Chapter 5

Marius POV

I leaned against the wall, a drink in my hand, though I hadn’t taken a sip in a while. My gaze wasn’t on the crowd, not really—not anymore. My attention was fixed on her.

Seri.

She wasn’t like the others. I couldn’t quite explain it, but the way she stood apart from the chaos, the way she seemed to feel the tension in the air, as if she was just as aware of the darkness beneath the surface as I was, made something inside me shift.

For a moment, my mind wandered—where had I seen her before? I combed through my memory: the parties, the university halls, the fleeting conversations overheard in the cafe... but nothing. I didn’t recognize her from anywhere on campus. But there was something familiar about her—something almost magnetic, like a shadow I couldn’t quite touch.

As the other Sigma Phi members began to close in on her, a quiet thrill rippled through me. They were pushing too hard, surrounding her like they always did with the girls they set their sights on. I didn’t like it. Not this girl. Not tonight.

I moved forward, cutting through the crowd, my eyes locked on her. I could hear the murmurs of my brothers, but I tuned them out. All I focused on was her—her posture, the way she held herself with a tension that suggested she was seconds away from bolting. An unexpected urge surged through me—to shield her, to keep her from whatever they had planned.

Then, she looked up, and our eyes met.

That pull. That whisper in the back of my mind that she was different.

“Is there a problem here?” I asked, stepping into the circle of Sigma Phi members crowding around her. I saw the hunger in their eyes, their eagerness to push, to tease, to chase. But I wasn’t having any of it.

“I don’t think she wants to be shown around,” I said, my voice cold. I met each of their gazes, daring them to challenge me. A few of them hesitated, stepping back slightly, though not without glancing at me—at their leader.

Seri didn’t say anything at first. Was that relief in her eyes? I almost couldn’t tell. But something about her silence made me want to keep her close.

I studied her carefully. The black leather jacket, the pleated skirt, the blue babydoll top that hugged her curves—it all set her apart from the chaos of the party. She was a note of order in an otherwise chaotic sound.

Then, I saw them. Damon and Tyrone, making their way toward us.

I felt it immediately—the shift in the air. They were just as intrigued by her as I was. But why?

They didn’t look at her the way most guys looked at girls. They looked at her like they were trying to solve a puzzle. Trying to understand why she wasn’t one of them.

Damon smirked. “She’s a mystery, isn’t she?”

Tyrone flicked his gaze to me, and in that split second, we understood each other. The same thing had drawn us all in. That pull. That magnetism. That need. It was more than just attraction.

I nodded slowly, my mind still working. “A senior, huh?” I murmured, turning my gaze back to Seri. “How is it we haven’t seen you around campus?”

Her answer was soft but sharp. “I tend to keep to myself.” There was defiance in her tone, like she resented the idea of belonging anywhere.

Intriguing.

Damon leaned in slightly, his voice laced with charm. “You know, you’re... interesting.” He glanced at me, then Tyrone, and I knew we were all thinking the same thing.

Tyrone wasn’t one for subtlety. His sharp gaze never left her. “What’s your major, Seri?” he asked, voice casual, but his eyes tracking her every move.

“Psychology,” she answered, gaze flicking to the ground, as if the attention unsettled her. “And philosophy... minoring.”

We exchanged a glance. It made sense. But it also raised more questions. What kind of girl studied psychology and philosophy and yet managed to go unnoticed?

I watched her more closely, not just for her beauty, but for the mystery surrounding her. There was a sharpness to her that the others didn’t see, a depth she wasn’t willing to share. And that made her different.

“You don’t play by the rules, do you?” I murmured.

She didn’t answer, but the look she gave me—cool, calculating—was enough. She was playing her own game.

And so were we.

I exchanged another look with Damon and Tyrone. No words were needed. We were on the same page.

She was part of the hunt now.

I turned back to her, lips curling into a smirk. “You won’t want to miss this,” I said, voice low. “It’s a Sigma Phi tradition, and the game’s about to begin.”

The party had reached its peak. It was time to move things forward.

“Alright,” I called out, my voice slicing through the noise. Instantly, I had their attention. “Everyone, grab a mask. If you’re not wearing one, you’re not playing.”

Scattered laughs, nervous energy. People moved toward the tables where the masks were laid out—black and gold, neatly arranged.

I glanced at Seri, watching her hesitation. She wouldn’t resist for long. I’d seen how she moved through the chaos, never getting caught up in the frenzy. That only made her more intriguing.

Damon and Tyrone were already beside me, helping usher the guests toward the back door. I stood still for a moment, scanning the crowd as they filtered outside.

Then, I raised my voice once more. “Everyone, outside. Now. We’re moving this party to a more... intimate location.”

The laughter was nervous, but the thrill of anticipation was clear. Some of the braver sorority girls had already donned their masks, flashing excited, uncertain smiles as they stepped out.

I followed them out into the night, leading them toward the graveyard. Shadows stretched long across the ground as the trees swayed gently in the cool night air.

I stepped into the center of the clearing, turning to face the gathered crowd. My piercing blue eyes swept over them, ensuring everyone was paying attention.

“Alright, listen up,” I began, my voice dropping into something darker, more commanding. “This is how it works. Ladies, you stay here, in the center. The rest of us will spread out around the edges. You won’t see us. But we’ll be watching.”

Silence fell. The tension thickened. Some girls looked nervous. Others excited.

“Men, you have five minutes to get into position before the timer goes off,” I continued. “Ladies, your goal is to reach one of the exits without getting caught.”

I gestured toward the dimly lit paths leading out of the graveyard. “If you get caught, you’re out. And then... it’s up to you how the game ends.”

I let the words settle, my gaze flicking over my brothers. “Everything is consensual. Anything that isn’t, there will be consequences.”

They all knew what I meant.

I picked up my mask—red and black, streaked with holographic strips that shimmered ominously in the light. In the dark, it would glow just enough to unnerve.

I slipped it on, eyes locked on Seri as she lifted her own mask into place.

The game had begun.