"Next week we'll be moving on to the history of Furnace. I'm sure you've all heard of it, but Furnace is one of the most powerful city-states in the world, straddling the border between Aporue and Siladned. Built from the ground up by an Imp dynasty, it was said that the city was birthed from the heat of a single engine, and that very engine runs to this day. The locals believe that should the fire ever die, the city would-"

The chalk slipped from Cobalt's grasp as a wave of fatigue washed over Cobalt. His vision flashed and blurred as a stabbing pain tore through his stomach. Behind him he could hear his third-year History class cry out for him, but their voices were muffled amidst the high-pitched tone ringing in his ears. Falling to his knees, he scrambled for the chalk, only for a black paw to gently step on it.

Swallowing hard, Cobalt glared at the black cat, who simply stared back.

"Have you thought about what I asked you? Have you found the words yet?" it asked, flicking its tail back and forth.

"Not here. Not now," the Incubus rasped, struggling to catch his breath.

"Your stomach is going to start digesting itself before long."

"I- I've got it under control."

"Have you? A few drops of blood isn't enough to put out a candle, never mind an inferno."

"Just... Just leave me alone...!"

"Kid? What are you talking about?" Lilith asked, snapping the Incubus out of it.

He shook his head and rubbed his eyes. The cat had gone, allowing Cobalt to pick up the chalk and stagger back to his feet. He tried to remember what he had been talking about, but the words wouldn't come to him. He was tired, hungry and ill.

"Sir?" he heard a voice call from behind him.

Cobalt looked over his shoulder. They were all staring at him with wide, concerned eyes.

"... Let's leave it there for today. Class dismissed," he sighed, setting the chalk down.

Up at the front, Karazelle glanced at her phone.

"But class doesn't end for another fifteen minutes," she told him.

"I know. Just... I'm letting you off early. Go. Enjoy an early lunch."

They all murmured amongst each other, but after a few moments, Cobalt's students gradually began to pack their things and trickle out of the classroom, confused by their teacher's odd behaviour. As they filed out of the room, however, he suddenly remembered something.

"Ah... Could those who helped me out yesterday stay behind for a few minutes?" he asked, massaging his temples as he sat at his desk.

The class eventually left the room, leaving behind those to whom Cobalt was closest. Karazelle remained in her seat as Whitney and Jelli returned to their desks. Izzbelle just leaned against the wall by the door with an annoyed expression, while Lottie and Quinn both just sat upon the desks at the back.

The Incubus cleared his throat.

"I'd like to thank you all for what you did yesterday. I understand that it's not in my rights to make you all help me with personal matters, but-"

"Sir," Whitney interrupted, "are you okay?"

He waved her question away.

"Never mind me. I'd just like to thank you all for helping deal with my sisters. That couldn't have been easy."

Izzbelle snorted from the back of the room.

"That's one fuckin' way to put it."

With a sly smile, Quinn gave her a nod.

"Finally met your match, Izzy?"

"Ngh. She can kick, I'll give her that."

Cobalt sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose as another wave of brainfog crashed against him. Right after he brought Jezebel home and ensured that the rest of his family were safely locked in their rooms, he decided to keep watch, just in case they broke out again. He couldn't exactly trust the timelocks to keep them penned in if they failed once before. He finally managed to fall asleep after a few hours of watching for any disturbances, but it was hardly a restful sleep. Coupled with everything else, Cobalt felt wretched.

"I'll find a way to pay you all back, I promise," he told them, rubbing his eyes.

"Two hundred quid," Quinn immediately said, looking her teacher dead in the eyes.

"Quinn, that's a little-"

"No homework forever!" Lottie cried, throwing her arms up.

"I-"

"Pictures of you wearing nothing but a smile?" Karazelle laughed, joining in on the fun.

"Guys! Please!" Cobalt cried, gripping the edges of the desk.

As they laughed at their own silly suggestions, the Incubus found his gaze trailing over to Jelli. She was sitting at her desk, but she kept her schoolbag in her lap as she stared hard at the floor, just waiting for this to be over. He wanted to do something - anything - to comfort her, but he knew that there was nothing he could do. As awful as this was... This was the best thing for her. The Glutton's first love was ruined, yes, but at least she couldn't set herself up for anymore heartbreak.

It... wasn't much of a silver lining.

