Chapter 41 — Covering HU Students
Aranya University was peaceful on the surface.
Green lawns.
Quiet libraries.
Students rushing between classes.
But beneath that calm surface—
A storm was brewing.
Because six students technically did not exist in the system.
---
The Problem Appears
It started small.
An email.
Then a notice.
Then a request for verification.
Mia walked into the mansion living room holding her laptop nervously.
"Guys…"
Everyone looked up.
Zein immediately noticed the tone.
"What happened?"
Mia turned the screen toward them.
"University administration wants identity verification."
Matt froze.
Race leaned forward.
"Verification for what?"
Mia scrolled.
"Academic transfer records."
Ace cursed quietly.
"They're checking our past university."
Silence filled the room.
Everyone knew the truth.
Their previous "university" technically didn't exist anymore.
The HU administration had been destroyed.
Its records erased.
Which meant—
Their academic history was blank.
Allison whispered.
"They'll know something is wrong."
Matt ran his hands through his hair.
"If they start digging…"
Race finished the sentence.
"They'll find nothing."
Ace leaned back slowly.
"That's worse."
---
Panic at the Mansion
The entire mansion living room turned chaotic instantly.
Mia pacing.
Zein reading emails again.
Matt opening multiple tabs trying to find solutions.
Race already calculating possibilities.
Allison biting her nails.
Ace looked toward the staircase.
"Where's Care?"
Almost on cue—
Care walked down the stairs calmly.
Coffee in hand.
She took one look at the room.
"Why does everyone look like the world ended?"
Mia rushed toward her.
"Administration is verifying our records."
Care took the laptop.
Scrolled once.
Twice.
Then calmly closed it.
"It's fine."
Everyone stared at her.
Matt blinked.
"…fine?"
Race frowned.
"You saw the message right?"
Care took a sip of coffee.
"Yes."
Zein folded her arms.
"They'll check our university."
Care shrugged.
"Let them."
Ace narrowed his eyes.
"You sound too calm."
Care placed the cup down.
"Because I already expected this."
Everyone froze.
Mia whispered,
"…what?"
Care picked up her phone.
"I'll handle it."
---
Phoenix Base — Midnight Operations
Hours later.
A completely different location.
Hidden beneath a private building in Goa.
The Lotus Shadows control center.
Dozens of screens.
Encrypted networks.
Secure databases.
Care sat in the center chair.
No hesitation.
No doubt.
Her fingers moved quickly across keyboards.
Multiple screens lit up.
University portals.
Government verification systems.
Immigration databases.
Academic records.
Lyra leaned against the desk watching.
"You make hacking look boring."
Care didn't look up.
"It's not hacking."
Ash raised an eyebrow.
"Oh?"
Care typed another command.
"It's correcting information."
Lyra laughed.
"That's the most Care explanation ever."
On one screen—
New academic records appeared.
Transfer certificates.
Previous university verification.
Immigration documents.
Student history.
Every detail flawless.
Ash watched the screen change.
"You're basically rewriting reality."
Care shrugged.
"Just adjusting paperwork."
Lyra leaned closer.
"Care…"
"How many systems are you inside right now?"
Care counted without looking.
"Seven."
Ash blinked.
"Seven?!"
Care finished the final line of code.
Upload complete.
She leaned back.
"Done."
Lyra whistled softly.
"You just erased an entire university from history and replaced it with a new one."
Care shrugged again.
"Temporary exchange program."
Ash shook her head.
"Remind me never to fight you."
Care closed the laptop.
"Too late."
---
Meanwhile… Ash's Midnight Secret
The work finished.
The tension gone.
The three girls relaxed in the base lounge.
Lyra suddenly noticed something.
Ash's phone lighting up.
Again.
And again.
Lyra slowly grinned.
"Oh?"
Care noticed too.
"Ash."
Ash immediately hid the phone.
"What?"
Lyra crossed her arms dramatically.
"Who are you texting."
"No one."
Care leaned forward.
"You've been smiling at that phone for twenty minutes."
Ash scoffed.
"I am not."
Another notification popped up.
Lyra moved faster.
She snatched the phone.
"AHA!"
Ash jumped.
"Lyra!"
Lyra read the screen dramatically.
"Percy: Did you eat dinner or are you surviving on chaos again?"
Care raised an eyebrow slowly.
"Percy."
Ash tried grabbing the phone.
"It's nothing!"
Lyra held it higher.
"Oh really?"
She scrolled.
"Oh this is good."
Care smirked.
"How long have you two been talking?"
Ash crossed her arms.
"We're not talking."
Lyra looked at the messages.
"You've been chatting for three hours."
Ash tried defending herself.
"We were discussing… an article."
Care stared at her.
"You're smiling like a maniac."
Lyra added,
"Your cheeks are red."
Ash grabbed the phone finally.
"You two are insane."
Lyra grinned.
"Sure."
Care leaned back.
"So it's nothing?"
Ash nodded quickly.
"Nothing."
Her phone buzzed again.
Percy.
Lyra laughed loudly.
"Oh this is definitely something."
Ash threw a cushion at her.
"Shut up."
Care simply smiled quietly.
She knew Ash well.
Ash didn't yet understand what this feeling was.
But something had started.
---
Next Day — Living Room Midnight
The mansion was quiet.
Everyone asleep.
Except one person.
Care sat in the living room surrounded by four laptops.
Screens glowing in the darkness.
University databases.
Immigration confirmations.
Encrypted networks.
She was making final adjustments.
Ensuring everything looked perfect.
No trace.
No suspicion.
No questions.
Her fingers moved quickly across keyboards.
Verification approvals.
Student records confirmed.
Visa extensions approved.
Care leaned back slightly.
"Done."
The front door suddenly opened.
She looked up instantly.
Cole and Alex walked inside.
Both looked exhausted.
Cole stretched.
"That club was terrible."
Alex laughed.
"You dragged me there."
Cole dropped onto the couch.
"We needed a break."
Then he noticed the light.
His eyes slowly moved to the table.
Four laptops.
Multiple screens.
Care sitting in front of them.
Working.
At 2 AM.
Alex blinked.
"…studying?"
Care closed one laptop smoothly.
"Something like that."
Cole walked closer.
His eyes scanned the screens quickly.
For a brief second—
He saw something strange.
Government portals.
Database access.
Verification systems.
Care closed the final screen instantly.
Too fast.
Cole stopped walking.
He narrowed his eyes slightly.
"That didn't look like studying."
Care stood up calmly.
"Just fixing some paperwork."
Alex didn't think much of it.
But Cole…
Cole kept staring.
Something felt off.
He had seen hackers before.
He had seen people move through systems like that.
And the way Care had closed the laptop—
That reaction.
That speed.
That control.
It felt…
Professional.
Cole leaned against the table slowly.
"You work late."
Care picked up the laptops.
"Someone has to fix problems."
Cole studied her face.
"You're mysterious sometimes."
Care didn't react.
Just a small calm smile.
"Goodnight."
She walked upstairs.
Leaving the room quiet.
Alex stretched again.
"She's intense."
Cole didn't answer.
He was still staring at the dark screens.
Something about Care…
Was starting to feel deeper than anyone realized.
But he didn't know the truth yet.
Not yet.
Somewhere in the shadows of the underworld—
The name Phoenix still burned quietly.
And the world had no idea.