The 3:00 PM bell signaled freedom for everyone else, but for Kai, it sounded like a countdown.

The corridor was a river of noise—students shouting, bags zipping, shoes scuffing against the linoleum. Kai checked his phone for the tenth time. The screen glowed with a single, terrified notification received just minutes ago.

Sender: Anastasia (Biology) Bungalow 4. 5:00 PM. Do not be late.

It wasn't a request. It was a summons.

"Hey, let's go," Rohan said, slinging his bag over one shoulder. "I'm starving. Let's hit the momo stall before the crowd gets there."

Kai shoved his phone back into his pocket, his stomach churning. "I can't, bro. I... I have to go to the library. And then straight to tuition."

Rohan rolled his eyes. "You've become a monk, I swear. Fine. More momos for me. Don't die of boredom."

Rohan disappeared into the crowd. Kai stood by the school gate, watching the sea of students disperse. He felt isolated, carrying a secret that felt heavier than his backpack.

"K-Kai?"

The voice was soft, barely audible over the traffic noise outside.

Kai turned around.

Irusha stood a few feet away, clutching her bag straps with both hands. She looked small in her oversized sweater, her eyes darting between Kai's face and the ground. She took a half-step forward, then stopped, looking like a deer caught in headlights.

"Oh, hey Irusha," Kai said, trying to force a normal smile. "Thanks again for... you know. This morning."

Irusha's face turned crimson. She opened her mouth to speak, her fingers twisting the wool of her sweater. "I... I wanted to ask... about the notes... for..."

Her voice trailed off. She looked at Kai, then seemingly lost all her nerve. She shook her head violently.

"N-Nothing!" she squeaked. "Sorry! Bye!"

Before Kai could even say "Wait," she spun around and speed-walked away, disappearing into a group of girls, her head ducked low.

"Weird..." Kai muttered to himself, frowning. "She is so weird."

He didn't have time to decode Irusha's behavior. He checked his watch. 3:15 PM. He had less than two hours to prepare himself for the lion's den.

***************************************

5:00 PM.

The sun was beginning to dip, casting long, orange shadows across the faculty lane. The air was still cold, but Kai was sweating.

He stood on the porch of Bungalow 4, his reflection distorted in the brass doorbell plate. He smoothed his hair, wiped his palms on his jeans, and pressed the button.

Ding-dong.

He waited. His heart hammered against his ribs—a frantic rhythm of thump-thump-thump.

The lock clicked. The door opened.

"You are punctual," Anastasia said. "Good."

Kai's breath hitched.

If yesterday's red dress was a fire, today's outfit was the smoke. She was wearing a black slip dress—short, impossibly tight, and made of a silk so thin it looked like liquid shadow poured over her body. The straps were spaghetti-thin, leaving her shoulders and collarbones bare.

But Kai's eyes, traitorous as always, dropped lower.

The neckline was deep, a scoop that showcased the heavy, creamy swell of her breasts. They were pushed up, pale skin contrasting starkly against the black silk. He could see the faint outline of her nipples pressing against the fabric.

"Ma'am..." Kai choked out.

"Inside," she commanded, stepping back to let him pass.

He walked into the warm, vanilla-scented living room. It felt different today. The curtains were drawn tighter, the light dimmer. It felt less like a classroom and more like an interrogation room.

"Put your bag down," she said, walking past him. The scent of her perfume trailed behind her, wrapping around his throat like a noose.

Kai dropped his bag on the coffee table. He turned to face her, expecting her to ask about Biology.

Instead, Anastasia leaned against the edge of the dining table, crossing her arms. This pushed her cleavage up even further, creating a distraction so potent Kai had to physically fight to keep his eyes on her face.

"So," she began, her voice dangerously calm. "Mr. Garg is quite the talker in the staff room."

Kai's blood ran cold. Oh god.

"He was grading the papers during the lunch break," she continued, her blue eyes locking onto his. "He told me about your performance."

Kai's internal monologue screamed. Fuck. Fuck. She knows. She knows I copied. She knows about the pattern. Garg must have seen it. I'm dead. I'm expelled. My mom is going to kill me.

"I..." Kai stammered, backing up a step. "Ma'am, I can explain... I really didn't mean to—"

"Quiet," she snapped.

She pushed off the table and stalked toward him. She moved with a slow, predatory grace. Kai froze as she stopped inches from him. She was so close he could feel the heat radiating from her bare skin.

She reached out.

Her cool, manicured fingers touched his chin, tilting his face up so he couldn't look away. Her nails dug in slightly—not enough to hurt, but enough to hold him prisoner.

"I told you yesterday," she whispered, her face close enough that he could count her eyelashes. "I told you that you are my favorite student. I told you that I see potential in you."

Kai swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing against her fingers. Here it comes. The expulsion.

"And yet," she hissed, her eyes narrowing. "You barely passed."

Kai blinked.

"Thirty marks," she said with disdain. "Thirty out of fifty. Just the objective section. You left the entire theory section blank."

Kai's brain paused. Wait.

She was angry about the score. She was angry that he only got 30.

