ã€ŠAwakenã€‹


 Chapter 0: Prologue

    Hello there. If you''re reading this, this is the first book that I''ve decided to publish. I hope you like it.

    Please be gentle with my book.

    <hr>

    Somewhere far away from the Human World, deep within the lands of the Faerie Realm...

    A powerful Fae King and his Queen were discussing about an important subject. One that holds considerable importance that affects the future...

    Or even their world...

    "She is coming of age soon." The King''s deep voice filled the room.

    Without taking her eyes off the beautiful baby in her arms, the Queen''s soft voice, feather light, brought lightness to the greying dawn. "I know. But with all of what is happening, she will be safer there." The baby girl in her arms started and stared at her mother with her striking blue eyes. A new day has come, and so do new worries and court rituals.

    "Yes my little one, she is much safer there." The Queen cooed affectionately, planting a kiss on her tiny forehead. She studied the tiny child in her arms, searching for the similarities between her and another. But all she could see was how this new life is breathtakingly fragile and innocent. Her heart seized and contorted in an agony that no one else could understand. No one except mothers who have to give their children away.

    She looked up to the King, her mate, and sighed. "At least she gets to live a life free of responsibilities before she comes back. That is what I can only hope for. That she will be happy." The Queen continued, with a far-away look in her eyes. She will hide the pain away and store it in another place. As a faerie Queen, Diana is determined not to add to the burdens of her lord, nor is she willing to show weakness in front of her court.

    "Hmm... I really do hope so." The King pondered as he answered, deep in thought. His heart pains to see the worry creasing the lines of her face, knowing her heart is breaking. He studied her discreetly, noting that despite the hardships they''ve undergone, she still looked exactly the same as the day he met her. Strong, beautiful and immortal.

    The years he spent reigning the kingdom could not help him here. At this precise moment, the man who wishes to protect his family and the rational part of him is raging an internal turmoil. A part of him is calculating the gains of hiding a precious chess piece from the eyes of his enemies.

    On the other hand, another part of him is telling him that there are possible dangers his daughter may face.

    The possibilities are endless.

    She could be suffering from iron sickness. The human land is plagued with so much iron that it is difficult for the fae to survive unless they develop resistance.

    Yes, it''s possible to survive if you are half-blood. Half-bloods are more resistant to the influence of iron poisoning.

    But she is a full-blood. Born of a royal lineage, which means she is especially susceptible. He thought. Not to mention the various human crimes that are committed in that world.

    Rape.

    Murder.

    Violence.

    The King''s mind is reeling from all the possible hardships that she will face. Especially whenshe is ready to face her lineage,when and not if, he thought. When his daughter discovers her true identity, she will be plunged into a path filled with thorns and bloodshed. One of destruction and chaos. This chilling knowledge is what both parts of him are telling him.

    Sending her to the Human Realm is all but a temporary solution to the inevitable.

    A cooling breeze blew in from the open balcony and the King walked towards it. The view of the sprawling beautiful lush garden greeted him, and he could see several of his Fae court tending to his favourite roses.

    Dawn is breaking and his court is beginning to stir awake.

    Looking towards the far horizon in the direction of the Human World, the King hoped that wherever his daughter is, she would be safe. He prays that his daughter will be discovered by a well-respected human. A human who is able to raise their child into adulthood. Who will care for, nurture and shower her with all the love he couldn''t give her. Goddess Tessania, please watch over our daughter as she has received your blessings. I leave her in your capable hands.

    "I hope so Diana. I really do hope that she is safe and happy somewhere out there." King Alan said as he turned to look at his Queen beside him. His beautiful wife. The one and only soulmate for him. "But sometimes, sometimes I wonder. What if all we''ve done is just making her path more treacherous? What if there''s another better alternative that we hadn''t considered?" He asked the last question softly.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    Anxiety fills him. Twenty thousand years on the battlefield and millions of years on the throne made him cold and merciless.

    However, the mere existence of his daughters struck a sliver of fear and awe into him. A combination of disbelief and wonder that his life could be any better than ever. He looked at the small figure in his Queen''s arms and he was taken by a sudden surge of protectiveness.

    "There are no other alternatives, my dearest Alan. Her powers are but a beacon to the Decays, they will definitely seek her out and then end her or use her. The other courts have their own counter-measures, and this is ours." The High Queen of the Faerie Realm looked into the eyes of her one and only beloved, her eyes shining with conviction.

    "That is true indeed." The King reluctantly agreed.

    "But first we need to raise this little one and prepare for what is to come."

    Queen Diana gazed at Princess Elena and said:"Always remember my child, that you have a sister."

    "And her name is Gabriella."

    ***

    ??

    In the Human World, the charming city of Soren, a humble artist sat on her stool and was putting her finishing touches on her artwork. She is a fresh graduate from a prestigious university with a degree in Arts. Her hard work has paid off and there are many companies seeking to recruit her into their folds.

    Companies from all over the world.

    All because of a single painting she made in the annual Grande Artisan''s Competition.

    She had a dream the night before the final round of the competition. She dreamt that she was in a strange place. Somewhere deep in the woods. Where trees are thick and lushly green, almost as if they have a life of their own. Where strange creatures float and flitter through the grasses, looking so translucent that she thought she had imagined them. Surprise filled her, and wonder. She remembered stories about such open spaces, that existed in the past, or what''s left of it since the day the government ordered for a mass conservation. Places like these were no longer accessible to the public. The only place remotely close was the Central Park, and she for one, has never been there.

    So imagine her surprise that her mind could conjure a place such as this. Everything in this dream place loos enchanting. The creatures have ethereal wings and they are tiny, with pointed ears and tinkling laughter.

    In the middle of the spell-binding woods, was a woman lying asleep. She looks to be under a spell, but her expression is peacefully serene.

    The woman''s beauty stole Rebecca''s breath away. Her long dark hair falls down to her waist in straight waves, its shade the color of the darkest night. Long thick lashes brushed her rosy cheeks, followed by a delicately arched nose.

    Her sensual lips are as red as rubies. But her skin is so pale under the evergreen sun and there is nothing warm about her. Not an ounce of warmth.

    Something about this beautiful woman is unsettling. From closer inspection, her mouth was set in a cruel line, her angles too harsh. Something made Rebecca feel that if this woman were to awake, she would find herself in mortal danger. Her human instincts are screaming for her to run far far away.

    Rebecca Myers awoke with a start. Her heart in her mouth.

    She did not understand why she had the dream, or who that lady is. All she knew was that she couldn''t shake it out of her mind.

    The theme of the final round was "Forbidden Desire" and Rebecca had no idea what she should paint. She was thinking along the lines of Forbidden Fruit or Forbidden Love, but somehow her hands have a mind of their own. What appeared on her canvas was the strange forest and that mysterious woman she saw in her dream. Utterly shocked, she considered withdrawing from the competition. What does a strange forest have anything to do with forbidden desires?

    In the end, she decided against it.

    After all, she had came a long way to attend a competition as grand as this. Rebecca is grateful she had been given a chance to participate, and by some miracle, she had even survived till the last round. Her motive for entering the Grande Artesian''s Competition was gaining recognition from her peers and her professors. Even better, to grasp her future employer''s attention.

    She knows companies are actively keeping an eye on participants of renowned international competitions, with a scale as big as this, and they will seek her out. By just having granted the right to enter, one gains the recognition of being a distinguished artist.

    Once the competition ended, Rebecca flew back to Soren, awaiting news of her future employment. But what she did not expect was receiving a letter from the judges in the mailbox of her three-room apartment.

    The letter warmly welcomes her to attend the Artisan''s Prize Ceremony which is held in Velin. The very place where the Grande was held. It didn''t state what sort of prize she won, but she thinks it would be rude to turn down such a prestigious offer. So she took the quickest flight to Velin, which was only about a 6 hours ride.

    When she touched down, hordes of reporters were waiting for her. Clicks of her photos were taken and bright flashes from phone cameras left her momentarily blinded. Immediately, several microphones were thrusted into her face demanding her attention. Then the reporters started firing a thousand questions rapidly.

    Their questions overlapped one another in a burst of staccato. She couldn''t catch a single thing they were saying. So she smiled and waved in front of the cameras before doing what she always did best - escaping. Just like how she always liked to run away from her troubles.

    Well, now I think I know what prize I''ve won. She thought wryly.

    She was awarded the first prize. Her artwork was so captivating that the judges decided to place her first in the competition.

    From that day onwards, her life changed drastically. Her mailbox becomes overcrowded and her emails cluttered with invitations from companies all over the world. She was amused by the attention she is receiving on media and her university friends are all at once trying to talk to her. Even her divorced parents are suddenly very interested in spending time with her. Funny how fame can make someone invisible stand out like a sore thumb.

    The media storm passed and after several years Rebecca Myers became a renowned artist, helping her company''s business to flourish. She did not stumble across anything strange ever again.

    Until one day, 8 years later, she found a package lying at her doorstep...

 Chapter 1: A Fresh Start

    - Gabriella -

    Today is my first day at Soren''s top University and I can''t stop the nerves from buzzing across my skin. It is one of the most important days of my life.

    Like what they always said "First impression counts."

    So I decided to play the game with my classic skin-tight jeans and a black halter neck top. With no make-up on. Yep, no make-up because I''m allergic to it. Putting make-up on my skin results in a sudden itchy reaction, and the appearance of red blotchy patches and it itches like hell.

    Apparently, my skin hates any products processed with chemicals. It does this by becoming itchy, red and hot. Even the apparel I wear must be 100% organic cotton or again allergic reaction. Learned it the hard way. Oh well.

    Thus, my wardrobe is full of organic apparel. Even the socks I wear had to be made from cotton. I heard that the latest fashion trends were organic cosmetics - claimed to be made from PURELY plants. It hit the fashion industry in a wave, and everywhere they are selling it. But, nope I refused to buy it.

    Nope, not gonna risk it.

    "Hey Hun, it''s your first day at school. You ready?" Rebecca asked me from the kitchen.

    "Yeah. How do I look?" I asked her as I managed over the nerves and made a show of turning around. The last thing I want is Mom to worry about me.

    I had no friends in high school.

    Well, the real ones I mean. I couldn¡¯t really connect with people my age ever since I was young. I like to keep a low profile because I dislike being the center of attention. I love to spend time alone being in the park or on the beach. I can''t explain how it feels, but whenever I am near plants or water bodies or nature in general, it just feels like... like something in me sparks to life. Just like breathing.

    Maybe that explains why my high school friends think I''m a little weird. But, surprisingly they still let me hang out with them mostly because I look great.

    Everyone is drawn to my looks, mainly my eyes because I have gold irises. They look like malted amber in the day and molten gold in the night. People approach me because they can¡¯t help but be curious about my eyes. The next thing I know, I instantly became friends with them. It''s really weird and I hate it when they always do that. I mean I can see that I''m your friend solely because of superficial reasons? But, not because of BEING me.

    That¡¯s why I became hesitant to stand out or try to make any friends in high school.

    "You look beautiful as always, Briel." The seriousness in Rebecca''s tone made me glance towards her in surprise. "I always wonder who gave you those looks."

    "What? Seriously... Why are you saying that again? I thought we were over that." I rolled my eyes.

    Rebecca is not my true mother, but she was the one who raised me up from the tiny wailing me to the now teenager me. We live in a small apartment in the city of Soren and Mom works as an artist. Her artworks are just so amazing that she can earn enough to support both of us and afford an apartment in the city.

    My favourite art piece was a painting of a strange forest and even stranger inhabitants. It gives a feeling of longing and intriguing mystery, like a secret hide-away that¡¯s been forgotten. It is a replica of the one she made in the Grande Artisan¡¯s Competition 24 years ago.

    Rebecca adopted me when I was a baby. She told me I was left in front of her doorstep with nothing except for a ring and note saying, ¡°Gabriella¡±, which she assumed was my name. She had told me the truth on the day I turned 16, and I surprised both of us when I said: "It doesn¡¯t matter who or where my real parents are. What matters is now."Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    Because at that time I believed Rebecca was all I needed. Just the two of us. And I still do.

    And that was that. We never brought up the topic again.

    There wasn¡¯t a father then and even now, because Rebecca remained unmarried. She used to date when I was young, but they never worked out. Something about her being too independent and too busy spending time with her work and me. But now I¡¯m older and I secretly hoped she would still meet someone suitable.

    "Are you sure you wanna take the hover line? Want me to ride you there instead?" She asked me the gazillionth time.

    "No Mom, stop worrying and get ready for whatever company meeting that you have. You''re gonna be late. And I prefer the hover tube anyway." I replied as I hastily jammed my feet into my sneakers, grabbed my bag and my new notes.

    I could feel Rebecca glancing at the clock and then her strangled scream as she realized she might be late. That''s her only problem. See, she may be the best artist I know and the greatest cook, but she is just bad at time management.

    "Alright bye! Wish me luck!" I hugged her goodbye, as I headed out the front porch. My fingers are already scrolling on my phone to book my transport.

    "Good luck! Hope you meet new friends there!" Rebecca''s voice called over. Hearing her, I smiled. Yep, I really need that. I''m determined that this time I''m going to make at least one real friend in Uni. Just one friend, that isn''t so difficult, right?

    Five minutes later, my transport tube comes hovering to a stop in front of me. It is a sleek and compact design, one of the latest developments by Soren''s government. Technology here is really advanced. All cars are powered by solar energy, and the hover line is driven by an electromagnetic suspension.

    The glass doors slid open with a thud as I stepped into the one-seater. It''s relatively more expensive to get the private hover compared to the usual 10 seater ones. But I like my privacy. The last thing I want is to sit beside a commuter and make small talk or find myself pretending that they are invisible as they stare at me.

    The reassuring weight of my ring rests against my chest as I sat against the soft seat of the private tube. I fingered it nervously, an old habit of mine.

    I had decided to wear it around my neck instead of wearing it on my finger. It''s like my lucky charm now.

    "Good Morning. Where would you like to go? Please state your destination." A smooth robotic female voice emanated from the speakers as the glass doors closed shut.

    "The University of Soren" I answered. Adjusting the temperature of the tube by clicking on the small holographic screen at the side of the seat.

    "Destination confirmed: University of Soren. Please sit back and relax." The female voice intoned.

    I popped in my earbuds as the tube started gliding, and fingered my black halter top self-consciously. The nerves are back again.

    I rarely wore this, do I look okay? Maybe I should have opted for my usual t-shirts? The anxious-to-get-out-of-comfort-zone part of me says.

    Hey! Remember it''s the first impression thing! You gotta befriend someone and no one is going to bother to look twice if they see you in your plain ol t-shirt and jeans. Another part - the logical part of me - chided myself.

    Before the endless spiral of thoughts can continue any longer, I clicked open the news feed on the panel in front of me. My earbuds automatically connected to the audio speakers of the hover tube with a click of soft static. The familiar bored tone of the newscaster filled the tube and droned out my thoughts. "Today''s weather forecast is sunny, warm with no rain. Temperature fluctuations range from 28 to 30 degrees... "

    I stifled a yawn. Okay, bad choice.

    I was busy scrolling through the feed and also some tabloid fan news about girls saying that they were very excited for the school term to start. With a start, I realized that in one of the videos it featured a familiar place. It is the aforementioned school that I¡¯m heading there now. The girls were squealing, saying that they can¡¯t wait to meet some guy which I guess must be a celebrity studying in the university. Before I could catch the celebrity¡¯s name, the feed was paused.

    "You have arrived at the University of Soren. Please pay the transport fees before leaving the tube. Have a nice day. " The pleasant robotic female voice chimed as the tube glided to a stop.

    Looking out of the glass doors, I can already see students milling about on the campus grounds. There are also several students stepping out of the communal transport tubes, arriving for their lessons. The University of Soren loomed in front of me, and I can''t help but admire the view. There are abundant flora and fauna surrounding every nook and cranny of the campus. The architecture of the University takes after a historical design, giving off the effect of stepping into another era.

    That''s the reason I chose to study here. After months of research, I found that the University offers a campus life near nature to encourage students to see its beauty. Efforts to immerse students in nature include building the campus near forests, a man-made park for studying and even gardens in every dormitory. (Like Woah!)

    I need the greenery to be near me constantly and no other Universities could offer me such a close-up experience as the one here.

    It''s weird. I still remember when I was 10 years old. I went on a school trip to the museum. The enclosed building was devoid of any plants or nature and the lack of exposure made me uncomfortable.

    Initially, it was just the feeling of tiredness and I brushed it off. Gradually, I started to feel weak and breathing became difficult.

    "Gabriella are you okay? You look pale." My teacher''s face swam in my vision. The next thing I know, I blacked out. I woke up in the hospital bed with Rebecca beside me. She had bought small little potted plants and placed them around me.

    "Lack of exposure to plants will slowly draw out her energy. We cannot diagnose her condition as we have never come across such a rare case before. I''m sorry to say that my colleagues and I could not find out the reason why she has such a condition. We can only suggest that she has to be constantly near plants or trees or anything of nature." That was the doctor''s diagnosis.

    Great... So allergic reactions and now proximity to plants. The list just adds on...

    "Please pay your fees before leaving. " The robotic voice pinged again, after sensing my inaction. Swiping my card over the scan, I hopped out of the tube, excitement, and curiosity winning over my nerves.

 Chapter 2: A little Help

    - Gabriella -

    "Hi, may I know where I can get my timetable?" I asked the lady behind the counter. I''m standing in the registration lounge and it''s crowded with students processing their registration or acceptance into the school. I''m starting to feel a little queasy from the crowd.

    I dislike crowds. They make me feel closed-in.

    "You can get your timetable at the student kiosks over there, where you can change your lesson timings. Adding and dropping of electives can also be done using the machine. Or you can just process your schedule here. But it will be timetable fixed according to the school''s study plan." The lady at the counter pointed towards a cluster of machines. Seeing that the crowd there is much lesser, I thanked her and hurried over in the direction of the kiosks.

    ***

    "Gosh, er how do I do this... " I muttered under my breath as I tried and failed again to add my lesson slots into the schedule page. The "helpful" lady at the counter had told me where to get my schedule but not offered to teach me how to use the kiosk. I want to scream out in frustration.

    Usually, such situations pose no problems for me. But the technology in this University seems to be more advanced and comes from a whole new level. This thing here exceeds my capabilities. It''s a miracle that I had managed to key in my identification number and now I''m stuck.

    "Enter course code" The black and white words on the screen remain glaring at me. What''s a course code? I have no idea what''s that.

    A thought hit me and I gave another attempt at the machine. Hmm, maybe it''s telling me to enter the timing of my lessons or the subject of my lesson. I gave both options a try and punched in the relevant details.

    "Error. No such course exists."

    An exasperated sound escaped my lips. Peeking behind my shoulders, I can see a line of students behind me. How long have I already stood here? Omg, you this dumb machine. I''m starting to feel my panic rising.

    "Hey! I''ve been waiting for around 10 freaking minutes. Can you hurry the hell up? Not everyone here has as much time to spare." The words were laced with irritation and impatience. I turned to face the owner of that snarky voice. A girl... She''s the typical pretty blonde with golden hair tied in a messy bun. Some of the soft curls which escaped framed her pretty face. Loose tank top tied around her waist to reveal mini shorts. She looks like one of those confident girls who aren''t afraid to stand out.

    Surprise clouded her brown eyes as she took in my features. All softness disappeared, rolling her eyes she said sharply: "Being pretty doesn''t mean you should hog the kiosk." I mentally did a double-take.

    I flashed her my brightest smile and scrambled my brains for something to say. "Well, I suppose I may have taken too long as to ''hogging'' this. But hey, this isn''t the only one here. You can always move on to the other ones there if you don''t like it here." I gave her a little shrug.

    Maybe I''m just pissed by the stupid machine. Either way, I''m not in the mood for this.

    Her brows raised and she rolled her eyes. With a huff, she stalked off to one of the other machines. Ruined my chance at a friendship. Great. Maybe I should have apologized nicely and asked her for help instead.

    Why did I do that? At this rate, I might as well just throw my head down the drain.

    I stared back in defeat at the screen hoping someone could save me from this embarrassing moment. Everyone else in the line behind me has either moved on or left already. Leaving me alone to face the same words: "Enter your course code."

    I think another 5 minutes ticked by and I felt like kicking the stupid thing.

    Gosh, whoever is there: a kind soul, Lady Luck, God or just anyone. Please help this poor soul here who needs to just know what "course code" means.

    "Ahem." Someone coughed. "Hey, uh... Are you having trouble with that? I think I''ve seen you standing there for awhile, like 5 minutes, staring at the screen." The voice spoke volumes about his gender and I mentally face-palmed myself. Right... here comes my saviour.

    I glanced to my right. He was a guy around my age standing there, with a faint smile on his attractive face. Wait, no correction - cute guy. Jet-black tousled silky hair, dark brown eyes, skin slightly tanned under the sun but still fair enough. He gives me the impression of a cool friendly person.

    Great. Of all people it has to be the attractive ones. Just my luck...

    "Hi. Can you explain to me what''s a course code? I think I managed to key in my identity number into the system. But I just can''t get this part right and now I''m stuck here."The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    Stay cool. You''re just a new face.

    He didn''t seem to notice my growing embarrassment and listened to what I said patiently. "Well, a course code is something that the University names the different courses we take to differentiate them. It''s to prevent us from mixing them up and ending in the wrong classes. You see, students from different courses may take the same type of lessons like Calculus. But, usually the school arranges it such that those in the Sciences will take it together. Or like those in Arts. So the content may be the same but they are different."

    "Oh...cool. So um where can I get my course code?" I asked him casually. Play it cool. You''re getting the hang of it.

    "That''s easy. Just click on this here, which says "study plan" for your course. There, you see the list of codes? That''s all the course codes you should take." He reached over me and tapped a section of the screen and scrolled down the list, showing me the different codes. "Right by the way do you know how to customize your lesson slots to your schedule?" He casually asked me. Oh crap. And it was going so well.

    "No," I said shaking my head and trying hard not to die from embarrassment.

    "Oh is this your first year?" He tilted his face slightly away from the screen, which only helped me see the attractive angular of the side of his face.

    "Yea, it''s my first day here. Haha." I laughed a little awkwardly. This is bad Gabriella. I better stop this.

    Grinning, he leaned back and said, "Well, I''m a second-year here. My name is Res and I''m taking Science. What about you?"

    "I''m Briel. I''m an Arts student." I said and smiled back. That''s better.

    "That sounds like a nickname?" He ended the sentence as a question.

    "Yeah. Short for Gabriella." I shrugged. "You can call me that too."

    "Gabriella huh." My name rolled off his tongue as if he was trying to get a feel of it. "Guess I will have to teach you how to do up your schedule." He chuckled.

    Trying my best to hide the embarrassment crawling up my face, I responded "Thanks, you saved me here. Or else I would have done something really stupid to this machine." Ugh crap. That wasn''t supposed to come out.

    "Something stupid? Like kicking it? " He asked me slightly amused. Before I could respond to him, however, he grinned wickedly. "Actually let me tell you a secret. I kind of did that on my first day here." He whispered with a wink. A snort escaped my mouth before I could cover it. Great, just great.

    He laughed one of those genuine shoulder shaking laughs and the embarrassment that''s creeping up my face clambered to my hairline. "So um how do you use the machine to change your schedule?" I tried to steer the conversation back to where it truly belonged so he wouldn''t notice my smarting cheeks.

    Res decided to humour me by demonstrating how I could hover my finger over each of my classes and make the different lesson slots appear. He stepped aside to let me do up my schedule. I scooted closer to the machine so I could choose my lessons and arrange them in the virtual timetable displayed on the screen. Somehow, even though he''s standing a foot away I''m still distracted by his curious gaze fixated on me.

    I forced myself to ignore it and focused on the screen.

    Choosing my classes wisely and making sure to space them out evenly. I managed to create my own mini timetable. The end decision was:

    Mondays - Mythology in Art and History

    Tuesdays - Basics to Art and Forensics

    Wednesdays - Calculus

    Thursdays - Mythology in Art and History (again)

    Mythology in Art and History are the two core modules that have the heaviest content and thus, take up longer hours than the other lessons I have. So, I decided to split them up into two days. And for Calculus, it''s one of my weaker subjects that I intend to spend more time and attention on. So it''s just one lesson on Wednesday.

    "Just press complete after you choose the lesson timings you want. This smart little thing will do the rest." Res said as he watched me. My hand flew to the screen and I pressed "complete" without hesitation.

    "Generating timetable. Please wait a moment." The words flashed across the screen.

    My heart pounded in anticipation.

    A copy of my timetable pops up on the screen and the notification ringtone of my phone rang from my jeans pocket. Pulling it out, I unlocked it and found that my timetable is already updated onto my phone. "Oh this is pretty impressive," I exclaimed a little awed.

    The tech here is impressive. I''ve never seen anything like that. Did they link my phone with the school system?

    "Haha. That''s me when it was my first time too. The tech system here links everything to your phone." Res said seeing that my eyes seemed to glow like I''ve found a new toy to explore. "Wait till you see the rest of the school. You''re gonna like it." He confirmed my suspicions that there''s even more to this.

    I decided then that after exploring the campus grounds I''m going to get acquainted with the tech the University has to offer. Can''t wait to get my hands on the tech here. It''s going onto my growing to-do list.

    "Your lessons are interesting. Mythology in Art, Basic Art, History, Calculus, and... oh is that Forensics?" Res read aloud, peering at my phone from behind. He is taller than me by almost a head and his breath tickled my hair. Suddenly, I''m hyper aware of the warmth emanating from him on my back. Did he move closer or was it just my imagination?

    He''s just trying to see what''s on your screen, don''t read too much. The logic in me chided, appearing its second time.

    "Yeah. I''ve been interested in forensics since I was young. You know, like how those forensic officers are kinda cool? I admire them. To come to an anatically-sound deduction, it requires more than just advanced tech. Just from looking at the crime scene they could already deduce the cause of death. Like hey how do they do that?" I have no idea where half of this came from as I blabbered. My brains are pre-occupied with trying to squash my hyper senses.

    Seriously Gabriella? I''m sure you can do better than that.

    "Haha." His laughter rumbled against my back, sending shivers up my spine. "If I hadn''t known better, I would have thought you were a Science student. You''re cute." Res said to me, still grinning. "It''s nice meeting you, Gabriella. Damn I really wanted to stay and get to know you better but my lessons are starting and I''ve gotta go. Hope to see you on campus yeah." Flashing me a dazzling smile, Res walked away in the direction of his class.

    Are all Science guys like that? That was the first thought that popped into my head. He doesn''t look like the geek type was my second thought. Maybe my impression of guys needs fixing. I always pictured guys studying Science to be always in their white lab coats researching.

    Yup, it definitely needs some fixing.

 Chapter 3: Garden Of Sins

    The Seven Deadly Sins: Also known as the capital vices, the seven traits of Man, or cardinal sins. Mainly they are - Pride, Greed, Lust, Envy, Gluttony, Wrath and Sloth. Contrary to the seven heavenly virtues (see page 13), these sins are often thought to be excessive versions of Mans passions.

    - Page 12 of Royal Archives. On Humans.

    ***

    - Gabriella -

    Wow. Did I just make a proper conversation with a person? Maybe making friends isn''t that hard.

    I''m still reeling from the encounter with Res as I wandered around campus grounds. This place is seriously humonguous. Technically, my lessons won''t start until tomorrow, so I have the entire day to get acquainted with the university campus. I hummed a random tune as I made my way towards the general direction of the middle of the campus grounds. Or I think that''s the direction I''m going. I''m actually kinda lost.

    The area I''m in has lots of cafes and eateries with students walking along corridors laughing and talking. They all look smart with books and notes in their arms. I took a turn to the left to avoid the crowded pathway and found myself in a narrow aisle that led to a bridge. It''s quieter here and empty.

    The bridge is covered with transparent glasses at the sides. There''s a small illuminated LED screen at the end that pointed straight at the path ahead. "The Garden of Sins." I read.

    I peered out the corridor and saw a narrow pathway surrounded by grass. I can''t help it but my curiosity is piqued whenever I set my eyes on meadows, fields, water-bodies or Nature. I typed the words into my phone and hit search. "Named after the seven deadly sins, the central park in this prestigious University is called the Garden of Sins. It was built right after relocation and now stands to be as old as the university. A place where lessons are conducted, students hang out and secretmeetings are held." My brows shot up.

    "As one of the largest agricultural projects the government has invested in, PM Ytger and his entourage of ministers spent millions to develop tech bots that built cafes, study areas, and a library. All from an existing forest. Open to only a selected handful: exclusively for the students, professors and extending to governmental officials or important guests." Oh so the secretive part huh.

    Intrigued, I made my way forward.What''s so special about this park? Underground illegal gatherings? Very funny.Shaking my head at the lame joke I just made. The smell of fallen leaves and something earthly, electrified my olfactory neurons. I sighed. Now this is a welcomed smell.

    The familiar pounding behind my head when I spent too long without being close to my little green companions disappeared. The lap of tiredness lifted from my shoulders. The effect this place has on me is stronger than the plants I kept at home, which means it is a place I will come to often. I stifled a smile as I recalled the names I''ve given to the ten plants I have at home.

    The lack of friends did not for once dampen my imagination, nor did it deter my creativity. Some of the names go like The Small Morrigan, Tiny Asura, et cetera, you roughly know the theme. I named them thinking about how they slayed my bouts of fatigue in mind. A cooling breeze blew past and I closed my eyes, leaning into it to cool my sweat. Mm this is my favourite place already.

    As the coolness of evaporation lingered on my skin, a strange sensation of someone watching settled over me. Without warning, pinpricks of sensation landed on my face and the feel of phantom fingers caressed my cheeks. "Finallyyy my child, welcome back..." A melodic voice said softly beside my ear.

    I snapped my eyes wide open and looked around wildly. "Who''s that?" I called. "That wasn''t the least bit funny."

    "That''s the lamest prank alright. You heard me. So come out and face me you coward!" I stared at the empty pathway convinced that the person was hiding behind the bushes. I walked towards it and poked my head behind, it was empty. There was no one here except me.Okay weird.

    Resuming my walk, I noticed that the pathway led me into a large open space and that''s when I noticed where all the students went. The park wasn''t empty, just that I hadn''t reached the park, its central body.

    Reading it on google and seeing it is very much different.

    The Garden of Sins has five cafes that sit in transparent glass domes, each offering a perfect view of the greenery. The trees around the park offer an illusion of privacy. There are even fountains with sprouting water. Victorian benches littered the walkways almost filled with students sitting and chatting. Through the transparent glass domes, I can see students reading, eating or napping on tables.Transparency and glass; an open window baring Man''s sins?The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    I studied the students wondering if somehow one of them had played the prank on me. Two girls in front of me are deep in their conversation as they walked along the pathway. A guy is sitting under a tree several meters away, reading a book. Maybe it wasn''t a prank but a figment of my imagination.

    The mention of a library through snippets of conversation caught my attention. Yep, exactly there''s a library somewhere in this labyrinth of evergreen. This reminds me a little of mum''s painting. Wait, was it inspired by her?

    My ringtone started ringing and I answered it.Speaking of the devil.

