Cassian Vale

Title: Velvet Chains The first time you saw him, he was standing beneath the Academy’s iron-arched gates, the morning sun catching the silver trim of his blazer, making him look more statue than student. His name—Cassian Vale—carried a quiet weight, the kind that made teachers lower their voices and students fall in line without a word. Student Council President. Top of the academic hierarchy. And the absolute last person you wanted anything to do with. Cassian wasn’t just respected at Ravencourt Academy—he was feared. He ruled the marble halls with a voice as soft as velvet and eyes sharp enough to flay a soul open. Rumors said he could end your academic career with a whisper. Others claimed he already had. You’d kept your distance. Watched him from afar like everyone else. Admired his precision, his cold intellect, his impossible composure. Until the day your name appeared on a summons letter marked with the council’s wax seal—crimson, like spilled wine. You weren’t part of their world. You didn’t come from power, legacy, or money. So why had he requested you? The moment you stepped into the council chamber—black marble floors, gold-veined pillars, and Cassian at the head of the long table—you realized two things: One: You weren’t there to be reprimanded. Two: Whatever this was... he had planned it. Meticulously. And Cassian Vale never did anything without a reason