As Cobalt tried to collect his thoughts, he heard a sudden knock at the door. Raising an eyebrow, he cleared his throat.

"Um... Come in?"

The door swung open, revealing Elya, dressed in her nurse uniform. Cobalt immediately shrunk into his chair at the sight of her, just as everyone else flinched at her approach.

"There's someone here to see you, Mr. Trayer," she said calmly, her eyes never once leaving him.

"I, um... Thank you for letting me know. Why are you telling me this? You don't have to-"

"She sought me out herself."

Elya glanced at the rest of them.

"She wishes to speak with you all," the Fallen added, her voice edged with venom.

With her wings folded and her hands clasped, the Fallen stepped aside, allowing another woman to step into the room. A matronly Succubus, dressed in familiar clothing.

Cobalt groaned at the sight of his mother.

"Hi snookums!" Jezebel cried joyously, giving her boy a wave.

"Mom, seriously? I'm at work! I- I'm in the middle of something here!"

"Sorry, sorry! I didn't mean to interrupt!"

Up at the front of the room, Karazelle gave him a scolding look.

"Sugar, don't be so mean to your mom!" she chided.

"Karazelle, is that you? How have you been? How's your mother?"

"Oh, she's fine Mrs. Trayer! I'm doing good too! I heard about yesterday; hope you're doing alright."

"I'm just fine, sweetie, thank you. I was actually-"

Cobalt suddenly slammed his fists down onto the table, disrupting them both.

"Mom! Why are you here?!" he cried, digging his bony nails into the wood of the desk.

"Settle down, snookums! I'm only being polite!"

Clearing her throat, Jezebel reached into her handbag and pulled out her purse. Producing a small wad of brand notes, she divvied the money up and began to hand it out to each of the girls, much to their collective surprise.

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"I just wanted to thank you all for helping us out yesterday. Hellfire knows my girls can be a handful most other days of the year!" she laughed, handing some of the money to Whitney.

The Nymph stared at her prize with wide eyes.

"Oh, um... thank you, Mrs. Trayer, but you don't really have to do this. We just wanted to help Mr. Trayer out," she said, awkwardly shuffling the bank notes into a small pile.

"Speak for yourself, Whitters!" Quinn called at her, immediately stuffing her money into her pocket.

"Well I know I was doing it because it was the right thing to do."

"If you're gonna complain then I'll take your share!"

Cobalt just sat and watched as his mother doled out rewards to his students. Even Elya was offered a handful of cash. The Fallen accepted, but just stood and stared at it sitting in the palm of her hand, like she was uncertain of what to do with it. Eventually Jezebel sauntered her way up to the front of the classroom, patting Karazelle on the head as she passed.

"How are you feeling, snookums? You had a long day yesterday," Jezebel asked, leaning in close to Cobalt.

He glared back at her. She was acting the way she always did, like everything she said on that stage had never even happened.

"I'm fine, Mom, just please; don't interrupt my classes like this," Cobalt scolded.

She raised her hands and backed away.

"Alright, alright, I'll back off. Just remember to take some time for yourself, okay snookums?"

"I'll keep that in mind."

With a smile and a nod, his mother turned on her heel and left the classroom, bidding a warm farewell to his students as Elya escorted her back out. Once the Succubus was gone, Quinn gave a low whistle.

"Mate, your mum is a legend," she commented, tucking Lottie's money away into the Golem's blazer.

Cobalt didn't respond. He just kept replaying Jezebel's words in his head, over and over. That wistful, nostalgic tone she spoke to him with the other day... The last time he heard her like that was when he demanded she tell him about Brass, before everything with Diate went down...

"Sugar? You alright?"

He glanced up to see Karazelle's concerned face. Nodding wearily, he made a shooing gesture.

"I'm... I'm alright. Just go for your lunches; I have a few things I need to sort out."

"But-"

"Please."

The Succubus opened her mouth to refute, but one look into Cobalt's eyes gave her pause. She swallowed hard, gave a heavy sigh and turned to leave, motioning for the others to follow her. Jelli was the first to go with her, her eyes not leaving the floor once. The rest quickly followed suit, with only Whitney lingering behind. She gazed at Cobalt for a few moments, her bag slung over her shoulder.

"You should get some rest, sir," she called to him.

He sighed.

"Please, Whitney; I'm fine."

"No you're not. You need to take some time off or something."

He looked up at her, eyes flashing.

