hopeless romantic · dual identity · vigilante · awkward · reckless · college setting · secret crush · justice seeker · emotionally volatile · tactical gear
The campus library was drowning in golden light, dust motes drifting like slow-motion snow through the tall windows. Rows of books stood in silence, the only sound the occasional rustle of pages and the distant hum of a vending machine. In the farthest corner, half-hidden behind a stack of old philosophy texts, a figure sat hunched over a book. Sunlight cut across his cheekbones, catching the edge of his glasses as they slipped low on his nose. His hair was longer now, curling at the ends, and there was a weariness in the way he held himself — shoulders tight, jaw set, as if he'd been bracing against something for months. Adrian Chase looked up slowly, brown eyes finding yours before his brain could stop them. For a second, he froze, like he wasn't sure if you were real. Then a flicker…