    "How''s school?" Rebecca''s familiar voice asked me. "Hey, mom, you didn''t tell me they tried to re-create your paintings in reality!" I lowered my voice as I looked around. Thankfully, there isn''t anyone here to witness my outburst.

    "Oh, that. Haha, maybe my painting was inspirational?" I can smell the lie in that. "Stop denying it. I bet that painting must have won at a prestigious art gallery or something. Possibly the Artisan''s Grande even." I said making a wild guess. The silence over the phone line meant I hit a score.

    "Wait, hold on. You WON the Artisan''s Grande Competition? When? Why didn''t you tell me?"(Thing is I didn''t know that artwork was a replica of something she won in the competition, I just assumed it was one of her art projects.)

    I can imagine my mom wincing over the phone.

    "That''s a long story, I''ll tell you another day. Have you made any friends?" It''s obvious she is trying to change the topic but I let it pass. I followed the signboards to the library as I answered. "Not really. But..." I paused thinking about what happened in the morning.

    "But?" She prompted. "That means you''ve talked to someone at least. So who was it?"

    "Just some guy. He was just helping me with a... machine. That''s all. If you''re counting the people I''ve talked with then make it two. I had a conversation that lasted 1 minute with a girl." I said, rolling my eyes. I know I didn''t have many friends but to sink down to this? Am I that bad?

    "I knew you could do it! See it wasn''t that difficult right hun? Tell me more about the guy. How does he look?"

    "Aha nice try, it was just a conversation and nothing. I think what you should be telling me more about is the new CEO. You should get a boyfriend if you don''t want to marry!" I countered. Rebecca started giving excuses about how her CEO is a busy man with a schedule and other stuff. "Yeah right. I''m sure you got to see his face at least once. Anyways I''m heading to the library to take a look, talk to you later?" I said.

    "Oh have fun Briel. I''ve got another meeting to go for now. Bye sweetheart." She said before hanging up. I halted in my tracks when the trail of arrows vanished. There right in front, carved out of glass and stone, the color of night sky, the library looms over me.

    If I think that the most renowned park in Soren is grand, the Main Library of the University is magnificent. Gothic-style architecture, with large cavernous spaces and ebony gold-plated awnings.They truly know how to spend it big.Now, which is the sin? The library or the park?A small part of me wondered in amusement.

    The familiar faint smell of books and comfortable silence fills the place as I walked through one of the beautiful awnings. What took my breath away was the rows and rows and rows of books filling the space from top to bottom. Oh Stars. This is heaven.

    Books are my escape from reality, they open me to a new world of knowledge and adventure. Unable to resist the temptation of reading something, I trailed my fingers across the row of spines nearest to me. Joy blooms at the sensation of whispered promises and titles on my fingers.

    That''s when everything happened.

    One second I was still standing in front of the bookshelves, my fingers on a book that had caught my eye. The next, my vision muted and the world tilted. Everything around me became silent. Even the faint rustling of pages from the tables nearby disappeared.

    I looked down and noted with a sense of detachment that I''m still standing upright. But I can''t seem to feel anything or hear anything. I turned my head towards the large window that is ahead of me, a few feet away. Where bright sunlight streamed into the library. All I could see now was a hazy light emanating from a dark blurred outline. I tried blinking rapidly in an attempt to get my vision back.

    What''s happening. Am I going blind?I panicked. Fear gripped me, hard and fast.

    Then suddenly, all my senses are flooded with a cacophony of sensations. The shaft of sunlight from the window blinded my eyes. Too bright. I squinted and turned my head away only to see pockets of dust particles swirling and dancing in mid-air, like a game of tango. Wait a minute, something isn''t quite right.

    I focused on the leaves hanging from the awning and I could see rich green veins as clear as day, like a super zoomed image. I can see them branching into smaller and smaller branches as I slowly moved my eyes to the edge of the leaf. What the hell.

    The smell of pine woods, earth and rain slammed my nose. I did a double-take.

    "Tap tap taptap." Someone is tapping on something. Annoyed, I glared towards the incosiderate person because it was quite loud. My eyes travelled all the way towards the long tables where several students are reading and saw at a far corner, a guy is typing furiously away on his mobile phone. My jaw dropped. Wait... how''s that even possible?I looked around.No maybe I heard wrongly.The tapping comes again and my eyes automatically locate its source as my irritation unfurls... and it was the same guy on his text message.

    I backed against the bookshelf behind me, breathing in and out slowly.This is not happening. It''s just a weird dream and you will wake up. Everything will be fine.I have no idea where my confidence came from.

    It took me ten minutes to get out of the Garden of Sins. I''m walking around the school dazedly. Everything was back to normal. No more weird noises that come from 10 meters away, no more super-zoomed images and no weird sightings of blue skins. The bizarreness keeps replaying in my mind again and again.

    What the hell was that?

 Chapter 4: What?! Dont You Know Him?

    - Gabriella -

    "Pssst, hey! I''m Claudia. What''s your name?" The girl sitting beside me whispered and gave me a small smile. "Gabriella," I replied, not bothering to look up.

    Oops maybe I was coming off a little anti-social. Unfortunately, I was too focused on the class that I kinda ignored her. It''s my first lesson and I''m determined to keep up with the lesson. Sorry table partner.

    "Why Mythology in Art? Why not just Art per se? That''s because, in Soren''s University, all the Art students need to be well-versed in the knowledge of the myths and the truth. So you guys can view the world differently. Not everything is black and white." Prof Kaley''s voice filled up the class. "Now does anyone have an idea of what Mythology means?"

    The size of my class ranges around 20 students. Not too big and not too small. I like it to be that way.

    I''m in a white-walled square room, with one of the walls made entirely of glass, revealing a scene of the green forest surrounding the school. It''s distracting because I can really see the trees up close, almost like I''m in the forest once I reach out with my hands. Hummingbirds flicker out and in of the view. I have to admit, the school really takes the immersing students in nature part quite seriously. Well, whatever, it''s good for me.

    Claudia leaned in closer and whispered: "I heard that Prof Kaley is the best teacher in this course. She likes to make her lessons interesting but her expectations are also up there." She gestured her hand, holding it high above her head. I just nodded showing that I heard her, but didn''t want to be distracted. That high? Is she exaggerating?

    At the back of the classroom, white canvases on stands were arranged neatly in a random array, each with a stool in front. As if waiting for someone to splash their colors on it. It reminds me a little of mom''s studio room, where it is usually filled with several canvases, some half-drawn with sketches, some already completed with paintings of her artworks. But most of them are empty, pristine clean sheets, that are waiting for their own stories to be drawn.

    Trying my hardest not to stray my eyes towards the distracting view of the forest on my right, I trained my eyes on Professor Kaley and focused on the lesson.

    Prof Kaley went on. "I''m sure my dear students that you''ve heard of fairytales when you''re young? And so do I. My parents told me stories of a world before technology permeates every corner of our life. A place covered with nothing but seas and grass and the sky. I believe many of you here think these are just childhood stories told by your parents or legends of old. But to me, they contain some grain of truth of our origins and so I view the world differently."

    With a conspirator''s smile, she tapped on the screen of her phone in her hands. A white panel on the floor slid open to reveal a projection node built into the floor. It flickered to life to show a holographic art piece featuring a woman.

    We all gave a collective gasp, including me. The artwork is breathtaking. The woman is almost ethereal; translucent white skin with eyes the color of grape wine. Her hair is red, the color of ripe apples. She wore a luxurious white dress, that drapes around her bodice like a second skin. Lounging under a grapevine, with a hand reaching up to pluck off a big fat grape. The very incarnate of the Goddess of love, Venus.

    "So this is the importance that I want to bring to light. Mythology paves the way we view the world today. And what does Mythology mean to you? That is what I want to know and that will be the first assignment I have for you guys. You may choose to brainstorm with your classmates for the rest of the class time. The due date for your assignment is two weeks."

    We are all seated in front of the white canvases trying to brainstorm about what to draw for this assignment. I''m racking my brains, trying to recall the bedtime stories Mom used to tell me before I fall asleep when I was really young. I wrinkled my nose in concentration, thinking hard.

    "I think I know what I want to draw. I''m gonna draw my idol, Prince Damien." Claudia continued on, ignoring my attempt at avoiding conversation. "What about you?" That earned a gawk from me. "What? Damien? You''re kidding right?" I exclaimed, finally looking at her.

    Claudia rolled her eyes and said: "Yeah you heard me. Prince Damien." As if she didn''t just announce that she wants to draw a real living breathing person as a Mythology subject. I stared at her incredulously. "But this is about Mythology and you are saying you''ll draw him? Didn''t you say that Prof Kaley expects high-quality work?"If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    "Aw c''mon girl, I''m not going to draw him exactly. Just something inspired by him. Maybe I will alter some of his physical traits and make him appear as a prince warrior or something. After all, I''ve never listened to bedtime stories or fairytales. All my life, it''s just Prince Damien." Claudia waves her hand in the air, picturing how Damien will look on her canvas.

    Damien Ytger is the only son of Soren''s Prime Minister, and probably the sole future heir of his father''s political seat.

    Since young, Prince Damien is known for his intelligence at excelling in the various subjects of Science and Arts. He has appeared in many of the latest conferences and public speeches since he reached the age of 18 this year. Many of the fan tabloids have blasted photos of him everywhere, singing their adoration and admiration.

    Prince Damien is privately-educated by his parents, who hired personal tutors to suit his study needs. What''s worth admiring about Damien is his down-to-earth views about many complicated taboo topics such as the recent influx of refugees from our neighboring country Velin, who is experiencing political strife. And also his great looks.

    Yes, what''s a prince if he isn''t good looking right? Damien has taken the media by storm. Fans just can''t help taking secret photos of him and posting their "close" encounter with him. I can relate a little how it feels to be in his shoes, except for the crazy fans part. It must have been much worse than my experiences with the type of friends I make back in high school.

    I can vaguely picture how he will appear in Claudia''s work as a mythological character with some "tweaking" to his appearance. She is a genius.

    "I don''t know Claudia, maybe it will work if you pull it off correctly. As for me, I still have no idea what I''m gonna draw." I said still pondering about how I should start my assignment.

    "Maybe some food will help. You can''t think like this. It should come easily like an inspiration." Claudia suggested. "Come, let''s eat lunch. You can think about it on the way." Apparently I nodded or said something close to agreeing with her because the next thing I know, I find myself back in the Garden of Sins, walking towards one of the glass domes housing a cafe.

    Internally, my mind replayed the events that happened yesterday. Ugh. No this has to stop. It''s rare for me to find a garden as big as this and I liked it, I don''t want some random silly hallucinations to ruin it.

    Taking a seat at an empty table in the slightly crowded cafe, I leaned on my chair and sighed in contentment as the feel of the cold air conditioning blasted my sweat-drenched skin. Why is the weather so hot recently? It''s like 35 degrees out there. Usually, in the capital city of Soren, temperature ranges from 20 to 25 degrees in summer, and today the weather is melting me.

    "Hey, back there you seem quite serious about the assignment. Is Art your core?" Claudia asked me as she sat on the seat opposite mine. "Yeah, it is. Aren''t you as well?" I asked, suddenly curious about her. It''s rare to meet someone who doesn''t start commenting on my eyes. She seems to be the second person to do so other than Res.

    "Oh nope. I''m from the Sciences. Drawing is my hobby and I took up Mythology in Art as one of my electives. It''s just that the class cohort is small enough that the school decided to put both the Science and Arts students together." She replied. Ahhh, no wonder she doesn''t take the assignment as seriously as me.

    One good thing about taking electives is that one gets to clear the academic units allocated to each student. It''s an education system that the government has created to foster students to develop their interests or in another saying; to become all-rounded. The second good thing about electives is that the criteria to attain the academic units is just a pass in the final grades.

    We were studying the menu when Res and his group of friends walked in. Our eyes locked and I waved at him. "Hey! Fancy seeing you a second time." Res said in a way of greeting, flashing me his smile. "Haha. Fancy seeing you again so quickly huh." I laughed.

    The feel of butterflies tap dancing in my stomach appears. What''s this? It didn''t happen the first time we met.

    "Oh, I see you''ve made another friend," Res said, looking at Claudia''s direction. "What about joining me and my friends for lunch too?"

    I looked at Claudia, posing the question in my eyes. Claudia just nodded. "Sure," I replied coolly. He pointed to the table that his friends had already occupied and said: "I''ll be sitting over there if you ladies are kind enough to join me." With that, he sauntered off casually to the table.

    "You know Res?!!" Claudia burst out after Res was out of earshot. I turned to her in surprise wondering what the hype was all about. She gawked at me, and then looked in the direction of Res for emphasis. I followed her stare feeling bemused and incredulous at the same time.

    "Er yeah. I met him yesterday. Why?" I asked Claudia, a little alarmed that maybe Res shouldn''t be someone I know.

    "Do you have any idea who Res is?? Omg, he is the top 6 senior voted for his looks by the Science students." Claudia whisper-shouted at me as we stood up to push in our chairs.

    "So?" I asked her, shrugging. "I don''t give a damn if he is top 6 or top 3." Claudia just continues to gape at me and shook her head in disbelief. "What, don''t tell me you have a crush on him?" I asked her, trying to randomly bring the topic back to her. The instant I uttered those words, I immediately regretted them because Claudia looked at me with her eyes wide, and nodded enthusiastically.

    No way. Disbelief colored my thoughts. I don''t mean to judge a girl I just got to know, but really? Firstly, she mentioned his looks and stuff, but now, she says he has a crush on him because of his looks. I find it superficial. Maybe liking others because of their looks is a sore spot for me. After what I''ve been through, I just never judge a book by its cover anymore.

 Chapter 5: Celebrity Alert

    - Gabriella -

    I ended up sitting beside Res and Claudia on my other side. "This is Mike. This is Shayla, Vin, and Jason." Res introduced his friends to us. "Woah, I didn''t know Res was hiding such a pretty one." The guy with ash blonde highlights beside him said and bumped Res on the shoulder. His name is Mike I think. He looked at me, interest lighting his eyes. "Hey beautiful, I''m Mike. What''s your name?" He''s joking because I caught the hint of a smile on his lips. Still, I can''t help but roll my eyes.

    "Gosh ew, Mike. No wonder you don''t have a girlfriend." The girl with shoulder-length blonde hair gave Mike a look that said, "Don''t you have something else better to say? "Vin you know he was just joking, right?" The other girl, Shayla said. She gave me an apologetic grin.

    "Aw man, I''m trying to make friends here guys," Mike says, giving a pout. I can already see that he''s probably the joker in the group. Vin just huffed and turned her attention back to her shiny sleek phone once her point was brought across. I recognize it as one of the latest designs on display in the mobile phone shops.

    "You can just ignore him." The other guy, Jason gave me a small shy smile. I can see he is the quieter one, with his slightly serious features and no-nonsense attitude. Grinning, Res introduced us to his friends. "She is Gabriella and she is...uh, I''m sorry I don''t know your name." Res looked to Claudia. "Claudia. My name is Claudia. Nice to meet you guys." Claudia spoke confidently and only the tremor in her hands gave away her excitement.

    "Ahh, so this lovely golden one is Gabriella," Mike said dramatically and gave me a wink. Mike gives off a different vibe than Res, but he''s attractive enough with his closely cropped hair, dyed ash blonde at the tips. His black hair roots peek out from underneath, giving him a fresh boyish look. Well, if you''re the kind that''s into popular guys.

    I can sense that this group isn''t your average low-key type, but one that''s quite popular and who doesn''t mind standing out. Especially, how attention-seeking Mike is. Luckily, Vin is too busy with her phone and Shayla picking at her manicured nails to bother glancing at the both of us. I don''t think I can stomach any more comments about my appearance. Mike''s comments, although bordering on the joking side, is starting to grate on my nerves.

    "What''s good here?" I asked Mike gesturing at the menu. "Ah, the pasta here is the best I''ve had so far. And the coffee here tastes great." Mike begins to list the names of the dishes he tasted and which he deems up to his standards. I silently breathed a sigh of relief, hoping none of them noticed my attempt to switch his focus off me.

    Surprisingly, Claudia knocked it off with Shayla and Vin pretty well because they all have many common interests. "Actually, I have to admit you look kind of familiar." Vin, the chattier one of the two admitted to Claudia. Giving her the devil''s grin, Claudia replied, "I''m sure you''ve seen me before because I was the one who danced on stage during the Freshmen Welcoming Show." "Oh jeez, now that you mentioned it, I remembered," Shayla said.

    "Shayla is a dancer. She belongs to this hip-hop group of people that performs in the hall dance competitions." Res apparently knows what was going on explains to me. "So she remembers your friend because she was impressed by her bravery for being daring enough to go on stage."

    "Hi, can I take your orders please?" The waitress, a short curvy girl with skin-tight jeans interrupted as she stood in front of us. She gave Res a once-over and likes what she saw because she started batting her eyelashes at him. I mentally puked.

    Res smiled at her and casually placed his arm around Mike. "Two number 5. A cappuccino and a latte please." He ordered for himself and Mike.

    "And I will get a number 10 with extra cheese please," Jason ordered, offering the waitress a cold polite smile. I took that as my cue to start ordering. We each took turns to order and soon the waitress had gotten our orders down. She gave one last longing look at Res before sashaying off.

    "Woah, what''s that?" I blurted, unable to keep my indignance in check. "Nasty shit." Jason agreed. He has a good sense of humor. I decided that among all of Res'' friends, Jason seems someone I would like to get to know better. "Oh, that? That''s Res life." Mike replied with nonchalance. "This is what you get if you have puppy brown eyes and looks that kill ladies. That''s why it''s better to look like my standards." Mike seemed really used to the scene and how Res uses him as an excuse to avoid interested... what''s the word? Ah yeah, interested parties.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    Res looked at me with a knowing look. "Do you get that often too?"

    "Hmm... not really, I like to keep my profile low. But I can relate in a sense." I said, understanding what he meant.

    "Oh isn''t that the latest design inspired by Prince Damien?" Claudia exclaimed, looking a little too eagerly at Vin''s phone. "Omg, yes! Finally, someone who sees this baby." Vin cried out looking at Claudia like she has found a friend worthy of befriending. The topic shifted from the awkward atmosphere to the sleek phone Vin held in her hands.

    Soon, our food was brought to our table by another waitress, luckily not the previous one.

    We had just finished lunch and were walking out of the cafe when Vin squealed excitedly "Oh my gosh, he is coming to our school!"

    Claudia catching onto her outburst also squealed, "No way Vin. Are you saying who I''m thinking? Him??" The rest of us looked at each other confusedly. "It''s Damien! He is coming to our school for some learning exchange program that his father arranged for him. Quote unquote - ''to broaden his horizons and hang out with kids his age.'' " Vin announced excitedly. "Oh oh, and he''s coming next week and the Science Department is throwing him a welcome party at the dorms."

    "Do you guys all stay in the dorms?" Not missing a beat, Claudia asked Res and his friends. All of them nodded except me. "What Briel? You are missing out so much in life! Never mind, you can stay with me for these few weeks. I''m staying in a two-room apartment and you will be my roomie. Nuh uh, no buts." Claudia shushed me as I opened my mouth to protest.

    Um okay... that happened really fast.

    I wanted to reject Claudia''s offer despite how tempting it seems because firstly I just met this bunch of people. Secondly, I have my doubts about hanging out with the popular clique. Thirdly, the last thing I want to do is to attend whatever this welcome party is because I''m damn sure it is going to be crowded plus the socializing? Nuh uh.

    Call me a fun-killer or party pooper. I don''t care. But my experiences with the word "parties", they weren''t all great. The places I attended, thanks to my high school "friends", set me on edge with all the closed-in spaces and curious nudges.

    Nudges meaning the physical kind. The touching was only limited to my arms and rarely my waist, but that was enough to drive me insane with discomfort. The only great point was finding out that I have a high tolerance for alcohol. However, that means my "friends" love challenging me to drinking games just to see me get drunk and then everything ends in a sticky mess.

    It seems a little strange that alcohol doesn''t get me drunk or maybe their drinks are just spiked with just a little bit and my tolerance isn''t your average kind... Whatever it is, I don''t wish for the past to repeat itself.

    I stared at the group of them chatting animatedly about their plans for the party and thought to myself how the hell did I get roped into this? Even Jason seems to be excited.

    So the plan to welcome Prince Damien was set and everyone agreed to turn up that night. Everyone except me, of course. But I couldn''t voice my objections in front of them.

    ***

    "Hey Claudia, it''s not that I can''t be your roomie, but you see erm... I have this medical condition. I need to be near nature. So I doubt I can stay in the dorms, maybe I will stay at home instead." I''m trying my best to convince her that I can''t become her roomie so I don''t have to find excuses to not turn up.

    However, Claudia isn''t taking no for an answer.

    "Hey, actually I get your insecurities. I really do, you know." She looked at me pointedly, and for a moment I was caught off guard by her sentence.

    "What do you mean?" I asked her, taken back by that single sentence.

    "All that anti-social crap and cold persona? It''s all a form of protection against others. I think you''ve had some bad encounters with friends or you call em "friends". But you know, not everyone''s like that." Claudia shot me a knowing glance as we walked to my History Class.

    My eyes widened. "Wait, you know what it feels like?" I asked her. "Did you experience it too?" Apprehension clouded my nerves. Does Claudia find it relatable or was it just an act?

    "In a sense." Her eyes darkened as she noted my response. "But I think you had it worse than me. Your walls are so high, they must be a bunch of jerks. Let me guess, terrible party hangouts and superficial interests." I raised my brows in surprise, because her guess just summarized it. "How did you know?" I gaped. She only huffed.

    "Gurl I''m not saying that you must come for this welcome party, but I''m saying consider giving this a try okay? Try it for once, have some fun. Then decide whether you like it or not. If you don''t like it, you can still leave anytime, I promise." Something blooms in my chest. It was the taste of defeat. The idea of leaving anytime sounded tempting, and instead of me convincing Claudia, she was the one who managed to rope me in.

    "Okay. Fine. But as you so kindly pointed out, I will leave once things go south. I mean it." I said seriously, jabbing my fingers for emphasis. She grinned and nodded her approval, waving her hand as she said "See you later. I will bring you around our dorm after class."

    Ugh. What have I just gotten myself into?

    I''m kind of regretting it already.

    But maybe this time for once, it''s not the same. Maybe things are not as bad as I thought.

 Chapter 6: The Hooded Man

    - Gabriella -

    Everything is smoke and darkness.

    I can''t feel anything as I drifted away, pulled by an invisible force. Time does not flow here. Neither can I discern whether I am falling upwards or downwards.

    It is a black empty void of space or time. Distantly, a small part of me knows that I am dreaming. That my physical body was still sleeping peacefully in my bed. I stayed here, floating for a long long time. Closing my eyes, I sighed, it feels very comfortable here. Maybe I could stay here forever.

    Cries of pain and anguish broke my dream-like reverie and I found myself in a dark place that looks somewhere in the open. The night sky shone from above, and a thousand million stars illuminated the skies. I''ve never seen such strange constellations before. The sky looks foreign. Everything feels different from the one I used to stare up in the late nights of the capital city of Soren. I could make out dark hulking figures huddled together whispering in the night.

    I frowned. Where am I? Am I in a remote town? Perhaps the suburbs? But wherever the openness stretched, no buildings or apartment stood. The trees here look much bigger compared to the ones in the city. Their bulking height makes the city''s trees look like child''s play. Even the roots look like they are larger than my forearm. What the hell is going on?

    "Yeeeeghh..." The thing in the shadows gave a high pitched scream, laced with pain. It draws me in, an urge to watch what was happening. Curious, I moved closer. They looked like secret lovers embracing in the dark but something felt off. The other shadow, a man, grunted. He pulled out a wicked dagger from the abdomen of the dark figure that was bent over him. Blood as black as the night dripped from the stab wound. I clamped my mouth with both my hands to stifle a gasp as I watched something dark pooling on the ground.

    "Hehehe... Ah Hahaha." The dark figure cackled wetly, the sound bringing my hairs on stand. The dagger had punctured his lungs as he coughed out blood, wheezing. His breath came out as gasps of air, like a dying animal.

    Closer and closer, I brought my dream self nearer to the huddled pair. "You can''t...cough... get what you...cough ...want princey." He/It snarled at the last word, sneering at the man in front of him. More blood oozed from the wound as he brought himself to his full height against the tree, towering over the other man by a head, a dark black mass of disjointed features and dirty matted fur.

    A scream of pure terror escaped my lips as I realised what have been staring at. I am near enough to get a clear view of a creature, made of disjointed body parts of different animals sewn together in a haphazard manner. As if his maker was in a rush, and couldn''t be bothered about its looks. What is this monster?

    It has a face of a hyena, its hideous lupine features pulled back in a snarl, revealing rows of sharp yellow canines. Blood dribbled from its hideous maw, down a chest of fur matted with more blood. Paws with claws gripped the man''s shoulders as it stood on its hind legs. Saliva dribbled from his open maw that hung loosely. Dark patches dotted its dirty matted fur. Suddenly its eyes fixed upon mine and stared at me with naked hunger in its eyes.

    I screamed again. This time so loudly that the man in front of the thing flinched. He stared into the eyes of the monster and swiped his dagger across its head so quickly that all saw was a blur and then I heard the wet thud of the head on the floor. I shuddered in horror as I watched the severed head rolling on the grass before coming to a stop in front of me. Black pupiless eyes stared blankly ahead lifelessly, blood still dripping from its neck. I threw up, emptying the contents of my stomach at the side.

    Wiping my mouth, I looked up hoping to wake up from this horrible nightmare. But the same scene greeted me again and the smell of death lingered in the air. Something in me tells me that this is wrong and everything here is off. Not real not real not real. I repeated the mantra silently in my head.

    Something silver flashed as the male wiped away the dark blood that coated his dagger. "Who are you?" I asked hoarsely. "Where the hell am I?" I squeezed my eyes shut. Something cold touched the sensitive skin on the nape of my neck and I shivered. My eyes flew open in surprise.

    His dagger was pointed at me as he tippedmy schin with the blade. "That''s my question. Who are you?" I stared into the darkness of his hooded face. All I could make out was a full sensual mouth and a smooth jaw. He had a melodic voice and he spoke in an ancient language that sounded as old as Earth.

    "You can understand me?" I asked again, mouthing the words and tasting them in my tongue. My words felt lyrical and old. Shock filled me as I realized that I had been speaking in the same strange language as this stranger. But the spell was broken when the sound of footfalls of several men pierced the air. The hooded man looked towards the direction behind me in alarm.

    "Run."

    I don''t need to be told twice, I ran like the wind. The male beside me easily overtook me in swift strides. I tried not to gape as he shot past me like an arrow. I may not be a national runner, but my timings exceeded all the girls in my high school. I am faster because I am a tad taller than my classmates. Breaking record timings has always been as easy as a breeze. Never once have I doubt my my atheletic abilities until now...Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    The stranger overtook me easily. His long strides as elegant as a swan dipping into a pond.What in the world?! His movements looked too graceful that I was beginning to feel unnatural. I squinted at the air around him and above him. Nope, definitely doesn''t look like there are wires attached to his body.

    "Will you please stop staring at my back? Look at the ground. You might trip and fall."

    I panted as I focused my gaze to the road in front of me, too tired to retort something back. I wasn''t sure how long er ran or how far away we were from whoever we were running from. I just knew that the road here feels different. More uneven. Like loosely packed dirt.

    We reached a crossroad, the pathways illuminated by only the night sky and he skidded to a stop. I ran into him. My breath was knocked away as I careened into his back unable to react in time to his sudden halt. Ouch.

    His back was a solid wall and I recoiled from the impact, my body flew backwards. He reached out a hand back to grab my elbow, holding me steady. All without moving his eyes away from the front. What the hell, how did he do that?

    "T-thanks." I panted as I gripped my knees, trying to catch my breath.

    "Shh.." The stranger placed a finger to his lips as he motioned for me to stay behind him. I huffed noisily in protest. But my irritation did not affect his concentration. He cocked his head to the side, angling his ears to the left as if he was listening.

    "Wh-what?"

    He tensed and then I could feel it. The reverberations on the floor. Something gave a blood-curdling scream as the sound of thudding paws came from the front. The pack of hyenas came bounding from the left fork-way, all with similar leering faces. I shivered in fear as their hideous lopsided forms came into view. "What in hell''s name are those?"I whispered out loud without meaning to.

    "Chimeras." The guy said. Cold disgust apparent in his voice.

    But it seems that we got other things to be worried about. Shouts of blood cry rang from the back. Those menacing-looking soldiers have caught up.

    We are trapped with no way to run. The front option is to face those hideous monsters, and the back is filled with armored men armed to the teeth with glinting weapons. Sweat ran in rivulets down my back and my face as I panted, still trying to catch my breath. In all the horrors, I''m surprised I''m even standing upright.

    The glint of a sword flashed to my right and I felt pain lanced through my right abdomen. I screamed in agony and the last thing I saw was the hooded stranger fighting off the horde of enemies before I blacked out.

    I awoke with a start, gulping in large mouthfuls of air. Sweat drenched my cotton pajamas and my blanket is tangled around me. The familiar view of my bedroom comes into view as my eyes begin to adjust in the dim darkness of my bedroom.

    It was a dream. It was just a dream. I consoled myself trying to fall back asleep but failing even after several hours. The leering faces of the chimeras kept replaying over and over in my head. I got up and padded to my apartment kitchen. Through the little window, I watched the bright cityscape under the moon. The familiar sounds of distant traffic drifted in as cars passed by Soren''s city in the early morning. I decided to make a cup of hot chocolate. It only helped a little, and I still couldn''t sleep. So, I busied myself and went to pack the items I intended to bring over to Claudia''s dorm.

    ***

    <figure>

    </figure>

    - Night Court -

    "What did you see?" Ezekiel asked.

    "A... human. She''s a girl." Matthias replied, as he tried to understand what he had just scried. "And blood." His royal brother sketched a brow at his vague description but said nothing. The young prince refused to divulge any more details or offer an explanation of what he saw. Not that he didn''t trust his brother, but he felt that the visions are something personal to him.

    His foretelling abilities had began manifesting recently, coming in sudden periods and hitting him in waves. None of his siblings possessed the ability to foretell, so they couldn''t offer him much help. Only his third eldest brother, Ezekiel, volunteered to walk him through it and his brother Micah had offered that he would try to teach him how to control the visions.

    After some practice, he could control it freely now.

    The ability to foretell is a rare ability. It has been practiced by kings and queens of the fae courts once in a blue moon if circumstances allowed. Only the Three Sisters living on the Seer Island can freely foretell the fates of everyone.

    But as the seventh child of the seventh son, he was foretold to be of great powers, which he found ironic. Because other than this child''s play, he didn''t have any special powers.

    His magic mastery was still the poorest among his brothers and limited to only a few elements. So he always preferred to talk through his knives and fists.

    The young prince remained silent as his third brother shrugged and walked out of the scrying room. Ezekiel would likely question him again about what he saw, but he had other matters to attend to.

