"Melanie, come here," called Professor Devon when he had finished instructing the class. "You're going by your own again outside the University and you're not allowed to bring anyone with you. Is that clear?"

Melanie nodded then clicked her tongue. "Usual thing, right? It's been like that for weeks now. I don't understand why you're saying that to me again."

Professor Devon removed his shades and looked at Melanie's companion with his electric blue eyes. "Since you two already made up, I don't think Axel will leave you alone for some time now."

"Oh," mumbled Melanie, and glanced at Axel. "She won't come with me."

"I will come with you," retorted Axel, and shot her daggers. "That's already a freaking default!"

Professor Devon shook his head in surrender and wore his shades again. He pressed his lips together and said, "Okay, okay. Double the catch, then..." A ball of energy appeared across his chest with orbiting geometric threads and shapes. It then emitted a lilting sound upon bursting like a bubble and morphed into the logo of the University of the Damned. The two emblems consisting of a raven sitting down on a crescent moon travelled into the air then stuck to Melanie and Axel's arms, consequently, like a tattoo.

"You're all good to go." Professor Devon turned his back then waved his hand. "Have a safe trip."

Melanie inhaled sharply and walked out of the huge gate of the University. Axel ambled beside her while resting both of her arms to the katana placed above her shoulders. She flashed her playful smirk and said, "Guess we gotta double the kids, huh? I didn't expect Professor Devon to be so supportive."

Melanie scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Stop with your innuendoes, Axel. We're going to get some kids...not make them," she mumbled, almost whispering the last words.

"Oh," teased Axel, "I didn't say we're making them. What makes you say that, hmm?"

"Gosh, stop teasing me, okay?" hissed Melanie then nudged Axel's arm, her cheeks reddening. "We need to focus."

"Okay, my queen. Let's go find our kids," said Axel that earned a glare from Melanie. She laughed and added, "Fine, I'll stop."

Melanie let her gaze wander and scrutinized the surroundings. There were no visible appearances of fellow human beings nearby them—only abandoned establishments covered with dirt and the smell of rotten eggs oozing out from the canals. She continued to walk, peeking at every alley she'd pass through.

"Hey, Melanie," called Axel, and yawned. "Do you know where you're going?"

"Of course, I do," replied Melanie. "The faculty forced me to accomplish my classes alone, but since Alice is my familiar, navigation and training became much easier. I already had a map of the entire outskirts inside my head."

Axel clicked her tongue and crossed her arms. "Good for you, then. Seems like watching out for you had nice results."

Melanie's forehead wrinkled and she turned towards Axel. "What?"

"It's nothing," said Axel. "It's not like I followed you and kicked the asses of those people who were tailing you."

"I can't believe this," mumbled Melanie, recalling those times when she managed to conquer the goals without much effort. "You've been with me the whole time?"

"Why? You got a problem with that?"

"And you didn't even talk to me?!" exclaimed Melanie. "Come on, Axel. What has gotten into you?"

"Look, Melanie, I thought I was a mess, okay? And I know that I still am. I'm already content with lending you a hand from afar. It's not really a big deal."

"It is a big deal!" blurted out Melanie. "You—I thought you were—" she grunted and walked away from Axel. She needed to calm down in that moment, reflecting her actions for the past hours.

She massaged her temples and bit her lower lip. Melanie knew that she might be overreacting, and Axel might be correct—maybe it was not really a big deal. The problem is, she could not help herself but to be agitated by the fact that she was bothered for almost a month. Every single day that she lay her eyes on Axel, her mood would suddenly nosedive, and she would succumb to guilt and saudade. Then, she would distract herself to other tasks and prioritized to be more fitting as one of the Damned.

Axel was the first person who took her and kept her under her wing back at the outskirts, and it was only normal for Melanie to feel disturbed if she would act like a stranger to her. Adi, Alice, and Tamonjie accompanied her for a while, and she was certain that they had bonded together well too, but Axel was...different.

"Maybe this is a syndrome," she deduced. "Like, Axel was the first person who reached out her hand to me when I was at my lowest so maybe...maybe I just became dependent on her without me knowing?" Melanie nodded, coming to a conclusion. "Yes, that is the only explanation for this."

"Hey, you're damn weird." Axel suddenly appeared behind Melanie and pressed her fists to her cheeks, gently squeezing them. "Screws in your head got loose again, hmm? Want me to grease them?"

"Go away!" Melanie slapped Axel's hands out of her face. "We have a mission, right?'

"Yeah, finding our kids."

"Stop joking around—"

Melanie dragged Axel down, stooping across the huge barrel. They were hiding themselves in the shadows when they heard heavy footsteps resonating from the rain puddles meters away from them. Melanie fished out her compact mirror and stealthily aimed it at the looming group of men.

"Something is odd in the City."

