My Rival Turn Into Lover

Chapter 5: The Message

Suddenly, James's phone buzzed aggressively in his palm. He looked down at the screen, and the color instantly drained from his face. A look of sheer shock took over his features. Without wasting a single second, he called out to all of us, his voice sharp with urgency.

Edward jumped slightly, turning to him with a frown. "What's wrong, James?"

James swallowed hard, his eyes darting across the room to meet ours. "You guys remember Lucas, right?"

"Of course we know that guy," Jacob answered smoothly, crossing his arms. "He's our ultimate rival, the one who used to dominate our entire previous school."

Sebastian narrowed his eyes, sensing the heavy atmosphere. "Why? What about him?"

"We just got word from our contacts at the airport," James breathed out, a rare grin breaking through his serious expression. "He's back. Lucas is finally back in the country."

"He's back?!" Jacob slammed his hand on the table, a dangerous thrill in his eyes. "So that means... our original circle is officially complete again? Just like the old days?"

James gave a firm nod. "Yes."

Harry leaped to his feet, slinging his jacket over his shoulder with a sharp grin. "Well, what the hell are we waiting for then? Let's go!"

James immediately bolted down to the underground garage to find a suitable ride that could fit all of us and luggage, while Sebastian and the rest of the guys headed straight outside to wait by the grand entrance. A minute later, the roaring purr of a high-end luxury SUV echoed through the driveway. James expertly swung the car around, braking right in front of us.

The four of them piled into the sleek black interior, and the moment the doors clicked shut, James slammed his foot on the gas, speeding through the neon-lit city streets toward the international airport.

The airport terminal was packed with travelers, but it didn't take long for the five of them to spot the familiar, commanding silhouette standing near the arrival gates.

"LUCAS!" they shouted across the crowded terminal.

Lucas paused, turning his head as a sharp, knowing smirk spread across his handsome face. He immediately walked toward them. Before he could even say a word, Harry and Edward playfully shoved past him, grabbing his heavy luggage and sprinting back to the car to toss it into the trunk.

Once everyone was safely inside the luxury vehicle and James was navigating back onto the highway, Lucas leaned back into the leather seat, exhaling a long breath. "How are you all doing, my brothers?"

Sebastian looked at him through the rearview mirror, his expression calm but genuinely warm. "We're doing fine. How about you? How was life while you were busy dominating that elite academy overseas?"

Lucas shrugged casually. "It was okay. Standard stuff." He then tilted his head, his sharp gaze locking onto the boy next to him. "Wait, Sebastian... how has your life been? Someone actually told me that you've been hiding your genius skills lately because you felt like everyone was just using you for your intellect."

Sebastian stiffened slightly, his gaze shifting out the window. "How did you even find out about that?"

Lucas chuckled softly. "Well, Mother and Father told me everything. They also mentioned you transferred to the very school where I'm registered right now."

Harry leaned forward from the back row, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. "Speaking of our school, do you know that Mondraco and Xavier recently challenged us? They're practically begging to battle us in the grand tournament next month."

Lucas let out a dry laugh, looking thoroughly amused. "Well... they can only say those things if they can actually beat Sebastian, right?"

Sebastian simply turned his head, a completely deadpan expression on his face. "I don't know."

The car instantly erupted into a wave of roaring laughter, the old, familiar brotherhood dynamic snapping perfectly back into place.

By the time they reached the mansion, the clock was ticking closer to late evening. Edward immediately took charge, unpacking Lucas's heavy luggage and neatly setting everything up in his designated bedroom on the upper floor. Downstairs, James parked the SUV safely in the garage while Harry tied an apron around his waist, expertly whipping up a gourmet dinner for the hungry group.

"Dinner's ready!" Harry’s voice echoed through the halls a short while later.

The five boys didn't need to be told twice. They rushed out of their respective rooms and swarmed the dining table, diggin into the feast.

As they ate, Edward leaned his elbows on the table, looking across at the newly arrived prodigy. "So, Lucas, what’s your first move now that you're finally back home?"

Lucas set his glass down, his expression softening into one of genuine respect. "First thing tomorrow, I want to visit our previous school. I want to meet up with Professor Williams and properly say thank you to him for everything he taught us."

The second the name left his mouth, a suffocating, heavy silence fell over the entire dining room. The clinking of silverware stopped completely.

Lucas blinked, looking around at the sudden drop in temperature. "What happened? Why did everyone just go dead quiet?"

James closed his eyes, his knuckles turning slightly white as he gripped his napkin. "Lucas... Mondraco and Xavier challenged Professor Williams a few weeks ago. They cornered him with a highly advanced, rigged academic trap. Professor Williams couldn't answer their questions... and because of the humiliation of losing to students he once taught, he submitted his resignation. He felt like an absolute failure."

The moment the words registered, Lucas’s eyes flashed with a dangerous, volatile fury. He slammed his fist onto the table, his typical calm demeanor completely shattering as he began to yap in pure rage.

"Are you serious right now?!" Lucas snarled, his voice dripping with venom. "They actually had the audacity to challenge our favorite professor? Acting like they suddenly know everything in the world?! Those arrogant, ungrateful rats!"

James raised a hand to calm him down, though his own eyes were entirely cold. "That's exactly why there’s a massive school battle next month. The representatives for our side will be our group... and Evelyn Montreyo."

Lucas’s jaw set into a hard, rigid line. "Put my name on that roster, James. Let me join this battle. I am personally going to answer whatever garbage 'hardest questions' Mondraco and Xavier think they have."

A cold, collective smirk spread across the faces of the boys around the table.

"Consider it done," James said, pulling out his tablet and officially typing Lucas's name into the exclusive student council registration system.

Edward leaned back, a chilling smile playing on his lips. "Maybe it really is time to finally show them who runs this region."

"Yeah," Sebastian chimed in, his dark eyes glowing with an otherworldly, majestic confidence under the dining room lights. "We'll show them exactly what a true genius looks like. They're incredibly lucky their school even has any trophies in their display cabinets right now, considering every single one of them was won because of us."

James locked his tablet with a satisfying click. "Don't worry. We'll be bringing those trophies right back where they belong once we utterly destroy them in this tournament."

Lucas glanced up at the grandfather clock in the hallway, the exhaustion of the international flight finally catching up to his eyes. "We should probably get some sleep. It's already past ten."

"Yeah, let's turn in," the rest of the guys agreed, standing up from the table.

"Goodnight, everyone," they murmured, turning off the lights as they headed upstairs, the quiet house now harboring the most dangerous academic lineup the country had ever seen.