Sighing lightly, I continued following Desmond, leaving Silas behind. Kairos was waiting for me. The servant’s rooms were open and empty.

“I have been called back to the castle, as you are not an Esmer-Gold,” Kairos mentioned the moment he saw me, pushing off the wall.

His eyes drank in my form, focusing on my now-red bra.

“Do you plan to go?” I asked, reaching out.

I held his hands in mine, staring into his honey-brown eyes.

“Yes,” Kairos agreed, focusing on me, “Unfortunately, I am unable to permanently leave the Esmer-Gold’s castle just yet.”

I made a noise of discontent, eyebrows raising together, “Okay. Be careful, okay?”

Kairos nodded, “Yes. I leave with the other servants tomorrow.”

I hummed, not liking that, “Send a decoy. I don’t trust Valentine.”

Kai’s lips twisted up, his expression looking much more youthful and charming when he grinned, “Yes, I will.”

The rest of the night was us saying our goodbyes in an intimate manner. Kairos didn’t hesitate in leaving all manner of bruises behind as I cried out his name.

I fell asleep with him in my arms.

When I woke up, he was gone, a note in his place.

Know that I will never betray you, my love.

I stared at the letter for a long time. Carefully folding it, making sure none of the words were caught in the creases, I set it down.

I stood up, stretching and going to the bathroom to take a shower. Grabbing a forest green t-shirt and more black pants, I pulled on my socks and shoes. My hair was tied up using a cord from one of the dresses that I’d never be able to put on without help.

Once I had a bra on, I put the letter into it. Glancing at myself in the mirror, I noted that I looked like shit.

I was still pale from blood-loss, eyes having bags under them and entire body thin and weary from using most of the fat stores I had in me to generate more blood.

Bruises covered my neck and collar, so dark on my bloodless skin that they were visible even without magelight.

Whatever.

Going outside, I wasn’t joined by anyone as I completed my morning workouts. The sun rose on me swinging around my obsidian-diamond sword. It glittered like I did in the red-orange-yellow of the sunrise as I swung it around.

Exhausting myself, I swallowed, dropping the sword I’d created and turning to walk away. Going back and taking another shower, this one more thorough, I looked a lot better as I put a dark blue long-sleeved over-shirt over my clothes.

My nails were just as iridescent as before in the warm-colors department. I poked at them. They felt like gems did, or maybe like curved glass? Quartz?

Looking around, I found my schedule, reading through it as I wandered to the dining hall.

“Attention all students. Classes for today are canceled. Please remain in your rooms—“ Herald’s voice cut out the moment I walked into someone.

Glancing up, I saw that I wore a darker shade of green than what his hair was. His pink eyes focused on mine, and he sighed.

The magic circle appeared on his fingertips again, “Please remain in your dorm rooms, your meals for today will be delivered directly to you. Should you have an injury and for some reason had not gone to the infirmary prior to now, do so. The basement access is unlocked, and the windows are blacked out for the night students.”

He stared at me as he spoke, one hand reaching out to block me the moment I tried walking around him.

Herald’s voice lost it’s echoing quality as he spoke dryly, “That includes you, Goddess Fiona.”

My expression twisted, reluctance having a death grip on my soul. Goddess?

“Don’t…” I sighed, giving up mid-sentence, voice becoming sullen, “Don’t call me that.”

The man’s pink gaze changed away from his unamused look, expression blanking out into a poker-face.

“The God of Magic that had awoken here requested the same thing,” Herald mused.

His relaxed expression was unable to hide the intense way he looked at me. His eyes trailed along my form, only returning to meet my eyes after he started speaking again.

“Very well, Fiona,” Herald acquiesced, reaching out.

My face burned when his fingers trailed down my neck, but his gaze remained focused on mine. The sun cast shade on him as sunlight began shining into the windows.

“I would heal these before you become known as the goddess of sex, as well as life.”

I brushed his hand off, ducking my head. I did as told, turning away from him. My existence twisted. I groaned out as my legs gave out on me at the small use of magic.

“Agh,” I complained.

Whatever, I give up. I remained resting on the floor, arms splayed out. It was cold and nice against my heated skin.

“Ah, yes,” Herald said, as if he remembered something, “You must be quite exhausted, having taken well over the recommended dosage of magical replacement potions yesterday.”

I whined out wordlessly, one arm shifting to cover my eyes.

“If you’ll excuse me, I’m sleeping here,” I muttered, closing my eyes.

Herald chuckled, his magic reaching out, “You have no shame.”

My eyes snapped open the moment gravity felt even slightly different.