She doesn't know I cheated, he realized, a wave of relief crashing over him so hard he almost collapsed. She thinks I just studied the objectives and ignored the rest. Thank God.

He let out a shaky breath. "I... I'm sorry, Ma'am. I just... I blanked out on the theory. I focused on the objectives to save my grade."

"Excuses," she murmured, her thumb stroking his lower lip. The sensation sent a jolt of electricity straight to his groin.

"You disappointed me, Kai," she said softly, her voice heavy with disapproval. "I do not invest my time in mediocrity. I expect excellence. And this... this is lazy."

She let go of his chin, her hand trailing down his neck to rest on his chest, right over his beating heart.

"You have failed to meet my expectations," she purred, her eyes darkening. "And in my class, failure has consequences."

She stepped closer, her thigh brushing between his legs.

"Now... what should I do with you?"

She looked up at him, a cruel, playful smile curling her lips.

"Should I punish you, Kai?"

The question hung in the warm, vanilla-scented air, heavy with threat and promise.

Kai couldn't answer. His throat was dry, his heart hammering against his ribs like a trapped bird. He watched as Anastasia walked over to a polished oak cabinet in the corner of the room. She opened a drawer and pulled out two long, shimmering strips of fabric.

Silk scarves. One black. One deep crimson.

She turned back to him, snapping the silk taut between her hands with a sharp thwack.

"Sit," she commanded, pointing to the heavy wooden chair in the center of the room. "Since you lack the discipline to keep your mind on your studies, I will provide the structure you are missing."

Kai stared at the chair, then at the scarves in her hands. His internal monologue was screaming at him.

She's crazy. She is actually, legitimately crazy. This isn't extra credit. This is... I don't even know what this is. I should run. I should grab my bag and bolt out the door.

But he didn't move toward the door. He moved toward the chair.

God, look at her, his mind countered instantly. Look at the way that dress clings to her hips. Look at her eyes. She's looking at me like I'm her toy. Why is that so hot? What is wrong with me?

He sat down. The wood was cool against his jeans.

"Hands on the armrests," she instructed, her voice devoid of emotion, like a doctor prepping a patient for surgery.

Kai obeyed, his hands trembling slightly.

Anastasia moved behind him. He couldn't see her, but he could feel her presence. He felt the heat of her body as she leaned over his shoulder. The scent of her expensive perfume enveloped him—intoxicating and suffocating.

She wrapped the black silk around his left wrist, binding it to the wooden armrest. She pulled the knot tight—not painful, but firm enough that he couldn't pull free. Then, she moved to the right.

She's tying me up, Kai thought, a bead of sweat rolling down his temple. My biology teacher is tying me to a chair in her living room. If Rohan saw this, he would have a heart attack. If my mom saw this... oh god.

"There," she whispered, stepping back around to face him. "Now you cannot run away from your failure."

She grabbed a heavy Biology textbook from the table and dropped it onto his lap. The weight of the book pressed down on his thighs.

"We are going to review the Reproductive System today," she said, her lips curving into a small, wicked smile. "Appropriate, don't you think?"

She grabbed a dining chair and dragged it over, placing it directly in front of him. She sat down, crossing her legs. The hem of her black slip dress rode up dangerously high, exposing the smooth, pale skin of her thighs.

She leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees, giving him a direct, unobstructed view down the scoop neckline of her dress.

"Here are the rules of your detention," she purred. "I will ask you a question. You will answer it. If you get it right, we move on."

She reached out and tapped the front of his jeans with one manicured fingernail.

"But... if you get distracted... if I see any movement here..." She let her finger linger on his zipper. "Then the punishment will escalate. Do you understand?"

Kai swallowed hard. "Yes, Ma'am."

This is a trap, he thought frantically. It's a rigged game. How am I supposed to talk about biology when she's sitting like that? She's practically spilling out of that dress. She wants me to get hard. She's waiting for it.

"Question one," she began, her voice silky. "Define the function of the Corpus Cavernosum."

She shifted in her seat, arching her back slightly. The movement made her breasts sway within the thin fabric of the dress.

Kai stared at the book, his vision blurring. He knew the answer. It was the sponge-like tissue that filled with blood during an erection. It was exactly what was happening to him right now.

"It... it is erectile tissue," Kai stammered, fighting to keep his voice steady. "It... fills with blood to create... rigidity."

"Rigidity," she repeated slowly, tasting the word. "Is that what is happening now, Kai?"

She looked down at his lap. Despite his best efforts, despite the terror of being tied up, his body was betraying him. The textbook on his lap lifted slightly—just an inch, but it was enough.

Anastasia's eyes lit up with triumph.

"You are failing the test already," she whispered, leaning in closer until her face was inches from his. "I can see the book rising. You are not focusing on the science. You are focusing on the teacher."

She is a demon, Kai thought, his breath coming in short gasps. A beautiful, terrifying demon. She's going to ruin me, and I'm going to let her.

"Since you have failed the first condition," she murmured, her hand moving toward his belt buckle, "we must move to the second phase of detention."