    Matthias began to ponder about what he saw in his vision. He had been scrying for a way to defeat their enemies, with the thought at the forefront of his mind. Yet, what he saw was a mortal girl with a strange pair of gold eyes. In the vision, he was plunged into a place filled with those dreadful creatures, and he was finishing them off one by one until a mortal girl appeared.

    He rubbed his temples.What was the vision trying to tell me?

    Moreover, this time it felt strange. He was sure that in the art of foretelling one can''t communicate with whoever they see inside their visions.Has my foretelling abilities become impaired? Or maybe this time I have tapped into the dream realm.

    But before he could test his theory out, he needs to find out the identity of that mysterious girl. The Human World is as vast as the Fae Realm and to find a single girl is going to be a pain in the ass. A human who can speak in the old tongue. Now that''s one very gifted mortal.

    Whoever she is, he knows with a growing sense of dread that the Decays seemed to be somehow connected to this girl.

 Chapter 7: In a Gilded Cage

    Chimera: A monstrous hybrid created from fusing the different body parts of different organisms. In the old legends, they form the legions of the Originals, who had crafted them out of space, earth, and darkness.

    They are undead, also known as Abominations and require continuous supply of energy, in the form of pure magic to sustain themselves. Alternatively, feed them human emotions, and you can control an undead legion of army. To kill a chimera, one must behead it or turn them into dust. Anything else would not kill it as long as it is connected to its maker''s magic.

    - Page 245 of the Royal Archives. On Chimera.

    ***

    - Elena -

    I''m fuming mad but I had to arrange my features into a neutral mask, and grace my face with a small smile. You must maintain your composure. It''s drilled into me since young, countless etiquette lessons, mannerism teachers, elegance building classes. As a princess of the High Court, I can''t let this mask slip.

    No wait correction - the second princess of the High Court.

    My court holds the greatest power in the Fae Realm, ruling over the other courts and it''s also my prison. It stands tall and regal in the sprawling mass of Alba, the centre spot of land in the fae kingdom. A massive gilded cage, housing an extremely lonely princess.

    Being a princess isn''t as easy as you think. I mean the rights to be heard, the rights to demand what I want and the privileges to exquisite wardrobes. Who has it easier than that right?

    But a princess'' life has already been dictated since they were born. I am either destined to be married off to a potential future husband, as a bargaining chip or ¨C the other option is to play the supporting role to our future heir. Yes, unfortunately this applies more so to me because I just found out that I have an older sister.

    "Get ready." The two words were meant as a reminder and a warning. My father''s tone bodes no room for argument, despite its gentle murmur.

    Mentally I rolled my eyes. If this happened minutes ago, I would have shot him a nervous smile. I would be the same spoilt princess who whines for attention, begging my parents not to let me into the council meeting. I would employ everything in my arsenal - pouting, then puppy eyes, and then finishing off with whining.

    But the words I heard just a minute ago changed everything.

    All the meeting councils sound like boring adult-talk to me, and they are really long. Since the day my parents called me to join them for their council meetings, so I could master the delicate web of fae politics, I''ll always find a way to give excuses to skip whenever I can. Wheedling my way out to play is my favourite hobby. But sometimes I''m in this rare sorts of mood to listen to serious matters and I would take it seriously.

    Like now.

    "You have an older sister Elena. Her name is Gabriella." My mother''s voice echoed in my head as I mentally replayed the conversation.

    "What? Is that true father?" I asked him, shocked. He nodded gravely.

    "It was a sensitive subject so we didn''t mention it frequently, but we told you when you were very young. Just that as the years passed, you seemed to have forgotten about it." My eyes widened as I processed the information.

    "We''re letting you know because in this meeting some of them might mention her. So in the case that happens, at least you know beforehand."

    So knowing just five minutes before the meeting that I have a sister is considered as "beforehand"?

    "She was sent to the human world that''s why you''ve never seen her. Only a handful of our subjects are privy to the details. However, we have been tracking her growth discreetly from time to time." A look between a mix of forlorn and wistfulness twisted in my mother''s eyes and for the first time, I felt that my parents have been keeping many secrets from me.

    "She''s now 18 years old, attending the top university in Soren." My mother continued with a faraway look in her eyes.

    "Can I see her? Please?" I blurted, unable to keep my curiosity in check.

    I have a sister! An older sister! Curiosity, disbelief, and shock unfurls in me. The heavy weight of loneliness eases a little off my chest. And happiness, joy, surprise. It''s a mixed bag of feelings right now.

    But that was as far as I can get.

    My father rubbed his temples and my mother''s breath caught. The only signs that they heard my question and that''s it.

    Anger blooms inside me. Why can''t I see her? Aren''t I your daughter as well? But I bit my lip and stared pointedly at my father. It felt like eons later when he shook his head curtly ending the conversation.

    My sister is older than me by 21 Summers. But that was only when we''re comparing the time of our births. Time flows differently in the Fae world compared to the Human world. It ebbs slower in the Summer and Winter Solstices, but still faster than the Human Realm. I''m turning 56 Summers this year, which is 19 years old in human terms. This means if my sister is to return now, I''ll be older than her by two summers because of the time discrepancies.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    My mother is Queen Diana, the High Queen and my father is King Alandis, the High King of the High Court.

    The burst of faint murmurings indicated that my father''s subjects were already seated in the council room. "Sir. We are ready to start." A knight said as he stood in front of the doorway. My father nodded and he pushed open the doors to the council room, escorting us in. A hush fell upon the room as we walked in.

    "Your majesties." They stood up gracefully and swiftly, bowing before us. None of the chairs made scraping noises against the carpeted floor because that''s how the fae subjects treat my father. Utter loyalty and respect.

    "Please take a seat." My father gestured as he sat at the front of the long table.

    "We shall start with the war." One of his subjects spoke when we were settled down. I''m sitting to my father''s left and my mother on his right.

    "Pray tell Gerald. What news do you bring about the Decays?" My father said as he fixed his full attention to a dark-haired broad shouldered man. Duke Gerald has been under the High Court for many years and fought alongside my father in many wars. He''s one of the most trusted subjects in my court.

    However, before the duke could speak, another courtier spoke up. "There are reports of missing humans in some countries. Mainly Soren, Velin, Farshen, and Aleba. They are targeting those prominent and large countries so they could get away with it. But they failed to account for the advanced technology that some of the humans have developed... It has already begun your majesty."

    I recognize him. He''s a young rising courtesan in the High Court that I heard the servants gossiping about. It''s hard not to recognize someone as prominent as him; sea green eyes and brown hair that makes wood nymphs green with envy. He noticed me staring and shot me a grin.

    "The hunt for sacrificial subjects. They are using humans as the offering." Another one of my father''s subjects said. A wizened fae who should be our court''s royal advisor.

    "I heard they are also creating abominations, your majesty. Reports from our alliances talk about monsters that do not look like any of the Fae Folk." Duke Gerald cut in, offering what else he knew. He''s mildly annoyed that the two of them had said most of everything he heard, but he knows his words carry a greater effect. After all he''s my father''s camaraderie, part of a special small force that shadows the king.

    "What abominations are we talking about?" My father asked tightly, wariness coating his voice.

    "I heard...I think they are once again trying to revive the legends. Some of our alliances from the Night Court and the Spring Court have banded together in an attempt to drive off the rapidly growing dark forces. And... they have seen monsters called... if I''m not wrong, they called them chimeras." Duke Gerald answered quietly. A flicker of regret flitted through his eyes as he bears the gravest news.

    Some of the courtiers gasped, and the room erupted with voices discussing the news. "What chimeras?!" "No way, the horrors of the legends are back." "It''s true! It''s true! There is no turning back now."

    "Silence!" My father''s voice boomed across the meeting room demanding attention. He rubs his chin absently, deep in thought.

    "Your majesty, if the reports are true, we need to prepare our forces for war." Mother said gently.

    "Yes, your majesty. The humans have also been implementing measures. Soren''s government has recruited able men with the Sight, forming squads specially to deal with our kind. There''s a recent elite squad called the S.P.A.D. for short and are now investigating the case of the missing humans." The Foreign Affairs representative said, highlighting the point of needing to take action.

    My father held his hand up signaling that he had heard then. Nodding his agreement, he said: "Gather all our forces and tell them to prepare for war. I want messengers to relay information to the human rulers of each country. Tell them the situation and tell them to report what information they have to the court. I want all our alliances gathered at a meeting council two weeks from now. It''s time we work with the humans. That''s the end of this meeting. Anything else, report it directly to my work chambers." With that he rose from his seat, stalking off angrily with my worried mother at his heels.

    The council room once again began to swell with voices in discussion. I took the chance to slip off, sneaking quietly to the door. "Princess?" Duke Gerald called as I neared my escape. I paused and turned around to face him. "Yes Duke Gerald?"

    He glanced around to see if anyone was near before he leaned in closer. "Have your parents told you about her?"

    "Are you referring to my sister?" Puzzlement fills me. Why is he whispering and being so secretive? Something like relief awash him and his broad shoulders lifted slightly. "I apologise for startling you princess, but you see not everyone in this room knows about her." I see. Interesting.

    "What is it you wish to speak to me about her then?" I asked him, lowering my volume to a safer level.

    "You see, I''m wondering if your parents have any plans to bring her back to the court. After all I was the one tasked to watch her." The Duke asked me. "She''s coming of age soon, her birthday is on this year''s upcoming Winter Solstice."

    Coming of age? I did the math in my mind and I understood what he meant. She''s going to turn 19 this year. All Fae Folk comes to age between 54 to 57 Summers, the period when their bodies fully mature and their latent magical talents manifest.

    "Unfortunately my parents did not divulge to me their plans involving my sister. However, if there is any news of her, it would be my utmost gratitude if you could inform me first."

    "I see, your majesty. If there''s any news about her I would tell you." The Duke nodded. "Immediately. Tell me immediately, and then tell my parents after you tell me." I stared straight into his dusty violet eyes, conveying my urgency. I need to find out where she is and bring her back asap. My parents may not allow it but that doesn''t mean I can''t do it in secret.

    I gave Duke Gerald one last glance before I walked out of the council room.

    ___________________________________

    If you guys are confused over the flow of time in the Fae Realm, here''s how it works. Generally, time in the Fae Realm flows faster than the Human Realm, hence Elena is now older than Gabriella because Gabriella grew up in the Human Realm.

    54-57 Summers is a range representing the physical maturity of 19 year olds as the Fae who live longer than humans have a slower physical growth.

    <u>GLOSSARY</u>

    1-3 Summers = 1 year old

    3-6 Summers = 2 yr old

    .

    .

    .

    51-54 Summers = 18 yr old

    54-57 Summers = 19 yr old

    Note: we''re considering only the physical maturity and not mental growth. When Fae children are born, they have the mental capacity of 3-5 year olds.

 Chapter 8: He Doesnt Wants To Be Known

    - Damien -

    I arrived at the university earlier than expected. I''m carrying all the equipment that the team would probably need in this mission. The duffel bags weighed a ton. They contain magical trace trackers, communication devices, laptops and lastly weapons. Enough for all five of us. Or all of the S.P.A.D..

    Carrying them would have been exhausting for an average person, but I am not any average person. Being the only son of the Prime Minister means I have to be trained in both my studies and physical abilities. That being said, as the leader of S.P.A.D., I need to be skilled enough to lead a team of demi-faes. So I have to condition myself to be at the top of my game, to make sure I don''t lose out to the preternatural reflexes of my squadmates.

    I already asked Fenrys to scout the campus grounds before my arrival so that I could avoid the unnecessary crowds of paparazzi that haunt me mercilessly. Seriously, do these people have so much time in their life that all they do is keep track of my movements?

    I thought I didn''t need to worry about the public media since most of the time I''m away on missions and I spend the rest of my time in the Paranormal Headquarters or HQ for short. But it was my mistake to underestimate them. Sometimes I wonder if they''re even humans.

    They managed to track my daily routines during the brief in between of me taking missions and handling duties. There are pictures of me eating my meals in my favourite dining places and me having my hair trimmed in my frequented barber shop. The next thing I know they''re all camping there waiting for me to show up.

    I tried changing my preferences and it worked out well at first. But then they caught up to me after a few weeks. So I decided to change my strategy - eating randomly, dining at places without a particular pattern, and showing up at places far apart from each other. But damn they are persistent.

    They changed their tactics as well and decided to play a game. A game called Hide-and-Seek. Groans internally.

    Whoever manages to spot me in public, just has to take a picture and seconds later they''re there standing outside of the shop or waiting at some alleyway. I almost had a heart attack when they sprang onto me from the dark alley of a bar, squealing and trying to steal a kiss. Luckily, my squadmates were there since we were hanging out at the bar after completing one of our missions. By some form of miracle, they successfully managed to extricate me from that tangle of limbs and squealing girls. I swear the next time this happens again, I don''t know if I could escape unscarred...

    I shook my head violently. Gosh I need to get that out my head. It''s a horrible trauma I swear.

    This exchange program to Soren''s University was supposed to be a cover. Father had arranged it to make it look as if it was for me to broaden my horizons about what people my age do. The real reason behind it was I''m sent to the school to do some scouting.

    My mission this time is to search for the faerie gate situated somewhere in the university.

    However, news about my exchange in Soren''s University has been blown far and wide. Soon all the fan tabloids and reporters are reporting about this latest bout of gossip. It''s hard to maintain secrecy, if this goes on, I''m afraid the cover will be blown. Last night was so bad that I had to ask one of my squadmates to disguise as me and create a diversion for me to escape. Even the Paranormal Department had sent their agents for crowd control since I only have two bodyguards tagged to me.

    How are we to carry out our mission if we''re tracked by a bunch of people? I can only pray somehow this will work.

    I pulled the cap lower down my head and adjusted fake spectacles before I grabbed the duffel bags and made my way up to our designated living quarters. It''s situated near the school''s dormitories, but a more private and luxurious extension, given to only the guests of the university. Several ministers have stayed here temporarily before and also their children who are here on an actual exchange trip.

    My mission this time is complicated. On top of searching for the source of magical energy in the University picked up by one of the Scouts of Paranormal HQ, Me and my team also have to investigate the kidnappings of the students from the University. There''s around three cases of students mysteriously disappearing, which is comparatively lower than other places but we''re not taking any chances.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    We discovered that the waves emitted here are almost as strong as the ones emitted near gateways to the Fae Realm. So we theorized that there may be a gate in the university and it may be the reason behind the kidnappings.

    "Never mind about the uproar. It should form the perfect cover for you to investigate the place without anyone suspecting a thing." One of the ministers involved in the plan had said. With that in mind, I decided to arrive earlier than the scheduled timing. One needs to strike when the iron is hot.

    My phone vibrated in my left pocket and I placed the duffel bags gently down on to the floor before reading the text message. It was from Fenrys. "All clear. Good to go. Regulations state that sch grounds are banned from outsiders. Come ASAP when you reach nxt week." I punched the air with a fist. This is the happiest news I''ve ever heard in the 18 years of my life. Months of freedom from that bunch of craziness. Hell yeah, it''s vacation time baby.

    I hefted the bags after quickly texting a quick message of thanks to my second-in command, and continued with my journey. Whistling a happy tune, my brain started to picture all the scenarios that I can finally fully enjoy. I''m preoccupied with imagining myself eating a hot cheese burger in the school''s cafetorium when suddenly I knocked into someone. Or she knocked into me. Both of us weren''t looking at the front.

    My reflexes were quick enough to prevent the straps from falling off my grip and I heaved a sigh of relief as I managed to place the bags gently on the ground. The girl on the other hand, didn''t have as much luck. The books in her arms went flying from our encounter. I caught a glimpse of her shocked expression before she bent down and picked up her books while saying, "Oh gosh. I''m sorry. I''m really sorry about this. Are you okay?"

    I watched in bemusement and astonishment as her hands flew with increasing speed to snatch up each and every book off the ground.

    Finally, she stood up and looked at me, her chestnut hair falling into her eyes. "I''m so sorry. Gosh. Are you hurt?" She''s hugging the books to her chest and her flustered eyes are a pretty shade of molten gold. That''s a rare color. I noted with surprise. In fact, I''ve never seen a human with eyes the color of unspun gold. Is she wearing some sort of contacts? That''s pretty cool.

    Shooting her a smile, I said "I''m alright. You, on the other hand... are you okay?" I studied her form, checking for signs of any bruises. I think it''s a miracle that she''s unharmed, no one survives that well after knocking into a pack of lean muscles. Her skin must be made of steel or something hard. Funny, why do I think that way about a girl? She is obviously a fragile breathing human, like me. It seems Vesna has been influencing my opinions about girls lately. I rolled my imaginary eyes in my head.

    She shook her head. "No, I''m great. I''m sorry about your bag. Is anything broken?" Worry creased her eyes.

    I laughed. I couldn''t help it. I mean she couldn''t have known but there''s a reason why the equipment is stored in such bulky bags. They are padded with extra protection. The weapons and equipment I carry require extra care, so my bags were padded so much that the things inside wouldn''t even break if I dropped them several meters below. Still I always made sure to handle them with care. A cautious hobby of mine.

    She stared at me puzzledly, a curious frown on her face. Oh right, her question.

    "Nothing''s broken. No worries." I flashed her my signature smile, the one I use in front of the cameras. She nodded in relief but then she frowned again. "Have I met you before? Like see you somewhere around?" She asked me.

    Oh crap. Please not now. Not when I just had a taste of the most relieving freedom of my life. It was just 3 minutes. Ugh. Cut me some slack.

    I cocked my head and stared at her with one of my brows raised. Before I could say something to deny her question, she said, "Oh maybe I''m wrong and I mixed you up with someone else. Anyways I got to go, bye." She shot me a quick apologetic smile before she walked away towards the direction of the student dormitories.

    Phew. I let out a relieved sigh. She hadn''t recognized me, right?

    I''m expecting to hear a girl''s squeal or someone appearing out of thin air but several minutes passed, and it''s only the silence of the early morning filled with crickets chirping. I finally let my guard down and headed to our lodgings, this time without interruptions.

    Fenrys is going to have the shock of his life when he finds me sitting in the dorm room later. I thought with a smile. And he is going to be even more pissed when I tell him my plans to disguise myself.

    I''ve already heard about the Science Department students hosting a welcome party in the dorms. So I decided that I will attend it not as Prince Damien, but as a rich foreign exchange student interested to stay in the spotlight. For my plan to work, I''ve prepared my disguise - dying my hair brown and wearing contact lenses to mask my onyx irises. In case that I might still be discovered, I also decided to pull on a pair of glasses. A bit over the top you might say, but I''m not taking any chances.

    Now all I need is the cooperation of a certain demi-fae to make my plan perfect...

 Chapter 9: Costume Date

    - Gabriella -

    "Morningggg!" Vin shouted energetically when she spotted me and Claudia walking out of the gates of the university. Shayla is also there waving at us.

    "You two beat us, damn it!" Claudia laughs.

    "Hey, morning." I said smiling at their excitement. It''s Friday late afternoon and according to the plan, the girls decided to meet up after class so we could shop for what we want to wear for the welcome party.

    So far, things are turning out okay and it wasn''t as bad as I thought. Shayla and Vin were appointed to be in charge of the preparations and they are pretty inclusive.

    "Ready for our mini shopping trip?" Shayla looked at each of us, a sly grin on her face.

    "Oh stop it with the suspense already. Just tell them." Vin said as we huddled together, forming a little circle.

    Shayla rolled her eyes but she opened her mouth to continue speaking. "It''s official. The Science department voted for a summer theme. So we''re all gonna get ourselves each a nice dress with summer vibes." She purred.

    "Ooh cool theme." Claudia said, her eyes turning round and wide. "That''s the most overrated party theme but you know what, at this point I think I''m in love with it." I shook my head, laughing. Something I learned about Claudia is that the girl practically lives for parties. No wonder she had to rope me into this.

    We booked a public hover transport, the usual 10-seater ones, which I usually avoid. But I decided to let it pass since it should be a fun trip. I don''t mind compromising my usual private one-seater transports.

    Surprisingly, the hover tube is only partially filled with three other passengers; an old lady carrying a grocery bag, a man reading a book and another, a businessman who''s busy talking on his phone. I guess the day is turning out well after all.

    We hopped into the vehicle that''s suspended several inches above the road, it''s small but still spacious enough to fit ten passengers with room to stand and stretch. Vin immediately starts tapping away on her new phone with the latest design inspired from Prince Damien''s inputs.

    It wasn''t that the Prime Minister''s son was an expert in phone designs, but he had requested a phone with custom made specs because he found current phones to be lacking. Soon after, a mobile company designed a model with specifications similar to his phone, and it became a huge hit.

    Now, it''s called the "phone inspired by the prince", and all his fans are eager to get their hands on it.

    Shayla and Claudia were discussing some hip-hop dance groups and I was listening to my playlist when suddenly the public screen in the hover tube started showing a particularly interesting news feed. It was last night''s news.

    "Prince Damien, could you give us any hints on the date you''ll be arriving at Soren''s University? As your fans, we''re dying to know so we can give you a surprise welcome." The lady reporter was speaking into the camera and the minister''s son was surrounded by his usual crowd of paparazzi. Prince Damien nodded and smiled, looking straight into the camera to reveal a pair of extremely mysterious onyx eyes. "Sorry to say, but that''s classified information." He shrugged into the camera.

    "If you have any questions about the university however, you can check out their website. It''s a rather prestigious school and I would recommend setting your sights on it." He winked. I chuckled under my breath. What a way to leave them hanging.

    Through my ear buds, I can hear Vin squealing loudly. "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, it''s him!". Claudia and Shayla immediately stopped conversing and swivelled their heads to the screen in shock. I watched in amusement as they gasped and their eyes became fixated on the screen.

    "Please Damien one more question. Will you be arriving alone? Or are the children of your father''s entourage also in the same exchange programme?" The reporter asked him in a desperate last attempt. She''s placing her manicured fingers on his tailored jacket sleeve. I smirked at that act of false possessiveness. Everyone knows they can''t take a plae in that boy''s heart. He had already announced that he will remain single fo rthe rest of his life. Of course, due to some pesonal reasons that were not disclosed. But I know the reason why, or I guess I do, from watching him in his public speeches and stalking him on the web tabloids.

    It''s subtle, but there were signs. The way his eyes kept drifting to someone else outside of the camera angle. The small smirk that plays on his lips once the person made eye-contact.

    "No. They''re not involved in this programme or exchange and of course I will not be going alone. There are bodyguards assigned to me during my stay. I suggest that the welcome surprise you guys are planning to be held under the university''s notice and regulation. Please check with them about their campus rules as well as ask for permission." Prince Damien frowned as he tried to leave but was blocked by several of his fans asking for a photo.

    Somehow, a group of people wearing black uniforms materialized and stepped in to handle the crowd. For a moment it seemed like they had it under control, until a couple girls broke out and started running after him.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    "Where did he go? He was just standing here a moment ago!" One of them cried. The sound was muffled but I could still make it out though the feed. "There! There he is!" Another screamed and the whole bunch of them peeled off towards the direction of her voice.

    "Jesus those people are plain crazy." Vin half-shouted as she watched those girls shrieking and tailing after their idol. "What the hell? He deserves to spend his time on more important things than to spend it by taking a picture with you." Shayla commented folding her arms with a huff.

    "Haha, hey that''s what I would do if I happened to chance upon the prince. You girls are crazy if you don''t want a picture with him!" Claudia said indignantly.

    "Oh what? You think he will take a picture with you? You gotta be kidding. If he should take a picture with one of his fans, it should be me okay." Shayla said, flipping her hair.

    "Oh no no no. It would''ve been me." Vin says shaking her finger at Shayla. Great, in a hover transport of all places?

    "Hey, guys... let''s not get into this conversation." I said, glancing at them worriedly. Vin and Shayla are narrowing their eyes at each other and Claudia looks like she''s ready to throw something at them.

    "Hey. You there. That girl. Lower your volume, man. I''ve got a call to take and you guys are interrupting my client!" The man in the business suit glared at me pointedly before returning back to his call. I shook my head in disbelief but I didn''t bother correcting him.

    "Goodness, teenagers nowadays. All extremely rude I say. Such dreadful manners." The old lady reading the newspaper tutted as she looked at us through the rims of an elegantly wired reading glasses perched on her nose.

    By this point, Shayla, Vin and Claudia had stopped glaring at each other. Instead, Vin is staring daggers at the businessman and Shayla has an expression on her face that looks like she tasted a lemon. Claudia was the only decent one who looked genuinely embarrassed. "Even my grandmother is much nicer than that nice-smelling granny. She looks so poised but her tongue is like a whip." Shayla whispered scowling.

    "Destination reached. The Shopping District." The robotic voice emanated from the speakers of the hover transport sounding slightly masculine this time. "Please pay your transport fees before you leave. Have a nice day." The hover transport slowed to a stop and I heaved a breath of relief as the automatic doors slid open, thanking the stars silently. We filed out of the hover tube.

    "Where should we start?" Shayla is asking Vin excitedly, the events that happened a few seconds before were thrown into a gutter in her brain.

    Smiling devilishly, Vin said: "Welcome to my playhouse where I practically breathe and live here." She flourished with her arms at the bustling place. Various designer brands stood out from the buildings that marked the district, their electrical buzz signs blinking at us from above. The brands and shops in the district stretched out dizzyingly, up and down the streets. This place is really a shopping paradise. Or should I say maze?

    ***

    We''re at a small boutique tucked away in a corner of the street. It''s the tenth shop we visited and several hours had passed without much luck. It seems it''s the time the shops are pushing out their old out-of-season clothes for the new incoming batch.

    "I swear they changed the dates! It wasn''t supposed to be stock-in day until next week!" Vin was complaining to us as we entered the boutique. The bell of the door chimes, announcing our entry to the shop staff.

    "Hello, welcome to Stella''s. The manager in charge of the district was switched so all the stock-in dates were moved forward I''m afraid. And oh how may I help you ladies?" A lady in her mid fifties, with soft snow blonde hair tied in a neat and elegant bun greeted us.

    She gave us a small smile, her summery blue eyes wrinkling at the corners. I blinked, not expecting to meet someone of such elegance in her age.

    "Hello Stella. You''re our last hope! Please tell me you have some dresses that are still in this season." Vin said as she entered the woman''s embrace who opened her arms welcomingly. I watched as the shop owner air-kissed each side of Vin''s cheeks and Vin doing the same.

    "Mademoiselle Vin, you''ve come at the right time it seems." She says winking at us. "Come. I have in fact several of them collecting dust here in this old shop of mine. Might as well bring it out for you girls."

    Me and Claudia shared a glance and she whispered. "I''m pretty sure this is going to cost a dent in my pocket." I shrugged as I followed Vin as she happily trailed after Stella. Too late for that now.

    We climbed up the narrow stairs of the small shop in a single file and reached a place where everything is covered with protective sheets of thin wrapping paper. Stella headed straight for one of the paper wrappings and unveiled a piece of dove gray tulle dress with small beads sewn at its bodice. It took my breath away.

    "This is beautiful Stella, definitely one of your masterpieces. But we''re looking for something summer-themed. Gray is a little too dull don''t you think?" Vin said as she inspected the dress.

    "Mm hm. Summer-themed. Then it should be this section dearest." Stella said as she placed back the wrapping paper over the dress and walked over to another corner.

    The dresses here are also protected but instead of being wrapped with paper, they are covered in translucent coverlets modified to fit over each dress like a layer.

    She reached over the rack and plucked one of the hanging dresses by their hangers, and handed it to Vin. Through the coverlet, I can see an indigo dress with capped sleeves and translucent gauzy material extending to the elbows.

    "It suits you perfectly." Stella said as she leaned back to admire Vin holding the dress in front of her. Vin nodded smiling. "Yes. This is it. Stella you''re the best!" She announced as she stared at the mirror. "Go on and try it then." Stella laughed. Vin nodded excitedly and disappeared into the changing room.

    "Now shall we get you girls fixed too?" Stella said as she stared at each of us, measuring our sizes with her sharp eyes and cataloging them in her head.

    "Mm this one will suit you well. Curvy and short girls make the best elves. And this for you lean dancers. You need to showcase your gorgeous legs more often instead of hiding them in jeans." She handed Claudia and Shayla each a dress.

    "Now. For the last one." She said as she scanned the rack. "You''re a bit different from the average build. A little too tall and slightly broad shouldered. Yet not too curvy. Not too straight. Perfect proportions at the right places."

    She tutted under her breath as she pushed the hangers searching for a dress for me.

    "Aha, this one. This will suit you young lady." She said as she pushed something into my hands and nudged me towards the changing room.

 Chapter 10: Broke Guy

    - Gabriella -

    "Wait." I said stopping her.

    "Can I try that on too?" I pointed to the first dress she showed us.

    Stella''s eyes sparkled. "Oh. Yes. I''m sure that one will suit you best but I wasn''t sure if you wanted it."

    "I want to try it on too please." I said and she pulled off the wrapping paper handling me the dress. "Here. These attachments go with the dress. Hook it to the dress." I nodded as she placed something gauzy onto the pile in my arms and I headed to the room to change.

    It hugs my curves and yet still airy in a way that makes me feel comfortable. I''m not a dress girl, but more of a jeans girl. Dresses make me feel a little self-conscious, but for this welcome party, I''m willing to bend the rules a little.

    I looked at my reflection and grinned, turning around to see the daffodil yellow straps dropping down to my lower back. It has a short flowy skirt falling in between my thighs and knees. It''s simple with a line of pleats at the sides showing a tiny glimpse of my skin. I have yet to try on the first dress, deciding to forego it since I trust Stella and the sizing is the same. It''s a little late and we still have grocery shopping to do.

    Vin smirked from the corner of the mirror and placed her hand on her hip. "I''m never wrong, you see. Stella is the best dressmaker out here." I mutely nodded as I studied the shimmering gauzy dress on her. It suits her black hair and the plunging neckline flatters her petite frame.

    "Wait for me!" Claudia called from the changing room beside mine. The door to Claudia''s dressing room opened and she walked out. She stood in front of us and said: "I think this is it."

    Her dress is pale green that hangs off her shoulders with a short naughty skirt length that brings eyes to her narrow waistline. She looks like a mischievous elf-girl with her long dark brown locks and equally brown eyes.

    "Wow Claud. You look great." I said as I watched her look at the mirror. "Yeah gurl. Like a naughty elf." Shayla said as she also stood behind us. Her dress is off-white like a lighter shade of manila, with a side slit on her skirt to expose her lean legs.

    "I think this party is going to be one hell of a fun with us taking the spotlight." Shayla said grinning like a cheshire cat.

    ***

    "It was expensive but worth every cent right?" Claudia said to me. We are now in the shopping mart near the city, buying groceries after we paid for our dresses. The four of us are sharing a trolley and I was complaining to Claudia about the price of that lovely grey dress. I realized it was grey and not gray after closer inspection.

    "Yeah. Definitely." I said nodding as she added some detergent powder into the trolley. Our shopping bags were placed inside the trolley since it was kind of large and blocking the way of our grocery shopping. "But it''s still painful." I sighed.

    Vin and Shayla trailed behind us while grabbing what they needed from the shelves.

