentis isn’t someone to deal with, Alaric. He’s one of the richest men’s sons in this country. His father practically owns a share of this school."

Alaric raised a brow, clearly interested.

Felicia continued, "And not to talk of, Theo’s part of the Phantom Fours."

That got Armand’s attention. He had been quiet all this while, his expression calm as ever, but now he finally spoke, his deep voice cutting in, "Phantom Fours?"

Felicia froze for a split second when her eyes met his. Her breath caught, and her fingers almost slipped from the cup she was holding.

She cleared her throat, trying to compose herself. "Yeah," she managed. "The Phantom Fours are like... the four most powerful, richest guys in this school. Everyone knows them. The way they carry themselves just makes you look at yourself and ask, how am I supposed to fit in?"

Alaric hummed softly, tilting his head a little. "They’re that powerful?" he asked, his voice low, almost thoughtful.

Felicia nodded immediately, while Leo, sitting right beside him, grinned widely. "Powerful and intimidating," Leo said, dragging out his words with that teasing tone of his. Then he looked at Athena, eyes sparkling mischievously. "But Athena doesn’t bat an eye for them, and she gets away with every damn thing she does."

Athena turned her head slowly, glaring at him again, but Leo only leaned back and smiled like he enjoyed every bit of her reaction.

Levi sighed quietly and muttered under his breath, "Here we go again..."

The twins exchanged a brief look, Alaric’s lips twitching in amusement while Armand’s expression remained unreadable.

Alaric tilted his head slightly, eyes glinting with that playful curiosity of his.

"So," he began, "are you close to them?"

Athena paused mid-bite, then shook her head casually. "No."

He nodded slowly, a small smile forming on his lips. "Good," he said, leaning back a little. "Let’s talk about you then."

Athena let out a quiet laugh and shook her head. "What’s there to talk about?"

Alaric’s smile widened, his gaze never leaving her face, like he’d just found something far more interesting than any conversation around them.

He rested his elbows lazily on the table as he leaned in a little, his gaze never leaving Athena.

"There’s a lot to talk about," he said, voice smooth, teasing. "Like how you manage to stay so calm when half the school seems to revolve around drama... and you just sit here like you couldn’t care less."

Athena glanced up at him, her lips curling slightly. "Maybe because I actually couldn’t care less."

Levi chuckled beside her. "She’s not lying. Athena’s the definition of unbothered."

Alaric hummed, clearly intrigued. "Unbothered, huh? That’s rare around here."

His tone dropped a little, warm, but laced with curiosity that made Athena look at him longer than she meant to.

Armand, who had been quietly eating his food, just gave them an unreable glance.

Levi lifted his gaze and said casually, "You sound like you’ve already figured her out."

Alaric smirked. "Not yet. But I’d like to."

Felicia almost choked again, quickly grabbing her water. "You’d like to what?" she whispered under her breath, but Leo and Levi were already grinning like they were watching a movie.

Athena sighed softly, trying not to react, but the way Alaric’s eyes studied her, amused and sharp made her fingers tighten slightly around her fork.

"You’re wasting your curiosity," she said dryly. "I’m not that interesting."

"Oh, I don’t believe that," Alaric said, his grin growing playful. "Girls who say that are always the most interesting ones."

Athena, realizing everyone was listening, set her fork down and folded her arms. "You seem pretty confident in yourself."

"Not confidence," Alaric said, his voice soft but clear. "Just honesty. I like what I see, and I don’t think I should hide it."

There was a small pause. Even Leo stopped grinning for a second.

Then Athena blinked, her lips twitching into the faintest smile. "You really don’t hold back, do you?"

"Not when I find something worth the effort," he said smoothly.

Felicia’s mouth fell open slightly, and she leaned closer to Athena, whispering, "Okay, I’m officially melting."

Athena rolled her eyes but couldn’t hide the tiny flicker of amusement tugging at the corner of her lips.

Alaric noticed it immediately and leaned back in satisfaction. "There it is," he said. "A real smile. I was starting to think you didn’t know how to."

"Don’t push your luck," Athena warned, though her tone was lighter now.

Levi laughed, tapping the table. "You’ve got guts, man. I’ll give you that."

"Guts?" Alaric echoed with a grin. "Nah. Just good taste."

Leo and Levi exchanged a knowing smirk while Felicia giggled softly, and Armand simply shook his head at his brother’s boldness.

Athena looked down at her tray again, but this time, the corners of her mouth refused to straighten completely.

The air in the cafeteria shifted the moment the doors opened.

Four guys walked in, Rhydric, Theodore, Azrael, and Eryx. The Phantom Fours.

Every head turned toward them, and whispers filled the room like a wave. Some girls giggled, others fanned themselves with their hands, trying to keep their cool but failing miserably. They had seen these guys countless times before, yet somehow, they still managed to steal the air out of the room every single time.

At the table, Athena and the others couldn’t help but look too.

All four of the guys’ eyes landed on her.

Athena held their gaze, though she could feel her pulse quicken.

Her eyes met Rhydric’s first. There was something strange in the way he was looking at her cold, unreadable, yet piercing and somehow a little soft. He barely ever looked at anyone, but right now, he was staring right at her, and it made her feel oddly small under his gaze.

Then her eyes shifted to Theodore. His gaze was sharp, heavy. He looked at her for a long second before his eyes flicked toward Alaric, who was sitting across from her. Yeah... he definitely had a problem with him.

Next was Eryx. The grin that spread across his face was all trouble, playful, cocky, and mischievous. He wet his lips slowly, like he knew exactly what he was doing, and Athena felt her skin grow warm.

In Athena’s head.’Well fuck you Eryx, for turning me on.’

Lastly, she looked at Azrael. His gaze was different, soft, kind even. He smiled faintly, and she had to swallow and look away before she melted on the spot.

The four of them walked to their usual table and sat down like they owned the place, like kings on their throne.

Alaric raised a brow, his voice calm but edged with curiosity.

"So that’s the famous Phantom Fours?"

Felicia nodded, almost too quickly. "Yeah... that’s them."

Alaric leaned back in his seat, his sharp eyes had followed the four as they walked past. He didn’t say anything at first, but he felt it, that thick, heavy presence that rolled off them like power itself. It wasn’t just confidence; it was dominance. The kind that demanded attention without a single word.

"They seem powerful," he muttered under his breath, though his tone carried a hint of challenge. His eyes flickered toward his brother, Armand, who was already watching him.

Armand’s lips twitched in the faintest smirk. He knew that look in Alaric’s eyes, that same reckless spark that usually meant trouble was brewing.

When Alaric’s gaze returned to the Phantom Fours’ table, he found all four of them already looking back.

For a moment, the air in the cafeteria grew still.

Four pairs of eyes, Theodore, Rhydric, Eryx, and Azrael, locked onto Alaric and Armand’s.

Neither side looked away.

It was subtle, quiet, but the tension was thick enough to choke on. A silent clash of dominance. Alaric’s expression didn’t falter, his smirk returning slowly, almost like a dare. Beside him, Armand’s stare was calm and unreadable, cold and steady, matching Rhydric’s gaze from across the room.

No one backed down.

Even the faint noise of chatter around them seemed to fade, leaving only that silent exchange that spoke louder than words.