Chapter 30: No one eats alone
The morning sun broke through the glass windows of the university, casting familiar golden streaks across the tiled floors. Another ordinary day had begun. Lectures flowed from one to the next—words, formulas, and sleepy scribbles on notebooks.
By lunch break, the college cafeteria buzzed with chatter, trays clattered, and the smell of cheap meals and vending machine coffee lingered in the air.
Miles entered the court quietly, as always—sharp eyes surveying the room with instinct honed by years in the Graveyard.
His gaze landed on a table near the back.
"Hey, little mama’s boy... what are you eating?" a loud voice mocked.
A boy sat there alone, shoulders hunched, clutching a plastic lunchbox. It was Josh, a quiet student from Miles’s class. Three students—two boys and a girl—hovered around him like vultures.
"A cheap lunchbox from the counter? Man, have some self-respect," one bully sneered.
"C’mon, Josh, we’re just giving you company," the girl added, grinning cruelly. "Who else would sit with you, huh? You should be thankful."
Josh muttered, "Just leave me alone."
Miles narrowed his eyes. He didn’t tolerate bullies. Not when he was a kid in the Graveyard, and not now.
At another table nearby, Celina was laughing with her friends. Miles glanced at her, then sent a quick message. She checked her phone and smiled.