My first day as a student of the Academy began without much fanfare. I woke up, got dressed, and stretched out my sore muscles. Taking a quick shower, I got dressed in a simple red t-shirt and black pants, only putting on my engagement ring for jewelry.

After writing a love letter to my beloved Silas, I decided to go out.

My stomach growled audibly even as I hopped down the stairs. My body was still sore, but the weakness was a pleasant one.

Desmond stopped me, “Master, I have a request.”

“What is it?” I wondered as I walked passed him.

He clearly tried stopping me, whimpering as the magic binding him to my will reacted.

“C-could you undo your orders?” Desmond asked, voice strained as he followed after me.

“To not drink my blood? No,” I refused.

“Not that one, the one about following my usual schedule and leaving you alone.”

I hummed, shrugging, “The for now part is over, so those orders should be rescinded already. Hence why you are able to be here. And bother me.”

Desmond swallowed thickly.

“I’m hungry, Master.”

“Cool. So am I,” I replied as I opened the door. Desmond followed me outside as I walked to the track.

“Can I have some of your blood?”

“Nope.”

“Please, Master. I have erred, I will respect you from now on.”

I hummed, uninterested, “Wow, cool. Glad someone who enslaved themselves to me finally decided to show respect.”

Desmond stopped me, looking into my eyes. He clearly wanted to do something, but my catch-all order of behave seemed to prevent him from doing so.

How nice.

“Master—“

“Iris,” A voice called out.

Glancing over, I saw two people running up. For a long moment I didn’t recognize them. I stared at the dark-haired silhouettes.

“Percy,” One of them said, “Are you okay?”

I hesitated. Who were these people?

“Uhh… Yeah?” I asked.

“Get your hands off of her, you filthy scum,” The one that called me Percy snapped.

I casually used magelight. A man with hair that reflected light and white eyes glowered at Desmond. Next to him, staring at me, was a man with brown hair and emerald green eyes that matched my own.

“Oh, Mercury,” I said in realization, magelight vanishing and darkness swarming around us once more, “Pelias. Hey. Wassup?”

“You didn’t recognize us?” Pelias asked, sounding hurt.

“Well not by voice,” I responded awkwardly, clearing my throat, “Ahem, anyway. I’m going to go do my morning workout.”

“Wait!” Mercury cried, though I didn’t go anywhere.

Desmond didn’t let go of me, after all. I frowned at Desmond. After a moment, he released me.

“I will take my leave, then, Master,” Desmond said, voice dejected, “Please consider forgiving this lowly slave.”

I sighed heavily, “There’s nothing to forgive. I only allowed you to do as you wished due to personal preference. Clearly that was a mistake, now I know better. Unless I’m covered in my own blood, I doubt I will let you drink it.”

“You-you gave yourself to a vampire?!” Mercury cried.

“No,” I disagreed, “I enslaved a coven of vampires to me for a thousand years. Big difference in that they belong to me, not the other way around.”

“What a beautiful and wonderful sister you are,” Pelias said proudly, “To already begin your path to conquering the Academy’s social circles so soon after being admitted.”

“Thank you, dearest brother,” I responded awkwardly.

Ever since I complimented him after he said he would invent blackmail, he and Mercury started doing it back to me. It was embarrassing, but I lost nothing by complimenting them whenever they did something I liked.

“Sorry for not upholding my end of the deal for the first week, I kind of died the moment I arrived, and have been recovering since,” I explained, “I’ll join you at mealtimes today onward, though I’m not sure if I’ll always be able to attend every meal with you guys.”

Pelias and Mercury were quiet. Arms wrapped around me suddenly. I blinked, nonplussed, as Pelias and Mercury clung to me.

“What happened? You were in the infirmary for an entire week. You got your arm cut off twice and were fine the next day when we were at home,” Mercury said quietly, “It must have been really bad.”

I swallowed, not knowing quite what to say. What excuse did Valentine come up with?

“Uhhhh,” I managed, “Ask Vv-Lance.”

“Vlance?”

“Lance. Professor Lance. Soul guy,” I clarified awkwardly, feeling very put on the spot.

“Today is sprints,” Silas’ voice rang out clearly, “Everyone get in formation.”

I shifted, slipping out of Percy’s brother’s arms as I half-jogged to Silas. He was explaining the exercises. I waited, feeling Pelias and Mercury walk up behind me.

“Hey, Silas. Feeling up for a spar today?” I wondered the moment he stopped talking.

Silas turned to me, “Certainly. Do your morning exercises first, I am not done explaining what my students will be doing.”

