CHAPTER 58: CHAPTER 58: THEY’VE A PROBLEM WITH FINE-LOOKING GUYS.

The room was dead silent, too silent for the Phantom Den.

The low hum of the air conditioner was the only sound filling the large, dim-lit space. Rhydric sat on the long couch, a book open in his hand, though his eyes hadn’t moved across the page in minutes. His posture was stiff, sharper than usual.

Across from him, Theodore leaned back in his seat, flipping a pen between his fingers with practiced precision. The faint click of the pen against his knuckle echoed softly. His face was unreadable, the cold edge of his expression making the atmosphere even heavier.

Azrael sat on the corner couch, legs crossed, a cigar resting lazily between his lips. Smoke curled around him in lazy circles, faintly glowing against the warm light spilling through the blinds. He wasn’t saying anything,he rarely did, but his silence this time wasn’t peaceful. It was watchful.

Eryx, who was sprawled out on the back of Rhydric’s chair, tilted his head to glance at each of them. His usual grin was missing, replaced by a mix of curiosity and annoyance. He tapped his fingers against the armrest, impatiently.

He finally broke the silence with a dramatic sigh.

"Okay," Eryx drawled, his tone breaking through the still air like a spark in dry grass. "Someone better start talking before I lose my damn mind."

He leaned forward, resting his chin on his palm, his gaze moving between them. "Because this whole brooding in silence thing..." he gestured between Theodore and Rhydric "...is starting to feel like I’m stuck in a funeral I wasn’t invited to."

He looked straight at Theo then, a small smirk pulling at his lips. "Who died, Argentis?"

Eryx got no answer at first.

Like they had all agreed to ignore him.

The only sound was the faint click of Theo’s pen and the slow turn of a page that Rhydric wasn’t even reading.

Eryx’s patience, never his strongest suit, was already wearing thin. He frowned, running a hand through his red hair and letting out another dramatic sigh that went completely unacknowledged.

"What the hell is happening here?" he finally snapped, pushing off the back of Rhydric’s chair. "Someone say something before I lose my damn mind!"

Still, nothing. Not a single glance.

Then suddenly he noticed something strange. His hand.

Cold. Too cold.

He flexed his fingers and hissed under his breath, steam rising faintly from the tips as his own inner heat tried to fight back the sudden chill that had settled into the room. He looked around slowly, and his eyes landed on Theodore.

The bastard was sitting there like a god carved out of ice, jaw tight, eyes dark, every inch of him radiating frost.

Even the air around him was fog like, and Eryx could see his breath forming small clouds in front of his lips.

"For fuck’s sake, Theo," Eryx cursed, voice laced with irritation. "Would you stop freezing the damn room?! My hands feel like frozen meat!"

He rubbed his palms together furiously, muttering a few curses under his breath. The temperature had dropped so sharply that even the windows were fogging over. The air itself felt heavier, biting against their skin.

Of course, Eryx could heat the place up with just a flick of his fingers if he wanted to. His body was fire, literally. But it wasn’t the cold that pissed him off. It was why it was cold.

Something had gotten to Theo. Something enough to make his power slip this far.

Theodore bit his bottom lip, his hand dragging through his dark hair as if to calm himself. His movements were controlled but tired, a small sign of restraint breaking through the ice.

Rhydric finally looked up from his book, his brows furrowing when he felt the tips of his own fingers start to turn red from the cold. The pages in his hand had started to crisp at the edges from frost.

He exhaled slowly, voice low but cutting.

"Stop that, fucker," he said flatly, glaring straight at Theo.

Theodore didn’t reply, but the pen in his hand stopped spinning. The faint mist in the air began to fade, though the tension in the room didn’t thaw one bit.

Even Azrael, usually unreadable, shot Theo a sideways look through the curls of smoke leaving his cigar. It wasn’t judgment, not exactly. More like a silent what the hell is wrong with you?

Everyone had one or two things on their mind, but none of them could figure out why Theodore Argentis seemed ready to freeze them all alive.

Theo finally broke the silence, his voice low and sharp, slicing through the air like the edge of a blade.

"Didn’t any of you notice something strange about the twins?"