“Nononono—“

I clung to Herald almost before I could leave the ground. He was still crouched, though, so I unbalanced him. I stared down at him, heart hammering in my chest as I gasped for air.

The chancellor looked surprised, throat bobbing as princess pink eyes looked up at me. I was straddling him.

“D-don’t do that!” I cried, collapsing on top of him with a whimper, “Gravity should stay consistent and-and no one else except for me should remove myself from the ground!”

“F-Fiona,” Herald breathed, hands coming up to push me away, “Please refrain from…”

Whatever he was about to say was cut off. I looked at him with a frown, having shifted to sit up when he pushed at me.

“Huh?” I asked, tilting my head.

Reaching up, I dragged some of my hair behind my ear so I could better see him. His eyes were lidded, and he was staring up at me. The rest of his face was relaxed, so I had no idea what he was thinking.

Was he annoyed?

I frowned. He was the one to try and take me away from the precious, sweet, beautiful ground! He deserved what he got.

Leaning back, I stood up, looking at Chancellor Doom Herald for a long moment. He stared up at me for almost a minute. Reaching down after feeling awkward, I dragged him to his feet by his shirt.

He staggered, looking down at me.

“Dude?” I asked. Why was he just staring at me silently? What was he going to say? “Please refrain from what?”

Herald stared at me for three seconds more before shaking his head with a sigh.

“It’s nothing you need to worry about. Return to your dorm room, Fiona,” The chancellor instructed, continuing to walk down the hall in the direction I’d come from.

I gave him a confused look. What was that about? Glancing around, I didn’t see anyone around. Weird. Anyway.

I glanced at my schedule, then at Herald.

A hand landed on my shoulder.

I could probably still heal, right? I was certain some more people would be in the infirmary.

The hand shoved me forward. Stumbling, I looked behind me. Raphael looked exhausted. He always did, I noted.

The tired professor spoke, “Chancellor Herald said to return to your dorm. Nowhere in his words was there the instruction to ignore orders and worsen your health by healing others.”

I pouted.

“What? I’m fine.”

“You are not.”

I stared up at Raphael for a long moment. He won the battle of wills. I slumped, huffing as I turned on my heel.

“Fine, fine,” I acquiesced, hands raising in surrender, “You’re right.”

I could probably reread my textbooks or something, I supposed. Soak in the bath until my body stopped feeling so weird. Draw my ideas for magical spells in a book to try out once it no longer hurt.

I pouted at the ground, hands pushed into my pockets as I walked.

Eventually I got outside, glancing around. It took several minutes of wandering around before another professor appeared.

It was Jerald.

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“What are you doing outside of your dorm room?” He asked. His deep and noble voice was vaguely scolding.

I glanced around, “I was already next to the dining hall when Herald told everyone to remain in their rooms.”

“Yes, that was two hours ago,” Jerald said, tilting his head.

I tilted my head as I noted the gesture. Did I look like that when I tilted my head? It looked kind of unnatural. I straightened up. Wait, two hours?

“Yes. I am lost,” I agreed.

Jerald stared at me, his own head righting, “I have been observing you for the past hour. I do not believe you are, you have walked past it several times.”

I looked around. I was in a grassy area between three different buildings, none of them I recognized. One was a deep almost black gray, another was a dark blue, and the last was a white dome.

“Have I?” I asked, annoyed at myself.

Which of those stupid buildings was it?! I glanced behind me, seeing only the wall that surrounded the main “capital” of the Academy.

The Academy as a country was about the size of the UK, from what the author had mentioned, with the campus itself being a sprawling city the size of London.

How the hell was I supposed to find my way in a walled off area the size of London?

“You should not grow mad when you are caught out on a lie,” Jerald said.

He was definitely scolding me now, his arms crossed. Were they crossed before?

“Look, dude, I don’t have a map,” I complained, “How am I supposed to know which building is the Rain dormitory?”

Jerald stared at me with a frown.

“You are either blind or lying. I cannot tell which.”

“Bad at directions, inattentive, dumber than rocks,” I listed dully on my fingers, giving him a tired look, “Where is it?”

Jerald frowned, pointing, “The building that has Rain written on it.”

I glanced at the building he pointed at.

“The blue one?” I guessed, looking back at him.

“No.”

I looked back at the almost-black building. Sure enough, written in pretty big letters on it’s side was Rain.

“… Dude I can’t read,” I complained, turning to walk off as I muttered to myself, “Everyone here has such high expectations of me! Know how to act in proper society this, or stop being stupid that, or, or know how to read basic signs.”