    "Beauty is pain." Claudia said laughing. "And this isn''t physical yet. Yours is only the emotional side of spending your savings. Stop thinking about it."

    "Yes. You''re totally right. I should spend my savings on things I like. Else why would I save it in the first place right?" Mhm I''m totally not trying to convince myself to forget those three figure numbers.

    "Uh huh." Claudia nodded in agreement. "Anything you need to get?"

    We''re shopping for extra detergent, food and breakfast for our dorm, since I just moved in yesterday.

    "Let me see. Oh right I need some potted plants." I said remembering the mental list of shopping items I did this morning.

    "Potted plants? Oh I remember you mentioning something about a medical condition. About needing contact with nature right?" She said looking at me with her brows raised in question.

    "Yeah. I just need to be somewhere near plants, water bodies and all that blah blah nature. Organic stuff too. Got sensitive skin and all." I said not wanting to explain the actual details. Truth is I feel tired and fatigued without contact with nature, and if I try to explain it to average people who don''t have such a condition, it sounds weird. Funny even. No one will look at me seriously if I told them I need to be near plants and touch nature every day so I won''t blackout.

    Okay exaggeration much, but you get the idea.

    "Oh. I see. Hmm when did you have such a condition anyway?" Claudia is humming along to the song playing in the mart not exactly focusing on the conversation as I pushed the trolley down the aisle. I recognized the song, it''s one of the latest albums from Vee, my favourite pop singer. I don''t blame her for her lack of focus, I''m surprised she even remembered about my condition.

    "Since very young I think. I can''t remember when I had it exactly, but it wasn''t until I''m ten that I ..." I trailed off because Claudia isn''t listening to me but staring at someone else straight ahead.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

    "Oh hello!" Mike said, waving at us as he pushed the trolley towards us. "Hey Res, Jason, they''re here too." He called behind him at the two guys who were focused on a phone. Res and Jason looked up from their shopping list, spotting us, they made their way forward to say hello.

    "Hi guys. We''re just doing a little grocery shopping." Vin said from behind me. "How''s the shopping for the deco going?"

    "Pretty well I guess? We managed to find most of the items in the list you sent us. But we''re still missing some items." Res answered her with a smile as he ran a hand through his freshly cut hair. It''s a trendy undercut, and I have to admit he looks even more attractive with his new haircut. "Uh huh. We''re left with only party poppers and balloons." Jason said as he read from his phone.

    He smiled when he saw me. "Hi Gabriella and Claudia. Nice to see you here."

    I forced myself to look away from Res'' hair and waved cheerily at Jason. What''s wrong with me? I need to stop staring at him.

    "I know where you can find party poppers and balloons. It''s in the same section as the gardening section! Wanna join us? Me and Briel are heading over there anyway." Claudia looked over to Res and beamed. Something sharp panged against my chest and a small part of me felt annoyed by her. I blinked and the feeling disappeared.

    "Sure why not? What did you need to get from there btw?" Res asked Claudia, returning her smile with one of his quick grins. "Oh, Gabriella just needed to get some potted plants for our windowsill at the dorm." Claudia said as they both walked off towards what I presumed is the Gardening Section. I hung back studying the both of them laughing at a joke they shared. My chest tightens and a strange sort of foreignness enters my heart.

    Something is seriously wrong with me today. Maybe I''m just out of sorts.

    I forced myself to look away from them.

    "So did you girls manage to buy what you wanted to wear for the welcome party?" Jason asked me. He shot me a small smile.

    "Oh yes. We did in the end." I said smiling back.

    "That''s great to hear. Really. I understand all that needing to get a nice outfit that meets your criteria. My sister shared with me her pain of finding her party dresses and from then on, I could sort of relate how hard it is for girls to find the right dress. It''s much easier for us guys, just the same pants and shirt." He said, shrugging.

    "Oh you have a sister?" I asked him, feeling surprised.

    "Haha yeah. An older sister. Why does everyone seem so surprised when I tell them that?" He laughed.

    "Maybe we don''t know you well enough since you''re slightly quieter than the rest?" I offered, more out of randomness than really thinking about it. But Jason smiled.

    "Sometimes I feel that it''s better to observe than to participate. I think you can relate to this too." He gave me a knowing look before walking ahead to join the rest.

    Hmm what did he mean by that?

    Before I could ask him about it, we''ve reached the "Gardening" area. I left them at the party items section and went off on my own in search of my new green companions. They came in various sizes and cute little pots that instantly lifted my mood. I touched one of them, feeling the prickly tiny shrub on my fingers.

    You guys are still the best. Always loyal and evergreen. I spoke to it silently in my head. As I was contemplating which of them I wanted, I felt someone coming up to me. Thinking he was a stranger, I didn''t bother to look and I jumped when Res spoke.

    "Gosh you gave me a fright." I said clutching the plant with both hands.

    "Oops. Sorry. Didn''t mean to scare you like that. I always have this bad habit of following someone silently." Res said apologetically.

    "Didn''t you guys need to get the deco stuff?" I asked him, raising one of my brows. Translation: What are you doing here?

    "I think there''s enough people to hunt for two items there." He grinned pointing to the small shelf housing "Party Items". "And decided that you need help deciding which to get." He said, staring right at me with deliciously warm brown eyes. Tiny butterflies begin tap dancing in my navel.

    "Yeah. Right." I mumbled absently deliberately averting my eyes from his very attractive ones, and stared at the plant I''m holding.

    "You should get this." He said reaching over and selecting a pot from the collection. It''s a mossy plant that''s trimmed in a cute kitten shape. I raised my brow.

    "It suits you." He chuckled.

    "Really? Isn''t it a little too cute to suit me?" I said, smiling slightly while placing back the pot I was holding.

    "Nope nothing''s too cute to suit you."

    My heart skipped a beat. Did he just call me cute? Again? I looked at him apprehensively, but he''s grinning and studying the plant. Then he fixed me a rueful smile, his warm brown eyes alight with an idea.

    "Hey, you know what? I''ve wanted to buy something for you as a welcome gift to university. Why don''t I buy this for you since I think it suits you pretty well." He asked me. I couldn''t turn him down since it would douse the hope in his eyes, so I merely nodded and shrugged. "Sure?"

    We pushed the trolleys to the counter after I was satisfied with choosing four plants.

    "I would like to pay for these separately please." I said to the cashier lady, as I placed the potted plants at the back of the conveyor belt. "And I would like to pay for this one." Res said as he isolated the previous plant he chose from the lot. Damn, I had hoped he forgot about it while they were paying for the party items.

    However, as Res opened his wallet and stared into its empty contents he groaned. "Freak. I spent all of it paying for the deco." He scratched his head and looked sheepishly at the cashier lady who was glaring at him impatiently. "Hurry up young man. There''s a line of customers behind."

    "I''ll pay for all of it." I said pushing the other three forward and the lady nodded, scanning the barcodes. I waved my card and heard the familiar beep as the transaction went through the system. "Alright. Have a nice day." The lady handed me the receipt and the plastic bags before she handled the next customer behind us.

    "Ugh. That was horrifyingly embarrassing." Res said mortified as we made our way out with our purchases. His ears are a little pink at the tips. "I''m sorry about back there." He said covering his face with a hand.

    Just a moment ago, I was the flustered one and now he''s the one feeling flustered. Watching this side of him, I discovered Res isn''t always the confident popular guy. He''s cute when he''s embarrassed.

    Wait what? Whatever is wrong with me?

    "Haha, er it''s okay. My mum lent me her credit card today. So it''s okay I guess." What am I even speaking about? I wanted to say "It''s okay since my mum lent me her credit card and told me to spend as much as I want." Jeez.

    "I guess I''ll have to buy you a drink as a welcome gift instead then. Although I was hoping to welcome you to the dormitory life." Res sighed. Grinning he said, "Bye. We guys need to help out with setting up the deco." He waved and headed off with Jason and Mike. I realized with a start that we''ve already reached the sprawling gates of my university. That''s fast. I knew the mart was close by but this is faster than I thought.

    Or is it that time seems to pass faster when I was speaking with Res?

 Chapter 11: Dreams

    - Gabriella -

    "Jeez Briel, what time is it already and you''re still up reading your soul out of those books?" Claudia complains as she shifts the blankets up to cover her face against the light beside my table.

    "Oops. Did I wake you up Claud?" I mumbled, sounding apologetic. But in actuality my eyes were glued to the printed words in the book.

    "Dreams are a part of your consciousness. They are usually linked to a part of your consciousness that runs in the background without you realising." I read softly from the book. My eyes scanned the text and landed on the words I wanted to find out.

    "Out-of-world experiences in dreams may happen to individuals where they find themselves to be in a place they''ve never been too." Yes. This exactly describes my dream.

    "However, research shows that these places are linked to these people''s wishes. For example, a man who wishes to become a movie director may dream of himself inside a movie scene. People who claimed to have experienced such out-of-world dreams usually describe it as fleeting fantasies."

    "Many said it was obvious that they knew it was a dream because it has a muted dream-like quality, and they woke up feeling happy. It is thus concluded that in such dreams, dreamers will experience what they wish to happen due to their over imaginative minds, however nothing physical is experienced."

    No. That can''t be. It''s clearly not my imagination and I experienced pain in my dream. I frowned at the words in disbelief. That was the end of the passage? Just like that? I read it again, and then twice. But there, it stopped and the next page was about sleepwalking.

    "What time are you sleeping? It''s 2 am already." Claudia said groaning softly as she rolled in her bed.

    "Just a sec. I''ll be in bed in a second." I said.

    "Ugh. The welcome party is tomorrow and there''s morning classes. Don''t tell me you''re skipping your morning lessons?" She continues to mumble under the blankets. "Freak. Just off the damn light. I can''t sleep with that thing shining brightly. Read in the dark if you want." She said angrily.

    I hastily switched off the table light and the room plunged into darkness. In the quiet room, I hear Claudia''s breathing become even and deep as she falls back to sleep.

    Claudia has early morning classes, and my lessons tomorrow aren''t as early as hers. It''s selfish of me to deprive her of her sleep, since I''m no longer sleeping in my own bedroom but sharing her room.

    I rubbed my eyes but I''m still not tired. Switching on my phone''s flashlight, I continued reading. Somehow, my eyes adjusted easily to the dim light and I can resume with the book. It''s a book about dreams. Heck, there are several books about dreams, strange sightings and even hallucinations.

    Ever since that dream, I was puzzled about it and I mustered up my courage to enter into the library to find out more about it. The internet didn''t help out a lot. The search engine showed me lengthy articles and research on what dreams are. There isn''t anything about out-of-world experiences.

    So I had to resort to going back to that library, where that incident happened. I was really hesitant about going back there, but luckily nothing happened. No strange sounds, no blindness, no blue skinned people. I was happy that I managed to find a few good books under the librarian''s recommendations but now I''m disappointed.

    There isn''t anything here that remotely describes what I experienced.

    Many of them stated that dreams remain a topic to be fully understood and the things experienced are hard to explain. I scratch my head in defeat. Surely, there''s something about nightmares?

    I flipped to the content page and under a section it states "Dreams that instill fear: Nightmares". I flipped to the page stated in the index and read the contents.

    "Nightmares are vivid realistic dreams that rattle you awake from deep sleep. They often set your heart pounding from fear. Nightmares tend to occur most often during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, when most dreaming takes place." Mhm, nothing special. Just the normal explanation.

    "There are many causes for nightmares. Research has shown that people who participate in stressful or fear inducing activities before sleeping are reported more likely to have nightmares. It varies from person to person. Although there are some common nightmares that many people experience. For example, nightmares about not being able to run fast enough to escape danger or about falling from a great height."

    "If you''ve undergone a traumatic event, you may have recurrent nightmares about your experience. Although nightmares and night terrors both cause people to awake in great fear, they are different. Night terrors typically occur in the first few hours after falling asleep. They are experienced as feelings, not dreams, so people do not recall why they are terrified upon awakening."The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    I slumped in my chair. That''s it. All I learned was that my dream seems to be more of a nightmare than a night terror.

    I squinted against the digital clock above Claudia''s table and it read 3.05 am. That''s really late. I better head off to sleep. Stifling a yawn, I headed over to my bed and crawled into my blankets.

    ***

    I''m walking to the West Wing of the university where my forensics lesson is held. It''s situated in the Science blocks, inside a lab.

    A tired yawn seized me, before I felt a familiar sense of fatigue creeping in. It''s happening more frequently these days. The periods between each fatigue session is shortening. Usually I can go without contact for almost an entire day. Now, it''s half a day or somewhere in between.

    Sighing, I headed to the Garden of Sins, needing to make the detour. Luckily, I''m early. There''s still some time before the lesson starts.

    As I brushed my fingers across the green leaves, I marvelled at this new spot I discovered. It''s a little deeper in and hidden from the eyes of the public. A small clearing with tall walls covered in vines. Here, I can touch as many plants as I like without any students judging me.

    A slight scuffling and the sound of bushes rustling came from somewhere. I froze, peering around. It''s empty, there''s no one here. I made sure of it before I chose this spot. Is it happening again? Me hallucinating?

    I''m sure that''s not it. I mean what are the odds? Right?

    Snorting to myself, I peeked through the corridor in the walls that leads to another open space. Here, it''s just bushes and tall trees. Before I dismissed it as a figment of my imagination, the sound of rustling came again. I positioned my head nearer and looked out. There I could see the bushes moving as if something was hiding there.

    A butterfly with blue wings fluttered across the bush, coming close.

    The bush went still. I watch as the butterfly descends on a flower, gracefully landing.

    Several seconds passed, and nothing happened. Thinking that it''s probably the wind, I watched the butterfly flutter to the next flower, taking its time.

    Suddenly, a large animal that looks feline and golden-bronze leaped out of the bush and pounced on the butterfly. It looked like a cross between a tiger and a large cat. I shrieked in surprise, jumping up out of my skin.

    A chain of events happened next. The cat creature tilted its head to stare at me in surprise and it landed awkwardly. In that split second, the butterfly managed to escape from its paws and flutters into the air. Realising that its plaything has escaped, the creature glared at me with its surprisingly human-like eyes and leaped off.

    I blinked. The butterfly and that large animal vanished.

    Omg. This is the third time already. Am I turning mad?

    ***

    The white pristine floor of the forensics lab was the first thing my eyes were drawn to. And then the rows of tables with many interesting looking apparatus and tubes that fill the workspace. The faint tang of sterilizing alcohol emanated from the lab room. Choosing the back row, I sat on the stool and set my heavy bag down.

    I recovered quite fast. Maybe because I''m getting used to these weird occurrences.

    The sound of opening and closing doors drew my attention. The other students are walking into the lab, arriving from their previous lessons. They filled up the empty seats in the remaining tables before a neatly dressed young man strode into the lab.

    "Afternoon everyone, my name is Zachery. You guys can call me Mr Zac. I''m a forensics graduate at Velin''s University, but I was born in Soren." The man introduced himself to us. He is handsome in a mature way, around his late twenties to early thirties.

    "So today, I''m letting you guys have a taste of what it feels to be a forensics student. Let''s start with the samples I have here." Mr Zac took out some ziplock bags sealed with tape from the large freezer in the lab.

    "Here are some samples that are left behind in a possible crime scene. I want you guys to partner up with the person beside you and solve the identities of who one of these samples belong to." Mr Zac passed down the samples, distributing to each table.

    I glanced at the empty seat beside me, wondering if I should tell him about my apparent lack of a partner, when the door to the lab opened. A guy with short disheveled curly golden hair sauntered in. Instantly, all eyes are drawn to the stranger. It wasn''t just his tall height and lean build.

    There was something magnetic about his gaze. He has dark blue eyes and his skin looks tanned from hours under the sun. Intense is the word I will describe him.

    "Ah, you must be the transfer student, Fenrys. Please take a seat. The lesson has started." Mr Zach said, unperturbed by the sudden interruption by the late student. The boy, Fenrys, scanned the tables with his sharp gaze. Finding that all the seats were taken, he made his way to my table and took the seat beside me. In a fluid movement, he sat down with the grace of a cat.

    His shaggy mop of golden curls reminded me of the large cat I saw. Wait, what''s wrong with me associating this guy with cats?

    Without saying a word, he looked towards the trees outside the window and propped his hand under his chin. Up close, he looked even more beautiful. Stormy blue eyes and long eyelashes.

    I may not be a socially awkward person but I don''t usually take the initiative to talk to others. Especially now, when I can see that the new guy seems to be in his own world and doesn''t want anyone disturbing him. Well, it seems the class assignment to be done with a partner is not going to work.

    With a shrug, I opened the ziplock bag and pulled out the sample Mr Zach was talking about.

    It''s a smear of a fingerprint in blood, or should I say dark red dye? I looked at the other tables, curious about what the other students have gotten. One of the cool samples was a scalpel stained in red, another is a life-like replica of a gun, apparently with fingerprints on it.

    "Alright, you may begin once you''re ready. Refer to the worksheets on your tables for instructions on how you should handle your specimens and then fill in the blanks based on what you have in the worksheets. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me. I will be walking around to help you guys." Mr Zach said, leaving us to figure ourselves out.

    Flipping the worksheet on the table that I''m supposed to share with Fenrys, I searched for the section under fingerprints. I read the steps I have to perform. It''s a complicated process, but I followed the steps and lastly, placed it under the scanning apparatus.

    This is the last step already, all I have to do now is wait for the results to show in the scan.

    But the picture on the scan turned out to be unclear and the results I wanted wasn''t shown. Frustrated, I sat back on my seat, contemplating which of the steps I missed out or did wrongly. I scanned the worksheet, mentally ticking the steps I managed to do.

 Chapter 12: Had A Bad Day

    Squad of Paranormal Defusers (S.P.A.D.): A group of people recruited by Soren''s government to help with the recent mysterious kidnapping cases of humans. They are top-secret agents with the ability to see the Fae (also known as having the Sight) and some are said to be demi-fae with special abilities.

    Human records show that other countries like Velin and Aleba are following suit by forming their personal teams to deal with the recent kidnappings, deemed to be under paranormal means.

    - Page 101 of the Royal Archives. On Squad of Paranormal Defusers.

    ***

    - Fenrys -

    She was that girl who screamed in the garden. I recognized her, since she made me lose that damn butterfly. I stared out the window frustratedly. This 1 hour and 30 minutes is the longest time of my life. I am starting to consider catching those pain in the asses bogeymans instead of this... this chore.

    Sighing, I glanced at my watch, I saw the minute hand move over oh so slightly to the left. At this rate, I''ll go insane. The last thing I want to do is to play babysit to a bunch of clueless University students, who have no idea what kind of paranormal creatures prowl in the dead of the night. Or even walking in day light.

    Deciding to distract myself so I won''t become restless or accidentally break something, my eyes roamed the lab curiously. They were discussing and completing their assignments. My sharp ears picked up their words as easily as breathing.

    "We should put this here..."

    "Hey, will you write this down for me?"

    My demi-fae eyes lazily tracked the owners of the voices. As my eyes linger for a few seconds to watch them, I try to study their strange body tics. Something I picked up from my years in S.P.A.D., a habit of mine I''ve ingrained to myself. Faeries are sly creatures. I''ve still yet to meet one of those intellectual faeries; the ones who can speak, despite being a half myself. But there are enough stories to know that they aren''t your friendly little beings with sparkling wings and fairy dust.

    No, they are conniving bastards who will bite and steal if they want to.

    Today, all I can practice my skills on are these bunch of teenagers. But I''m not complaining. Even a person has their own unique traits and body language.

    "Mr Zach, we''re stuck at this step here." I heard more than saw one of the students in the second row raise his hand up. I watched as the preppy young man walked over with a goofy grin on his face, before proceeding to flail his arms about trying to teach them. Wow, zealous much? What an inspiring sight.

    I rolled my eyes. Someone snickered softly in the class and I know exactly from which direction it came from.

    God damnit this is boring. Why don''t I do something fun? That''s when I thought of an ingenious plan. Smirking, I sneaked a glance at the pen cap just beside my elbow. As quick as a snake, I snatched it. The girl beside me was too engrossed with the assignment and she didn''t notice. Well, thank you... I peered at the worksheet and read her name. Gabriella is it? Well, thanks for the pen cap. I tried not to laugh.

    As I was about to commence with flicking the pen cap towards that unsuspecting man, the girl beside me gave a sigh. "Mr Zach, I''m having trouble with the apparatus." Mr Zach turned towards us and I quickly hid my fist. Damn it.

    I flashed a smile at him as he walked over.

    "It''s okay Mr Zach. I can help her with it." I said putting on an innocent expression. Now now, we don''t want to get caught do we?

    I was supposed to blend in according to Damien''s orders. "Make some human friends and learn to be like them." To me, it sounds like a chore to make friends and act like a University student. I''d rather spend the time hunting for clues for our mission. People are disappearing into thin air. That doesn''t happen normally. But what was I doing? Playing babysit here. Like for real?

    So in addition to becoming his bodyguard, his fake double...now I''m also a babysitter? Is that it? When I get back, he and I are so going to have a proper conversation.

    "Oh? As a transfer student you must be quite familiar with the technology here. Are you sure you don''t need any help young man?" Mr Zach asked.

    I schooled my features to a humble student''s, and nodded a couple of times. Beside me, the girl is staring at me with her mouth slightly open in disbelief.

    "Alright, if that''s the case, I will leave you to help out your table partner then." Mr Zach smiled as he puffed up his scrawny chest and walked off to the next table. As he left, the stupid look on my face slid off immediately.

    "You forgot to adjust the temperature to the optimal one. Here, you should turn this down." I reached out with my hand and twirled the knob on the side of the scan. "There, this should be right already." I proceeded to press the "scan" button and the soft whir of the machine sounded as it processed the scan. A picture of a clear fingerprint slid out with the results the worksheet wanted.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    I looked at her but her eyes weren''t focused on the scan results. They were trained on me. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she studied me, pursing her lips.

    "What? Got a problem?" I shrugged.

    "So you''re saying that you knew how to use the apparatus, but you chose not to help me out at the beginning, but only now?" She''s staring at me with an exasperated look.

    "Yeah? So what?" I said. I know I''m being an asshole today, but I''m not in the mood to bother. She only looked at me before shaking her head and said something that surprised me. "Okay, never mind. Still thanks for helping me out I guess." She shrugged before she took the scan results out from the machine and scribbled down some words before she stacked the papers together.

    My eyebrows rose. Okay, that wasn''t what I was expecting.

    I returned the pen cap when she turned away and pretended that I was busy looking out the windows. Then I heard her footsteps approaching the table. "I forgot something. What''s your name?" I turned to look at her wondering if she was talking to me.

    And yep, she''s staring at me expectantly while her hand is holding her pen, waiting for me to answer her previous question. "Fenrys." I said, not bothering to extend any warm introductions.

    She nodded and wrote it down on the assignment paper before she left to submit it to Mr Zach who''s sitting at his desk and cracking jokes with the poor students at the front. I eyed them in sympathy as I watched Mr Zach asked my lab partner something about the assignment. The girl gave him a smile and said it was okay. There was nothing about my lack of participation nor my rude behavior.

    The bell rang and I stood up, walking quickly out of the place.

    "Bye!" She said as I walked past her. I nodded to her before turning a corner and disappearing into a short-cut to my dorm. So she helped me with my cover huh... I''ll call that even for making me lose that butterfly.

    Honestly, at first I wouldn''t have agreed to be recruited into S.P.A.D.. But Johnathan, my older twin, has an illness and the only way to get him treated was by doctors in the Paranormal Department, also known as P.D. for short. But we like to call it HQ. It was established in Soren sixteen years ago and from there, we met Damien Ytger, who offered us a place in the S.P.A.D., an elite squad among all the others.

    We have no parents. Most demi-faes are parentless or have only one parent. There is an evident pattern, the remaining parent is human and may either die because of a mysterious disease that will wreck their bodies. Or survive and live very very long lives. Usually. the former happens.

    It''s the same for me and Jonathan. My mother is human and the father who sired us is one of the fae, who had taken a fancy on her. Unfortunately, she''s one of the unlucky ones who succumbed to that disease. On her deathbed, she told us our true heritage before she passed on. She told us that our father had left us for war. To fight for a kingdom that we never knew existed. Till that day, he has yet to return. A prime example of the lying convinning bastards they are.

    With her last breath, she made us promise to look for him. That was before Jonathan had fallen sick... because the human world is polluted with iron.

    None of the doctors in the hospitals could treat him.

    We searched every nook and cranny for a possible cure, barely surviving with our meager inheritence. Until we stumbled across a man who claimed to be from the Paranormal Department. He said he could find us doctors to treat Jonathan, but in exchange, we will have to work for the government.

    The P.D. doctors took one look at Jonathan and said it was "iron sickness," before whisking him away for treatment. Treatments that consisted of staying in rooms detoxed of iron and supplement shots.

    To us both, these are all temporary measures, until we can find a way to enter the Fae Realm. There''s proof showing that with regular contact with the untainted air of the Faerie Realm, of around several hours, demi-faes can survive in the Human World without iron sickness. However, to open the gateway, it requires consent from the fae. Anything else no longer matters as long as I can contact one of them.

    I don''t give a damn about finding the man called our "father". It has always been me, Jonathan and maman anyway. If I really do get the opportunity to meet that bastard... Well I''ll make him pay for throwing us away.

    But Jonathan has different opinions. He believes that our father is out there somewhere, still trying to search for us. Or has had his reasons for being unable to come back to the Human Realm. So we are stuck here, being members of the S.P.A.D for 5 years.

    Apart from rigorous training sessions and private lessons that were a pain in the ass, it wasn''t all that bad. We get to enjoy luxurious accommodations and kick some rogue fae ass who dared to cross the line. Best of all, the money from the missions was worth it.

    ***

    I walked into our dorm block. It''s a private five-room apartment specially arranged for us. This block is reserved for special accommodations; for the awfully rich students with parents of political standing and important guests of the school.

    Being a S.P.A.D. member means being part of the top Top. Which also means we get to enjoy such privileges.

    I smiled as I eyed the luxuriously large apartment, chuckling in appreciation at the great service the HQ provides us with. I opened the apartment door and stopped short. Sitting on the sofa with one leg propped up, was Damien.

    "Hey." Damien looked up from the energy device he was tweaking with and casually waved in my direction.

    My eyes should have bulged and my jaw should open in shock or surprise. But I did neither. Before entering the apartment I already knew there was someone inside, thanks to my handy enhanced senses. Just that I hadn''t expect it to be the leader of the S.P.A.D. team.

    Damien''s hair was a shade of the richest brown, like the earth, the strands looking soft and inviting. Fruitful results of years of expensive organic shampoo products obtained from his personal haristylists and researchers. Which is very different from his original dark black hair. Now that is definitely a surprise. I took in his newly-dyed hair appreciatively, before I remembered why I needed to talk to him.

    Glaring at Damien I said, "Where''s Jonathan?"

    Prince Damien shrugged his shoulders and replied "Aren''t you going to start with the questions? Your beloved leader has finally arrived." He flourished his hands in a grand gesture. Seeing that it had no effect on me, Damien continued more seriously, "Jonathan is probably still in treatment."

    Rolling my eyes at him, I went to pour a glass of water from the kitchen and directed the next words at him "You and I. Let''s talk."

 Chapter 13: One to One Talk

    - Damien -

    I had hoped to elicit a response from Fenrys with my sudden arrival, but he had only demanded where his twin brother was.

    Damn the demi-fae and their superhuman senses. Can''t he act a little surprised at all?

    Taking one look at Fenrys face I could see he was in one of his moods. Hearing him say he needs a one on one talk just confirmed my suspicions.

    I don''t impose a strict rule when it comes to my teammates. Usually, I will call them in for a meeting when a mission is sent to us and we will discuss who to send for the mission. Per instructions, I leave the details to either Fenrys or Vesna. Everything is out in the open. So one-to-one talks are reserved for when something important crops up or when someone has personal scores to settle.

    I waited for Fenrys to appear back from the kitchen. He was holding two cups of water and he handed the other cup to me. Should I take that as a good sign?

    Putting down the device that we use to measure magical readings, I accepted the cup and said "So, what''s up?" I kept my tone casual and light to brace for what Fenrys might say next.

    He just leaned against the kitchen door and glowered at me. Finally, he swallowed and said "Must I really do this?"

    For a moment confusion clouded my head as I tried to understand what he meant. He gestured to himself and then shapeshifted. A slightly shorter and younger boy appeared that looked everything like Fenrys, down to his very sulk.

    "A forensics class!? If you allowed me I could have scouted the magical energy here. But why put me in a situation where I have to babysit the humans? Given that I''m technically older, I am giving you a lot of face to even accept a scouting mission of the school compounds. But sometimes there are limits to things. And this, squad leader, is getting on my nerves."

    A wave of shame and guilt washed through me.

    Am I so blind to see that my friend has issues when it comes to interacting with humans? I''ve been too wrapped up in my own personal needs to even consider the feelings of my teammates. As a leader, I should have placed my team first.

    "Look Fenrys, I''m sorry for giving you orders to blend in and attend lessons here. I can understand why you dislike the idea of interacting with them. But, here, no one knows your identity and I really do hope that out of our missions, you and the rest, get the chance to experience what it feels like to have a normal life. It''s not all about the S.P.A.D."

    "Sometimes, I ask myself, what if I have made the wrong choice choosing you guys into the team? Why do I have to ruin the lives of people who had everything? ... I mean look, if I hadn''t offered you and your brother a place here, you both would have probably been enrolled into a private school by the P.D. and get to enjoy the rest of your life as normal citizens."

    I stopped and took a breath.

    "So, I''m sorry for making this selfish request, and if you really want to stop it just say the word. But, I do hope that you, of all the others, can take this chance to enjoy a life that you deserve. A normal university life."

    It was the most naked thing I said as their leader. I had never shown my inner feelings with them because I don''t want to be overly-attached. The missions we are given to eradicate monsters prowling in the night aren''t child''s play, in fact, they are all highly dangerous.

    It takes more than just guts and training. Things may not always turn out as smoothly as we expect, and the idea of losing any of them hurts me more than I dare to admit. As the minister''s son, my safety may be ensured with additional back-up protection squads at disposal.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    But not the rest of my team. No.

    It''s easy. So very easy to scour the streets and wind up with several of the Fae children, abandoned in the Human World. One just needs to look at the right places. They can be easily replaced, with the rate that the Fae outcast their offspring. I knew better than to risk my heart getting ripped into shreds if I ever let any of them too close inside. I would rather be that cold distant leader if that is what must be.

    "I won''t force you. As your leader, I want to know what you feel about this." I said breaking the silence. This is hard. If talking to Fenrys about this is already so hard, I wonder how I should tell him about my plan to disguise myself for the welcome party.

    "Alright, since you put it that way, I can''t say I am particularly set on not attending the classes. But just don''t expect me to be able to keep an eye out on all of them." Fenrys finally spoke, studying me with his pair of stormy blue eyes. "Are we going to scout the area for magical traces or are we doing it with the rest?"