"Why? Did you hear those...screams too?"

Melanie stiffened when she heard the gossiping of the bunch. She pressed her head closer to the barrel and pointed her ear at their direction. Axel did the same too.

"Yeah, it makes me think that those monsters are back on the track."

"But that's weird. Before they can infiltrate the City, they'll get us first! We're outside the walls for that stupid race's sake!"

"Don't you think it's only an event? You know, that Sanctified race is super fancy."

"Hmm, probably. After all, Alan's idea is impossible to become a reality."

"Luce," Melanie mumbled, eyes widening in horror. She darted a glance at Axel when the group already passed by them. She gulped, "He's in danger!"

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"Okay, sweetheart, calm down." Axel grabbed both Melanie's arms. "Those men are right. Don't think about it too much."

"But what if those monsters are really in the City—"

"Listen, Melanie," Axel cut her off. "That's impossible, okay? Now get your ass up and let's fetch some kids."

Melanie was forced herself to shut down her worries and continued the task for their Power Enhancement course. She travelled with Axel and managed to find four kids in the middle of conducting a theft. Melanie rushed over and blasted beads of dark energy beneath their feet, sweeping them off the ground. Axel then grabbed the chance and tied the kids by their ankles at lightning speed. She dragged them towards an alley and slammed them to the ground. The kids roared, showing hostility to their captors.

"Kids, listen," mumbled Melanie, displaying her emblem. "We don't mean harm, okay? We just need to bring you at the University and—"

"No, you ugly duck! Get us out of here!"

"Yeah! Once we're free, we'll bite you to death!"

"Even if you don't look delicious at all!"

Melanie felt like a statue on the brink of being pulverized when she heard the comments about her. Her eyebrows quirked up as she gawked at them. Those words struck her like huge arrows with the labels ugly, duck, and nasty.

"Pfft, are you okay?" asked Axel with a deadpan face. "You're not feeling bad about their comment, right? Kids don't fucking lie."

"I-I don't..." Melanie turned to Axel stiffly. Her eyes were still hollow, and her smile looked like it would melt like mud. "I'm f-f-fine."

Axel was about to laugh when the kids suddenly added more to their comments.

"You're stinky!

"Your face makes onions cry!"

"You're the darkest place—"

"You, shithead," retaliated Axel, gnashing her teeth. "Shut your mouth or I'll fucking rip your tongue."

"What? We're just describing you, motherfucker."

Axel's eyes darkened and daggers suddenly came out from her fingers. She then swiftly grazed the kids' cheeks with the blade, letting their blood roll down like tears. The kids trembled and gazed at each other's faces in horror.

Axel smirked. "Serves you right, assholes."

"Hmm, what were you saying again?" It was Melanie's turn to laugh. "Aha! Kids don't lie, you said. You must not feel bad about their comments, you said. You're okay with that, you said."

"Shut up," snapped Axel. "They're just a bunch of wretched scoundrels." She turned to the kids with a piercing glare. "You'll come with us whether you like it or not."

Axel untied the kids and held two of them by their wrists, pointing the tip of her daggers right above their veins. The kids choked a squeal as they envied their two friends being carried by Melanie.

"Good kiddos," commented Axel then dragged them with her. "They'll actually listen if you promise to slit their throats once they foiled our plans."

The two kids in Axel's clutches stiffened, gazing at their abductor in panic. "P-please, don't hurt us."

"We won't," said Melanie, scooping the kid in one arm and pulling the other. "Don't worry."

When Melanie and Axel arrived at the University, the symbols on their skin flew in the air and disintegrated to ashes. They then placed the kids they brought with them in the area labelled with their names, Melanie Faye Harlow & Axel Neo Éclair.

Professor Devon nodded when he saw them and quickly approached the kids. He was holding a tray of cordon bleu, mojos, caesar salad, and bottles of water and he evenly distributed them to the kids. He then removed his shades and examined each of their physical and mental conditions.

"They have a lot of nutritional deficiencies..." Melanie saw the professor looking down at the ground, fists balled. For a moment, she thought the professor was going to throw a punch to anybody near him. However, when he lifted his gaze, his lips were curved into a smile and his electric blue eyes were...friendly. He patted the kids' heads.

"I'll give you lots more, okay? Eat up."

"I wonder where we get our supplies," said Melanie while walking towards their Ancient History class. "We've been feeding people here from the outskirts for weeks now."

"Well, it's not our problem, right? I'm sure the University can manage."

"I would not be surprised if there's someone here who can create material things out of thin air, you know. That would be amazing."

Axel nodded, swift glancing at the other girl. "I think I know someone who can do that, but I don't know if he's still alive."

"Oh," said Melanie. "Let's just hope for the best, then."

When they finally arrived at their next classroom, they both stared at the sign hanging on the door.

