Daughter of oblivion: Claimed by four alpha(s)-Chapter 50: You have no rival.

Chapter 50: Chapter 50: You have no rival.
She pressed the frame against her chest, closing her eyes. The silence of the night wrapped around her, heavy, but her heart kept speaking to the picture like he could still hear. But then her lips twitched again, this time not from sadness but from a strange irritation bubbling up.
"You know what, Dad?" she said suddenly, pulling the frame away and staring at it again. "I’m not even okay lately. Like, I keep saying I’m fine, but I’m not. I feel like everything’s just... choking me. School, people, this whole stupid new life. I don’t even know what I’m doing half the time."
She let out a soft, frustrated laugh. "You would probably tell me to calm down, but I can’t. I feel like I’m drowning in all this nonsense."
Her voice grew sharper as she continued, the words spilling like she’d been holding them back all along.
"And don’t even get me started on the Phantom Fours. Ugh. Dad, you have no idea how annoying those people are. They think they own the school just because they’re rich and powerful and everybody practically bows down when they walk by. And the worst part? People actually do bow down...like they’re kings or something. It makes me sick sometimes."
She shifted, hugging her knees, the frame resting on them as she leaned her chin against the glass.
"They’re all good-looking, I’ll give them that, but it’s the way they carry themselves, so confident, so untouchable. They walk into class late and nobody dares to say anything. They break rules like the rules don’t even exist for them. Teachers? Ha. Teachers don’t even breathe too loud when they’re around."
Athena snorted, her nose wrinkling. "And everyone else in school treats them like gods. Girls trip over their own shoes just to get noticed. Boys want to be them. It’s pathetic, Dad, honestly. But then again... I can’t even lie, they do have this... presence. Like when they walk in, the whole room freezes. Even me, sometimes. And I hate it. I hate that they make me feel small without even trying."
Her fingers tapped the edge of the frame nervously.
"How am I supposed to ignore them when they’re everywhere? Theodore, ugh, don’t even let me start with him. He’s arrogant, cold, like he doesn’t even see people unless they’re useful to him, he hardly talks around people but when he does, it’s always a bomb. Then there’s the one with the brains. Rhydric, always quiet, always calculating. It’s creepy, like he already knows what you’re thinking before you say it. The third one? Eryx, Charming. Too charming. Hot. Smiles at everyone, but you just know there’s poison behind that smile. And the last one..." she paused, frowning. "The last one is unpredictable. Azrael, You don’t even know what he’s thinking, but you just feel like he’s dangerous, Dad. Like a storm waiting to happen. But then dad he’s very alluring. They all are. My heart skip sometimes when they come too close."
Her voice softened, almost whispering now. "They scare me sometimes. Not in the way that I want to admit out loud, but deep inside... I know they’re not normal. They’re something else. Everyone’s so busy worshiping them that nobody’s asking why they’re so powerful, why they walk around like shadows that own everything. And me? I’m just stuck there, trying not to get crushed by the weight of their world."
Athena sighed heavily, leaning back against the shelf, her head knocking gently against the wood.
For a heartbeat the whole room felt like it was holding its breath with her. She had been so deep in her thoughts, so lost in that one–sided conversation, that at first she thought she imagined the sound.
Knock. Knock.
The second time it came, louder but still gentle, it snapped her out of everything like a splash of cold water. Her eyes blinked open.
"Athena?" A familiar voice from the other side of the door. Soft but warm.
Her lips parted before she even realized she was smiling. "Oliver?"
There was a pause, then his voice again, low and teasing like always, "Who else would sneaks up here at this hour? Open up, sunshine."
Athena stood, almost clumsy from sitting too long. She set the frame back on the shelf carefully, like it might break, then ran a hand through her damp hair, trying to make herself look a little less like a mess.
When she opened the door, Oliver was standing there, hands in his pockets, eyes catching the dim light of the hallway. He had that tired–but–happy look, like someone who’d been thinking about you the whole way home.