    "My plan is to wait for Vesna, Qas, and Raziel to complete their mission at Velin before we start. I want the team to have time to rest and get used to it here. That said, father arranged some lessons for me to attend as well. The HQ has sent an undercover agent to work with us. Since our mission this time isn''t our usual, we have plenty time to check out the magical traces in the school compounds. I''d prefer it if you guys take the chance to attend lessons of your own interests before we start." I explained to Fenrys, giving him a rough plan of what I have in mind.

    "One more thing. Before we call it a day... I need a favor from you." I hesitated, before saying. Oh well, might as well just get over with it. It never comes easy when dealing with Fenrys.

    Fenrys is older than me by two years and with his demi-fae abilities to shape-shift as well as razor-sharp intuition, I saw potential in him when I set my eyes on him. Over the years, he became someone I rely upon. gaining trust and respect from other members of the team. It wasn''t a surprise when I announced him as my Beta or second-in-command. Fenrys can be loyal to a fault but he is also very tricky to deal with when he''s angry.

    He is very different from Jonathan, who is much more quieter and calm. Jonathan is a great team player, he is kind and considerate, playing the role of back-up to his younger twin. Both brothers are able to see a situation and handle it swiftly. Just that with different means.

    "What favor?" Fenrys looked at me and gestured for me to continue.

    Swallowing, I said, "I need you to attend this welcome party. Well, all of you. But, I will be taking the cover of a foreign student. So I need one of you to disguise as me. You or Jonathan." I added quickly so that Fenrys understands I won''t force him if he says no. "The party is held in the dorms by the Science students and I think the rest of the team will have arrived by then. You know how much I hate having to portray a superficial image of myself to the public." I said, raising my brows.

    Fenrys just nodded and said, "I will consider it." With that, he walked into his bedroom, shutting the door.

    I gulped down the rest of the water. That went rather well. No swearing or violence. I leaned back against the cushions, massaging my temples. Someone from my father''s source has tipped me off about the party. Outsiders aren''t allowed to do it, but students can eh? Jeez. Give me a break.

    My phone started ringing. It was an anonymous caller, but the only people who used anonymous numbers are only a few. The only way to find out is to nswer it

    "Hello? This is Damien Ytger speaking." I said into my phone.

    "My sources tell me that other countries are seeing strange magical energy fluctuations at their gateways. There are more reports of fae incidents." My father''s gravel voice spoke through the phone. "I need you and the S.P.A.D. to quickly locate the gate in the university asap."

    "Noted. Then I will proceed to scout the place while we attend the welcome party. This way I can keep an eye out." I said as I made a mental note. Change of plans. With this we need to push up our scouting agenda.

    "Do whatever you deem necessary. Just make sure to look out for them. They are not to be trifled with." He hung up without saying anything else.

    I frowned at the anonymous caller ID blinking on the screen. Why can''t he just use a proper phone and save my number? I''ve even modified it to ensure that my call signals are encrypted if he''s so afraid of someone tapping on the line.

    But my father never gives me his personal number, nor does he talk much to me anyway. Most of the time his calls are about work, instructions and to check up on my progress with the missions. We used to eat meals together when I was young, but now he never asks to eat with me, or when I breach the topic he would be too busy with political duties.

    Oh well. Not that I lack friends to eat with. My squadmates are practically my family even though I''m strict with them.

    Talking about my squad, I better call Vesna and check on their progress with their mission in Velin. My fingers dailed the familiar digits on my third-in-command''s hotline.

 Chapter 14: Goblin Nest

    - Vesna -

    "Vee! Vee! Vee! Vee!" They are chanting my name as I stand in position. The spotlights are suddenly switched off and the stage is plunged into darkness. The audience gasped in anticipation. Slowly, the platform rose upwards as I stood above it. A lone figure in the darkness.

    They are holding electronic sign boards with my stage name. I smiled as they bated their breaths waiting for the spotlights to switch back. I gazed out at the sea of faces before me, trying to burn this moment of silence, filled to the brim with thick anticipation, into my brain. This is my favourite part of my entire stage life and I would never trade any second of this for anything else. They can''t see me because I always hid my face under a mask.

    But now as I stood here without my mask, basking in these few precious seconds, I took my time to study their expectant faces. My appearance doesn''t deter them. Even when I decided to hold an impromptu concert, they came all the way to Velin to see my concert. To watch me perform. I slipped on my stage mask onto my face and gave the thumbs-up signal. A single spotlight focused onto me as the crowd begins to roar.

    Pride swells in me as I felt their eyes fix upon me. This is it. This is what I''ve dreamed of everyday. I belong here, on this stage and no one else can take it from me.

    As the first chords of the music started playing from the stereo speakers, I opened my mouth to sing the first verse of the song. It''s my latest album and my favourite. The songs I wrote for this album particularly contain my hidden feelings, things I''ve kept pent up in my chest. Even my squad mates never knew the extent of these feelings.

    As an emotional person, I express myself through singing. Singing is my escape, my coping mechanism for all the crazy things that''s happening in my life. So I sang my heart out in front of my loyal fans who deserved my very best performance.

    Too soon, I''m reaching the ending notes of the song and as my husky voice reaches the climax, the stage erupted into flames. Too bad I won''t be able to sing for quite awhile. With one last glance at the surprised and awed expressions of my fans, I turned from the flames and walked through the stage curtains.

    ***

    Time check, 11.01 pm.

    One minute late but the guys can wait a little longer. As the stage crew were busy putting out the fire, no one saw me slipping out of the concert hall. As I was hurrying through the empty parking lot, my heels making loud clicking noises, a thought crashed into me.

    They shouldn''t have much of an issue extinguishing that right? I already told them that I was going to pull another fire stunt so they should have at least made the necessary preparations?

    As I was pondering whether I should turn back and help them out or continue down the parking lot, a black sports car slid up beside me smoothly. Despite the poor lighting, I could easily make out the French logo etched at the boot. The door to the passenger side opened and a male voice urged.

    "Hurry up. We''re late."

    Rolling my eyes I sat onto the passenger seat as gracefully as I can so as not to ruin my designer dress. Qas only made an impatient sound that sounded like a cross between a huff and a snort, before he reached over to help me to close the door. My eyes widened.

    "Hey watch the Jimmy Choos!" I said as I pulled my feet up into the car just in time before the car door slammed closed. I shot Qas a glare but he only looked sheepishly to the front. The tyres squealed through the parking lot as the car begins to reverse.

    "Seriously a Bugatti?" I said raising my brows as I stared into a pair of amused violet eyes reflected in the mirror.

    The driver chuckled. "Ves, it isn''t your first time knowing me. I don''t do it plainly." Through the rear mirror, he winked at me. I shook my head grinning. "I''ll be damned Raziel. You and your bar antics have gotten into that head of yours."

    I meant it as a joke but there''s still a shot of guilt when Raziel averted his gaze. Oops. I shouldn''t make fun of others when I also take my hobbies seriously.

    "So... I can see your influence growing. Should we congratulate you on getting famous day by day?" Raziel asked me as he pushed the gear to D and drove off. I breathed a sigh of relief. He may be a tad sensitive when it comes to his passion for bartending, but he wasn''t that overly sensitive. Dismissing my joke, he''s now teasing me about my hobby as well.

    "I thought your fans would scream when you used your fire but the effect was stunning. Once you disappeared, they''ve been screaming and chanting your name." Qas said ruefully as he combed his blonde hair with his long elegant fingers. He looked at me with his gentle blue eyes, which crinkled a little as he smiled.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    "Ahaha, thanks. I wouldn''t have done it without you guys, you know?" I said looking out at the tinted windows.

    I hear Raziel snort from the front.

    "Hey! Serious okay? After they found out that I was a halfling and I got recruited, it wasn''t possible for me to chase after my dreams. It wasn''t until I met Damien and you guys." I said glancing at each of them meaningfully.

    Understanding shone in their eyes, they''ve both been through similar experiences as well. No further explanations are needed. If it wasn''t because of our leader recruiting us into his personal squad, we wouldn''t be able to enjoy the privilege of chasing after errant hobbies. Not everyone is as nice as Damien.

    "So what''s the mission this time? Why are we in Velin?" Raziel asked me.

    Qas and Raziel have been told the location and timing but not the exact details of our mission. Damien made sure that information is passed down at the spot or to only me and his second-in-command. Because it''s highly classified and any leak will cost us our necks.

    "The Velin department reached out to the HQ for assistance in dealing with a nest of goblins in their central district. By the time they discovered it, it was already infested with too many goblins. They can''t handle it without external help." I said, keeping my explanation short and sweet.

    The concert hall is near the central district so there''s not much time to spare for lengthy explanations. The details will have to wait.

    Raziel nodded a grim expression set on his jaws. Qas on the other hand didn''t look so well.

    I don''t blame Qas at all. If a nest has been infested with this many goblins, it means they have settled down there. That means there''s bound to be goblin children. Even though they are harmless and pure with innocence, they will grow into vicious fae creatures that terrorize the streets.

    The sleek sports car drove into an empty space, and the GPS signal disappeared. "We''re here." Raziel said. In the dark gloominess, we made out several other large vehicles. Around ten agents from the Velin department were waiting for us when we clambered off the car.

    "My name is Wesley. I''m the leader for Velin''s scout team." A boy clad in full gear walked up to me. He eyed my clothes and his brows creased in confusion. Before he could question anything else, I took his outstretched hand. "Hi. I''m Vesna, third-in-command of the S.P.A.D.." I gave him a toothy grin.

    The Velin agent, Wesley whistled. "Wow. Didn''t know we would get aid from the most elite team in Soren. We really appreciate you guys coming down to help us." He spoke sincerely, offering me a small smile. His other members nodded in agreement. The situation is that dire huh?

    "Lead the way." I said taking command. If it''s that bad, we don''t have the time to spend on niceties.

    I expected them to move immediately, but Wesley hesitated. "Don''t you need to change or something?" He said looking pointedly at my dress and heels. I shrugged as Raziel chuckled behind me. "Hey, if she says she wants to slay some goblins with her Jimmy Choos, you better let her. Before she decides to burn your clothes."

    I swallowed the grin that''s threatening to spill as I raised my brow at Wesley, who finally took the hint. "This way then." He said pointing to the abandoned subway station.

    It is derelict. The subway signs flickered dimly in the musty lighting and dust swirls thickly in the air. Instinctively, the three of us covered our noses as we felt the slight tickle of a sneeze. I''m the only one not wearing the proper attire. Raziel and Qas are wearing their combat gears and thick leather boots to muffle their footsteps. I took off my heels, knowing the clacking sounds will immediately give us away.

    We crouched in the shadows of the platform station and Wesley signalled to us. His fingers pointed to the bottom of the subway track. Velin''s transportation network is still advancing unlike Soren, and some subway stations still exist. I peered down at the dark shadows, and my eyes adjusted easily. At first there was nothing, then I saw the flash of something. It came again as my delicate nose picked up on the smell of animal flesh.

    I glanced at Raziel who was crouched beside me and we both knew what was unfurling below us. He shook his head subtly. I nodded and looked at Wesley who was waiting for us from his hiding spot. I raised my hand pointed backwards with my thumb. We retreated back as silently as we could.

    "We can''t approach this carelessly." My lips were already opening and whispering.

    "Exactly. The reason why we could only wait for weeks." Wesley said his expression grim.

    "Weeks? That long?" I was shocked.

    "We don''t understand why. It seems the gateways are opening more frequently or the barriers have weakened. More creatures are pouring from them." He said as he ran a hand frustratedly down his face. "Some of our squads were wiped clean off our radar."

    Qas and Raziel both frowned, their expressions showing that not much hope is left for those missing agents.

    "Our condolences. But we still have to settle the matter at hand." I said stirring the topic gently back. It''s difficult to survive in our jobs, being a demi-fae decreases the odds, and communication for back-up is our ace up our sleeves if all else fails. However, squads whose communication with the HQ is lost are as good as dead.

    "You''re right." Wesley says, steeling himself against the loss of his fellow friends.

    "I have a plan." Qas said as we headed nearer to the entrance of the subway station. The cool night breeze stirs, bringing my hairs on stand. The other agents rejoined with us, forming a protective circle. I raised my brows at Qas and Wesley looked at him in surprise.

    "It''s stunt 22. We did it before in one of our previous mission, remember?" Qas is looking at me with clarity in his eyes. I knew what he was referring to, I can still remember it vividly.

    "Wait. But that requires them to come out of their hiding place. Not to mention the exits." I said. Wesley looked at each of us in confusion.

    "Easy. We block the exits. You lure them out then Qas and you will pull it off." Raziel said catching on quick. With that, understanding dawn in Wesley''s eyes. "I don''t know what stunt you guys are talking about but I''m sure our part is to block the entrance."

    "Yes." I said as the idea forms in my head. Both Qas and Raziel, they''re brilliant alright. "I''ll be the prey and lure them out. You and your men will block the entrance and finish off those that managed to escape. Raziel and Qas will stay with me in the station and we will create a trap and try to finish them here."

    "How? What trap?" Wesley said. He''s following along nicely.

    I smile. "We will make this place a burning hell hole."

 Chapter 15: Complete Annihilation

    - Qas -

    "You ready?" Vesna asked me. I nodded, rolling my shoulders. The three of us, we''re all mad, but then who''s not mad after they''ve seen what we''ve seen?

    The Velin team is stationed outside. We''ve secured the entrances of the subway station on both sides of the tunnel. It''s rigged with spells to slow down any goblins who succeeded in escaping, so they can finish them off.

    "Okay. On the count of three. One..., two..., three..." Vesna whispered. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before slipping on her heels. As she took the first few steps, her loud heels filled the silent subway. Beside me Raziel tensed.

    We''ve practiced this trick before and everything should go well. Well, except for the helpless victim card. But with Vesna''s acting skills, she should be able to pull it off easily.

    I watched as she walked deliberately slower, giving them ample time to smell and hear her approach. She''s humming like an ignorant blind human and as if to take this another step further, she sat on the platform edge, swinging her legs enticingly at them from above.

    If it wasn''t for the situation we''re in, I think I would have rolled on the ground laughing so hard until it hurts.

    It happened instantly. One moment she''s up there and the next, a greenish arm grabbed her leg and pulled her down. Even though she was prepared, she couldn''t help the squealing.

    I know when her magic started to work as I felt the familiar tingle in the air. A wall of flames rose below and I can hear the panicked shrieks of the goblins. This is no time to watch. I berated myself silently as my body automatically switches to flight or fight mode.

    I shut my eyes as well and dug deep for my powers. The sound of rushing water filled my ears but I controlled it to dim wisp of moisture that blankets the subway and commaned it to the area below near the wall of flames. The wall hissed in response as steam rises between the two opposite elements upon contact. Raziel has already grabbed me and I felt the instant when we became airborne, and then the solid metal track of the subway under my feet when we landed. I opened my eyes to see that Vesna is surrounded by five goblins.

    They''re too focused at licking their fat thick lips to notice our arrival. Some of them cackled, squating as they eyed her. They are vicious, their squat-like faces and beady black eyes latched onto their prey hungrily. Lazily, they circled her. Vesna is shooting small flames from her fingertips randomly to ward them off.

    They laughed as the flames sizzled and then died beside them. Vesna only continued, her face becoming more and more distraught. The goblins are toying with her, making leering faces and moving away when she fires at them. They love to make it a sport before they move in for the kill. If only there''s an acting award. I''m sure Vesna will top if off.

    Menacing, but not so bright after all.

    Soon, one of them begins to cough. They looked at their companion in puzzlement. The goblins began to realize the strange heaviness in the air. Thick smoke coagulates around them, choking them. Too late. The fire died because of the wet air, not because Vesna was weak. I made sure it stays that way.

    With that, there''s no point in biding our time. Vesna set three of them on fire and Raziel lunged towards the other two. With a swipe of his daggers they crumpled onto the floor. Their companions'' screams drew out the rest from their hiding place. They cried out in anger, set to take vengeance for their fallen comrades. With a flick of her fingers, Vesna drew the wall of flames she had set up earlier towards them. Anguished screams pierced the air followed by the sounds of skin sizzling and something burning. I tried not to look too closely into the details lest my healer''s conscience decides to act up again.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    They are your enemies Qas. They are pesky faeries that don''t belong here. I drew out my weapon while making sure my magic was still up and running. Raziel was already thick in the fray, slashing and cutting them down. Some of them tried to run towards the exit, but Vesna immediately set them on fire. Like you belong here as well. A small voice in me said. I pushed it away and threw it to the recesses of my mind.

    Their beady eyes looked around wild with panic before landing on me. It''s two on the left exit and one on the right exit. Of course they chose the easy way out. Dumb but still common sensical creatures.

    I grunted as I shot one of them down with my crossbow. It''s automated with self-reloading. Beads of perspiration ran down my face.

    It''s taking a toll, my magic reserves are depleting. My focus is split between defending and blasting some of them back with water. I covered my nose and mouth as the smoke thickens. The place is already filled with billowing smoke since my element keeps reacting against the burning corpses and the fire Vesna is setting on them.

    Something green lunged towards me, coughing as it inhaled the smoke. Their motions are sluggish but I''m having a hard time defending because of the numbers. One of them rushed past and managed to climb up towards the exit, only to crumple on the floor.

    "It seems you need some help." Wesley said grinning as he kicked off the short body and joined me. The rest of his team are also here as they hopped down onto the subway track. They are holding an arm against their noses and mouths as they fought with the remaining goblins. "Nice trick. I would say the smoke helps a lot." Wesley''s muffled voice said as he kicked down another one lunging towards him. The goblins are barely able to stand without choking and coughing.

    "My team are mostly humans. Including me." Wesley said as he sliced the front cutting the poor goblin. The green ugly creature crumpled onto the floor. No wonder. That explains a lot. Like why they couldn''t handle something like this. I stopped using my magic. I can feel my primary magic reserves being used up. The smoke is thick enough and their numbers are dwindling. No point in wasting my emergency reserves needlessly. I had to refrain from using magic for the past three weeks to let my reserves accumulate just for this mission. It was a freaking pain so I better not burn out and suffer from the backlash. It is so not worth it.

    We moved deeper inside assuming an unspoken formation and finished off the rest easily, which consisted of running and some rolling on the floor as they gasped.

    "Hey Wes. Check this out." Someone called. A girl with braids in Wesley''s team was standing at an open exit door staring in shock.

    We rushed towards her, and she pointed into it. The exit door was barred at the other end to create a small room. It was opened to reveal small green bodies snuggled together, deep in sleep. Some of them were only babies. "The children." Vesna was whispering but I already had a hunch. "They are asleep thanks to the smoke. At least they won''t feel pain." I shut my eyes as Wesley gave the signal to his team and I heard the slice of weapons carving in the silent night.

    ***

    "Whew. It''s all over." Vesna says happily as we stood in the empty lot. Somehow during the fight, she managed to take off her Jimmy Choos and hid it somewhere safe. It was the only thing of hers that remained unburned. "Oh man and this was my favourite dress too." She said picking at the singed hem in dismay.

    "Well. At least those legendary Jimmy Choos that you bought a year ago still survives." Raziel said chuckling. Most of her shoes and clothes never seem to last more than a few months when she has to go straight for missions right after her performances.

    "Yes. My baby." She kissed the ridiculously tall high heels as Wesley walked over.

    "Thank you for your help today. Without you guys it wouldn''t have been possible." The scout leader looks exhausted from staying up several nights to guard the place.

    "Do you have any injured? If any of you guys are injured we can help." Vesna says. "We have a healer." Her hand stretches out towards me as she introduced me to him.

    "Thank you for offering, but no. You guys have done a lot. It''s time we humans are capable of taking care of ourselves." Wesley declines politely. "Send my thanks to Damien for answering our call for help." He shook each of our hands. "It was fun working with you guys. Till then." He waved as he walked off without looking back.

    "Okay. It''s time we head back too." Vesna sighs as she pushes off from the car. She flips her cell phone on and dialled the squad leader''s number. "Hey Damien, we''ve wrapped up here. So now we''re heading back. Uh huh, we''ll be back as soon as possible." With that, she hung up and a mischievous smile spreads on her face.

    "Is there good news?" Raziel asked her. I looked at her, curious about what good news she can possibly bring.

    "Mhm. A private jet and a welcome party to go for. Sounds like trouble is brewing up already."

 Chapter 16: Its Back Again

    - Gabriella -

    They say if there''s a third time, there will be a fourth time, and if there''s a fourth time there will be a fifth.

    The party is on full blast with many students, great music and food.

    Everything is going perfectly according to what we painstakingly planned. There''s way more students than those in the Sciences. Someone has spread the news and students from other faculties like the Arts are here to join. Not that we mind.

    The only thing that''s not normal is me. I''m seeing strange things in this throng of people.

    People with strange hair and skin. There are only a handful of them mixing around but they stand out so sharply against the background. My eyes are drawn to them like magnets and I feel like freaking out.

    I can''t believe it. It''s back again the hallucinations or whatever they are. I gaped as a girl with green-tinged skin talked to her friend, who looks like any average person. There''s another guy with strange glowing hair dancing to the music.

    I rubbed my eyes and blinked twice just to make sure it wasn''t a trick of the light. Unlike all the previous times, they didn''t disappear. I am still seeing them

    The people around them are laughing and smiling obliviously to their strange appearance. Either they can''t see it or they don''t seem to care. I believe it''s the former rather than the later.

    This is unreal. What am I seeing? Who are these strange people? Can''t anyone see them?

    "Guys... do you see them?" I said eyeing the few of them. One of the few, the girl with greenish skin that I first spotted is walking towards us. Omg omg.

    "See who? Where?" Shayla asks as she sipped the glass of drink she ordered from the makeshift bar.

    "Yeah who are you referring to? Is it that group of boys over there? Those with nice washboard abs?" Vin said, eyeing a group of students at the other side of the bar table.

    "No. Not them. Her. Can''t you see that girl?" I''m whispering because she''s coming over and the distance between us closes, then disappearing altogether.

    "Hey bartender. Give me a shot of your best drink on the house yeah?" She said. She has a strange accent, a slight twang and yet it sounds soothing. Up close, the green is even more obvious. Her skin is almost giving off a strange glow as she placed her elbow onto the counter and tapped it with her fingers.

    "Ooh she ain''t half bad with the cute side skirt and button down tie dye top." Shayla says as she studies the girl who is standing beside our spot.

    "She''s going for the summer beach vibes." Vin nodded agreeing. "Gabriella, I didn''t know you''re into beach fashion. Maybe we can go for more shopping trips together."

    "No! I''m not referring to her clothes. I''m talking about her body. Her skin! It''s glowing green!" I''m literally staring at her and gawking openly.

    "Hey Briel are you alright?" Claudia asks me concern lining her voice.

    "Yes I think?" No, I''m freaking out here.

    "There''s no one here with glowing skin. What are you talking about?" Shayla stared at me.

    "Are you sure you''re still sober? Maybe the drink messed with your head. It''s alcoholic." Vin said as she studied me but I''m sure my face isn''t flushed.

    "I''m not- I''m alright okay. And I''m telling the truth. You guys have to believe me." I trailed off as I watched the bartender hand the girl her drink and she drank it all in one shot and started chatting with the guy. "Those bloody agents. They''re everywhere nowadays. You know who I''m talking about right?"

    "The paranormal squad thing defusers whatever?" The guy is smiling as if they''re sharing an inner joke.

    "Yeah those guys. What are they doing here anyway? It''s a party for Suola''s sake. They don''t know how to let loose don''t they?"

    Distantly, I hear Vin bragging about her getting her hands on a great bartender. She''s saying that he had prior experience in bartending and works in one too.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    "And he said he would be the bartender for our party for free when I offered to pay him for it. Can you believe it? He''s such a nice guy! The drinks are awesome too." Shayla is nodding her head as she finishes her drink. Claudia is looking at me, worry in her eyes but she still nodded along.

    "Yeah. Maybe there''s something happening tonight. We demi-faes should look out for each other. Don''t want to get caught in the crossfire." The bartender says, raising his eyebrows meaningfully at the greenish girl as he wiped the bar counter.

    He looks like any normal guy except he''s beautiful. I didn''t realise it when the girls and I ordered our drinks earlier. Dark skinned, short slightly curling black hair, angled nose and a straight chin. Large uptilted eyes and long thick lashes. However, his eyes are mesmerising. Violet irises that come straight from a fallen angel in a fictional storybook. Other than his not so average looks, there''s something different about him that I can''t put my finger on. Something tells me he''s more to it than his looks.

    "Gabriella? Are you really alright? You''ve been staring at them for like 10 minutes." Claudia nudged me with her foot.

    "Uh yeah. I''m fine." I repeated for what felt like the third time.

    Vin and Shayla are staring at me with concern in their eyes. "You know what? Maybe you stay here and rest. We''ll get one of the guys over to accompany you." Vin gave me a smile as she stood up, her indigo dress shimmering in the low lighting. She''s waiting for me to reply.

    I didn''t miss it when Shayla stood up to bend near Vin''s ear and said "Let''s go. She''s a little weird today."

    "I- okay. Actually, you don''t have to get the guys. I''m fine by myself." I said looking at Claudia who is hesitating about whether she should go or she should stay. I don''t want to trouble the guys. They''re discussing with the DJ about the music playlist and gathering song requests. Nodding at Claudia, I silently urged her to go on and enjoy herself.

    She stood up finally making her decision. "Briel I''ll be back okay? I will get him to come." With that she followed them after one last glance at me.

    I stared at the makeshift bar, noting the polished table and rows of glasses hanging neatly in rows. Vin was right, this bartender guy definitely has experience. The strange girl with the glowing skin has left and he''s wiping the glasses with a clean white cloth. He moved over to my spot as he picked up their empty glasses beside mine.

    "Excuse me." I said before I could stop myself. My friends'' disbelief only fueled my desire to prove that the things I saw are true. The bartender looked at me curiously. Damn it even his brows look good too.

    "Are... are you a student here? I''m an Arts student." I said offering a feeble smile. This is so awkward. I''m terrible at initiating conversations with strangers.

    "Yes. I guess you can say that. I''m a new student here." He said as he placed the empty glasses back down.

    "Oh I see. Uh I...uh..." How should I ask him? Straight up whether he can see the girl''s skin color? I mean since he was talking to her quite familiarly and he mentioned something about them being demi-faes...

    "Do you know that girl from earlier? Her skin looks strange to me. For a moment there it seemed green to me. Maybe it was the lighting?" I decided to go right to the point instead of beating around the bush. I probably sound like a delusional person but then if he reacts normally I can brush it off saying it''s nothing. Resolve enters me. That''s right, no harm asking. If he replies in a confused manner I''ll just say never mind.

    He stares at me, surprise evident in his pretty eyes. "No. I do not know that girl." He shrugs as he opens the tap to wash the glasses. I waited for him to reply again after he wiped his hands dry on the cloth. He seems to be contemplating about telling me something which only makes me want to find out whether I''m right. "I..."

    "Gabriella? Are you okay? I heard from Claud." I hesitated, not wanting to turn and look at him. And I was wondering who Claudia meant as "him". So it was Res.

    He''s not exactly the person I want seeing me in this state right now. But there is nothing I can do when he''s already standing here beside me, concern creasing his warm brown eyes. "Gabriella?" After several beats, I finally looked at him. He stared at me in relief. Not now. I need to talk to the other guy.

    I turned back to the bartender guy hoping to tell him to continue on with his sentence but he said "Someone you know? Well, excuse me." With that he left me with my mouth slightly opened as I watched him move away. I scanned the bar counter and I don''t see any empty glasses at all. Wait was that a lie?

    "You look okay. You''re not burning are you?" Res asked me as he sat on the seat beside mine.

    "Yes. I''m okay. Thank you for asking and coming over." I said, giving him a small smile as I hid my ire by drinking from my glass, and then too late. I realised I''ve already finished it minutes ago. I''m drinking from an empty glass. Embarrassment crept up on my face. Oh crap.

    Either Res didn''t notice or maybe he acted like he never saw, he only said "No problem. It was nothing." Then he surprised me by putting his hand on my forehead.

    "Yep. You''re definitely not burning." He says finally satisfied with his inspection.

    "You didn''t have to do that." I said protesting. "I''m totally fine." I''m suddenly hyper-aware of how close we are sitting together. I should be comforted that Res is here, yet I''m feeling restless. I feel like I need to get up and move around, so I swing my legs hoping this pent up energy would go away. Res chuckled at my protest.

    "You should join them." I said as I watched the girls dancing and laughing when Mike told them another of his silly jokes. Jason is also there, and surprisingly he can dance really well.

    I''ve learned the trick. The key is to ignore those strange people with strange appearances. They can''t do anything to me. As long as I treat them as normal average humans, they don''t seem all that weird anymore.

    I took a peek at the bartender. He''s busy texting on his phone instead of "washing" said empty glasses. Did he purposely avoid my question?

    "Do you want to dance?" Res said. He completely ignored what I previously said to him. I looked at him then, staring straight into his eyes which I found are fixed on mine. I said nothing for several beats and he corrected his question. "Why not join us since you''re feeling fine?"

 Chapter 17: Stranger Danger

    - Gabriella -

    The butterflies did cartwheels in my stomach as I stared into his warm brown eyes. He''s looking at me, waiting for me to reply to his question.

    "Okay." I agreed. I just need an outlet for this pent up energy. I reasoned to myself. Something to distract me from all these weird things that apparently only I can see. Maybe I can work it out of my system for just a few minutes.

    Just a few minutes only because I know the crowd will make me feel closed-in.

    He grinned. "That''s more like it." He waited for me as I stood up, and then we headed towards the rest, joining them. Just ignore them. If you don''t look too closely they don''t look that strange. A boy with jaded scales on his right cheek passed by from the corner of my eye. Nahh those are tattoos.

    "Gabriella, glad you could make it!" Shayla laughs as she spins and sways her hips to the beat. The corner of my lips lifted in a grin. One look at her, and her previous slightly offensive words were forgiven. She''s on a roll, dancing effortlessly and I realised I''ve never bothered to ask her anything about her dance club. Why? Because I''m always wrapped up in my own little bubble. I made a mental note to talk more to the others.

    "Hi guys." I said as I started to sway to the music, slowly getting my muscles warmed up. Claudia swings in beside me as she pounds to the beat. Shooting me a worried smile, she mouths. "You ok?"

    "Never better." I mouthed back. Vin was busy nodding her head to the bass drops and she shot me a wave when she saw me.

    "Oh the golden girl finally made it!" Mike shouts over the music at me as he enthusiastically pumps his arms high into the sweat-filled air. Jason chuckled as he danced beside him. Rolling my eyes at Mike, I noticed that Jason seemed like an expert. Or maybe even better than Shayla. Surprise clouded my judgement.

    Wait, is Jason in another one of the university''s dance clubs or something? I clearly don''t remember any of them mentioning it.

    As long as Mike doesn''t decide to spout some nonsense on my looks again like the previous time, I think I can still take it.

    As I pumped with the music, I tried to push away thoughts of the crowd. I closed my eyes and imagined myself alone. Just me and the beat. Letting my primal instincts take over, my heart pounds to the rhythm and my body sways to the music. Someone whistled and I heard Shayla exclaiming. "Wow. Where did she learn to move like that?"

