“Get off me, you fat lug!” Cleo said as she squirmed underneath the headmaster’s mass. Her hands continuously dipped into his suitcase as she struggled. “This is abuse! I’m being killed. Help me—mmph!”

“Shhh!” The headmaster covered Cleo’s mouth with his hands, ignoring the sharp teeth trying to poke through his skin. He rolled off of Cleo and peered around the corner. Luckily, Professor Lazlow either hadn’t heard the commotion or didn’t want to check. “Pipe down. I’m not even that heavy. And who are you supposed to be, you little thief?”

Cleo slipped out of the angel’s grasp. “Thief?” she asked and widened her eyes, looking like the picture of innocence. She gestured towards herself, her mouth dropping open as if she couldn’t believe his accusation. “Me? Those are some very serious words of slander you’re throwing around. I know my place as a slave. I wouldn’t do anything to tarnish my reputation as a servant of the Ingel family.”

“Ingel family?” the headmaster asked in a whisper. “You think I’m illiterate? Your collar says Palan. There’s no Palan in the Ingel family.”

Cleo blinked. “You can read that?” she asked and looked down. She had forgotten Palan’s name was written on it—no one ever commented on it, and angels didn’t care enough to read it out loud.

“Of course,” the headmaster said. “I’m the noble headmaster of Hailing Academy. You think I can’t read a few words written in a slightly ancient style? I’m the leading researcher on ancient texts. No one is as good at me when it comes to deciphering runes.”

“Narcissist,” Cleo said and frowned. She glanced at the half-empty suitcase and debated on whether to return the angel’s stuff or not.

The headmaster was about to retort, but a clanging noise coming from his office cut him off. He stiffened and threw Cleo inside of his suitcase. He closed it and picked it up in one motion before sprinting for the stairs. Moments later, Professor Lazlow stepped outside of the office with a confused expression, but the headmaster hadn’t left a single trace behind.

“Let me out!” Cleo shouted and clawed against the sides of the suitcase. Her attempts to escape or draw attention were in vain. It was dark, so she pulled out a glowing crystal and illuminated the interior, revealing dozens of bottles of alcohol with a blanket to cushion them. She hadn’t even realized what she stole earlier—she had done it out of habit.

There was a loud thump on the side of the suitcase followed by a, “Be quiet unless you want us both to get caught!”

Cleo furrowed her brow and decided to steal the rest of the headmaster’s supply. When the space was empty, she pulled out multiple pillows she had appropriated from Linda and wrapped herself in a blanket. If she was going to be kidnapped, the least she could do was make herself comfortable. There was the sound of a zipper as the headmaster opened a portion of the suitcase to let Cleo breathe when he realized she stopped struggling.

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“Just hang on until we leave the building, then I’ll let you out,” the headmaster said. “For now, go to sleep or something.”

Cleo opened her mouth to speak, but a yawn escaped instead. Her eyelids became heavier as the blankets and pillows became warmer and so much more inviting. She yawned again, her tail flexing and back stiffening for a solid five seconds. Her lips smacked together and, before she knew it, everything went dark.

The headmaster grunted as he stumbled out the main entrance of the school. He always felt exhausted every time he used his power, and he had already used it twice today. Hopefully, he wouldn’t encounter anymore situations where his powers were necessary. Everyone stared at the suspiciously dressed angel as he rolled his suitcase through the campus, keeping his head low, but no one came forward to stop him. It wouldn’t be the first time something odd happened. The students and staff knew about the unspoken topics within the school, but bringing them to light could result in expulsion.

At the gate, Shiloh was whistling to himself with his eyes closed, leaning back in a rocking chair. The sound of the suitcase attracted his attention. When he was about to confront the headmaster, the old man barked out, “Open the gate this instant, you slacking door guard!”

Shiloh stiffened and shot out of the chair, scrambling to undo the locks on the gate. “Y-yes, sir,” he said as he swung the gate open and saluted, staring at the ground beneath his feet. “S-sorry, sir. It won’t happen again.”

“Good,” the headmaster said and snorted as he left the school. “Don’t forget to lock the gate. Once you do, forget everything that just happened.”

“I understand, sir,” Shiloh said as he closed the gate. His knees knocked together once he was done, and he collapsed to the ground while exhaling. He had wondered why Professor Lazlow ordered him to become a gatekeeper when he asked her to conquer his cowardice. Now, he could see why she told him to. There were lots of scary people entering and leaving. He wiped his sweaty palms on his pants and went back to his seat. His brow furrowed as he scratched his head. Why did it feel like he was forgetting something?

Once the headmaster had gone far enough away from the academy to reach the region where the roads were burnt, he collapsed onto the curb and took a seat, gasping for breath. The suitcase fell over as he struggled to open it. He reached inside to grab a drink and pulled out a snoring lizardman by the tail instead. His expression blanked for a second before he tossed her aside and reached inside his suitcase again. All he found were some pillows. “Hey!” he said and grabbed Cleo who was just beginning to stir. He shook her shoulders. “Wake up!”

“Hah?” Cleo blinked and looked around. “Linda?” Her eyes narrowed. “You’re not Linda. Help! I’m being abused! I’m—“

Two hands clamped her jaws shut. “Stop it!” the headmaster said as his expression darkened. “Why is it your first reaction to shout every time something happens?”

“Because I’m tiny,” Cleo said and glared at him when he released her. “What else am I supposed to do?”

“I don’t care,” the headmaster said. “Just give me a drink.” He held out his hand. “I know you have an interdimensional space on your body. Don’t make me use my power on you again.”

Cleo frowned and handed him a bottle filled with orange liquid. The headmaster grabbed it, smashed the neck against the curb, and drank directly from the jagged opening he created. It poured down the sides of his mouth as his Adam’s apple bobbed up and down with every gulp. He only put it down when there was nothing left, and he used his sleeve to wipe his mouth. “Phew.” He exhaled as he threw the empty bottle over his shoulder, not caring where it landed. His eyes narrowed as he looked at Cleo. “I think I’m going to kidnap you.”

“Huh?”