The gathering was held at a private lounge downtown. Old classmates were already there when Jas arrived, laughing, drinking, taking pictures, and pretending everyone had stayed close after graduation when most of them hadn’t spoken in years.
Jas pulled into the parking area while the black sports car drew attention even before he stepped out. He could see faces turning toward the windows from inside the lounge.
The car got noticed first.
"Who is that?"
"Wait."
"That car is insane."
"Is that Jas?"
"No way."
"It is him."
Jas stepped out dressed sharply while walking inside with asured steps. The noise in the room dropped for a second when he entered, as if soone had turned down the volu before it slowly rose again.
So people recognized him imdiately from the stream footage they’d been watching for days.
Others took longer to match the quiet boy they rembered from school with the man from the Floor 9 broadcast.
Jas didn’t smile too much or wave at anyone.
He only looked around the room and took in the faces while letting them see him clearly.
So familiar. So unpleasant. So pretending they were happy to see him when their eyes told a different story.
Alia was the first to stand and approach him. She wasn’t overly excited or fake but looked a little surprised that he’d actually co.
"Jas."
He looked at her.
"You ca," she said.
"Yeah."
"I know. I just didn’t think you’d say yes."
"Neither did I."
That made her smile a little before she welcod him and led him inside. So classmates began moving closer, but Alia noticed how they were already circling him and gave him a little space.
"The gathering was supposed to be small," she said, "but once people heard you might co, more people suddenly beca interested."
Jas said nothing because he understood perfectly.
A few classmates approached Jas after Alia stepped back.
Ryan ca first while smiling too widely. "Jas, my guy. Long ti."
Jas looked at him. "My guy?"
Ryan laughed. "Co on, don’t be like that. We were classmates, right?"
"Yeah. We were."
Ryan tried to laugh again before asking about Floor 9, the reanimated ogre, and Team Zero. Jas gave short answers without offering anything private.
Then Liam ca in while trying to sound casual. "So you really know Finn Hale now?"
"I do."
"Man, that’s crazy. That kind of circle..."
Jas said nothing.
Liam forced a laugh. "I an, if you ever need extra people around you..."
"I don’t."
After that, more people ca while so asked about Floor 9 and so asked how dangerous it was, but Jas answered little and promised nothing.
So of the girls who barely spoke to Jas in school now looked at him differently.
Mia looked him over before saying, "You really changed."
"Yeah. People do."
"Not like this though."
Jas didn’t say anything to that.
Chloe smiled before saying, "You know, you were impossible to talk to in school."
Jas looked at her. "You never tried."
Her smile froze for half a second before she laughed like he’d made a joke.
Across the room, Ethan and Mark watched Jas from the side. They didn’t like how the room was treating him.
They spoke quietly between themselves.
"Look at them," Ethan muttered. "Shaless."
Mark followed his gaze. "What?"
"Half of them didn’t even know his surna in school."
Mark smirked. "Now everybody rembers him."
Ethan took a drink. "Because he has fa now."
They kept watching as more classmates tried to stand near Jas, take pictures with him, and act like they were always on good terms.
Ethan got more irritated because Jas wasn’t bragging, wasn’t begging, and wasn’t reacting.
That made it worse.
The quiet boy they used to push around was standing in the center of the room without needing to prove anything.
Ethan finally walked over while the people near Jas quieted down slightly because so of them rembered what Ethan used to do.
Ethan smiled like they were old friends. "Jas."
Jas turned.
"You rember ?"
"Yeah."
Ethan’s smile widened. "Good. I thought all this fa might have made you forget."
Jas looked at him. "No. I rember you."
The smile tightened.
Ethan tried to brush it off. "Co on, man. We were kids."
"You were old enough."
The room beca uncomfortable while people nearby shifted and looked away.
Ethan laughed like it was a joke, but the sound was forced. He didn’t push further because too many people were watching and Jas was no longer soone he could embarrass safely.
Jas didn’t threaten him.
He didn’t need to.
After the tension with Ethan, Alia pulled Jas slightly away from the crowd when the others backed off.
She asked if he hated being here.
"It’s not the worst place I’ve been."
"That’s not really an answer."
Jas looked around at the classmates laughing, pretending, and watching him. "It’s strange."
Alia understood. "Because they’re acting like school never happened?"
Jas looked at her.
"Everyone knew, Jas," Alia said. "Most people just pretended they didn’t."
Jas studied her for a mont. "At least you’re honest now."
Alia didn’t smile. "I should have been honest back then."
Before Jas could answer, the atmosphere changed.
Jas noticed the faint heat first.
Not from the lights. Not from the room.
A sharp warmth brushed across his skin in a way that felt familiar because danger always felt familiar.
Alia was standing near him when a man stepped behind her. One hand settled near her neck, close enough to make her stiffen while her smile disappeared.
The room quieted.
The man was well dressed, calm, and dangerous while carrying himself like soone used to power. Heat rippled faintly around his fingers, but he kept his expression relaxed.
He didn’t look at Alia like she mattered.
His gaze stayed on Jas.
Then he spoke. "Jas Ganner."
Jas’s body went still.
The man’s hand remained near Alia’s neck.
"Where is Derek?"
Jas slowly lifted his gaze from the man’s hand to his face while taking in the jawline, the eyes, and the arrogance.
The resemblance.
Jas recognized him.
Jas looked up, and the man standing behind Alia was Derek’s brother.
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