    I said nothing, just letting the beat move me. The bass resonated like a pulsing energy against my skin, and my muscles clenched and relaxed as I danced. It has always been this way since I could remember. Music and art, a part of me feels it coming naturally. I was too busy staying in the "zone" and before I knew it, they have all surrounded me. With me in the centre.

    The music rises to a crescendo and then descends to a slow halt. The next music begins playing yet I didn''t stop. I can smell the sweat enveloping bodies and feel the air closing around me, but still, I don''t feel the need to leave the place. Not yet. It''s different this time I guess... this isn''t half bad. And for the record, I''ve never enjoyed myself in parties.

    It''s starting to feel a little too tight, but I chose to ignore it. "Briel, you''re smiling. Didn''t I say you should give this a chance? Look now you''d have regretted it if you didn''t come alright." Claudia laughs as she spots me smiling slightly to the music. "Teach us where you learnt those dance moves. You''re making us look bad."

    Jason chuckles as he slides in to take Claudia''s place beside mine when she sways away. "I don''t find it that hard to keep up with the bar."

    He pulls a high-level dance move, setting the bar higher. From my left, Res groans. "Stars, the reason why I don''t want to end up dancing with you guys in a party. Remind me what I''m doing here again?"

    "Because of a certain pretty gal." Mike butts in and winks at him, earning a fit of coughing from Vin.

    "Who?" I asked them, curious about Res'' mystery girl. My muscles contract tightly as I groove to the beat. Res likes Vin? Wait, why do I care? Not that I should care about his love interests. Before anyone could answer me, the place started to go crazy with squealing.

    Jeez, guess that''s the cue when the star of the party arrives huh.

    Without waiting, Shayla, Vin and Claudia begin to squeal as well even though I''m sure they can''t see him from our spot. Omg, time to get out I guess. The mass of people started shifting towards the source of their screaming and squealing, while I deliberately chose to move against them in the opposite direction. Somehow, by whatever stroke of sheer luck, I managed to get out before the group of girls trample me to the floor.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

    "You okay?" Res asked as he squeezes himself out between two crazy girls who are jumping and screaming and totally not pushing everyone else. "Yeah. I''m alright. I''m going to get some drinks." I said without looking behind. I assumed he would wait there for the rest to come. Slightly breathless from all the squeezing and dancing, my dry throat feels like its on fire. Some water would be much appreciated.

    I made a beeline for the table with finger foods placed neatly in small dishes, while marvelling at how Vin and Shayla managed to transform the dormitory lounge into something else. There is a pool table and a soccer table. They even created a makeshift bar. And oh stars!

    The jug of iced fruit punch sits invitingly on the table and I reached for it easily since there was no one around. Everyone''s attention has been captivated by Prince Damien somewhere else. I''ll be honest. I''m curious to see him in real life, but not involving squeezing and screaming in my ears. Too bad I''ll just sneak in a glance later.

    "Hey, excuse me." Someone spoke near me as I was grabbing a paper cup.

    Startled, I almost lost my grip on the jug of fruit punch. I turned to see who it was and the boy looked vaguely familiar. "Er yes?"

    "Hi, we met briefly before. Remember the dubious-looking guy with the duffel bags sneaking in the middle of the night to the dormitory?" A small smile plays on his lips as he watches me make a quick sweep through my memories. "Oh, right. You were that guy I bumped into. Sorry about that." I said awkwardly as the hazy memory popped up in my head. Jeez, of all the things I give people impressions of.

    "Well, I never got the chance to introduce myself since you left in a hurry." He offered me his hand. "My name is Daniel."

    Aha, now I know why I didn''t recognize him immediately. He''s wearing a pair of stylish designer glasses, which he wasn''t wearing the night I accidentally bumped into him. And as I studied him, I realised everything that he''s wearing screams branded. I placed the jug down and took his hand after wiping my palm on the skirt of my yellow dress. Something started beeping faintly from his jean pockets, but he ignored it.

    "Don''t you need to get that?" I said as I pulled my hands away from his and resumed pouring my drink. I gulped down the iced drink, feeling the cold liquid flow down my hot throat, soothing the wild thrumming of my heartbeat.

    He shrugged before flashing me a smile. "Sorry, but can you help me to pour a cup too?"

    A pointed cough came from behind, and I realised that Res had followed me here without me knowing. "I''ll get that." He said gesturing at the jug and I stepped back to let him have it. He poured two cups and handed it over to Daniel. "Here. Next time get it yourself man."

    Daniel calmly raised an eyebrow in a bemused expression but he said nothing. He drank the drink in one go, his eyes studying me curiously. It''s a genuine way and not in an uncomfortable way, but still I can feel his probing gaze. Why is he so interested in me?

    "Sorry, I know this seems sudden but I need to speak with...uh" He trailed off as he gestured at me and I realised I didn''t tell him my name when he had already politely introduced himself first. "Call me Gabriella." I said, looking a little sheepish.

    "I need to speak with Gabriella alone. I hope I''m not interrupting anything between the two of you." Daniel continued as he glanced at the both of us. What us? There''s nothing between us.

    "Oh no no. You''re not interrupting anything at all." I was saying at the same time Res said. "Is there something you want with Gabriella?" I narrowed my eyes at Res in irritated surprise but he only looked at Daniel, refusing to meet mine. What the hell was that?

    Daniel shot me a grateful smile, but he directed his words at Res. "I know as a friend you might be worried about her, but she''s old enough to decide for herself. I''m a pretty decent guy and I swear I won''t put my hands on her if she says so."Exactly.

    "How long have you known him? Or did he just talked to you?" Res asked me without keeping his eyes off Daniel.

    "Um, I kinda bumped into him a few days ago. I''m curious to know what he has to say to me. Maybe it''s important." I shrugged.

    I needed an excuse to get out anyway. Another bout of fatigue is coming, I can feel the edges of it. Damn it! Why is it coming so frequently nowadays? Whatever that Daniel guy wants to tell me better be short so I can find some greenery for a quick recharge.

    After several minutes, Res finally nodded. "Alright... call us if you need anything." He said before leaving me alone with Daniel.

    "Okay... that definitely went better than I expected." Daniel says as he looks at Res'' retreating back. "He looked like he had a problem with me." He opened his mouth probably to comment about Res'' relationship with me.

    "Sorry, uh whatever it is you need to say to me, can you make it short and sweet? I have to be somewhere soon." I interjected.

    "I guess will try." Daniel says as he drums his fingers before folding his arms. "Hmm, how should I start? Okay, maybe let''s start with asking this. By any chance have you heard of the acronym S.P.A.D.?" Relief fills me. If he was thinking about asking me my personal particulars, then I would need to turn him down. He''s a stranger after all, that I only met several days ago.

    "No. What''s that?" I ask, shrugging. I blinked, as the room began spinning a little. Shit. Not now. Why is this time so fast?

    "Oh never mind. Are you okay?" He frowns as he studies me. "You look pale."

    I almost laughed. Everyone has been asking me that same question lately, except this time maybe I''m really not okay. I shook my head. "I think I need some fresh air." Should I call Claudia? Maybe I''ll tell her later.

    "Sure. We can continue this outside." Daniel said as he followed me out of the suffocating room. I glanced briefly at the crowd of people who are now chanting "Dance for us, prince Damien! Dance! Dance! Dance!" But I couldn''t catch a glimpse of his face. By the time I''m out of the doors and halfway in the open, not knowing where to go, a throbbing headache is pounding at the back of my head.

    A wave of dizziness crashed into me and I put out my hand to grab something - anything - but there''s nothing and I fell face first onto the ground.

 Chapter 18: Faerie Drugs

    - Gabriella -

    Daniel cursed and I felt strong hands gripping my elbow to keep me steady.

    "Forest. Bring me near the park." I said weakly as Daniel looked at me in alarm. A string of colorful words left his mouth, but I felt him tugging me along. It felt like only several minutes and I felt soft grass underneath my feet.

    The feeling of relief has never felt so lifting in my entire life. I reached out blindly and felt the familiar woody roughness beneath my palms. with a sigh, I leaned my weight against the poor tree and breathed in its earthly scent.

    "How many times has this happened before?" Daniel asked me quietly. The tone in his voice suggested no room for argument. With a flippant shrug, I said. "I don''t know." Or I tried. What came out was a weak incoherent mumble.

    "Jeez. I''m trying to help you here Gabriella. You should never-" He stopped himself with a small exasperated sigh.

    "I know what you''re going through. Sit down on the grass it helps. May I?" He gestured towards me. I nodded and he supported my weight as I eased myself down into a sitting position. As my ass touches the earth, a pulse of energy shoots up into my spine from the contact. I gasped in surprise. The feeling was foreign but it felt familiar. Electrifying yet soothing.

    Taking several steadying breaths, I waited for the dizzy spell to pass and tried to get my bearings. My vision clears and the throbbing subsides.

    Soon, I can look around without feeling like I might faint any moment. With a start I realised we''re in the Garden of Sins. At the very exact spot that I like to frequent. I studied the same viney leaves that covered the four walls around us, the thick and lush grass under my feet.

    "When did you begin having these episodes?" Daniel spoke as he leaned against the nearest wall. He''s playing with something in his pockets, fingering it. But his eyes were unfocused, lost in his thoughts.

    It''s late and dark but I can see everything around me clearly. Everything in a three-meter radius looks as clear as day.Did my eyesight improve?

    "How did we get here so fast?" I responded instead.

    "I know a shortcut. Now can you please answer my question. This is a serious matter. Do you even know what you''re going through?" Daniel is looking down at me, his brows bunched together. "What am I going through? There''s a name for it?" I asked him. But my face must have betrayed my shock and surprise.Does he know what I''m going through? How?But that''s impossible...

    "I knew it. You didn''t know. No wonder you''re so guarded against me." Daniel sighed as he slid down beside me. Looking me in the eye, he said "What you are going through it is a phenomenon called iron drain. I assume it has started since you were very young. Maybe even when you are born." I gaped at him.

    "How did you know that!? How is this possible? Have you experienced it? Do you have the same condition as well?" My mouth is opening and closing but no words came out.This doesn''t make any sense.Am I notthe only one with this condition? I was so sure that noone else had it.Is it a coincidence that a random stranger I just met knows about it?

    "I have... friends. I guess you can call them that. I''ve met people who have the same condition as you." He said looking at me intensely." He was studying me. Watching how I would respond to his next words. "Do you... um... " He frowned, and for the first time I realised maybe it wasn''t so simple.

    Maybe this condition appears because of confidential reasons or complications. Maybe there was just something wrong with me and my allergies are tell-tale signs screaming that I am a freak. That I am different from the rest.

    As Daniel struggled to find the words to speak, a strange lullaby filtered through the woods before disappearing shortly after. "What''s that?" I whispered.

    "What?" Daniel asked.

    "I think I heard someone singing. But then it''s gone. It''s nothing, never m-" This time it came again. A soft melodic voice singing in another language I can''t recognize. But somehow, something about the voice draws me to it. It calls to me in a familiar way. Without realizing, I was already half-crouching, my feet ready to move towards it.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    "Wait." Daniel placed a hand stopping me. I turned to look at him, snapping out of my trance. He was already standing but he seemed locked in place. His eyes wide with apprehension and his mouth set in a grim line.

    "I- Hey are you alright? You look tensed."

    "Someone else is here." He placed a finger

    "It''s okay sweetheart. Eat this and all your troubles will fade away." A cajoling voice said and at the same time a constant stream of soft beeping noises came from Daniel''s jean pockets. With a quick look at the beeping device, he silenced it.

    "Someone else is here." He whispered as he placed his finger on his lips, signalling me to stay silent. With surprising stealth, he crossed our cozy spot in span of seconds, without making a single sound. "Stay here. Give me a sec." With that, he disappeared through the curtain of viney leaves leaving me alone. Without thinking much, I followed closely after him, wondering why the need for silence and secrecy.What could possibly be so urgent that he''s leaving me alone in this creepy place?

    We made our way deeper into the lesser ventured area of the campus grounds. Places where the woods are thicker. One wrong turn and I might just become lost in this thick foliage.

    Maybe it was because I''ve never been here before. Everything seems wilder. The trees look taller, the air feels colder. Or maybe it''s all my imagination. Daniel doesn''t seem to have much trouble finding his way around. He seems to know the way easily. Soon, we reached a pathway made for students to walk. I sighed in silent relief recognizing the familiar main route. As long as we follow the path, it will take us back to the Garden of Sins. Back to the safety of the campus grounds.

    Suddenly, Daniel came to a stop in front of me and I almost collided into him, lost in my thoughts.

    Through the lighted park lamps, I made out a boy with matted blonde hair sitting on one of the park benches with a girl beside him. He is holding something out to her.

    "Go on. Try it." His voice filled the air sweetly. The boy smiled alluringly at the girl and she gave a small tentative smile in return. "What are the side effects? I don''t want to end up ya know on the floor." She gestured shyly towards the ground.

    "This baby is even better than what they sell out there. She will give you what youwant. Try it." There''s something cloying and dizzy about him. His features seem to blur and then focus again. Like a wonky outdated camera. It focused onto an image of a boy and then suddenly it was someone taller wearing a hood. I blinked in confusion. Rubbing my tired eyes.And was that silver eyes under the hood?

    "It will give me what I want." The girl giggled and nodded. "That''s right, my dear." He promised as he took her hand and kissed the back of it seductively. The girl giggles again as he smiles up at her through his long lashes.

    "Why don''t you open it and try one?" He asked her gently."Open it and try one."He repeated, his voice taking on a strange undercurrent, like a hypnotizing melody. I feel my body being pulled towards him, my fingers itching to open the packet.

    I shook my head, trying to clear my mind of that sickly sweet voice that compels me to obey him. I glanced at Daniel to see if I was the only one affected but he seems equally affected. He blinked twice before his eyes focused on the girl''s hand. Something zaps through him, and the hazy look cleared. A dark haunted expression crept across his face as recognition lit in his eyes. His whole body tensed imperceptibly like a defense mechanism.

    His face is tight as he looks at the small packet that was placed onto the girl''s hand. A packet containing small tiny white pieces that sparkled dully. They look like crystals that have lost their shine.

    "Faerie drugs." He said giving a strangled gasp.

    The boy''s head snapped towards us. His strange pupils narrowed. "Who''s there?" He spoke softly, yet strangely I could still hear him from all the way we were hiding. There was no mistaking the dangerous malice in his tone.

    Something ran a an icy finger down my spine.

    I almost creamed when Daniel grabbed my hand and yanked me down hard, hiding us under the cover of bushes. I peered at the strange boy from our hiding place, as he scanned around. His eyes searching for traces of the both of us. There was something strange about his movements. They seemed too smooth and too fast for a build so small.

    "You should''ve stayed at that safe zone. Now you''ve stumbled across something you shouldn''t have. And then I have to clean it all up as always." Damien muttered darkly beside me or behind me. I wasn''t sure because I was too busy staring at the boy. I stared and stared, and something around him flickered. His edges begin to blur and blend. The appearance of a teenager disappeared, replaced by a tall man with a hood covering his face. Swirls of strange tattoos covered his pale skin, glowing softly under the street lamp.

    I was too engrossed with staring at the strange man that I didn''t feel it when Daniel was longer beside me until he sprang out from our hiding position, and shouted. "No! Stop! Don''t touch that!"

    The girl was in the midst of opening the packet, but she paused and turned to him in confusion.

    I watched in that split second as Daniel raced forward stretching his hand out to stop her or to grab the packet. That''s when everything turn wrong. Daniel suddenly paused mid-run, frozen halfway in the air. Horrified, the girl gasped and dropped the packet she was holding. My eyes tracked it as it fell to the ground, spilling tiny white crystals. I was glued to the spot. Not knowing what to do and not knowing when this will end. It felt like a horrible nightmare has sprung to life.

 Chapter 19: One of Us

    - Gabriella -

    "Tsk, now now. Look what you''ve done. All my hard work gone to waste." A dangerous smirk plays on the man''s lips as he stood up. With a start, I realised the young boy with the matted blonde hair was all but an illusion.

    Pulling his hood away from his face, the tall stranger revealed a pair of beautiful and dangerous-looking citrine eyes. Long hair falls down to his shoulders with a shade of blonde so pale it looks almost as white as snow. I breathed in sharply. I don''t know what the hell is going on, but I knew something has gone terribly wrong.

    As if by some sort of animalistic instinct, the man''s predatory swept towards the bushes I was hiding with mock amusement. "The little one hiding behind there, show yourself before I do something to your foolish companion here." He said in a bored tone, clearly tired of playing games with us.

    My panic flares even more and a slice of dread cuts my stomach. How did he know I was hiding behind here? What the heck is going on? Who is this person? What is he going to do to Daniel?

    "No Gabriella, don''t listen to-" Daniel managed to say before his voice was cut off by an invisible hand. He opened his mouth to warn me or to tell me something but no voice came out. "Quiet. Can''t you see me talking to your pretty friend?" The stranger bared his teeth, which are sharp and pointed.

    Grinning, he lifted his nose and sniffed the air. "Hmm, you smell so sweet." He flashed a wicked smile at the bushes I was hiding. "I wonder how you taste like." Oh my god. Oh my god. Am I dreaming? Is this a fucking nightmare?

    His eyes seem to stare straight into mine as I clutched my sleeves tightly around myself. I tucked myself lower hoping that whatever the man is doing was a pretense. There is no way he would know that I''m here. Yes. No way. How does a person see through thick bushes as high as half of me?

    I pinched myself wondering if it was a all a dream and then realising that it''s all real. Praying silently that the man will just leave me alone and hopefully disappear back to where he came from, I stayed there squatting for several beats of silence.

    "It seems you didn''t get my message. Let''s make it clear. If you won''t come out when I count to three, then I will end this boy''s life. One, two, thr-"

    "What the hell is going on? Why am I here? You! You brought me here! What have you done to me?" The girl who was originally in a trance stared around in confusion and horror. She stood up from the bench and confronted the stranger. I trembled in fear as I peeked out from behind the bushes. She seemed to be shaken but she bravely stepped in front of the man. "Who are you? I clearly remember I was speaking to a boy about our age."

    I gnawed on my lip wondering if I should take the chance to escape while the girl had his attention. Maybe I could run quickly back to the school building and ask for a professor''s help.

    Maybe I will be lucky enough to chance upon a security guard in one of his rounds around the school.

    Hope flutters in my chest. As long as I can scream for help, maybe this man will be caught for intruding Soren''s University grounds. Oh how silly I was.

    "Oh it''s you." The man seems to remember about her existence as he stared down at her in surprise. "My age must be catching up. It seems I''m a little forgetful today eh?" With a wave of his hand in front of the girl''s face, her eyes closed.  The next thing I see, the girl is slumped upon the bench, deeply asleep. Oh, gods. Please tell me this is not real. Pray tell that this is all an illusion. I rather suffer strange hallucinations than face this.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    I didn''t know what drove me next. The sense of not wanting Daniel to be hurt or for everything to stop. I stepped out of the bushes.

    "You want me? I''m right here. So leave them alone." My legs advanced stiffly towards the three of them. The tall man, Daniel who was frozen in mid-run and that girl who is slumped onto the bench. Inside, I was screaming. What the fuck are doing? Get back instantly! Run!

    The man fixed his unnerving eyes on me and spoke softly. "You and your friend ruined my fun. So tell me how are you going to pay for this."

    "Pay? Do you want money? I have money. Is that what you want?" I laughed nervously at him, as I inched closer towards Daniel. I have no idea how I can help him but maybe something will work out if I get closer to him. First Daniel, then we''ll think about how to take the tall stranger down together. Then get the hell out.

    "Gold? Hmm, as much as I love gold, sweetheart, I have to decline this time. See the both of you have interfered with something you shouldn''t and ruined my master''s wishes. Now I can''t go back empty handed. I want you to give me something that compensates what you''ve done. Maybe I should take you away as a present for my lord. And if he doesn''t want it, you could be my entertainment. Yes, that would be fun." He mused as the idea struck him. He flicked his hand at me and I felt a slight burning at my chest. I squeezed my eyes shut fearfully.

    A piece of news I saw this morning flashed across my eyes. "Five University students found missing." The reporter''s voice replayed in my head "Another five students have disappeared into thin air. Once again, their family and friends have told the police that they had no contact with them for a week before they were found missing. There have been instances of their friends saying that they saw one of them talking to a stranger."

    Pictures of the missing teenagers were flashed across the news screen. "If anyone has seen any of these missing, please report to the police immediately. Universities are now working closely with the police to strengthen the security. However, with the recent rise in mysterious kidnappings, stay vigilant and report anyone suspicious. We hope to seek your cooperation."

    Hollow dread settles at the pit of my stomach. Something tells me that this strange tall man standing in front of me is the cause of the mysterious kidnappings. Oh god please not me. Anyone else but me. Please I''m begging you.

    A moment passed, but nothing happened. There was no pain, no numbness and I could still move. My eyes snapped open, and I marvelled at how my fingers can open and close into fists. I shifted my legs and wriggled my toes. Nothing seems missing or out of place. Digging my nails into my palms, I dared another step closer towards Daniel. Now I am close enough to see the worry and shock in his eyes as he stared at me silently. He shook his head at me slightly. Not yet. Wait.

    Confusion flashed across the strangers''s eyes. "Why can you still move? How? No mortals could break out of my powers. So how did you do it?"

    He stared at me, a mixture of anger, confusion, wonder and curiosity. Cocking his head, he studied me. Re-evaluating his choices and re-accessing me as his prey. "Interesting. This changes things." He muttered as his gaze travelled from my top to bottom, before pausing over my chest.

    He flinched at the same time his nostrils flared. "What is that? Why do you have a ring imbued with the Old magic?" He hissed. "You''re one of us aren''t you?"

    I looked down wondering what he meant about the ring I wore around my neck as a lucky charm, and noticed for the first time that it was glowing. It seemed to be pulsing against my skin, warm and alive. My fingers reached for it tentatively. I touched it warily, surprised to find it warm to the touch. Not scalding hot or the usual cold lifeless lump of metal, but reassuringly warm.

    Touching it made me feel like I''m safe in a cocoon of protection. Inside me, something stirred at the sight of my glowing ring, slowly waking from a deep slumber. I could feel it reacting to the beat of the pulsing. It opens an eye lazily, blinking. A soft low hollow ringing started in my ears, slowly building up, getting louder and louder. It soon reached a shrill incessant ringing that refused to be ignored.

    "Who are you?" The man asked me warily. He studied me again with his predatory gaze, trying to find for my weakness.

    Close-up, he looks deadly beautiful. Harsh and cruel planes but with graceful movements and breathtaking beauty. His ears are elongated and pointed at the tips. His irises are a ring of pale glowing citrine, burning into mine. Not silver like I initially thought it would be. But a soft metallic citrine color. A very strange and yet unique shade. One I have never seen anyone with. He towered over me easily by a head, with a solid build hidden underneath his hood. I can tell that the man is not ordinary. My instincts are screaming that he is highly dangerous.

    Suddenly, a shadow hurtled into the tall stranger. Before I knew what happened, my body went into shock and I blacked out.

    ***

 Chapter 20: The Awakening

    - Fenrys -

    "Are we splitting the work or doing it together?" Vesna asks as she takes the device from my hands, and Qas does the same. "Any preferences?" I raised my brows.

    This time round we''ll be operating solo. With Damien in the party, along with Raziel and Jonathan, things over here will be under my care.TheSecond-in command.

    The plan is simple. Damien had went through it the night before. Since I refused to oblige to his demanding request, Jonathan volunteered himself. He decided to opt for aglamorbecause shapeshifting into another person can be very taxing. There are limitations to shapeshifting. It is easier to shift into an animal than a human. The process is much more... complicated and let''s not mention painful.

    On the other hand,glamorsare painless, and they fool the mortal eyes. However, they can be seen through by demi-fae and humans with thesight. Weighing the advantages and disadvantages, it has been decided thatglamorsare the safest option out there.

    "Since I''m in charge for now, if anyone has a preference, name it. I prefer to keep things simple and easy." I always liked to make it clear from the start.Damien has his own ways of leading and so do I.

    The rough location has been pointed out. Four days ago, the HQ received a spike in the magical readings coming from the university in the early hours of morning. So it''s our duty to find out the exact cause of it and to confirm with our very own eyes whether it was a faerie gate like we hypothesised. I stood in front of the entrance to the largest park in the university and studied my temporary team.

    "I''m fine with both. I just want it to end quickly so I can enjoy the party when we get back." Vesna shrugs as she fiddles with the device, switching it on. I glanced at her but she averted her eyes.Weird. This woman was always excited for missions. What''s wrong with her today?

    "Before you ask me, I''m always neutral." Qas was giving me a pointed look when all three of our phones suddenly started vibrating with an incoming message. We eyed each other and quickly took out our phones.

    Raziel: 10 demi-fae including us in the room.

    Qas: ...

    Vesna: So cover''s blown?

    Damien: Not really. The glamor isn''t for them, it''s for the rest. Doesn''t matter if they know. They can''t say anything anyway.

    Raziel: Well... still... here''s a girl with her sight just awoken. Can''t feel a magical presence. Maybe human. She can see Us. Code red?

    Me: u gotta be kiddin

    I looked up at Vesna and Qas, who are each wearing wary expressions on their faces. Code red is used when there are situations we never planned for to happen, happens. If the girl has her sight just awoken, then she must be freaking out. Which means she might start telling others what she saw, and the existence of the fae will no longer be a secret.

    Damien: I will take care of it. Beta team continue with the search. Notify here if you find signs of the gateway.

    Vesna,Qas: Okay.

    Me: If you say so boss. We''ll leave it to you then...

    "Let''s split up. It will make things faster." I say to the both of them and they nodded. "I''ll take South, you guys take the North and West. Whoever finishes first can cover East." We split into our respective directions and headed into the Garden of Sins.

    The cool night breeze tussled my curly hair as I walked along the pathway, holding the small device forward. It is otherwise silent, save for the blinking green light, an indication that it''s in perfect working condition. It seems the coast is clear. No matter how much I wish things to be different. Secretly, I wished that the gateway would just appear in front of me. Only god knows how long I''ve been searching for a way to gain access to any of the gateways in Soren. Jonathan''s condition isn''t improving but stabilised by regular detox sessions.

    On the other hand, I''m feeling restless as I watched him take the supplement shots every single day. Damien''s father wasn''t taking any chances with the gateways. He had dispatched watchmen to monitor all gateways 24/7 once their locations are confirmed.

    I''ve heard that they are well-trained to subdue any fae intruders, as well as iron weapons to bring their enemies down together with them if needed. They are there to prevent demi-fae like me, from entering the Fae Realm. Or to prevent the fae from entering Earth.

    Don''t ask me why. Because I myself don''t know why Damien''s father is hell-bent on not letting the fae come into contact with citizens. That man has preferential treatment towards humans. He definitely has issues with demi-fae or any of our kind.

    Faerie gates are very few and difficult to locate because they change frequently as a result of the shifting fey lines. These gateways are places where the veil between the two worlds are the thinnest, allowing passage between both realms. Since the discovery of faerie gateways, the number of fae creatures hunting humans have decreaseda lot. We discovered that there are only three permanent gateways on earth. These gates are larger than the others and change little over time. We think each one of them can let through as many people as large as armies. Maybe used in the past when humans and fae cooperated in the war against the Old Gods.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    If I were the first one to find the gateway, maybe... just maybe I could contact someone from the fae realm to let me and Jonathan use the gate.

    I fastened my pace. The device is not the only thing that can detect magical traces. Like draws to like. I can easily pinpoint its location without it. But for work and the HQ''s research purposes, I will agree to the request of bringing one. But if I want to search for the gateway as fast as possible, I can''t stick with the plan.

    Without waiting, I tucked the device into the waistband of my pants as securely as I could and shifted. Ignoring the rapid beeping noises, and the message from the intercom from someone who was linked to my device.

    "Agent Fenrys? We have detected an unprecendented rise in magical fluctuations... zztt... Have you undergone an unsupervised shift? Or is this an emergency!?... Hello? ...zzztt"

    I smirked as the magic rolling off me messes with the device causing it to malfunction from the overload. Eventually the static noises were cut off and silence ensued. Powerful muscles formed on my arms and legs. Sharp claws began to extend from my fingers and I landed on all fours lightly. Soft velvet pads form on my palms. The structure of my jaw changes, enlarging sideways to make way for two curved saber-teeth to protrude from my mouth. With a satisfied growl, I stretched my animal muscles feeling it becoming taut and sprang forward.

    Never have I felt such exhilaration in breaking the rules and ready to face Damien''s music. Consequences be damned. I grinned as I ran in the skin of my favourite animal veering off the path and into the lesser ventured woods. In minutes, I''ve covered more distance than what I previously covered with two legs.

    The scents of other animal prey began to stand out more vividly. My vision sharpens, and I can hear every part of the garden clearly. The snap of a twig as someone walked by elsewhere, the rustle of a leaf as the breeze blows, the distinct buzzing of insects and I can make out each one of them in my head.

    The primal beast is restless. It growls and tells me to hunt, to search for prey and make my blood sing. I pushed it away, regaining control over my head. It growls again and stubbornly tugged for me to hunt.Shut up. I''m on a mission and I need to find the gate.I snapped at it and it fell silent.

    In less than 10 minutes, I''m bounding for the Eastern direction. Since there was no news from Vesna and Qas, I assumed I was the first one to complete.

    There are faint traces of magic lingering in the air that pricked my senses, causing me to pause and sniff the air. Am I close to the gateway?Shifting back, I jogged faster when my phone suddenly vibrated. My heart shuttered close against my chest.It''s not what you think.Maybe they just finished scouting their respective places.I reasoned as I pulled my phone out. My eyes scanned the lines again in disbelief.

    Vesna: Found it. At the North side of the garden. Come over, it''s hard to explain the place.

    I groaned inwardly. "No. Why does Vesna have to be the one? If it was Qas I could still ask him to keep it a secret. But out of the three of us it has to be Vesna..." Wait then what about these faint traces?Hope surges inside me.Maybe... Maybe there''s a second one? Is lady luck finally smiling upon me?A grin spreads on my face.

    I made my way eagerly forward, I couldn''t run fast enough. But, it was just several figures at the front. Disappointment settles in the pit of my stomach.  No way... just a bunch of fools fooling around tch. It was then I recognized Damien being grabbed and roughly pinned against a bench. "Who is she? Why does she have such a ring?" The tall figure growled. The hood is pulled down for me to get a good look of his silky long pale hair and elegant full-pointed ears.

    One look and I know what we''re up against. Despite the danger, my instincts to protect my friend overwhelmed my rational thoughts and I shouted. "Hey bastard let go!"

    Without giving him time to react, I lunged towards him and shifted mid-air, crushing him with my strong paws. Thesidheglared at me as I pinned him against the ground. Distantly, Damien coughs. "Fenrys. So... glad... you could make it."

    "Yeah yeah. You can thank me later..." I half-growled before trailing off as my senses picked up the change in the air. I tensed.

    Right beneath my eyes, the fae began to transform under me, white silky fox ears grew above his head and lean delicate fingers pushed me away from him. Shit. Of all the fae.

