The General's Daughter: The Mission

Back in college, Ares and Jack were both part of the university basketball team. They were also room mates. That’s why Jack was so shocked when he finally learned the identity of Ares.

That day, the gymnasium was packed with cheering students as they played a friendly exhibition match against another department. The atmosphere was loud and energetic, filled with the squeaking of sneakers against polished wood and the deafening roar of the crowd every time someone scored.

Ares, as always, dominated the court effortlessly.

Tall, fast, and terrifyingly precise, he moved like he was born for the game. Every pass he made was sharp, every shot calculated. Even during a casual match, he played with an intensity that intimidated everyone around him.

And the female students loved him and cheered for him.

Jack still remembered the exact moment everything changed.

Ares stole the ball from the opposing team and sprinted across the court. Without slowing down, he whipped a pass toward his teammate near the three-point line.

But the force behind it was too strong.

The teammate failed to catch it.

The basketball flew past him at frightening speed.

Straight toward the entrance of the gymnasium where a group of female students had just walked in.

Everything seemed to happen in slow motion.

The girls screamed and ducked instinctively.

But somehow, as if fate itself had guided the ball, it bypassed everyone else and struck Scarlet directly in the head.

Bang!

The impact was horrifying.

Scarlet’s body crumpled instantly, her head slamming hard against the cold concrete floor with a sickening sound.

For one terrifying second, the entire gym fell silent.

Then chaos erupted.

Screams echoed through the auditorium. Students rushed forward in panic while others froze in shock.

Jack’s heart nearly stopped.

Ares had already seen the trajectory of the ball the moment it left his hands and the moment his teammate failed to catch it, then when it hit Scarlet.

The second Scarlet collapsed, his face turned deathly pale.

”Ares—!” Jack shouted, but Ares was already running.

No one had ever seen him move that fast before.

He shoved through the crowd and dropped to his knees beside Scarlet.

Blood.

There was so much blood.

It spread beneath Scarlet’s head, staining the concrete crimson. Her white blouse was quickly soaked red, the color so vivid it made everyone around gasp in horror.

”A-ambulance! Call an ambulance!” someone screamed hysterically.

But Ares remained terrifyingly calm.

His hands carefully checked Scarlet’s pulse before he immediately applied first aid, pressing firmly against the wound to slow the bleeding.

”Move back!” he barked coldly at the crowd. ”Give her air!”

His voice was so commanding that everyone obeyed instinctively.

At the same time, he pulled out his phone and spoke rapidly into it.

”Emergency trauma response. A female student. Severe head injury. Send the helicopter now.”

Jack froze.

Helicopter?

Within minutes, the loud chopping sound of rotor blades thundered overhead.

The entire campus was shaken as a medical helicopter descended onto the open football field near the gymnasium. Wind blasted violently across the area as paramedics rushed out with a stretcher.

The students stared in disbelief.

They expected an ambulance, not a helicopter.

Some even forgot to breathe.

Just who exactly was Ares Zuvel who could summon a medical helicopter to a university campus with a single phone call?

Ares seemed to realize too late that he had exposed far too much.

His jaw tightened slightly before he spoke coldly, ”It’s from Hope Hospital. I happen to know their emergency contact number.”

Some nodded in understanding. But some had their doubts and did not truly believed him.

Hospitals did not send helicopters that quickly for ordinary people.

Ignoring the stunned gazes around him, Ares carefully handed Scarlet over to the paramedics. Yet even then, his bloodstained hands refused to leave her until the very last second.

Then, without hesitation, he climbed into the helicopter beside her.

Jack immediately followed. Ares let him. He was his room mate after all and his close friend.

...

Ares stayed at the hospital the entire night.

He sat silently outside the emergency room, his elbows resting on his knees while dried blood still stained his hands and uniform.

For the first time in years, he felt shaken.

Guilt gnawed at him relentlessly.

If not for him... If not for that pass... If not for the ball that left his hands...

Scarlet would not be lying behind those doors fighting for her life.

The usually calm and untouchable Ares Zuvel looked unusually restless. Every passing second felt unbearably slow.

Jack had never seen him like this before.

Even during difficult games or brutal project defense in class, Ares always remained composed, as though nothing in the world could truly affect him.

But tonight was different.

His eyes remained fixed on the red emergency light above the operating room doors, dark and stormy with suppressed emotion.

Hours passed.

Finally, the doors opened.

A doctor stepped out while removing his surgical mask.

Ares stood immediately. ”How is she?”

”The patient is stable now,” the doctor replied reassuringly. ”She suffered a concussion from the impact, but fortunately, there doesn’t appear to be any brain damage.”

The tension in Ares’ chest loosened instantly.

For the first time that night, he finally breathed properly.

”Thank you, Doctor,” he said quietly.

”She’ll need to remain under observation for at least three more days,” the doctor continued. Then his gaze shifted slightly. ”Are you a family member?”

Ares lowered his eyes briefly before answering, ”No. I’m her classmate.”

A faint shadow crossed his expression.

”I was the one who injured her.”

His voice turned heavier.

”I’ll take responsibility for all the medical expenses.”

The doctor nodded before giving a few additional instructions regarding Scarlet’s recovery and medication. Once he finished, he left the two young men standing in the hallway.

Jack thought Ares would finally rest.

Instead, Ares quietly walked into Scarlet’s hospital room.

The room was dimly lit, filled only with the soft beeping of medical machines. Scarlet lay motionless on the bed, a bandage wrapped around her head. Her face was pale from blood loss, making her look fragile and delicate beneath the white hospital sheets.

Yet even in such a state, her beauty remained breathtaking.

Under the faint glow of the bedside lamp, she looked almost unreal.

Ares stood beside her bed silently, his dark eyes studying her face.

For the first time, he noticed how long her eyelashes were. How soft her features looked when she wasn’t smiling confidently in front of everyone else.

A strange emotion stirred in his chest.

Then suddenly—

Scarlet’s eyelashes fluttered lightly.

Ares’ gaze sharpened instantly.

Slowly, her eyes opened.

And the very first thing she saw...

...was a pair of deep obsidian eyes staring directly at her.