Deep below the masquerade mansion, in a hidden lair carved beneath the city's skeleton, Cleo De La Vera sat with her violin case open—each letter from her mother unraveling secrets the world was never meant to know.
Amira Zuri was not just her sister.
She was the true heir.
To the trillion-dollar Zuri-De La Vera Empire, forged through blood pacts, assassinations, and a deal with the ancient syndicate known only as The Ouroboros Order.
Cleo (reading):
"Your sister bears the key. Not just to fortune… but to ending the curse that has followed our bloodline for centuries."
Suddenly, her door was slammed open.
Her uncle, Balthazar De La Vera, a snake in a politician's suit, glared at her.
Balthazar:
"You've read them, haven't you?"
Cleo (coldly):
"I'm done being your puppet."
Balthazar (grinning):
"Then you've just signed your death sentence."
---
Elsewhere, in the coastal paradise of Valemont, a vibrant welcome party was taking place at Dionysus University—a sister campus to Eliteson.
The Campus Gods' Tournament was underway, bringing elite students from across continents: heirs, heiresses, spies, actors, even royalty in disguise.
Nylah Reyes (22): A tattooed genius hacker with midnight skin, emerald eyes, and a fake background. She's actually Interpol's youngest undercover agent.
Akiro Shōta (24): A mixed martial artist, cold and precise, with a hidden vendetta against Tobias Kain.
Velencia LaRue (23): Daughter of a forgotten princess. Blindingly gorgeous, with silvery blonde hair and a serpent tattoo wrapped around her back. She thrives on seduction… and tearing hearts apart.
These three arrive at the same time as Jayden and Kael, who are still disguised as average transfer students. But secrets don't stay hidden for long in Valemont.
Velencia (to Jayden, licking her lips):
"You smell like danger wrapped in poverty… I like that."
Jayden (deadpan):
"And you look like a problem I'd hate to solve."
-
Back in Emerald City, the Kain Family hosted the Kain-Versailles Union Ball, a high-class event aimed at merging powerhouses through arranged marriage.
Tobias Kain's cousin, Lucien Kain, was set to marry Adele Versailles, a cold-hearted beauty whose family once ruled over an entire nation's diamond exports.
But chaos struck.
Wendy, one of Jayden's powerful subordinates, stormed into the ball dressed in velvet crimson with obsidian heels and a gold whip around her waist.
Wendy:
"This wedding is illegal. And if Lucien marries Adele, I'll expose every deal your family made with the Blood Cartel."
Adele (smirking):
"Expose me, darling. I've already bought the judge."
Wendy (grinning):
"Then I guess it's war."
---
Back in Vespera, Ochieng and Isla find themselves cornered by a new billionaire family: the Krynes, trillionaire oil lords known for their corrupt power and cruel charm.
They propose a forced marriage alliance between Ochieng and Zirra Kryne, a dangerously seductive heiress with lavender hair and venom in her smile.
Zirra:
"Marry me, and you'll never have to fight again. All your enemies will disappear."
Ochieng (coldly):
"I don't want peace if it costs me my soul."
Zirra (whispering):
"Then I'll take it, piece by piece… starting tonight."
---
Valemont's first major event—The Oceanfire Prom—was underway on the beach, lit by floating lanterns and DJ battles. Jayden, still in disguise, was named Prom King unexpectedly.
But as the crown touched his head, shots rang out.
A masked sniper aimed at Kael—and missed, hitting Noelle, who collapsed bleeding in Jayden's arms.
Jayden (screaming):
"NOELLE!"
She whispered through the blood:
"...They know who you are... they're coming…"
Then everything went dark.
---