Chapter 7
The New Professor’s Aura
(Arushi POV)
I couldn’t breathe. I swear, my body felt like it was frozen in place, like time itself had stopped.
Everything around me—every sound, every movement—just… vanished.
The new professor, Professor Carter Celest Haneul, was standing there, her voice calm yet powerful, resonating through the room like it was meant just for me.
Her dark eyes scanned the class, lingering on each of us, making us feel like we were being analyzed, tested, even if she wasn’t saying anything directly to us. Her presence was enough to make the air feel thick and heavy.
And I couldn’t stop looking at her.
Was it because she reminded me so much of that faceless girl in my dreams? Or was it the way she carried herself—so composed, so… perfectly distant?
Her tone was sharp, almost biting, yet strangely… comforting. Like she was setting boundaries that felt safe, even though they made you aware of just how far you could not go.
No one moved.
I glanced around, and even Raegan—who could usually care less about authority—was sitting up straighter, her usual smirk gone. Citrine, who never cared about anything or anyone, looked at the professor with a mix of curiosity and… I don’t know, something else.
I could feel her gaze shift momentarily toward me, and suddenly, my heart skipped a beat. There it was again—the same cold feeling I had whenever the faceless girl appeared in my dreams. That same pull, that same intensity. It was like I was tethered to her in a way that made no sense.
My mind raced, trying to piece it all together. I wasn’t sure what was happening. Was I imagining this connection? Had I just projected the girl from my dreams onto her? Or… was there something more?
No one moved.
She paused, scanning the class again with those intense, dark eyes of hers. I swear she was looking directly at me, but I couldn’t bring myself to break eye contact. Something about her gaze… it felt like she was seeing through me.
I could feel Raegan beside me, itching to break the silence, but even she seemed unnerved. This wasn’t just any professor. This wasn’t the usual boring lecture I’d expected. No. There was something so magnetic, so powerful about her that even the loudest students in the room were subdued.
Suddenly, I was snapped back into reality when Professor Haneul’s voice cut through the air again.
Her words hung in the air, each syllable sharp and deliberate, making us all shift uncomfortably in our seats.
I nearly snorted at the last part. She was serious, wasn’t she? She wasn’t joking around, and it was clear that she expected us to rise to her standards.
For a split second, I considered raising my hand and maybe skipping this round of introductions. But the moment my gaze met hers, I froze again. There it was—that feeling. The pull. The need to speak. To respond.
The class went on with the introductions, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was the only one actually hearing her words, like she was speaking directly to me. And every time she glanced at me, it felt like time slowed down.
But my mind was too clouded. Too lost in the whirlwind of confusion that had settled over me since I’d seen Professor Haneul.
---
When it finally reached me, I had no idea what to say.
I stood up, my palms suddenly clammy. The moment my gaze met Professor Haneul’s, I felt that familiar sensation—like I was sinking, or perhaps floating, inside her eyes.
The words came out automatically, but it didn’t feel like me saying them. It felt like I was being forced to say them, as if the space between me and Professor Haneul was pulling the words from my lips.
I tried to glance away, but I couldn’t. Her gaze was too strong, too commanding. And for the first time, I didn’t feel like I had any control.
She nodded slowly, almost as if she understood something I didn’t. “Fair enough,” she said, her voice steady and unflinching.
Then, without another word, she moved on to the next student.
I quickly sat down, my heart pounding, but my mind was still on the edge. What the hell was happening? Why did she feel like the faceless girl in my dreams? How was this even possible?
And why the hell did I feel like I was being pulled closer to her with each passing second?
---
The rest of the class passed in a blur. I barely registered anything after that moment. Every time Professor Haneul spoke, my mind drifted back to the sensation of her eyes on me, to the strange familiarity I couldn’t quite place.
Was it a coincidence? Was it just my mind playing tricks on me?
Or was it something deeper? Something I needed to understand before it consumed me entirely.
As class finally ended, I was one of the last to stand, slowly gathering my things. Citrine was already out the door, Raegan was laughing with Forest, and I—well, I just couldn’t shake the feeling that the real challenge was about to begin.
Professor Haneul had left, and I could still feel the weight of her presence lingering in the room, like an invisible force.
And for the first time in my life, I felt like I had to know more.
---
The football field was buzzing with students, some playing, some just hanging around. The sun was high, but the cool breeze made it bearable. We were sitting under the shade of a tree, away from the crowd.
Min-Jae wasn’t here. Her course was in another building—Business Management—while kami nina Citrine, Raegan, at Forest ay nasa Architecture. Medyo hassle, pero sanay na kami na hindi kami laging magkakasama sa break time.
Right now, though, there was only one topic on our minds: Professor Carter Celest Haneul.
Citrine snorted, biting into her sandwich. "Kinakabahan? Or attracted?"
Raegan rolled her eyes. "Dude, seryoso. Ang intense ng presence niya, ‘no? I mean, the way she looks at you? Parang kaya niyang basahin yung buong pagkatao mo."
I stayed quiet, staring blankly at my juice box.
Hindi lang si Raegan ang nakaramdam nun. Ako rin.
But mine was worse. It wasn’t just intense—it was familiar.
Like I had already known her for a long time.
Like she had already seen me before, even before today.
Citrine nudged me with her foot. "Hoy, Troney, ba’t ang tahimik mo? Dati rati kapag bagong prof, ikaw unang nagco-comment, lalo na kapag terror."
I shrugged, playing it cool. "Wala lang. She’s just… different."
Forest raised a brow. "Different how?"
I hesitated. Hindi ko naman pwedeng sabihin na she reminded me of the faceless girl in my dreams, right? That would sound crazy.
So instead, I went for something vague.
They all seemed to agree, even Citrine, who usually never paid attention to professors.
Forest chuckled. "Kung kaya niya, ikaw siguro unang tatamaan."
I sighed, leaning back against the tree trunk. "I don’t know, guys. There’s just… something about her."
And that something was haunting me, pulling me in like a puzzle I couldn’t solve.
Citrine just laughed, shrugging. "What? She’s hot. Don’t tell me hindi niyo naisip yun?"
I rolled my eyes, pero hindi ko rin pwedeng i-deny. Professor Haneul was striking. Beautiful, in a cold, untouchable way.
Pero hindi yun ang gumugulo sa isip ko.
It was the way she felt.
The way she looked at me.
Like she knew something I didn’t.
And that scared me more than anything else.
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