    A dangerous smirk hangs on his lips, and cunning intelligence shone from his glowing eyes. "Well well. Look what we have here. A big cat to play with."

    "Shit. Damien what the fuck were you doing with a kitsune?" I growled around my teeth, eyeing thesidhe as I circled him. He watched me lazily with slanted eyes. He isn''t even in full transformation and I can feel the waves of magic pouring out from him.

    "He was... making a human girl take fairie drugs. I can''t just sit back and watch." Came Damien''s angry reply as he caught his breath. "Plus he attacked the girl. Distract him, I''m going to check on the other one."The other one?I didn''t have the time to think about it as the sidhelunged and swiped against my face. I ducked back but his claws were longer than I estimated and I felt something rake my cheek painfully.

    I cursed as warm blood trickled down my face. My wounds felt like they were on fire. The Kitsune licked his fingers and gave me a grin.

    "Gabriella? Thank the gods you''re okay. Hey you can''t go there." Distantly I heard Damien fussing over the girl he''s talking about. "Can you make it quick and get your ass over here before I die?" I growled. I''m dealing with this shit and he''s still taking his time?He is going to get me killed.

    Suddenly, I felt a stranger''s pressence behind me and I instinctively growled.

    "No. Not there. Shit." Damien cursed as I turned my head in time to see a girl. There''s something strange about her, her hair is floating around her face held by an invisble breeze. The sidhe looked at her in surprise, but then freezed when she raised a hand. We all felt it, a slight tremor before something exploded from her, and the entire place caught fire.

    Thesidhe''s eyes widened as the fire reached him, with a yelp he tried to extinguish it but it wouldn''t go away. He looked at us in mild horror before turning and making a quick escape.

    "Get Vesna and Qas here. Now!" Damien shouted at me, pulling me out of my shock. I shifted and grabbed my phone, dialling their numbers but then the two of them came running. "What the heck was that? We could feel it all the way from there." Vesna cried.

    "Bring the fire down. Questions later." Damien barked as he grabbed hold of the girl''s shoulders and shook her. "Gabriella? I need you to snap out of it." The girl only looked at him silently. "She''s in a trance." I said recognizing the glazed look.

    "The fire won''t go down! We''re trying our best but it''s not something we can control." Vesna says. I turned to them. "Use all your reserves. Don''t hold back."

    "What do you think we''re doing? We''re not holding back. Shit! This is not ordinary magic." Qas cursed as I watched them pull out all their powers. When the wave of water hits the fire, more flames cover it. I watched in shock as Vesna tried to control the flames, but nothing happened. The flames continue to burn the place and for the first time I realised that I don''t feel the heat of the fire like I should.What the hell is going on? What is this...magic?

    "Hey! I need you to stop this. Put it out." Damien was saying as he shook the girl again. She only stared ahead in the vague direction that the sidhehad escaped. It''s obvious Damien''s words isn''t getting to her.

    "Knock her out. That''s the only way!" I said as goosebumps raised along my skin.

    Damien stared at me with a pointed look and I rolled my eyes. With a few steps, I advanced towards the girl and hit her hard, wincing as my arm makes contact with her head. She topples into Damien who caught her readily, as the gentleman he is. And immediately the fire disappears, leaving charred remains and smoke rising around us.

 Chapter 21: Autumn Solstice

    - Elena -

    I walked along the aisle of the hall trying my hardest to ignore the stares and whispers in my wake.

    "She''s the high princess!"

    "What a looker. Just my type."

    "I wonder if there are already a line of suitors waiting for her hand?"

    Ire fills me but I somehow managed to keep my head held high and my shoulders straight, walking as gracefully as befitting a princess. Reaching the throne of my parents, I bowed lightly. " Greetings Father and Mother."

    "Elena, dear take a seat." My mother said as she smiled at me and patted the seat beside her. It''s smaller than the throne but still made of the same glittering stone. With a slight dip of my chin, I stood up and sat down beside her. Eyeing the large court of people who are seated in the long tables and high chairs below me. My eyes skipped past the tables of the commoners and homed in on the tables for the royals. The person I was searching for caught my eye and threw a cheery wave at me.

    Grinning like an idiot I waved back enthusiastically at him, forgetting for a moment that I am under the public''s watchful eye. My father coughed pointedly and I shifted my features back into my mask. It was worth it though, as I saw the grin spreading on my cousin''s face and he winked at me.

    Soon a bell chimes and nymphs carrying platters of mouth-watering dishes appear. Their lithe bodies moving gracefully across the room and their wispy hair falling beautifully down their shoulders. Once the plates were set down on the tables, they swiftly disappeared.

    "Let us feast to our heart''s content to celebrate the Autumn Solstice and as well as the first born of Queen Varise." My father''s voice boomed loudly across the hall as he held up his goblet of wine in the Autumn Queen''s direction.

    Without batting an eye, she smiled warmly and smoothly stood up. "To the High Court and to many years of peace. Thank you Goddess Tessania for blessing us with a bountiful harvest as well as my eldest son."

    We all stood up and raised our cups, drinking deeply. If I didn''t know her better than her title, I would have thought that Lady Varissa Lerthmomere Dis Car would be blushing when my father called her the Queen of the Autumn Court. Even though she is not of the royal bloodline, Lady Varise is known to have single-handedly amassed an expanse of resources through trade, and built a court from her father''s port.

    She is a wise, intelligent, cunning ruler and the daughter of a well-known Duke who dominates the trading routes in the fae kingdom. Rumours claim that the Duke was once part of the Summer court but was banished due to an affair with the Queen. Another rumor claims the Duke pledged his allegiance to the Day Court but was refused by the King. So he left and built the greatest trading port, ruling the trading routes like a King. Autumn fae are known for their love for trade and pride for their beloved Queen, who earned their loyalty and respect.

    ***

    "Ah, you must be the lovely and highly sought after High Princess. Glad to have you join us for this Autumn Solstice."

    The eldest Autumn Prince stood up as I walked over to their table. His long auburn hair is loosely tied back and he is immaculately dressed in a long-sleeved tailored white linen shirt. From the sharp look in his eyes and slight smile, I had a hunch that he is the most cunning among his siblings.Prince Cedric is not someone to be trifled with.

    I scanned the new company of young potential heirs. They are all strangers to me. I have never met any of the other princes and princesses from the different courts, since like he said I''m "highly sought after". There is no need to bow as we are all currently in the same ranking unless one of us has been crowned the next apparent heir to our courts.

    My cousin''s familiar face is the only one I recognize and the reason I came over. I took the seat next to him and started piling food onto my empty plate.

    I counted a total of eight princes including my cousin and two princesses. Two princes, all with the same auburn hair, and uncanny resemblances to the boy who spoke to me. They looked like Viking princes - blue eyes, pale skin and a set of strong chiseled jaw.The autumn princes.I silently thought as I placed my fork into my mouth. The soft creamy taste of butter potatoes fills my tongue and I silently groaned.

    There were two princes who have deeply tanned skin to the point of gold bronze. One with brown cropped hair, and the other sandy blonde. Both handsome and oozing with equal pride.Must be the summer princes.I mentally catalogued each of them as I studied them discreetly. This time as I placed my fork into my mouth, the heady taste of tender beef melts in my mouth and my stomach rumbled in response.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    I glanced up to see if anyone noticed it. But they are all eating their food avidly while shooting curious looks at me.

    Another prince sat aloof, he had black hair and eyes that look like a cat''s. Dark intricate tattoos of the sun and day peeked from under his sleeves.The sole prince of the Day Court.The last remaining pair, a prince and princess were from the Winter Court. Both had pale blonde hair, pale skin, and frigid blue eyes. They looked regal in their fur-lined clothes.

    There among all of us still sat an empty seat.

    "The Night Court." My cousin said from beside me as he noticed my stare. "Long time no see cousin." He grinned.

    "So it was true when they said that the High Court had a princess. I thought it was all talk, given how they secretly kept you away from the prying eyes of the public. Who knew that the High Court would be so secretive." One of the princesses smirked. She had striking hair, the color of red wine and looked around the same age as me. "Tell me, how do you spend your days in the castle? Would you not feel bored? Oh, it must have been very suffocating! I can never imagine being locked up like this."

    "Do not be rude Zarina. She is still the High Princess even if she is younger than you by 2 Summers." Prince Cedric who had stood up was now seated. He frowned slightly, his tongue full of reproach. Princess Zarina, the youngest out of her Autumn siblings huffed at him.

    "It is fine, I do not mind it. Well, I would say I do wish to leave the palace sometimes. But I got used to it." I shrugged in nonchalance.

    At my sentence, Zarina''s eyes brimmed with curiosity. Before she could open her mouth to ask more questions, one of her brothers pinched her, shutting her up. I felt my cousin trembling and I glanced at him in amusement. Keiran is trying not to laugh while eating his food.

    "Hey. I need to talk to you. It''s important." I whispered as I angled my head lower, making sure that our conversation is private.

    Keiran''s eyebrows twitched the only response he heard before he blinked twice. It was our secret code since we were young. Blinking once means no, blinking twice means yes. It started out as a silly game to make fun of our parents whenever they would bring Keiran over to my court. At first it was funny to watch the adults trying to guess what secret messages we were transmitting to each other over the table, but eventually the trick grew old.

    "How''s your court doing?" I mouthed as I took a fork of the beef and popped it into my mouth, savoring its tangy sweet berry sauce.

    Keiran raised an eyebrow at me before he reached towards the salad and heaped a large portion onto my plate before helping a portion to himself. I know what that expression means. It says:"Is my court the thing you wanted to talk about?"I shook my head as I stabbed the green vegetables on my plate and tried to eat it all but ended up biting only half of it. A small grin appeared on his face as he chuckled softly. "I knew it. It can''t be that the high princess deems my court to be more superior than hers."

    I rolled my eyes before rotating my wrist to gesture with my fork.Continue on to the topic you dumbass."Everything seems quiet on the surface. But we know about the existence of the s-pies." He said quietly, breaking up the word as s and pies. "But we can''t seem to find out their identities. They are playing it too carefully." I nodded.This is not new. It is the same for our side.

    Once we were full, the platters disappeared by some form of magic and a beautiful nymph stood in the middle of the empty space. Her seafoam hair is coiled up elegantly and her dress is made of ocean waves that frothed and disappeared at the hems. It wraps around her petite body, enhancing her slender legs and olive complexion.Trust our head fashion lady to make even the queens full of envy.

    "Ladies and gentlemen. It is now time for the Autumn Dance. Please may I invite the High Queen and King to start the first dance." Jacinta, the High Court''s head nymph, announced as she bowed. On cue, the musicians started playing and I watched as my parents walked to the middle. My mother is smiling and my father is relaxed as they held each other in their arms. Looking into each another''s eyes, they started dancing. The crowd oohed and clapped as they showed their admiration.

    They really look perfect together.I thought as I watched them from the sidelines. It''s rare to see my father looking so carefree, as if he belonged in my mother''s embrace.Will I find the one for me one day? Will someone take me even if I am but a pawn on a chessboard?Once the song ends and another starts to play, the other royals began pairing up and dancing to the upbeat tune.

    Finding the opportunity, I tugged Keiran''s sleeve and we slipped away silently.

    "What''s wrong with you Lena? No dancing today?" Keiran asked me as we sneaked through the servants'' quarters. Everyone is too busy preparing for desserts and the rushing made it easy for us to be unnoticed.

    "No mood cousin. Do not push it." I said as I hurried out and through the courtyard filled with my father''s favourite roses, tended and cared for everyday by his gardeners.Not here as well. The gardeners have shifts.Sensing my urgency, Keiran said nothing as he followed me. We reached an empty hallway where the walls are lined with the portraits of my family. No one usually comes here and I have the privacy I need.

    "Look. I know this might sound selfish but I just found out I have an older sister. She''s in the human world and for some reasons my parents are not prioritizing her return like they should." I said. "She''s coming of age soon and they are too wrapped up in their little wars. But I want to bring her back."

    "Wait. Hold up. You have an older sister?" Keiran asks as shock fills his face. I rolled my eyes but I nodded anyway.

    "Then... what about your title to the crown?" He says as he looks at me with horror in his eyes.

    "Don''t you get it? I was never a candidate for the crown. The title is meant to keep up the facade for the public and people like you." It burns to say it aloud, as much as I hate it I cannot speak anything else but the truth.

    Keiran looked at me silently for several beats before he covered his face with his broad hand. "Ah damn. Your oldies got me good. Here I thought you were going to be queen and I was so going to pledge my allegiance when the time comes." The corner of my mouth twitches slightly. My cousin may not belong to one of the largest courts nor the oldest, but he is loyal and steadfast. Just like his father.

 Chapter 22: A Secret Portrait

    -Elena -

    "Maybe you can find her portrait. Even if it is a picture of her it will help." Keiran suggests. "Your parents must have kept a picture of her at least."

    So, I said: "Cover me will you? For dessert. I will be back." Keiran nodded. "I will save you some, don''t worry." With a conspirator''s wink he left me to do what I needed to do.

    ***

    I pondered over what my cousin said as I walked up the glass stairs to my parents'' bedroom. The walk to our private chambers is open for all to see. A single wide staircase made of transparent glass to the top. Only royals can walk upon it. Those who break the rules will face the consequences and none dared to try their luck.

    I glanced around trying to be discreet as I stepped onto the glass stairway. There was only a couple holding hands as they walked passed the hallway, but still the open and empty stairs made me feel naked and exposed. Once they were gone, I made my way up quickly.

    Opening the doors of my parents'' bedchambers, I quietly snuck in and closed the door.If they have a portrait of my older sister then it must be kept inside here.I rummaged the drawers and peeked into every vase. Careful to place the items back in their original positions. "Not here. Not here either." I whispered to myself.

    I stared at the large luxurious bed piled with cream cushions and pillows. The only place I have yet to search. The balcony is open with the curtains drawn aside showing a glimpse of the roses in the courtyard below.

    Peeking out, I checked that the courtyard was empty before I stood up and walked over to my parents'' bed. Sliding my hand under the thick mattress, I felt along the edge until my fingers brushed against something hard and solid.Is this it?Pulling it out, it was small but the baby girl in my mother''s arms was breathtaking.

    I knew she was my sister because where I have blue eyes, hers are the exact replica of my mother''s. Where my hair is blonde, hers are the shades of chestnut brown. Although her hair are just little tufts on her head, her eyes are large and uptilted revealing its richness. Her tiny fingers clutched my mother''s hair tightly as if she knew she was going to be given away.

    At the back of the portrait was my mother''s cursive handwriting painstakingly engraved. "Gabriella Amaris Vida. My firstborn."

    I blinked my moist eyes and carefully tucked the small portrait into the hidden pocket of my dress and slinked off.

    The lingering smell of custard and cream tickled my nose as I made my way back to the table. Everyone''s plates were empty or licked clean by the time I sat down on my seat. I can already picture it in my mind.Soft egg custard, sweet strawberry jam pastries and crushed pistachio sauce.That''s what my nose tells me. But as I stared at my plate, only a small portion of it was left there.

    Glaring at the person beside me, I whispered. "The hell happened to saving me dessert?"

    Keiran glanced at me sheepishly and shrugged. "Well... It was too delicious and you were taking quite a while. So I helped myself." Brushing aside the urge to murder him, I forked some of it and the creamy custard melts in my mouth. In three bites the dessert is gone.Damn it.

    "So you got it?" Keiran whispers as he taps his fork.

    I blinked twice as I looked around, searching for my parents. They are still here laughing and bantering with the Autumn Queen. The Winter King, Summer King and Day King were all seated there.

    "I''m going tomorrow." I said as I turned back to my cousin.

    "Tomorrow? You mean you will look for your sister in the Human World?" Keiran asked me, surprise lighting his hazel eyes. I nodded and stopped him before he could speak. "She''s coming of age very soon. It may be happening now even as we speak. I can only imagine how disorienting it will be for her."

    "You''re really full of surprises. I was going to say that''s too soon. But I know you too well, I won''t be able to stop you. So I won''t interfere this time." He says grinning.

    "Not gonna say you want to join me in my little adventure?" I ask him, raising my brow.

    "Do you need me to go or stay here?" He asks me worriedly.

    "Stay here. You need to cover for my absence." I said without hesitation. I already thought this through carefully. The Autumn Solstice will not end tomorrow but in one more week. So while everyone is busy and my parents have to entertain our royal guests, I will take the chance to slip into the Human World. Then find my sister in Soren''s top university and tell her the true lineage of her blood. If things go well, she might have yet to come to age. But if her powers have already awakened, then I will prepare for the worst case scenario.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

    Like draws to like, and kind flocks to kind. Her powers will definitely draw the attention of other fae. As long as it is not the Decays, then there is still hope that she is safe.

    Hopefully, I won''t be too late.

    ***

    - High Court -

    When night falls and everyone is deeply asleep...

    "I''ve reached out to the humans. The governments of the Human Realm countries have agreed to cooperate with us. They are now keeping a look out for illegal cult activities and suspicious people." Alandis, High King of the Fae Realm spoke to the other members present.

    "The humans? So we are now resorting to colluding with such inferior species? Alandis have you lost your touch?" The King of the Winter Court, Gabriel, spoke icily. His gravel tone merciless and cold.

    The High King raised his brows at the Winter king''s distaste. "The latest news as of now is that the humans have been preparing their defences against "paranormal" creatures like us, going so far as to form squads of elites. I conclude that we can take advantage of it. Use them to guard the gateways. At the same time, obliterate the Decays who managed to slip past. It is a win-win."

    "Don''t forget, inferior as they may be, we need as much help as we can get. They are now turning to the idea of using humans as sacrificial offerings. So it has already been blown out of our hands." The High King directed his words to the others as well, wondering who else opposed his idea.

    "I second this idea. Gabriel, you stubborn old fool. The humans today and the past are vastly different. They used to be defenseless, but their advancements may very well be our undoing if we regard them too lightly." The Autumn Queen admonished the Winter King, earning herself a freezing glare that might have turned any lesser fae into popsicles.

    Queen Varise ignored the Winter King and addressed the High King. "My court and I agree to lend our resources in this war. It has been too long. We have enough of sitting in the shadows and waiting." Restlessness burned in her eyes.

    "Indeed. The young queen speaks wisely. I second as well." The King of the Day court agreed as he nodded at the Autumn Queen. The dark tattoos imprinted on his corded neck shifted against his tanned skin.

    "I can spare my men for the war. They are yours to command as you see fit." He spoke to the High King as he stretched himself on the chair made of vines.

    This small private space was created by the fusion of all their magic and hidden away in a pocket of the In-Between. The space between the two realms, where magic is wild and harder to wield.

    The In-Between is the space that contains everything and nothing, the end and the beginning. It is a place where the consciousness of fae are scattered when their spirits have left their bodies. No magic is required to open a rift to the In-Between because it has always been closely interlinked with the Fae Realm. However, it takes a large amount of magic to create a private space in the dimension.

    With the combined powers of each ruler, they have created a small enclosed room with chairs made of vines sitting in a circle.

    "Currently, the Night Court has been resisting the spread of the Decays because they are closest to their encampment. However, I foresee that the troops I sent to aid them will not make much of any progress. We need more ears and eyes everywhere. Even in the Human World." The High King said when no one else voiced their objection.

    "Well, we can''t let the Night Court take all the credits can we?" Summer King Brandon winked playfully. The Summer King is now into human fashion. He is rocking in ripped denim jeans and a white shirt that stretches against his taut muscles to reveal a glorious perfect summer torso.

    "The dark fae live by the code of honor and sacrifice. Claiming the first blood is their prize and theirs to take." King Gabriel stated coldly. "Why go after their blood craze? Unless, of course, you have become stupid like the humans since you decided to dress like one."

    "Oh, and you have a better fashion sense than me, I assume?" The Summer King scanned the winter furs that adorned the hunting jacket that is opened to reveal leaned muscular abs and skin-tight hunting leathers. A small part of him admits that the new jacket is gorgeous, and the skin-tight leathers look extremely rugged, but instead, he said: "Aren''t you too hot inside all that fur?"

    "I have my ways." The Winter King spoke quietly, his icy blue eyes piercing, knowing what are the right topics to trigger the vain Summer King.

    "If we are talking about fashion sense here, I think Silos is the winner so cease your bickering." The High King said amusedly.

    They all looked to the Day King, lounging languidly with both his feet propped up against the table formed from the mesh of thick vines. All he wore were baggy white silk pants that hung low on his hips. A single gold bangle clasped his deeply-tanned corded arms. Dark ancient tattoos snake across his muscular chest, moving and shifting. He raised an eyebrow as if to say "What? Got a problem with my PJs?"

    "For Alba''s sake, you lot are nothing but childish." Queen Diana sighed. "We are having a war council and all you can talk about is fashion?!" She glared at her husband, as the High King grinned sheepishly and gave her a shrug.

    The Winter King clears his throat, drawing everyone''s attention. "More and more followers are joining this twisted cause. My court is doing what we can to stem the rebels. However, I found some very disturbing news to say the least. We have found spies among us, who confessed that they had come from Summer."

    There was no warmth in the Winter King''s tone. Cold rage flickers in the depths of his freezing blue eyes. The temperature in the room plunged several degrees as both kings stared at each other squaring off. Everyone''s mood sputtered. Whatever mischief that remained in the Summer King vanished in that instant.

    "What are you trying to incite Winter King?"

 Chapter 23: Prophecies and Games

    - High Court -

    "Impossible. We may not look like it, but the Summer fae do have codes as well. Pride and loyalty is our fealty. Millions of years after thatwar, we are still healing from our scars. So why now would I choose to send spies?" The Summer King''s tone darkened. "Our enemy is trying to drive us apart."

    "Indeed. The Summer prick has a point." The Winter King spoke with an air of weariness, "I am afraid our enemy is much stronger this time around." Heavy silence cloaks the council as the information settles. The fear level rose and tension spikes.

    Before anyone could voice the ghosts plaguing their minds, they were interrupted by a massive dark form that blew into the room. Everyone froze. The Dark Beast''s massive form commands submission and instills fear. Even the High King can feel the waves of power roiling from the ancient beast.

    "Sorry for the late intrusion. Please resume the meeting." Suola''s Beast spoke softly to the small group of royalties gathered in the small room. He had never once needed to shout. Just his very presence is enough to command the attention of everyone in the room.

    "We were discussing our human counterparts. Glad to have you join us." The High King smiled tersely.

    "Yeah, I made it. It was a mad decision to travel from my place to here. But with all that is going on, I cannot afford to use a wyse gate." A frown appears on the Dark Beast''s face. He is in his human form, dressed in a neat grey pinstripe suit and wearing gold-rimmed glasses. His dark hair neatly trimmed at the sides. The only things that betrayed his heritage were the dark depthless eyes and unnaturally tall frame.

    "My seventh Prince has sent me to inform you that the number of hybrids has been rising. They used to be once defected with weaknesses. Now the subsequent batches seem more difficult to...eliminate." The Beast paused as he pondered over the right term to use.

    "As long as they are not the Originals from the past, we are already very relieved." It was the Autumn Queen who spoke. "How is the situation at your side?"

    The Dark Beast met the Queen''s gaze. "Even though they are not like anything from the Originals in the past, they cannot be destroyed easily. There is good news that the princes have succeeded in clearing hordes of the experimented creatures. But we have yet to capture any of the main players. We suspect that the Decays have planted spies among us. No matter how fast we acted, they could escape at the nick of time. It''s a fool''s war. Our every move has been anticipated."

    "Then what of the Dark Queen?" The Summer King queried.

    The Dark Beast heaved a sigh. "My Queen still lays in her eternal slumber. Only the princes are ruling over the court and trying their best to gain control over the various dark tribes that live in the Night Court."

    "We need a concrete plan. With all these internal problems and spies planted in our midst. It is time we cooperate properly. I suggest that we communicate directly, lest the spies get a hold on our intel." The Day King spoke.

    "But how are we going to achieve that? We can''t possibly gather here all the time. Our enemies will find out sooner or later." Summer King Brandon says frustratedly.

    "We can only wait and see. The involvement of spies has changed the plan. Start evacuating the fae who live in the Human World to the safehouses. I am sure the lords and earls can contribute by opening their lands for refugees. On our side, we will try to root out the spies among us." The High King spoke to the other members as he laid a soothing hand on the back of his High Queen.

    "I agree. We will execute the lockdown plan." The Dark Beast said as the other members nodded in agreement. "We will try to straighten our internal affairs and at the same time root out the rebels in our lands. That I can give you my word."

    "Indeed. We will all send reinforcements to the Night Court and station more soldiers at the gateways to guard against any imminent invaders sent by the Decays." The High King says as he looked at each of the Kings and Queens before lingering on the Winter King. "Failure to do so and I will personally come to send you to the afterlife."

    "One more thing." The Dark Beast reminded the High King.

    "What is it Dark Beast?"

    "The time has come for the Prophecy. We must get it before they lay their hands on it." The Dark Beast spoke with silent urgency, his black pitless eyes stared straight into the High King''s eyes as if he could bore a hole through them.

    "We need to send someone. A representative. Preferably a human with the sight."

    *?*?*

    The Outcasts: Fae abandoned by their courts due to their defects. Most are demi-fae bearing the bloodline of humans, known as halflings. Demi-fae are weaker than full-blooded fae, thus deemed unwanted by their clans. Criminals banished from their courts make up part of the Outcasts as well.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    - Pg 76 of Royal Archives. On Outcasts.

    ***

    - Elena -

    I pushed the food around on my plate. After all the dancing and singing yesterday, today it should be the celebration for the harvest. Nervousness wrecked my stomach causing me to lose my appetite.

    I have never been to the Human World. Not even once. But I have heard stories and tales of Bards. Today I will be heading down there personally to find my sister. I gathered intel that there will be a trading delivery to an earl that lives in the Human World some time in the afternoon. So I will take the opportunity to slip away.

    Jacinta tapped the wine glass with a fork. "Ladies and gentlemen. We will now commence the rituals to thank the goddess for our harvest."

    Everyone stood up and filed their way out whispering excitedly among themselves.

    "What do you think we will be doing for this year''s solstice? I wonder what the prince will suggest."

    "The last solstice we had to sing a song chain with every last verse of the previous person. The winner was given a golden ticket into their Port."

    "I''m excited for this year''s solstice. Who knows what new games the Autumn Prince has up his sleeves this time?"

    I fingered the small picture in my dress pocket through the skirts of my dress, feeling the small thin object.What are they talking about?I looked around but Keiran isn''t here to explain it to me so I had no choice but to follow.Reasons why I dislike going for such public events. Where did he go anyway?

    Yesterday night I had been busy copying the details of the portrait onto another blank parchment. I only got a couple of wink time before the birds started chirping and dawn came. Feeling tired and snappy, anxious and restless, I''m not in the mood for festivities.

    As we made our way to a large empty space in the courtyard, it took me a second longer to notice the differences.

    Gone were my father''s favourite roses. They are too precious and are moved away to make room for the row of target boards standing in the middle.

    "Great, I made it just in time." My cousin said as his quick puffs of breath sounded beside me.

    "Where have you been?" I whispered as the crowd gathered to the front and we stood at the back. Prince Cedric, the eldest Autumn Prince, stood in front of the targets and faced the mass of courtesans, earls, lords and ladies-in-waiting.

    "I''m sure everyone can already make a guess what game I have in mind this time." He smiled dashingly. From the side, his siblings walked in with servants behind them carrying bundles of what looked like bows.I have a bad feeling about this.

    "I was... just helping a poor maiden." Keiran says winking mischievously.

    "Really? Did she swoon and ask for a kiss in return?" I teased him and giggled as my cousin blushed and glared at me. "Wait. Don''t tell me she really did?"

    "No. She didn''t ask me to kiss her but she asked if she could meet me again." My cousin whispered as his eyes darted around in embarrassment. After seeing that no ladies were eyeing him, he visibly relaxed.I wonder if there are any Spring Court ladies who are suitable enoughfor him.Or maybe not when Keiran is someone so outstanding.

    Even I would wish to test every of his suitors to see if they are right for him.

    "I knew one day those hazel eyes and dimples will make ladies come swooning at your doorstep." I said as I tried to quell the rising laughter from bubbling out. Keiran rolled his eyes in exasperation.

    "One day when it''s your turn you will get it from me too. I will make sure to tell him every silly detail." He says grinning as he sees my unease. "Elena''s special edition." He chuckled to himself.

    "Yeah. Tell me that after my parents arrange a suitor for me. I''m more likely to become a nun than get married with their over-protectiveness."

    Distantly, I hear Prince Cedric say something about having an archery competition and for the first participant to come forward. I wasn''t paying attention until I heard them call my name. "Why not invite the High Princess as the first candidate? After all, it is her first time participating in the rituals." Zarina, the Autumn Princess I met yesterday gave me a saccharine smile as I turned towards them at the mention of my honorifics.

    Frowning, I was about to open my mouth to reject when suddenly, something red flashed and landed in the middle of the courtyard. The crowd murmured in surprise as a guy with a familiar shade of red hair stood regarding us coldly.

    "Bro-brother?" Zarina exclaimed as she recovered from her shock. The boy ignored her, his eyes fixed on Prince Cedric. "Are you starting without me?" The eldest Autumn Prince shook his head. "Jeez. Shic what are you doing here? Shouldn''t you be on an errand given by our mother?" Cedric crossed his arms, his sigh was apparent.

    The boy is younger than Cedric but the way he dresses seems to be more regal than him. A pair of silver earrings hang from his ears, shaped like a diamond with a cross in the middle. The only accessory he wears. "I was bored." He said ignoring his eldest brother as he walked over to study the neat array of boards lined up.

    "This is my youngest brother. Prince Shic of the Autumn Court." Prince Cedric introduced him. "I apologize for his sudden appearance."

    The murmurs rose to exclamations and the crowd started to gossip.

    "He is that Prince Shic?"

    "He has been incredibly talented since young!"

    "Careful. Don''t be fooled by his demure expression. He is a monster."

    Keiran and I shared a glance and I shrugged. Of course we have heard of the youngest prince of the Autumn Court. News travels fast. Stories of a prodigy, a boy who is able to master fire elementals way before he came of age has been spreading across the land. There are many rumors blown to epic proportions that enemies kept clear of the Autumn Court.

    "I heard he was adopted. Found abandoned and picked up by the Autumn Queen."

    "Really? I heard that he is a bastard child of the queen, and she tried to cover it up."

    "Hush, he can hear us!"

    "A game of archery? What a boring choice." The boy of the rumors spoke as if he heard neither the gossip nor felt the stares directed at him. He looked disinterestedly at the stack of bows and shafts of arrows in their holders.

    "Then what do you suggest?" Cedric did not strike me as someone who likes to entertain others, but I was colored impressed when he offered to listen to his brother''s request on his birthday.

    "Why not make it into a game of hunting?" Prince Shic suggested as he played with one of the arrows. "A hunting game would be more interesting."

    "Then it shall be a hunting game to honor Goddess Tessania with our spoils of the hunt. The winner will be the one with the largest spoils." Prince Cedric nodded followed by the whoops and cheering of the crowd.