"Go get your lunch, Miss Brode," Cobalt commanded, the harsh edge of a teacher's voice lining his words.

She frowned, but did as she was told. Left alone in the classroom, the Incubus just leaned back in his chair and raised a hand to his face. He stared at his fingers, watching the light pass through the gaps between them.

With no-one around, Cobalt opened his mouth and bit deep into his own hand.

-----

Cobalt sat on the floor of his shower, letting the hot water cascade over him as his mind slowly turned in circles. The heat helped ease the aching of his bones and masked the burning in his stomach, but left alone like this, he found himself plagued with dour thoughts. With every day that passed, he could feel himself slipping away more and more. It was getting harder to resist the sudden urges, and he was afraid that if they caught him on a bad day, he might accidentally do something drastic...

Swallowing hard, he looked down at the teeth marks gouged into his hand. As ever, his wounds were slow to heal. His body was on the very precipice, starved of what it needed to keep itself alive. And yet...

He heard a knock on the bathroom door.

"Kid, you might wanna hurry it up in there," Lilith called urgently from outside.

"Why?" he responded, shutting off the water.

"You got a visitor inbound."

Great. Just what he needed.

Stumbling out of the shower, Cobalt wrapped a towel around himself and stepped out into the main room, where Lilith was waiting. She gave him a nod and refused with him in a single fluid motion. It didn't hurt any more, at least not to any degree that Cobalt cared about. Before he could reach his wardrobe, however, he was alerted to a rattle at his window. It pulled open, allowing a purple leg to slide into the Incubus' room.

"Knock knock, sugar~!" chimed the sing-song voice of Karazelle Terna as she clambered through the window.

With a dramatic roll, she tumbled onto his couch and landed right on top of the coffee table. She laughed, flipped her hair over her shoulder and fixed him with a sultry gaze, only for her eyes to widen at the sight of her nearly-naked teacher. A slight blush rose in her cheeks as she stared.

"Woah there, sugar. You're kinda taking the thrill out of the hunt," she said, looking him up and down.

Shaking his head, Cobalt continued over to his wardrobe and pulled out another towel to dry his hair with.

"Karazelle, now really isn't a good time."

"I'd say now's the perfect time. Want me to dry you off?"

"Karazelle..."

"I'll be very thorough~!"

"Karazelle!" the Incubus yelled, slamming the closet door shut.

She flinched. Swallowing hard, she got off his table and sat on his couch, her brow creased with worry.

"Come on, sugar, I was just joking around..."

"Well maybe I'm not in any mood to joke," he responded, throwing the towel around his shoulders.

Karazelle just nodded slowly.

"Alright, I get it. Look, I just wanted to see if you were alright."

"Well as you can see, I'm doing fine."

Karazelle went quiet for a moment as she watched Cobalt gather his clothes and return to the bathroom. He got dressed, and when he stepped back out, the Succubus was still on the couch.

"Why are you still here?" he asked.

"What's gotten into you, sugar?" Karazelle asked him in a serious tone.

"Nothing."

"Valentines was yesterday, so why are you still acting so... mean?"

The Incubus took a deep breath and rubbed his eyes.

"Miss Terna, you shouldn't be here. You should go."

"Nuh-uh. You don't get to do that. You don't get to put on the teacher voice when it's just us."

Irritation flashed noticeably in his veins, drawing Karazelle's eye. She stood up and approached him, jaw set firm with determination.

"You really shouldn't be here," he repeated, furrowing his brow.

"I've been here nearly every day since the start of last year, sugar; you're not getting rid of me."

"Just go, Karazelle!"

"Make me!"

"Don't say that!"

"Why the Hell not!"

"Because you make it so hard to keep a hold of myself!" the Incubus yelled, grabbing her shoulder.

The Succubus staggered back a little, but he just dug his fingernails into her shoulder. Beneath the fabric of his shirt, Cobalt's blood vessels flashed a violent red. Beneath his skin, he could feel a familiar tingling. His stomach burned for sustenance, and his teeth ached painfully.

"The last time we spoke so privately, I could have killed you! A- A part of me wanted to! I don't know exactly what the Hell is going on with me anymore, but it is not safe for you to be so familiar!"

The Succubus leaned in close.

"Sugar, you don't get to tell me what is and isn't good for me."

"This is not about your rebel tendencies! This is about-!"