"Hey," he said softly.
"Hey," she echoed.
For a moment neither of them moved. Then Oliver’s mouth tilted into a grin. He stepped forward, slipping one arm around her waist with an ease that made her heart jump.
"You look like you’ve been hiding from me," he murmured, leaning in just enough that his breath brushed her cheek.
"I wasn’t hiding," she whispered back automatically, though her voice came out smaller than she meant.
His other hand came up to tuck a damp strand of white hair behind her ear. "Mm. Sure you weren’t."
Athena’s breath caught, she actually felt it, the small skip in her chest. She hated how easily he could make her nervous like this, how warm he felt against her even through his jacket.
Oliver noticed. Of course he did. His head tilted slightly, his eyes on her, and for a second she swore he could hear her heart beating. But he said nothing about it. He just smiled a little softer, thumb brushing her waist absentmindedly.
"You’re warm," he said instead, like it was a casual observation.
"You’re late," she murmured back, trying to find her footing, trying to tease him but her voice came out more like a sigh.
"Traffic," he said, grinning. "Or maybe I just like making you wait."
Athena rolled her eyes, but the corners of her mouth betrayed her, a tiny smile slipping out. "You’re annoying."
He chuckled, low and easy, leaning a little closer. "And you’re adorable when you’re pretending to be mad."
She made a face and looked away, but her fingers were already resting lightly against his chest, like they had a mind of their own. "You’re impossible, Oliver."
"Yeah," he said, voice suddenly gentler, "but you still let me in."
The small silence that followed wasn’t heavy anymore. It was warm. The kind of quiet that fills up a space instead of emptying it.
Oliver’s thumb brushed lightly against Athena’s side before he finally stepped inside the room. He let his eyes wander for a second ,the shelf of books, the photo frame still sitting where she’d left it, but his focus always came back to her.
He sat down on the edge of the low shelf, and tilted his head with her Infront of him."So," he said casually, "how’s school?"
Athena looked at him, then away. "Fine," she murmured.
"Good," he said, like he’d been waiting for that answer. His smile curved just a little more before he leaned closer. "Hope no guy over there is trying to get Athena’s attention."
She blinked at him, almost rolling her eyes but stopping herself. "Really, Oliver?"
He grinned wider, leaning in conspiratorially. "What? I’m serious. I don’t want to share you with anyone. Especially not with some immature boys."
Athena gave him a look, half exasperated, half amused. "You don’t need to worry," she said softly. "You have no rival."
Her hands had already moved up, wrapping around his neck almost without thinking. The closeness made him chuckle low in his throat. He rested his forehead briefly against hers, eyes glinting. "I like the sound of that," he murmured.
Athena’s lips tugged into a small smile. "Of course you do."
Oliver stayed like that for a moment, enjoying the warmth of her arms around him, before he pulled back slightly. "I should freshen up," he said gently.
Athena’s hands loosened, but not immediately. She hesitated before letting go, her fingers sliding off the back of his neck slowly, almost reluctantly. Oliver noticed. He always noticed.
"What’s wrong?" he asked, voice soft, curious.
She looked away, biting her lip a little. "Are you... going to come back?"
He laughed quietly under his breath, that warm teasing sound that always made her cheeks heat. "What do you think?"
Her blush deepened. "I asked first," she muttered.
Oliver’s smile softened into something tender. "I’ll be back in a while," he said. "Promise."
Then, just before he stood, he bent down and brushed his lips over hers, a light touch, barely there but enough to leave a spark behind. "Don’t miss me too much," he teased.
And with that he straightened, gave her one last look, that quiet, knowing look, and left for his room.
Athena stayed where she was, standing by the shelf, her fingers brushing over the edge absentmindedly. Her heart was still beating faster than it should. She tried to calm her breathing, but it was useless. Her lips still tingled from his touch as the door clicked shut behind him.