Valmont Series - Inheritance Code

Chapter 5.6 - WhisperSync

"Didn't think I'd actually find you in a library. Thought you only studied when it involved a camera or a runway."

The voice came from just outside her pod — casual, amused, familiar.

Aria didn't have to look up.

"I thought Echelon students came with manners," she said dryly, still scrolling.

Aiden stepped in without asking, hands in his pockets, wearing that look he always wore when he was seconds away from being annoying on purpose.

The pod reacted immediately — the ambient lighting cooled, and the silence softened, just enough for their voices to carry.

Not loud.

But in the mezzanine, even presence had volume.

"Most do," he said. "I'm the exception."

She finally glanced at him.

He looked infuriatingly unbothered — sharp in his uniform, ONYX set to private mode, hair just tousled enough to pass for focus.

Of course he'd show up now.

She narrowed her eyes. "What are you even doing here?"

"Validation," he said. "Apparently your little Raveneau stunt boosted my feed too."

Aria didn't look up.

"Please. Your feed's locked tighter than the Ministry archives."

He shrugged. "Doesn't matter. System still tracks passive association. Apparently being linked to Avalon's newest fascination still generates metrics—even if mine are locked."

She smirked faintly.

"Tragic. All that gossip, and no one to enjoy it."

Before Aiden could respond, a sharp voice snapped across the mezzanine:

"Keep it down."

A girl — Luminary tier, Solara House. Perfect posture, annoyed tone.

"Use WhisperSync, or take your family reunion somewhere else."

Aria's brows lifted.

Aiden gave a half-smile, too polite to be genuine.

"We would," he said smoothly, "but we haven't completed the First Silence yet."

He leans in toward Aria. "They don't like noise. It messes with their illusion of control."

Another student laughed under their breath.

"Figures. Legacy still unconfirmed, and already walking like they run the place."

Then, louder — not quite a whisper, not quite an accident:

"How did they even clear the intake?"

"Avalon must be running desperate."

"Or maybe visibility's the new charity."

Aria went still.

She was used to being watched — the glances, the curiosity, the soft envy hidden under polite admiration.

But this was different.

This wasn't fascination.

It was judgment.

It was resentment.

The kind that didn't just question who you were —

but whether you deserved to be here at all.

Aiden didn't react — not on the surface.

But his eyes flicked once to her, checking.

She didn't meet his gaze.

She flicked her ONYX instead, minimizing her feed, posture perfect.

But the pod's atmosphere felt thinner all of a sudden — not colder, just... exposed.

It wasn't just about Luc anymore.

It was about her.

And Aiden.

The twins who hadn't grown up in Avalon — the ones whose legacy was whispered, not worn.

Someone else muttered behind a flicked ONYX panel:

"Of course she's rising. The system loves a scandal."

"They still haven't confirmed her family's alignment. Probably just political padding."

Aria said nothing.

But inside?

The sting was precise.

She was used to being seen.

Used to stares, envy, commentary layered in politeness.

But this?

This wasn't curiosity.

It was calculated dismissal.

Aria stood without urgency.

Not flinching. Not rushing. Just... done.

Her ONYX dimmed to passive as she stood, smoothing the crease of her sleeve — not because it needed adjusting, but because precision was a language. One she spoke fluently.

Aiden followed her lead, already half a step behind.

"We were just leaving," she said, her tone smooth as silk and twice as sharp.

"It's nearly dinner anyway."

She didn't look back.

Didn't need to.

Let them whisper.

Let them wonder.

But as she walked, her fist curled tight—controlled, silent—until the ONYX pressed hard against her skin.

A flush crept into her cheek—unwelcome, impossible to will away.

She didn't speak.

Didn't stumble.

She just kept walking—composed, deliberate—like poise could still outrun the burn.

Next: Tier: Zeroth – Some shifts aren't glitches. They're warnings the system can't log.