I huffed, pouting, “I mean I know how to read, but the way things are written is weird! How was I supposed to know those were letters and not just some random squiggly designs? I had to write all my entry exam answers in Latin-English before I could write them in fucken’ Erosian-English. The written language looks like a toddler was given a crayon and told to go wild. Jesus. The expectations are too high here. What are they going to expect next? Me getting good grades?”

A highly amused kid’s giggle interrupted me. I jolted away, squeaking at the scare.

“O-oh, hey Nocta,” I greeted, placing a hand over my heart as I breathed heavily for a moment.

“Hello, Fiona,” Nocta was grinning at me, eyes sparkling with mirth.

I nodded once, embarrassed. I continued on my path to the Rain dorm, trying to calm down my heart.

Finally, I got to my floor. I glanced in every dorm room until I found mine.

“Ayy! I made it!”

“Took you long enough,” Herald greeted, sipping tea at my desk.

I stared at him, “What? I could have followed you and gotten here way sooner!” I complained as I wandered over, sitting on my bed facing him.

Herald smiled gently, setting his tea down, “No, I just arrived myself. I had Jerald go retrieve you after realizing you had not been in your room like I had ordered.”

I sighed lightly, accepting my fate as a constantly tardy student, “So wassup? What did you need?” I wondered.

I was leaned back on my bed, legs kicking.

“As you are now no longer having your stay here paid by the Esmer-Gold’s, you are considered a scholarship student. Of course, due to your excellent healing skills, you have been given a full scholarship, but it comes with an expectation.”

I pulled my lips into my mouth. I swear to fucking god if the next words out of Doom Herald’s mouth are a grade requirement.

“You must keep a good standing amongst both the students and staff,” Herald started, fingers trailing along the rim of his tea, gaze focused on me, “That simply means do not get called to my office more than five times in an academic school year.”

Oh thank fuck.

“And you will need keep your grades above a certain point as well,” Doom Herald finished, living up to his name.

I bet that’s why Nocta laughed. No, I’m definitely sure that Nocta knew full-well what was going on, because he was walking away from the building.

“Okay, and the alternative?” I asked tiredly.

There had to be some way to pay my own fees, right?

A smile appeared on the chancellor’s face, the man in his black uniform looking sinister. Maybe he heard my complaints, too, and used that against me.

“There are a few different options you could do. One, sign a contract with me, and I will pay for your stay, as well as ignore any and all complaints about your behavior leveled my way,” Herald paused to take a long drink of his tea, “Two, attempt to get through a single year of the Academy on scholarship and work in the outer city to pay for your tuition that way.”

I stared at him for a long moment. Was that it?

“Why wait a year?”

“First years are not allowed to leave the premises,” Herald explained, shrugging.

When he continued, he tapped at my open page of notes that held many spell ideas with one finger.

“Lastly, you could forgo being a student here and simply apply to become a professor, where you will be allowed to stay for free so long as you teach others healing magic. Of course, that comes with several different responsibilities, however it will keep you safe from Valentine on a more permanent basis.”

So my options all sucked. It was get a dangerous sugar daddy, hope and pray to every god, goddess, and extraterrestrial deity on this planet and the next to make it through a single year of the Academy without too much disciplinary action, or become a professor.

“Is the last one even possible?” I asked.

Herald shrugged again, focused on pouring himself more tea, gaze on the cup.

“With the deal you made with the vampires? No, not until they all graduate in a year or five.”

I sighed, thinking for a long moment.

“I would like to mention that in the past two days you have gained fifteen different citations and twenty-three complaints from varying professors,” Herald mused, “While they have all been dismissed, I doubt you will be able to keep from my office.”

I thought about it for less than half a second, “How many of my professors are male? None of them are Silas or Jerald…”

“Sex with professors is unadvised,” Herald deadpanned, getting the wrong idea.

“No, no, not that,” I dismissed, thinking things through.

So dick enlargement surgery for the guys… maybe breast enlargement for the chicks?

Herald’s finger tapped at the top of my desk as he hummed, gaining my attention. His legs were crossed.

“I find I cannot guess what your plans are. However, it seems like you plan to attempt to properly utilize your academic scholarship. Interesting. Just know that I will offer to help you during your first Academic hearing, if it is not today.”

I pulled my lips into my mouth, “Why would it be today?”

Herald smiled, a piece of paper appearing in a mass of flames in the chancellor’s hand, “You already have had a complaint filed.”

I tilted my head, “Huh? What? How?”

I reached out, reading through the complaint. I pouted at the letter.