"Hi, my lovely students. I had a meeting to attend so enjoy your early lunch." – Ms. Razia Eka Acharya, the hottest teacher in the world.

Melanie and Axel glanced at each other. "Are you going to eat? / Want to grab a bite?"

Melanie covered her mouth and laughed. "Yes."

Axel's face brightened up, but she quickly scratched the back of her neck. "Jeez, I just remembered something," she mumbled. "Adi told me to attend that meeting too."

Melanie's mouth formed an 'O', and she gently pushed Axel away. "Okay, go there now. I'll be having my lunch now."

"But, won't you feel alo—"

"I can always summon Alice, you know," replied Melanie and smiled. "Stop thinking about me."

Axel shook her head and chuckled. "You know I can't stop that even if I wanted to, right?"

"Beats me," uttered Melanie, and shooed Axel. "Go now."

"Okay, see you later."

"See you."

The two parted ways at the corridor, one leading to doom, and one leading to redemption.

Melanie entered the Cafeteria and gathered the food she liked on her tray. Garlic bread, soup, pizza, and iced tea. She also picked up some berries and cheesecake. She then looked around, searching for a vacant seat she could occupy. Her eyes found one, but her attention was quickly stolen by the figures of two women sitting at one of the tables while munching on their burgers.

Melanie gripped the tray tightly and inhaled sharply. She started taking a step forward and decided to face her past tormentors. She slammed her tray on their table, vibrating the ceramic plane. The two women glowered at her.

"What do you want?"

Melanie sat on the empty seat across from Demerise and Yumi and stated, "I want to eat with you guys."

Yumi raised her eyebrow. "What makes you think you're welcome here?"

"I am welcome here." Melanie looked at Demerise who was trying her best to hide her cowering. "Right, nightmare-factory?"

"That's not funny."

"What's funny, then?" countered Melanie, and smirked at Yumi, playing with the pizza cutter in her hand. "Ambushing me and taking me lightly?"

Yumi grabbed Melanie's arm and thrusted her nails to her creamy skin. "What the fuck do you want from us, freak?"

Demerise held on to her tray. "Just let her be, Yumi. Let's just go and find other tables to eat on."

Melanie scoffed and slapped Yumi's grip like it was a piece of feather. "Listen, Yumi. I came here to make amends, okay? Sharing a room with you but steadily avoiding you drains a lot of energy from me. Why don't we have a ceasefire, hmm?"

"Where did you even learn to speak like that..." Yumi trailed off and remembered the cockiness of the dorm mate lying next to her bed. The corner of her lips tugged down in disapproval. "Axel's shit is rubbing on you, huh?"

"Look, Yumi." Melanie's tone suddenly became sincere. "My intentions are clear. I just wanted us to be...civil, at least."

Yumi lifted her tray and pulled Demerise to her feet. She leaned closer to Melanie, her ocean blue eyes reflecting the shades of purples. "Something in you ticks me off, you understand? If you wanted us to be friends-friends, then you must be dreaming. I will never let my guard around you."

Melanie stared at Yumi raising her middle finger before yanking Demerise with her to sit at another table. Melanie sighed. She knew that her current self was slowly adapting to the ways of the Damned, but she could never please anyone. She gazed at her spoon and saw her inverted reflection. She suddenly remembered Axel's attitude towards the kids earlier. She won their surrender not because of respect, but of fear. She clearly displayed her capability to inflict pain to them without second thoughts, and that had them begging.

"Shall I use that too?" Melanie looked at Yumi glaring at her direction. "If I wanted them to obey me, should I also show them what I'm capable of?"

Melanie quickly shoved the pizza in her mouth and erased the menacing thoughts inside her head. Those voices haunted her like an alluring gusto—tempting her to act based on her desires. She exhaled and leaned her back on the chair. She threw her head high and stared at the ceiling. She lifted her hand with the ring and placed it across her lips.

"Come out, Alice," she whispered, almost pleading. A light came out from her ring and formed the figure of the little girl wearing a suit, black knee-length pulled into a ponytail, and pools of crimson.

"You called for me, Master," she mumbled and lifted her intense gaze. "What do you want me to do?"

"Entertain me," said Melanie, her voice being an octave lower. Her purple eyes flashed a film of reds, then she blinked, keeping the dark energy at bay. "J-just talk to me, please."

Alice tilted her head and pouted. "Why are you concealing your true self, Master?"

Her familiar's statement made the voices hammer in her head again.

"You cannot handle this on your own, Melanie."

"Your mellow nature won't save you from what's to come."

"You're a part of me and I'm a part of you. Together, we are whole."

"You and I are one. You and I are one. You and I are one. You and I are one.... "

"Zip that..." Melanie plunged a couple of garlic bread into Alice's mouth and forcefully shut the voices echoing inside her head, "...and eat."