Lili replied with a tired groan, adjusting her glasses. "Final year is a mess. Projects, presentations, deadlines, I barely have time for myself anymore." Aria scoffed. "Time for yourself? I barely

nothing." Lili laughed and finally moved aside. "Alright, alright. I'll let it go. For now." They continued walking until they reached their lecture hall. Students were already filing in, the room buzzing with low conversations and the scraping of chairs. They took their usual seats, settling near the middle. "After this lecture, we're grabbing lunch," Lili said, pulling out her notebook. "I'm starving." Aria nodded absentmindedly, already pulling out her phone. "As long as it's not the cafeteria food again." Before Lili could reply, the low hum in the room suddenly died down. The door opened. A middle-aged man, one of the department staff walked in and cleared his throat. "Good morning," he said, his voice carrying easily across the room. "Before we begin today's lecture, I'd like to introduce someone." The room stirred with curiosity. "This semester, you'll be having a visiting lecturer taking you for this course," the man continued. "He comes highly recommended, with years of experience in both academics and the business world." Aria barely listened. Visiting lecturers were common in final year. Then the man stepped aside. "And without further ado," he said, "please welcome Mr. Kael Ravyn" The moment he walked in, the room fell into complete silence. Aria froze. Her breath caught painfully in her throat. No. No way. He was dressed differently this time, sharp, composed, every inch the image of authority. A tailored dark shirt, sleeves rolled up just enough to show strong forearms. His presence alone seemed to shift the air in the room. But there was no mistaking those eyes. Ocean-deep. Intense. Familiar. Her heart slammed violently against her ribs. It's him. Beside her, Lili s*ck*d in a sharp breath. Slowly, she turned to Aria. Aria turned too. Their eyes met. Wide. Disbelieving. This was the man from the party. The same man who had stared at her like t