“What? How was I mocking him?”

“I am certain you can prove you were not, however the accusation is enough to get you into my office should he decide to press the issue,” Herald agreed amenably.

“Tch, why do you want to be my sugar daddy so badly?” I wondered, handing the page back to Herald, “What’s the contract?”

I stood up before he could respond, grabbing a paper from the stack on my desk and reaching between Herald and the tea he was slowly finishing.

Then I hesitated. In my world, free dick enlargement surgery was certainly something that would get me what I want. Maybe I could just go to the Esmer-Gold guys and offer them my healing services for money? Or set up an underground thing like Rowan to gain money?

Was Desmond rich? He was a second or third year.

I grabbed more than a single paper, instead grabbing a full stack of papers. Going back to my spot on my bed, I set the papers and quill down.

Herald was staring at me.

“You are…” Herald shook his head, sighing, “What are you doing? Writing a letter to offer your services to the Silver Kingdom in exchange for money?”

My eyebrows rose as I leaned back on my palms, “Nope. Say, who here, professor or student, knows the most about the others?”

“I would say either me or Raphael,” Herald muttered, not looking like he appreciated where things were going.

I thought for a very, very short amount of time.

“You haven’t told me what the contract is,” I commented.

Herald observed me for a moment, then handed me four different pages.

“All different contracts.”

I skimmed through them, “Slavery…” I set the first one aside, reading the second, “Literally only a few years younger than you,” I set the second one aside on top of the first, reading the third. It was marriage, “… Huh.” I set that one aside, reading the last one. It was a contract for employment under him, “Huh.”

Picking up the marriage contract and keeping the employment one in my other hand, I read through each one carefully.

Surprise filled me. Wait, what? No way it said that.

“… Am I… Am…” I trailed off, stunned.

The marriage contract said that the marriage could only end after we’d had twenty children. Was I reading that wrong? My face burned as I looked up.

“Twenty?”

Herald’s cherry blossom gaze didn’t waver from me, “Yes.”

I hummed, looking through the rest of the contract. My face was burning. At the very, very, very end, in very small writing was something I didn’t quite understand.

“You wanna be immortal?” I wondered, glancing up.

“Do you not?”

I shook my head, “No. That means if I sign this my soul would be bound to you,” I muttered, tossing the paper away.

Slavery again. Damn, almost got me.

The last one was relatively simple, easy to understand, and extremely off-putting to see in the dark ages.

He would get all of my future spells and other creations for the next decade, and in return he would finance me. Essentially, he would have me make him stuff, taking everything I created and giving it to the public under his name. That included unique discoveries, such as explosion magic.

Isn’t this what big corporations did to innovators and small businesses? Buying their stuff and being the one to decide if it was worth sharing to the public or not?

I gave Herald an incredulous look. Well, okay. That would ruin all of my plans.

So extorting my vampire slaves or bribing my professors and fellow students it was.

“Huh. No longer just blatantly putting me at a disadvantage,” I complimented, tossing the paper aside, “But I didn’t almost get shot in a revolution to reintroduce corporate greed into a world like this.”

“Pardon?” Herald asked.

“The last contract is one used a lot in the mundane realm. It’s a good deal, but I’m not letting you decide whether showers and explosions need to exist or not. Because they do.”

“Yes, and I would allow for the discoveries to be published under my name,” Herald agreed.

I hummed, thinking. Then I nodded at the pages I’d drawn spell ideas on, “Anything in there you would refuse to publish?”

“I can’t read them,” Herald refused.

I relaxed, “Oh. Fair. There’s showers, fireworks, the equation needed to cast each element I am aware of, and basic mathematical concepts like probability, pi, and using variables in an equation.”

“Why is it called pi?”

I shrugged, “I dunno. Maybe the symbol indicating the number is a letter from a dead language from my realm. Besides, pi is used solely for circles and stuff. And pies are round. Who cares beyond that?”

Herald hummed, eyes focused on the pages I’d written, “I see. So you would wish to give everyone on this planet access to magic through giving information such as healing and explosion elements away?”

“Yep,” I agreed, nodding.

“Then I fear you are correct, I will not publicize that,” Herald said regretfully, standing up, “It seems you have rejected all of my offers once more. A shame.”

Despite his words, he didn’t look very disappointed.

I watched as he walked closer, leaning down to pick up his contract. He tried putting weight on my shoulder, but my arms gave out under me. I was shoved down onto my bed, Herald barely catching himself above me.

My face burned as I stared up at Herald. He looked surprised, Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed. His strawberry gaze met mine.