A frigid chill instantly radiated from Gordon. It was as if the air around him had frozen solid, a thick, impenetrable sheet of ice. His phoenix eyes, now dark and menacing, locked onto Will, who felt his throat tighten. He couldn't even draw a proper breath.

He... he hadn't done anything wrong, had he? Why was Master Ninth looking at him like that?

"Go on," Gordon's lips barely moved. "What's the name of the person you're confessing to?"

His voice was even colder now, the pressure in the air becoming almost unbearable. Will struggled to compose himself, swallowing hard. "C-Caitlin," he stammered.

*Caitlin.*

At the name, Gordon let out a short, sharp laugh. It was a terrifying sound. *Ha!* Good. Very good. No wonder Will was always going on about how perfect and beautiful and amazing this woman was. Of course she was. She was *his* girlfriend.

No one could possibly imagine the depth of Gordon's regret at that moment. The thought that he had been actively coaching a rival in the pursuit of his own girlfriend made him want to slap himself. He should have been suspicious from the start. Who else in the world had the kind of magnetic charm to turn a seasoned playboy like Will into a lovesick fool?

If Gordon hadn't laughed, it would have been bad enough. But that laugh made Will's blood run cold. It was a rare smile, one that held a chilling disregard for everyone and everything around him. The last time Will had seen him smile like that was on a battlefield in a foreign country, right before he single-handedly wiped out an entire enemy platoon. To this day, Will could vividly remember the image of Gordon walking out of the flames, covered in grime and blood, a figure of absolute power, capable of bending the world to his will.

And today, Will was seeing that same smile again.

He was terrified. What was happening? Could it be that Master Ninth also had feelings for Caitlin? But didn't he already have a girlfriend? Will remembered Gordon mentioning her last name was Kensington.

Did Gordon fall for Caitlin at first sight?

*Smack!*

Before Will could process anything, a hand slammed against the wall behind him. He instinctively

stumbled back as Gordon closed in, until his back was pressed against the hard, unyielding surface.cÕh God I'm so scared Will was on the verge of tears. This was horrible. The psychological pressure was far worse than any physical threat. He would have preferred if Gordon just beat him up. Could someone, anyone, please save him?

Gordon stared down at Will, his deep eyes an abyss of pure pressure. He spoke

each word slowly and deliberately. "Do you know who I am?"

That simple question was enough to suffocate Will. He shook his head, then nodded frantically, his voice cracking. M-Master Ninth. You're Master Ninth. It was over Master Ninth had clearly lost his mind. He didn't even know who he was anymore.

"No." Gordon's eyes narrowed, the danger in them practically spilling out. He enunciated each syllable with chilling precision. "I. Am. Caitlin's. Boyfriend."

*Boom.*

Will's eyes flew wide. He felt as if the sky had just come crashing down. What... what did Master Ninth just say? He said he was whose boyfriend? Caitlin's boyfriend!!!

Pure terror flooded Will's face. If Master Ninth was Caitlin's boyfriend... then what was he? Dear God. Will didn't dare to even think about all the things he had said and done over the past few weeks.

"Master Ninth, you're joking, right?"

Will took a deep breath, fighting against a tidal wave of fear as he looked up at Gordon. "Doesn't your girlfriend's last name start with ak? Kensington?" Had Master Ninth changed girlfriends at some point? What on earth was going on?

"Are you really that clueless, or are you just pretending?" Gordon's eyes were half-

closed, but his gaze was sharper than a razor.

Will was about to cry. "What... what am I supposed to know?"