"About what? You hurting me?"

Placing her hands upon Cobalt's chest, she pushed him away, causing him to tumble back onto his bed. Before he could get back up, the Succubus climbed on top of him.

"I told you before, sugar; if there's one thing in this world that I'm sure about, it's the fact that you would never hurt me," Karazelle told him in a calm voice as she threaded her fingers through his.

He bared his teeth.

"A part of me really wants to, Karazelle. And it's very, very loud," he hissed.

She leaned in close. She smelled sweet. Sumptuous, even. He could feel the beat of her heart as she pressed her body against his. The hunger returned with a vengeance.

"I know you're stronger than that. Mind over body, and while you have a great body, sugar," she breathed, running a finger along his chest, "I know that your mind is the most beautiful thing about you."

His heart thumped in his chest, threatening to burst. This wasn't the first time she had gotten so close, but in the past, Cobalt's rationality would kick in and tell him to push her away. But for some reason, that part of him just wasn't working. He could feel his entire body heat up as her breath tickled his neck. His veins were afire, washing her skin in a dim crimson glow.

"I'll tell you this as many times as you need to hear it; you are a good person. Whatever you're going through, you can overcome it. But not if you hide away like this. Come on, sugar; we've already been through the whole self-isolation song and dance, and you know that nothing good comes of it."

She peered deep into his eyes, and as Cobalt peered back, he felt an urge. An impulse. One he knew he shouldn't act upon, but his critical thinking was drowned out by the raw instinct flooding his brain. He reached up and cupped the Succubus' cheek, much to her surprise. Her eyes widened, but a small smile spread across her face as she placed her hand atop his. Her wings fluttered a little as she leaned in close, her lips slightly parted.

The heat of her breath caused his vision to swim.

Cobalt craned his neck, bringing his lips within an inch of hers.

It was okay, right? To kiss her? After all they had been through together, Cobalt and Karazelle... they were closer than most. Not to mention they had kissed in the past, but that... this... was different. This was no accident or spur of the moment thing. Cobalt wanted this. So bad.

But he couldn't give in to impulse. Not now, not ever.

"I... I'm sorry. I can't do this," he breathed, blinking his vision clear.

The Succubus pulled back, a sympathetic look washing across her face.

"I know, sugar. But I'll be here when you can."

"Karazelle..."

"Shh... It's okay. I understand."

She pulled away, allowing him to sit up. He watched her for a moment as she slowly walked around the room, her tail swishing sensuously behind her.

"Just don't forget, okay? I'm here for you. We're all here for you. Don't keep this all to yourself," Karazelle told him over her shoulder, smiling that cheeky little smile of hers.

A lump formed in Cobalt's throat as the familiar sensation of guilt settled in his gut. He shuffled across the bed and opened his dresser drawer. Inside, lying amongst the various scattered papers and pens, was the case containing the syringe that Alison gave him, as well as the Fesserite amulet his mother had left in his case.

Staring at the case, he remembered his mother's words yet again. He thought of Brass, and how lofty of a hero he supposedly was.

He swallowed hard.

"Karazelle?" Cobalt asked, glanced over at the Succubus.

"Yeah?"

"You're free next week, right?"

"I mean... it's mid-term. Everyone is."

Nodding, he pulled the amulet out of the drawer and held it up, allowing the light to play through the purple crystal in its centre.

"I was thinking of visiting home for the holidays. Phrodival, I mean," he said, feeling his heart twinge at the mere mention of his hometown.

He could hear Karazelle's breath catch in her throat.

"... How would you like to join me?" Cobalt asked, offering the amulet to her.

The Succubus stared at it like he had just offered her the winning numbers to the lottery.

"W- Wait... this is... you're serious...?" she breathed.

Nodding, he gently placed the amulet in her hands. She cradled it gently, like it could break at any moment.

"Sugar, I... I- I don't know what to say..."

She beamed at him, a tear glimmering in the corner of her eye. He could see just how much such an offer meant to her. He knew how much she had always wanted to see the ancestral homeland of modern psychomancy.

"Thank you so much!" Karazelle cried, wrapping Cobalt up in a hug.

He hugged her back, but his face was still and stony. The guilt in his stomach burned cold, only growing worse as she tittered excitedly to himself.

He wasn't going there for her sake. But what Karazelle didn't know wouldn't hurt her.