For a second, no one spoke. Then Eryx let out the most dramatic groan known to man, throwing his head back toward the ceiling like he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

"That’s what this is about?" he said, half laughing, half annoyed. "You nearly turned us into frozen corpses because of two new guys?"

Azrael flicked the ash from his cigar and gave Theo a calm, unreadable look. "He has a point," he said quietly. "You could’ve just asked without turning the whole room into a damn ice cave."

Theo’s jaw flexed. "Answer the damn question," he snapped, voice clipped, eyes glinting cold and steady.

Eryx let out a dry chuckle. "Oh, we’re serious now," he muttered, standing up straighter. His molten gold eyes gleamed faintly with heat, the air around him warming just a bit in irritation. "Fine, I’ll play along. Yeah, I noticed something, besides the fact that they look like they walked straight out of a runway."

Azrael hummed, leaning back in his chair. "They don’t act like transfer students," he said simply, tone calm as ever. "They walked into class like they already owned the place."

"More like they were watching the place," Rhydric murmured, still flipping through his book though his eyes weren’t moving across the page anymore. "They were too observant. Too calm. Most new students, especially ones who draw attention like that, at least try to act... normal."

Theo’s gaze flickered between them, his expression unreadable. "Exactly," he said. "They didn’t react to anything. Not the noise, not the eyes on them, nothing. And their scent..."

He trailed off, his brows tightening slightly as if even saying it out loud didn’t make sense.

Eryx tilted his head, eyes narrowing. "Their scent what?"

Theo exhaled through his nose. "It’s faint. Too faint. Like it’s not complete."

Azrael’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "Now that you mention it... they do feel a little off. Not threatening exactly, but unnatural. Like something’s missing or... hidden."

Rhydric closed his book then, eyes lifting from the page for the first time. "They’re not human," he said calmly, voice so steady it made the others glance at him. "That much is clear. But what they are..."

He paused, tapping the edge of the book with his finger, his icy gaze distant. "That’s the real question."

Eryx whistled low. "So let me get this straight," he said with a smirk. "You almost froze us to death because you couldn’t figure out what cologne they wear?"

Theo shot him a cold glare that could’ve frozen the sun.

Eryx just grinned wider. "Kidding. Mostly."

But the humor didn’t cut through the tension. Because underneath it all, they all felt it, the subtle, unnatural pull that came with the twins. Something strange. Something old even.

And none of them could name it. And that’s exactly what pissed Theo off.

The air inside the Phantom Den was thick, cold enough to sting the skin.

Eryx finally pushed himself off the couch with a huff and walked to where Rhydric was sitting, his book open on his knee. Dropping down to the floor in front of him, Eryx leaned back on his hands.

"I get it, they’re different," he said lazily, though his tone carried a flicker of tension. "Their scent’s not complete. But Theo, that’s not enough to make you wanna freeze the whole damn place, right?"

All eyes flicked to Theodore.

He didn’t answer. He just groaned, dragging a tired hand through his pale hair, frustration tightening his jaw. The faint mist of frost curling around his fingers said enough.

"Really," he muttered, his voice rough with restrained anger. "They’re so damn annoying. Especially the one with black hair. He said we wolves stink."

Eryx scoffed. "Wow."

He tilted his head, a grin tugging at his lips. "So half the class didn’t tear him apart?"

Theo’s eyes snapped to him, sharp and deadly. "Of course not," he said through clenched teeth. His tone wasn’t loud, but it carried hatred that burned through the room. "But you know wolves, sharp hearing. Everyone caught it."

He paused, and a bitter smile curved his lips.

"And the worst part? He didn’t even flinch when they turned to him. Didn’t feel threatened. Not one damn bit."

Azrael, who had been quiet the whole time, let out a faint chuckle. The cigar between his lips glowed softly as he leaned forward. "Then it’s clear," he said in that calm, low tone that always felt too collected. "They’re not just strange new students. They’re a threat. Maybe one of our enemies testing the waters."

Rhydric finally looked up from his book, his silver eyes narrowing. "If they truly are enemies and came here as a threat," he said evenly, "then they’re already fucked."

Eryx smirked. "Or maybe," he drawled, "they just have a little problem with fine-looking guys."

Theo groaned and dropped his head into his hands.