“Okay!” I agreed.

I walked away, doing my stretches and general warm-up that included flexibility and mobility warm-ups such as cartwheels and random other things I felt like doing. Once I was warm, body lightly covered in sweat, I walked up to Silas.

“These are the swords we used yesterday, I had them collected,” Silas mentioned as he gave me my sword.

“Cool. Don’t get too daring, I promised some blind kid I’d heal him later,” I set out the no-maiming rule before we started.

Silas sighed, “You must be speaking of Professor Nocta. Do not let him hear you call him kid, he is in his early fifties.”

“What?” I asked incredulously, “Dude can’t be older than ten, you’re lying.”

“He is physically thirteen,” Silas corrected, “He was cursed after angering a wandering god. He does not age.”

“Oh. He’s permanently stuck in puberty. That must suck,” I sympathized, “Ready?”

“Yes.”

Our spar was much more one-sided today. Only seconds after the sun rose our spar was interrupted.

“What the hell is that on your neck, Percy?” Pelias demanded.

My expression twisted. A healing circle appeared, but the damage had been done.

“Those were hickeys! You have enough time to have fun but you couldn’t attend dinner last night?” Mercury demanded, sounding equally as furious.

I sighed, “Dude I don’t even remember how those got there—“

I cut myself off, but it was too late. That was the wrong thing to say. Fuck.

I looked away from Pelias and Mercury as they yelled at and scolded me. Yeah yeah whatever. Take care of myself, etcetera. I’m fine. It wasn’t even sexual! Desmond was just being petty.

Or, well, if it was sexual I didn’t notice.

My gaze fount the forest.

In the distance, leaning against a tree was a man. He had flowing silver hair that glowed like moonlight. His eyes were as green as the leaves around him.

I stared at the most beautiful person this planet could ever hope to contain. There was only one person this could possibly be. Only one person described as walking perfection outside of Aphrodite herself.

“Wow,” I muttered under my breath.

I stared at the Fae King in the distance.

“Book didn’t lie. He is much better looking at night. Like dude goes from a ten out of ten all the way to a twenty out of ten. Destroys the scale of attractiveness altogether. I bet he could make the goddess of beauty look ugly if he stood next to her. Definitely outshines everyone.”

“What are you saying?” Mercury demanded.

I glanced over, “Huh? Nothing, talking to myself.”

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When I looked back, I was disappointed to see that he’d vanished. Aw. My eye-candy.

I sighed wistfully.

“As beautiful as nature and as elusive as wind. Truly an appearance befitting a king.”

“Are you—which of these ingrates are you hitting on right now?” Pelias demanded hotly.

I sighed again, looking back to my brothers.

“Mercury,” I invented, voice dry, “I’m talking about you and Mercury. Truly any women would be grateful to be with such beautiful and caring brothers as I have. If you cared about them half as much as you care for me, I am certain they would be the happiest women in the world.”

They both finally shut up, faces turning red.

“Percy,” Pelias whined, all the heat in his voice lost, “Are you even listening?”

He looked like a teenager whose mother just doted on him in front of his friends. I smiled at the sight.

Mercury looked embarrassed, but his expression was weird. He looked oddly vulnerable, giving me a discerning look like he didn’t quite believe me.

“Nope. Can I go back to sparring now?” I gestured at Silas.

Silas glanced at the position of the sun, expression stoic.

“Unfortunately, my free time is over,” Silas broke my hopes, sounding just as depressed about it as I was, “Tomorrow we can continue, if you’d like.”

“Yus,” I agreed, sighing as I turned, “Have fun sadistically torturing your students, Silas.”

“That isn’t what I’m doing,” Silas argued tiredly.

I just chuckled, shaking my head. Yeah, whatever. Why else would he have his students get up at like three in the morning to start exercising? No reason outside of sadism would make sense.

“Are you hungry, Iris?” Mercury asked as I walked away from the track.

“Very,” I agreed, “Do you know where the dining hall is?”

“Yes! We’ll show you the way!” Pelias agreed, looking happy.

I smiled at them, kind of awkwardly. They were really excited to hang out with their sister, huh?

… It kind of sucked I wasn’t who they wanted me to be.

Shame and guilt twisted within me. I walked with Pelias on one side and Mercury on my other.

I didn’t really deserve to have this love and affection shown to me. Even thinking of it now, I could imagine the disgust and sudden distance they would put between me and them if I told them. The look of betrayal and discomfort Mercury would look at me with. The pain and hatred burning in their teary eyes as they realized Persephone was dead.

