Leah didn't push, and that was all that mattered. She just stood there in the hallway for a moment, her presence temporarily calming the chaos in Cameron's head. "Wanna go out for a little walk, maybe see the campus night view," she finally said, her voice light. "You coming? It's a great view, I assure you".
"Umm…okay, I'm in" he said, not expecting much from the walk.
They left his room and started their night walk, side by side. Cameron was surprised by the view outside the campus. "The night sky is beautiful. And the environment is peaceful and quiet. Didn't expect the campus to be this peaceful at night."
"It is right? I discovered this during my late night escapades from my roommate." She said happily. "It's lovely and quiet around this area at night. Let's go seat on that bench over there." She said, pointing at a bench on the side of the walkway.
In that moment, sitting down outside, enjoying the night view, he realized that the world is still beautiful and he can also enjoy moments like this once in awhile.
——————
Blackwood's statement still keeps playing over and over again in his head. You'll be contacted. You'll be contacted. Exchange something value. He doesn't have anything of value…not yet at least. What was he thinking. He's way over his head. He's just an ant that can be easily crushed.
Two days later, the "contact" came. Not through the secure server. Not through Graves.
Cameron was in the university's computer lab, working on a data simulation project when his personal phone, the one the Reeds paid for, rang. He checked the phone and saw it was a call from an unknown number. He almost ignored it, but a strange instinct made him answer.
"Hello?"
"Cameron Reed." The voice on the other end was the one he remembered—low, calm, like deep water over stone. Aaron Blackwood. "Are you in a secure location?"
Cameron's throat went dry. He looked around the nearly empty lab. "A university computer lab. It's not secure."
"There is a private study room on the third floor of your library. Room 307. It is reserved under your name for the next hour. Go there now."
The line went dead.
Cameron sat frozen for a full ten seconds. Then he saved his work, packed his bag, and walked out. His mind raced with so many questions. Reserved under my name? How? Why?
Room 307 was a small space with a monitor and a phone. It was also soundproofed. The moment Cameron closed the door, the monitor flickered to life, showing Aaron Blackwood in his office. He was not looking at the camera, but slightly off to the side, as if viewing a different screen. He wore a simple black sweater, no suit jacket, his sleeves pushed up. He looked less like a corporate titan and more like a normal worker.
"Cameron," he said, his voice coming through the room's speakers. He finally turned his head, his winter-grey gaze finding the camera, finding him. "Your request was denied for your own protection. The Sterlings aren't a puzzle you, a college freshman, can solve. They are a fortress. You'll get shot if you go too close".
Cameron sank into the chair, his legs weak. "I'm not trying to do anything illegal. I'm just trying to find out where I come from." The words spilled out, raw and honest, before he could stop them.
Blackwood was silent for a moment, studying him through the screen. "The Sterling family lost an infant son eighteen years ago. The circumstances were… sensitive. It is their most closely guarded secret. Any external inquiry, especially a clumsy one, will be will be seen as threat. Alexander Sterling would destroy you and your adoptive family before you utter a second question."
"So you know. About them?." Cameron asked, shocked by the revelation.
"I know many things. It is my business to know." Aaron's gaze was unwavering. "You, the perfect timeline match, your… conspicuous presence… have been noted. By me. And, maybe by Alexander, during the summit."
Cameron swallowed. "He looked right at me."
"He did. And now his brother, the military officer, is carrying out a background check on you as we speak."
The air left Cameron's lungs. "What?"
"Benjamin Sterling has access to resources that make my own look small. Your adoption records, your school files, your digital footprint…all are being dissected." Aaron leaned forward slightly, his expression unreadable. "You can't hide forever. You've been discovered."
Panic, cold and sharp, seized Cameron. "What do I do?"
"For now you do nothing. You are a student. Be a student. Excel. Become someone of substance. A curious orphan is a target. A brilliant student with a promising future in computational analytics… is an asset. Even to a Sterling."
"You're telling me to… wait? To get stronger?" Cameron asked, not expecting the advice.
"If you have contact with that family, you'll only be able to survive if you have great value or truth no one can refute. And currently you have none. That's why I called."
"You called to warn me." Cameron said, the thought that maybe he cared, feels awfully warm.
"I called to make sure that my investment in your… situation… is destroyed by your own recklessness." A pause. "And because watching a moth fly repeatedly into a flame is a waste of a perfectly interesting moth."
Was that… almost humor? Cameron couldn't tell.
"You said I'd be contacted when I had something to exchange," Cameron asked. "What could I possibly have that you'd want?"
On the screen, Aaron's lips moved just a little, the smile hardly noticeable. "Perspective. Take it as a loan that will be paid back with interest. For now build yourself. Start from your grades, then your survival."
The call was clearly ending. "This room will be available to you every Thursday night from nine to ten. Use it for your research. It is untraceable and secure. Don't use it for anything else."
"Thank you," Cameron said, the words feeling small.
Aaron Blackwood gave a single, slight nod. "Do not thank me. Don't repeat your mistake, Cameron Reed."
Then the screen went dark.
Cameron sat in the silent room for a long time. The fear was still there, eating away in his stomach. Benjamin Sterling was investigating him. He's been noticed.
But for the first time, he didn't feel entirely alone in the dark. He had a flicker of light in his usual meeting spot with Leah in the library. And now, he had a formidable mysterious force named Aaron Blackwood, watching over him, as his shield and sword, if he could wield it.
Now he's no longer the easy prey to be pushed down the stairs easily. He has a chance to rewrite his life, to build something meaningful.
He left the study room with the library's quite hum feeling different. The way forward was still terrifying but it no longer feels like only an escape. Now he has a purpose, a weekly appointment and people who cares, to watch over him.