My stomach twisted violently as my thoughts grew darker and darker. Before I could reach the dining hall, I found myself gagging, falling to my knees as I vomited blood.

Fuck, again?

I groaned, ignoring the sound of the Esmer-Gold brothers yelling and calling for their dead sister’s name.

Really? Seriously? Again? Already?

I wanted to collapse, but someone was holding me up. I struggled the moment someone tried picking me up, collapsing to the ground.

Swallowing thickly, I blinked away tears, noting my vision was tinted red as they fell. Was I crying blood again?

Fuck me. No, I wasn’t going to deal with this.

Pushing myself up after my stomach settled, I wiped at my face. Swallowing again, I stood. Mercury was staring at me with a pale face and wide eyes. Pelias was nowhere to be seen.

Clearing my throat and wiping at my mouth and nose, I spoke, “Ahem, ugh, anyway, where was the dining hall?”

“Y-you just—“ Mercury stammered, voice hollow and lost.

I sighed, glancing around, “Yeah whatever, dude. Hey, you, professor dude,” I called out to a random professor.

He glanced up. It was the really tired guy that I encountered before. Man, he really only seemed to appear when I was lost.

“Could you give me directions to the dining hall?”

Dark eyes with heavy bags under them slowly trailed down, looking at my face, then trailed up. When his eyes met mine again, he sighed heavily.

“Two doors down on the right,” He gestured.

“Ay! Thanks, you’re the best,” I thanked. I jogged to the dining hall.

“Wh-wait, Iris!” Mercury cried, chasing after me, “You sh-you shouldn’t be running! You just—“

“Nah it’s fine,” I disagreed, glancing at Mercury as my tongue reached out and tried removing the blood from my lips, everything tasting and smelling of iron.

Opening the door, I walked into the dining hall. Waiting within were my three servants. I glanced at them, then glanced around, not seeing where people got their food. It just looked like a large room with a lot of tables and chairs in it.

Wandering up to Kairos, he gestured, honey-brown eyes tracing my no-doubt bloodstained face, “Have a seat. We will get your food and something to clean your face with, your highness.”

“Okay,” I agreed, sitting where he gestured.

Mercury sat across from me, his own servants walking away the moment he sat. His elbows planted on the table, hands holding his face and hiding his expression from view.

The table was plain and wooden with a midnight blue tablecloth over it, and the chairs were simple wooden ones with the Academy’s insignia carved into the back part.

Probably to prevent theft, I mused. Then I remembered that this world wasn’t like mine, and wondered if it was actually a prestige thing.

…

No, no way. It was probably to prevent theft.

Soon food was delivered. It was nothing like what we ate, all the items looking plain. I dug in, the food delicious.

“The food here is not nearly as good as the food we typically eat at home,” Mercury explained, “They can’t cater to elemental diets, unfortunately. If you wish I can have father send food more to your tastes.”

I glanced up, chewing the mashed potatoes, “Mm? Nn,” I rejected, continuing to eat.

This was great. I was given one fork, one spoon, and one knife. My red hair was tied back, and I efficiently shoved food into my mouth.

Hurry hurry hurry gotta go fast.

Soon my food was done, and I swallowed thickly, suffocating for a moment before I reached out and downed—

“Pfft!” I coughed and spluttered.

Why the hell were they serving alcohol at this time?! I swallowed thickly, arm covering my mouth. Then I reached out and downed the rest of the alcohol in my cup. It would go to waste otherwise.

“Since when have you started eating like that?” Mercury asked, wiping at his face with a cloth. He looked disgusted.

I coughed a few more times, “Since thirty seconds ago,” I said hurriedly, standing up, “Anyway, it was nice eating with you, I gotta—“

The doors slammed open. I glanced over, seeing Valentine and Pelias. Unfortunately, there weren’t many people in the dining hall, so they saw me immediately. I sighed, slumping back into my seat as they ran over. I sank into my seat, trying to hide myself.

“More?” I asked after I lifted my cup, glancing around.

Elizabeth, my hero and savior, refilled my cup twice for me, running out of the alcohol midway through the forth pour. Valentine and Pelias reached us before I could finish my forth cup of alcohol.

“What happened?” Valentine demanded.

I held up one finger, trying to down as much alcohol as I could before—

Tnk!

I coughed as the alcohol was smacked out of my hands.

Before that happened.

Valentine dragged me to my feet.

“What. Happened?” He demanded, blue eyes intense.

“Nothing, I’m fine,” I dismissed, “Sorry for bothering you so soon in the morning, Professor La—nce“

I was released, staggering as I finished my sentence. My balance failed, and I found myself effectively shoved back into my chair. Glancing up, I met Valentine’s eyes as his hands landed on my shoulders.

Darkness surrounded us, and Valentine glared at me.

“Answer. What happened?”

I frowned, “I just said—“

My vision went white for a moment. I blinked, on the floor. Wow. I did not expect that. You could punch a soul?

Why was Valentine so violent suddenly? He was supposed to be a dumb and misunderstood caring and loving chaotic-neutral individual with a sad past! None of those trigger-words fit him! I was lied to!

“Pelias broke down my door crying because you’d collapsed after vomiting blood. You will tell me what happened or I will force it from you!” Valentine threatened.

“I’m really fine, though! And if I were injured, shouldn’t you, I don’t know, refrain from punching my soul in the face?” I asked critically, incredulous.

I stared up at him, not getting up from the floor of the void we were in. Valentine looked frustrated, one hand reaching up and dragging through his hair as he stared at me, thinking.

After a long moment, he took a deep breath, sighing it out. Then he crouched, staring at me calmly.

“What was happening when you threw up blood?”

I pouted at him. He wasn’t going to apologize for decking me in the face? That was abuse! Sure, rape was legal here, but domestic abuse wasn’t! Any sort of abuse wasn’t! Why’d he hit me?

“I was walking to the dining hall with Pelias and Mercury,” I muttered sullenly.

Mean. What did I do to deserve that? I told him I was fine, why didn’t he believe me?

“What were you talking about?” Valentine interrogated.

He asked after every single detail, down to what I was thinking, feeling, and whether I was using magic or not. Eventually he sighed, sitting on the floor of the void.

We stared at each other for a long moment.

“So yeah. Like I said. I’m fine,” I finished, picking at my pants, still sullen.

“You will be expelled if you cannot attend classes due to illness,” Valentine rejected.

I rose my eyebrows, “Which is why I’m fine. Whatever injuries I get during the day can just be healed by you at night, right? So I’ll just consider it a perk of existing in a cool world of magic and stuff, and you can just say it happens sometimes or something.”

Everything would work out! Besides, I know why it happened, so I can just avoid that in the future! I won’t miss people, and I won’t feel guilty over being nice to Pelias and Mercury. Easy!

“I am not risking your life so you can continue playing a student in your attempts to find out about a war that has no indications of ever happening,” Valentine rejected, standing up and looking down at me, “I’m going to the chancellor and lobbying for you to be released into my custody on a permanent basis.”

Fear slammed into me like a semi-truck. He’d lock me up somewhere and I’d never see daylight again. No, no way in hell! I loved sunlight! Fuck no!

“I would no longer consider you an ally if you did so,” I countered flatly, voice struggling to remain even as fury filled me, “Your stunt as Professor Lance would be over. I would try killing you just as much as everyone else in this world would.”

Valentine and I went back to staring at each other. I couldn’t quite tell what he was thinking.

No way would he actually agree after that. I mean, my blackmail was still in affect, and—

“Very well,” He agreed after a moment.

My eyes widened at the very serious threat that just materialized. I found myself standing again back in the dining hall. Valentine turned to stalk off.

“What? No, wait!” I snapped, panicked, reaching out. Magic prevented me from touching him, though.

I chased after him, slamming my fist against the magic barrier preventing me from hurting him, “Stop!”

The closer he got to the chancellors office, the more I panicked. Fear made my eyes wide, heart racing and breathing shaking. I blanched.

No no no no!

I didn’t want to become trapped in a basement to be Valentine’s plaything for the rest of eternity! Unlike Aphrodite, no one would save me. No one would find me or save me or let me breathe fresh air and Valentine was practically the main villain in the story and no no no no no no nonononONONONONONO!

After a moment, I came to a panicked decision. Reaching out, my magic broke open the door to the basement.

“Desmond kidnap Professor Lance and prevent him from reaching the chancellor!” I yelled out.

I gasped, panting. Tears burned at my eyes. My throat was tight, entire body tense. I stared at where Valentine had been with wide eyes. My vision blurred, tears not falling as more thoughts swirled in my mind.

Was Valentine immortal yet? Was Desmond strong enough? There was sunlight. If Desmond was too injured to beat him then Desmond would die and I would die and—

My heart pounded at my ribcage. My breathing was coming in gasps. I shakily glanced behind me, entire body tense and on a wire.

I wanted to run.

Several professors and students were staring at me. I coughed, walking into the basement even as my vision grew dark. My legs were shaking, almost giving out at the first step.

Fuck. Fuck.