    "A hunting game huh... Been a long time since I participated in one." I said smiling slightly at the memories.

    "You can always participate the next time." Keiran said as he ruffled my hair affectionately despite my protest. "How are you going to get out? Everyone can recognize you from a meter away."

    "Well... it takes a genius to come up with a plan. Fortunately, I''m that genius." I laughed as Keiran rolled his eyes. "Don''t worry, I''ve thought everything out. You''ll see." I reassured him.

 Chapter 24: Will you find me?

    - Matthias -

    "Who are you?" I shouted. "Tell me your name." I''m chasing after her but there''s something separating us. Her features are hazy and blurry but I recognized her as the girl I saw in my vision.

    She turned back briefly and flashed me a grin. Revealing a glimpse of her gold eyes before turning away. Her chestnut hair fans out around her as she swivels to the right. Turning the right corner, I chased after her but I''m lagging behind and her shadow remains out of my reach.

    She reached a dead end and stopped before a pair of hands grabbed her shoulders. A man stood behind her, a smirk on his face before both of them disappeared in a puff of smoke.

    "No." I breathed. I know that pair of pale eyes. I could recognize it anywhere. The last remaining of his kind.

    But the question is what has he got to do with the mortal girl?

    "Micah." I sighed as I rubbed my temple, feeling worn out from the hours I spent scrying. The fading light signified that it was already evening, the ending of another day. My half-brother who was sneaking across the room behind me froze.

    "Did I interrupt a vision of yours? Or whatever scrying thing?" Micah said as he turned to peek at the back of my head. "Well, I tried tip-toeing you know." He shrugged.

    "No. Not exactly... I just needed some answers." I groaned a curse as I stretched my stiff muscles. "I need fresh air. I''ll be out."

    Prince Micah raised his brows in amusement. "Noah''s place?" I nodded as I grabbed my hood and pulled it over my head. "Hmm sounds pretty bad then."

    There are only two reasons for me to head over to Noah''s place. Either to drink my sorrows away or some time alone. Ever since my mother has become incapacitated, I''ve always went there. It''s almost like my second home.

    I said nothing as I put on my leather boots and strapped any two daggers I grabbed into my waist belt. "Matthias." My brother''s words forced me to look him in the eye. "You know we will always be here for you. Okay you know what? Scratch that. Maybe I should say I will be here for you, I can''t guarantee for the rest. Knowing them." He muttered darkly.

    "I know. You''re the closest I have as a brother." I said as I grabbed an empty pouch and filled it with gold and silver coins.

    "Huh so I''m closer to you than Ezekiel?" Prince Micah chuckled. "I knew it. I hold such a precious place in your heart."

    "Yeah yeah. I saved a precious spot for you on my ass." I said as I stuffed the pouch into my pocket.

    "Wow. Your sexy ass. I feel totally honoured." The older fae prince waggled his brows. "Ass that makes the ladies stare everywhere you go."

    "Yes and yours will make Katherine stare until the both of you trip in the bedroom." I replied tersely. Hearing my words, Micah laughed, a deep rumbling sound. "How you''ve grown, little Matt. Never knew you were secretly fantasizing about our bedroom scenes. You have finally matured. Congratulations. Tell me which girl you fancy and I will bring her to our doorstep. Is it that blue-eyed who keeps staring at you?" He offered his arm as his other patted my shoulder. Each pat increasing with strength.

    I rolled my eyes as I stepped into his open arms bidding him farewell with a half-embrace. A normal brotherly act but with extra pressure. He returned the same as he stared at me, communicating a silent message before letting me go. Internally, I sighed in relief. I knew I was pushing my luck. Micah may be my blood but here in the Night Court, they were never the loving sort full of affection. They are always constantly rivaling for the throne, fighting to gain the scattered factions to their sides. "They" because as the youngest prince I have no interest in the throne. Why fight for the same thing and throw myself to the wolves?

    "There''s no one." I said as I strode out of my room.

    "Oh c''mon stop being such a spoilsport. There''s plenty of them for your choosing. Just give me the word." My brother called after me. As much as I wanted to go back there to tell him to fuck off, I knew better than to do that. He''s at least a hundred summers older, with years of experience. I wouldn''t even last longer than 10 minutes in the fighting ring with him.

    Striding into the throne room, I stopped as I spotted a familiar figure and almost bowed under his powerful gaze. It''s an automatic reaction, not that I should ever do it since the Dark Beast is only my mother''s right-hand and always of lower status.

    He was alone in the throne room sitting on the steps of the dais. The single throne sits empty and the black roses that adorn it look as fresh as the day Suola sat there, commanding and imperious. The Dark Beast is loyal, and that is why I respect him from the bottom of my heart. Even without the Dark Queen, he has never abandoned his duties as our caretaker and advisor. How did mother find someone like him? Through sheer power I presume.

    "How may I help you your majesty?" The Dark Beast looked away from the letters he was reading and inclined his head towards me. His piercing gaze stared right at me through his gold-rimmed glasses which I know he is completely fine without. A stack of papers in black-white print lay on the floor.

    I recognised the newspapers belonging from the Human World. A cup of toasty coffee sits on the step of the dais, making it look like this is his own little home. As if the queen is taking a break elsewhere and he is waiting for her return.

    "Mister... Uncle Beast." I say, still not used to addressing him so informally. "I''m going to be out for a drink. If there''s news about the other courts, I would appreciate if you can inform me."Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    He raised his brows with genuine concern lining his eyes. It always surprises me. His emotions that is. When I was young I heard many stories about Suola''s pet. All depicting him as a cold-blooded killing machine. They call him Jack the Ripper or the Death Ripper and I always have a certain wariness towards this half-beast and half-man since I met him when I was three...

    "Meet your uncle." Suola''s voice was as sensual as the night and as imperilous as the High King''s himself. Sometimes I even wondered if one day, were my mother and the High King began to wage a war between the two courts, who would be the victor.

    Three-summers-old and still wet behind the ears, I peeked out from behind her long flowy garment only to find a pair of dark pupiless eyes staring at me. With a silent scream, I clutched the silky dress tighter and moved as far away as the material allowed me. My mother''s child-like giggle reounded in the silent throne room as she was entertained by my reaction.

    "Oh he''s so inoocent." She giggled. "But I can''t help but to help you out."

    With a flick of her fingers, I was propelled towards that hulking mass of shadows which roughly resembled the form of a man kneeling in front of the throne. The same pair of depthless eyes bored into mine, piercing through my very soul, as if it could see through me and taste my fear. As my small body fell forward into the arms of that very monster who has murdered thousands of our kind, I squeezed my eyes shut in horror.

    But the Dark Beast patted my head and whispered. "Do not fear Death, for Death is the end of your fears. Be brave my little prince."

    ...

    "I won''t take long." I continue to say though I have no idea why. I just feel that I need to prove my worth to him.

    He stared at me silently for several beats before nodding. "If you need my help, don''t hesitate to demand it of me. Your mother treasures you the most out of your six brothers and I will make sure you will remain safe until her return."

    I blinked. He made it sound so easy, as if Suola will wake up one day and materialize in the throne any time now. Deciding to change the subject instead, I say. "How was the war council?"

    "Oh, it went smoothly. No need to worry about it. Leave it for this capable one to handle." He winked. With a nod, I left, feeling the weight of his bottomless gaze tracking my back.

    ***

    "Mm secrets and secrets. So many secrets." She said as she breathed in my scent, latching onto my body. Placing one hand on my chest, her other trailed down my arm, caressing my stiff muscles. And also stealing some of my magic from the contact.

    "Ursla, I''m here for Noah." I say as I gently detached her from my body. The succubus pouted, before laughing. "Ew. As cold as always and Noah this and Noah that. If I hadn''t known you I would think you''re into the other type."

    The hushed conversations stilled and continued. In Noah''s place all visitors are his guests and he the host. Status do not matter, everyone is treated the same here. The bar is a neutral place in the middle of the dark factions in the Night Court and a place for bartering information.

    "Respect Ursla. You''re talking to the prince of the High Court." I warned, my tone revealing a glimpse of the restless power inside me.

    Rolling her eyes, Ursla huffed, but I can sense her uneasiness as she brushed it off with a flick of her hair. "Yes Princeling, I apologise. To me you''ll always be that small boy who stumbled into the bar looking like a lost little lamb. I forget my place sometimes." She grinned before bobbing into a curtsy. I shook my head as I scanned the place, trying to locate the person I wanted to meet.

    "Your highness." The same tall wispy bogeyman at the drinks bar bowed. "What drinks would you fancy today?"

    "Anything''s fine." I replied at the same time my eyes caught a familiar tall massive form moving towards me.

    "Matthias?" A deep voice called as the large figure made his way toward me. He easily towers the place and his presence domineering. But when he saw me, his grim face broke into a wide grin. The muscular warrior stretched out his arm towards me and I took it firmly in mine, feeling myself being reeled into his grip. I leaned against his steady strength as I squeezed back before we clapped each other on the back.

    "Noah." I said grinning. His face is neatly shaved, his white hair braided behind him, and his eyes the richest shade of hunter''s green. I easily stood as tall as him.

    "What brings you to my humble abode?" He talks to me like how he greets every guest. But if you know Noah well, his concern is carefully veiled behind his brazen eyes.

    "I''m looking for something." I say quietly.

    "Your drink is here, your highness." The bogeyman at the bar counter placed the glass on the counter top and bowed before disappearing. Ursla is also gone, she''s now sitting on one of the guest''s lap entertaining them as she was supposed to. It was a silent unspoken agreement that they always gave us privacy to talk. Because they know how precious the time I have with Noah means to me. That and the information I need is highly classified.

    Noah only raised his brows as he made himself a drink. A strong one that rivals mine because I can smell the amount of alcohol in both our glasses. I raised my brow at Noah and he shrugged in response. "Don''t tell me you''ve come this time in search of a treasure or a miracle drug. You know I can''t do anything to help the queen."

    "I''m looking for a person. A mortal." I said as I stared into my cup. The liquid sparkled under the low tavern lights and appeared transparent, reminding me of a person''s tears. Swirling it''s contents, I sipped it. The heady fragrance of tigerlily, mint and lemon intersects and mingles in my mouth. There''s something else, pear and frangipane before it slides down my throat leaving a trail of burning.

    Noah on the other hand has no such qualms about tasting, he gulped his drink in one go and placed the empty cup down on the table.

    "A human?" He said curiosity and disbelief ringing his deep voice.

    I know it must have sounded like a joke.A prince of the Fae Realm interested in a human? "Yes. A girl. 18-years-old and extremely gifted." I lowered my voice further and Noah strained to hear over the din of noises and raucous laughter of his guests. "She can speak the Old Tongue."

    The slight widening of his eyes confirmed that he had heard what I just said despite the burst of roaring and laughing.

    "This... I can''t help you. You know the Human World is off-limits. Even for someone like me." He said not bothering to mince his words. Wordlessly, I pulled out my bag of coins and placed it on the table between us. This was the reason why I brought it. The price for information. Noah raised his eyebrows but took the bag of coins weighing it in his hands before pushing it back to me. He shook his head.

    "More? I can give it to you. Just name the price." I say. But Noah stopped me. "No. I don''t want your money, keep it. I''m disappointed Mati¨¢s. I thought we were way past this." He stood up from the stool signalling that our private conversation was over. But instead of moving away, he moved closer, and shoved the bag into my hands.

    "The only person who can help you is the Beast Suola keeps her leash on. He has access to more information than you give him credit for." He whispered in my ear before clapping me on the back.

    "Spare your money. We have enough as it is." The dark elf said coldly as he walked off. "More rum my guests?" He shouted as he made his way into the midst of travellers, misfits, battle-weary warriors and possibly even spies. I placed some coins on the bar top and finished my drink before stalking off.

    ***

    That smart man. I stared at the piece of folded paper in my pouch. I was emptying the coins back in my room when I saw a flash of white. When did he put this inside? I didn''t see it.

    Opening it, I read the simple line. "Ask the Beast about Paranormal Departments." A grateful smile tilted my lips, and I silently vowed to thank him properly the next we meet.

 Chapter 25: Aftermath

    - Gabriella -

    The tug and pull of darkness feels familiar after I have been floating here at this precipice for what feels like an eternity. Like the first time I''ve been here, it seems ever-moving, shifting and calming. The soft dripping of water is the only sound I hear in the soothing emptiness.

    "You have to wake up, child. It''s time. Open your eyes now," Whispers a voice in this empty chasm.

    My eyes flew open and I became aware of this very apparent aching soreness. My whole body throbs. Like someone threw me into a punching ring and then dragged me out. My throat is dry and my tongue felt like sandpaper, stuck to the top of my mouth. It tasted like ash. Ugh. What happened? Images of trees, of a pathway, of a strange pair of glowing eyes flashed across my pounding head. What was I doing last night? I remember I was supposed to be attending Prince Damien''s welcome party...

    Images of me attending a party floods into my brain, the dancing, the drinking and the strange people.

    I sat up and instantly regretted it as my body lurched side ways. My muscles protested as I grasped the bed to stop myself from falling off. It retaliated vehemently with stiff soreness and I let out a muffled groaned. This feels worse than an intense workout.

    The voices that flitted through the slightly ajar door stopped. I didn''t realise that there were other people here. Until the murmurings stopped and silence ensued.

    Taking a quick look at my surroundings, I find myself in someone''s bedroom. A dressing table, with make-up brushes, cosmetics, and nail polish, all arranged neatly together. The faint smell of exotic perfume, with a tint of vanilla permeates the room. The room looks relatively new and empty, save for two books placed neatly in a stack and a rose in a small vase. A girl''s bedroom it seems. I mused silently.

    As I wondered where I was, the hushed voices from outside the room continued. They seem to be in a heated conversation.

    "I thought I heard something... Damien, are you sure she is one of us? Are you very certain that she is a -"

    Before the person could complete his sentence someone else cut in. "Are you doubting me Fenrys? She has the same condition as each of you. How do you explain the fire then?"

    "Oh for Suola''s sake, that''s not a very good one. She could just be a very gifted human or a witch. How could we just take her in?" A girl''s voice joined in.

    "Stop saying Suola''s name. What if the Dark Queen awakes?" One of them exclaimed, in that same hushed tone.

    Followed by someone smacking, and a loud "Ow!". "The hell Fenrys! Are you trying to wake everyone in the dorm?"

    "Crazy woman! You hit me first!" The male voice growled.

    "That''s because you said that She will awake. We all know that that''s not going to happen." They''ve given up the pretense of whispering any more.

    GRRRRRowlll...

    My stomach called and the smell of something cooking drove me mad with hunger. The voices fell silent but I was too hungry to care. Without paying them any heed, I decided to drag my sorry excuse of a body out of the room and towards that heavenly smell.

    My eyes spotted the eggs and toast, the source of the heavenly smell, before my feet shuffled towards it. Plopping myself down, I helped myself to the generous helping of food on the dining table. I managed to devour two slices of toast in a row before someone coughed in front of me. I stopped mid-chew as I looked up to see a person sitting in front of me. He looks at me with an expression of curiosity.

    A ridiculous thought popped up in my head. I probably looked like a crazy girl with hair sticking up everywhere. Giving the stranger a smile that I hoped passed as decent, I threw a cheery wave before grabbing the cup of orange juice that has been sitting on the table invitingly.

    "Wait, that''s... mine..." The stranger spoke but it was too late as I took a large gulp. He watched in amusement as I down in all in one go.

    "Sorry, I was just too thirsty." I croaked giving him a sheepish shrug.

    He chuckled wryly. "With the burnout that you had, it''s not a wonder actually. Help yourself then, there''s more in the kitchen." He waved his hand towards his share of warm toasts. I needed no compelling as my hand reaches by itself towards the food. I stared at it in surprise which only earned another chuckle from the stranger.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    After stuffing my mouth with his share, I leaned back against my chair and patted my stomach, satisfied.

    "I''m Jonathan. What''s your name?"

    I studied Jonathan''s profile, he has the most unusual cropped silver hair and blue eyes, reminding me of stormy skies. He looks like he gyms a lot, with nicely-build muscles under his shirt.

    Jonathan doesn''t seem fazed under my scrutiny, he attacked his toast with fervor. I pondered whether I should break this momentary peace and drop the question of where the hell I am when suddenly someone walked out of the kitchen. Familiar dark eyes were fixed on me as he held a tray with more eggs and toast.

    "More toast?" He raised his brows. Even without the classy glasses, I recognized him. A memory of me sitting with him in the Garden of Sins flashed across my mind. "Daniel?" I asked hesitantly. "You were with me at the party, I remember."

    Daniel said nothing before placing the tray down on the table and sat down beside me with a sigh.

    "Daniel? Who the heck is Daniel?" Another person walked out of the kitchen and with a start I also recognized him. He was the transfer student in my Forensics class. He plopped down on the seat next to Jonathan. A sense of confusion gnaws at me. What''s happening? Do the both of them know each other?

    "Gabriella, look I''m sorry. I lied." Daniel looked at me, his expression cool and his eyes unreadable. "I''m not Daniel. My real name is Damien Ytger."

    I absorbed the information in silence. Carefully, I made sure my face was devoid of any reaction.

    "What a great liar. You deceived her? Never knew our squad leader was the type to break girls'' hearts." I can hear the sarcasm dripping from the sentence itself. Damien looked at Fenrys, who shoved a toast into his mouth while waggling his brows. With a look, he wordlessly told him to shut up. Fenrys only rolled his eyes.

    Distractedly, I noted that Jonathan and Fenrys have peculiar similarities in their features. Like their eyes are both the same stormy blue and their slightly arched noses are the same. Just that Fenrys looks tanned and Jonathan looks less tanned. Are they brothers?

    "So you''re saying that you are the Minister''s son?" Something about what Damien said clicks in my mind. "Your name isn''t Daniel but Prince Damien? Wait, no something isn''t right. I saw him on the news and he has black hair not brown." I squinted at his hair. Yep even the roots look brown to me.

    "I dyed it brown so I could pass off as someone else," Damien explained. "I don''t want the paparazzi all over me, or extra attention that will impede my job here."

    Fenrys snorted. "Well, you can''t blame the fashion consultants for their seamless work." Which earned him a rude gesture this time.

    I examined his face closely. This time I noted his finely-chiseled jawline, his slender nose, and unique onyx eyes. Eyes that no one in Soren have. I know he''s the real deal. But it takes more than that to trust someone I just met. He could have used contacts or plastic surgery or something. Maybe he''s the secret double shadow.

    "Okay, so let''s say I believe you. Tell me where am I? Why am I here? And who are they?" I stated.

    Damien chose his next words carefully. "You are in our dorm room. You blacked-out after what happened, so we brought you back with us. Do you... remember anything?"

    "You have yet to answer my other question. Who are they? Your friends?" I jutted my chin towards the two boys in front of me. "And the others in the kitchen too." Where is Claudia when I need her? Where are the rest of my friends?

    "You can say they are my acquaintances... or maybe teammates?" Damien spoke lightly, but the slight tension in his tone gave him away. It must have been more than acquaintances. Maybe friends. "Now if you could Gabriella, I need your help to walk us through what you can remember."

    "I can''t seem to remember anything much after meeting that strange man." I blurted as a hazy image of a boy with inky black hair and eyes swam in my mind. Damien shared a look with the other two boys, who shrugged and raised their brows. They started glaring at each other and gesturing animatedly as if it was a silent debate. I looked between them wondering if they had forgotten that I was still here.

    "You''ve slept for three days. Right after you blackout from using your powers...against that strange man." It was Fenrys who finally broke the silence as he chewed on a toast, earning him two pairs of pointed glares. "What? All I said was the truth! Stop looking at me like you guys can''t wait to suck the living daylights from me." His voice muffled with food.

    I struggled to process what he said.

    "Did you say three days? Three days?? I have been sleeping for three days?!" Panic blooms in my chest. "What about school? What about my friends?" I''m suddenly in fight-or-flight, ready to bolt if something looks even remotely off.

    "Hey chill." A melodic husky voice sounded from somewhere to my left. A girl, one of the three people, who were leaning against the kitchen door. The other two are guys. Folding her hands, she stared at me meaningfully. As if she''s saying "Hey pipe it down. It''s not cool."

    "Vesna." Damien''s voice contained a note of warning. "I need time to talk to her."

    Vesna huffed before unfolding her arms. "I''m sorry for interrupting your little chitchat, but this is pointless." Without waiting for Damien''s reply, she looked at me and said it straight to my face."The school has been notified of the events that have happened. After you almost blew a quarter of the forest off. Even the P.D. had to intervene. It''s a wonder the whole school doesn''t even have an inkling about it. Your clueless friend, the boy, what''s his name? Ah right, he calls himself Res. Who has been knocking on the door for god knows how many times, asking about you. You''d better thank the P.D. that your cover isn''t blown."

    Hearing that, relief washes against me. Res has been looking for me?

    "P.D.? And what did you mean that I almost blew a quarter of the forest?" I said shaking my head in disbelief. How do I even blow up a tree, let alone a quarter of a forest? "If you guys are trying to cook up some story, at least try to put in more effort. This is absurd."

    "No we''re not cooking up a story. Damien and you met a sidhe. He tried to take you away but your powers awoke. Thank Suola for that. We may not know who you are, but one thing is clear, you are in grave danger." Her voice has a familiar lull like one of my favourite pop singers I listen to. But its not possible that she''s her right?

    "Sidhe? As in faeries?" I burst out laughing. "This is sounding more and more ridiculous. I''m not a child. Faeries don''t exist at all."

 Chapter 26: My Copycat

    - Gabriella -

    The room went absolutely silent for several heartbeats. When I thought I could almost hear a pin dropping, they traded glances. An unspoken message seemed to be said between them.

    "What?" I said because I wanted to break this strange awkward dissonance.

    "They do. In fact, we are living proof." Fenrys said. "And you''re one of us or at least part fae too." I looked at him, wondering what bullshit he was spewing. With a sigh he said, "Let me show you."

    The air around him began to shimmer strangely, and I gasped, not quite believing my eyes. Fenrys disappeared and in his place stood a girl with the same chestnut hair, the same eyes and even the same build, staring right back at me. She has the same full lips which curled upwards revealing a perfect row of teeth.

    My mouth opens for a fraction and then closes again. "No freaking way." I narrowed my eyes at the girl who looks like me, refusing to believe it.

    Copycat places both hands on her hips and narrows her eyes, looking like a perfect mirror image of me. My jaw dropped.

    "Stop it Fenrys. That''s enough." Jonathan smacked "me" lightly on the shoulders. The experience was honestly extremely unsettling. To watch my body doing things I didn''t tell it to do. I have an urge to slap this cheap imitation of me and half the urge to laugh it off. My copycat disappeared and the boy with tawny curls appeared.

    "How did you... How did you do that? How could you turn into me?" I asked him still reeling from the shock.

    "I''m a shapeshifter." He shrugged. "We are all demi-fae except for Damien, and the six of us form a squad called S.P.A.D. for short. Damien is our leader and our main goal is eliminating faeries who pose a threat to mortal well-being."

    I looked at each of them, absorbing the information, and the six of them studied me while I absorbed silently.

    "Since you know about us and the existence of fae, let''s talk about the topic at hand. That night you told me you didn''t know what condition your body was in. I assume that you didn''t know that you''re part fae?" Damien took the reins of the conversation automatically, like it was natural for him to do so. I noted this silently before nodding.

    I guess it''s true when they said he was the squad leader. The dynamics feel centered around him.

    "And you have been suffering from iron- no this condition since you were very young, but you just recently awoke your powers?" I shrugged but Damien wasn''t exactly asking me but muttering to himself. Instead of responding to me, he steepled his hands together and placed his elbows on the dining table, deep in thought. "This explains a lot. Like her reaction and her distrust. Most of all she doesn''t even know we exist." He muttered to himself.

    "Um. Sorry but can someone explain this to me?" I said as I waved my hand in front of Damien to get him to look at me. "What exactly happened? What did you guys mean by powers? What powers did I have? And how is it that I remember seeing a strange boy but also a man? Who is he? What were those dangerous white-looking stuff in that pouch?" I looked at him expectantly, slightly confused but trusting him to tell me everything.

    "What you saw, that boy, was a glamour used by him. The man is what he truly is and he is a Sidhe. A high-born fae." Damien sighed. "And he was forcing a girl to consume faerie drugs which are those crystals you saw." I thought back to that night and I remember the delicate features of that strange man. The weird glowing citrine eyes, pointed ears and the tangible taste of my fear. I shuddered.

    "You were an idiot. Playing the hero when your opponent was a sidhe? You could have died!" Fenrys scowled at Damien. "Well, luckily, if it weren''t for her else we would all be rotting in hell or spirited away by that kitsune."

    "Me?" I said looking confused as Fenrys jabbed a fork in my direction.

    "Yes you. Gabriella right?" Fenrys stared at me but my expression remained blank. "You don''t remember anything do you?" He frowned.

    "Girl, you were like a walking powerhouse. I''ve never seen any magic like that. You raised your hand and boom the whole place caught on fire." Vesna said eyeing me a little enviously.

    "Wait a minute. Fire? Like literally fire shooting from my fingertips?" My brows shot upwards to my hairline.

    "Yes." Vesna said grinning. "Except it didn''t shoot out from your fingertips. It exploded from within you." She pointed and tapped somewhere at her navel. "From your reserves." Then as if she couldn''t stand it anymore, she started giggling. Her giggling turned to laughter as we stared at her in shock. Her laughter was infectious and suddenly I felt this whole thing to be so silly and funny that I started laughing as well.

    "Gosh... I never thought that I would... meet another fire wielder." She somehow managed to speak in between her fits of laughing. "It has always been me in this group. Aha. Now that''s refreshing."

    Shaking his head, Damien eyes us bewilderedly but says nothing. As our laughing fit ended, I spotted Fenrys mouthing something to Jonathan after he swallows his food. "Girls. Can''t understand what they''re thinking." I raised my brows at him which earned him a shove from Jonathan who shook his head apologetically at me.

    "So... so you can control fire and you can shapeshift. What about the rest?" I caught my breath as I looked at the two other boys who decided to join us and are munching away at the remaining toasts. Since there were only six chairs, Vesna reached over and plucked one of the egg toasts from the plate and bit into it while standing.

    "My twin brother, Jonathan, can also shapeshift." Fenrys says since the other two were too busy eating to reply. "Qas, the boy to my left can control water as well as its healing properties and Raziel the guy beside Damien can control air and sometimes space, depending on the situation." The both of them looked up briefly at the mention of their names and waved. With our introductions done, I feel I am getting more receptive to this bunch of people and I let down my guard.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Damien Ytger is like how I imagined him to be, mature, responsible and a great leader. They told me stories of their missions and how sometimes Damien made mistakes. Somehow, his blunder turned out to be a stroke of luck and other times they had to find a solution to the complicated mess. I laughed along with their chatter even though my brain struggled to process what it felt like to be on a mission. Embarrassed, Damien told them to shut up and threatened them with a week''s worth of household chores.

    It wasn''t even two hours and exhaustion settled in the pit of my stomach. The room spun and my eyelids felt heavy. I didn''t even realised that my head was bobbing forward.

    "Let''s get you some rest sweetheart." Vesna says as they cleared the plates and washed the dishes. Damien was already gone, off to fulfill his squad leader duties. He is definitely a very busy person. I thought in the haze of my sleepiness. "You need rest. You just had a burnout." Vesna tugs me up gently.

    That word again. I heard that from Jonathan too. What exactly does it mean?

    "What about my three days worth of homework?" I mumbled as she led me back into her room. Her grip is surprisingly strong as she balances my weight upwards against her own.

    "Think about that later." She laughs. I mumbled something about hell with homework which made her laugh again. Soon, we are inside her bedroom and the familiar smell of exotic perfume fills my nostrils. As my head hit her pillow, I closed my eyes and I felt her patting my hair. "Sleep now. My fiery brethren." She whispered before I drifted into slumberland.

    ***

    <figure></figure>

    - Damien -

    "Is the situation in the school settled?" My father''s commanding voice sounded over the speakers of my phone.

    "Yes. We found the gateway." I said as I leaned back against my high-back chair in my room. My fingers played with the magic-reading device absent-mindedly.

    "Good. Send me the coordinates and tell me about the other situation." He said. Distantly, I can hear conference voices through his side of the line.

    "What other situation?" I echoed.

    I know he knows that I am feigning blur. But it was the only tactic I had up my sleeve. I need to buy myself some time. There was a slight pause in the receiving end as I heard my father''s muffled voice talking to someone in the conference. I caught the words new agent and addition before they stopped murmuring.

    "Son. You know exactly which situation I am referring to. In case you decide to forget it conveniently, let me remind you. Tell me the source of the spike in magic that night. I have information pointing that it belongs to a demi-fae."

    Crap. Seems like I can''t spin my way out of this one.

    My father doesn''t call me "son" unless he wishes to punish me senseless and I mean the kind of beating until you pass out from it. It''s his term of endearment which means "I expect a lot from you, do not disappoint me."

    "She''s just a student studying here. We are still unsure of her heritage." I kept my answers as vague as possible. Please let it pass. Please just let this girl go unnoticed.

    "Oh?" Came my father''s distracted reply. "Is that so?"

    I almost sighed in relief. Almost.

    "Yes. We are still trying our best to find out from her." I say. He seems distracted from whatever conference he is holding with his cabinet ministers, which is good. Yes, whoever you are, keep talking to him. Distract him. As long as he doesn''t check on the detailed reports, he wouldn''t know the extent of her powers.

    "Mm. Try to recruit her into the P.D. if possible, we will never know when we needed the extra manpower. That said I have something to tell you. Remember the undercover agent we placed as a stronghold in the school?"

    "Yeah. You mean the agent who is working as a History Professor?" I confirmed again just to make sure.

    "Yes Damien, at least you''ve been listening." I rolled my eyes. When did I ever not listened? Not like I could openly defy him. "She goes by the name Professor Bella and she will be a new addition to your squad." My father said, "You will initiate contact with her. Even if the person in-charge has told her about her promotion, I still want you to do it the traditional way." I nodded at his orders and then realised he couldn''t see me through the phone.

    "Yes father. I will do so." I said, ever the loyal son and soldier. Person in-charge my ass. Just admit that it was you.

    "Good. When this all blows over, you and I, let''s have a father-to-son talk." He sounds happy but I know this looming conversation is not something I wanted to face. This is too soon. I''m not prepared. Shit. "It''s time we talk about your future partner and also your political seat." Wait what? My partner?

    I choked on the saliva in my mouth and coughed roughly. Gods no. You gotta be kidding.

    "What''s wrong son? Did you fall sick?" My father asked me, in disbelief before his short bark of a laughter sounded over the phone. "Go visit the doctor if you are down with the flu. Last thing you need is to fall ill and be indisposed."

    "I -cough- No, my throat feels dry that''s all." I said struggling to get back my composure. Freak. Get it back together before he realizes. "By the way father, why? Why is there a new additon to my squad?"

    "Is that what I taught you? Your orders were not to question but to act accordingly. Do not step out of the line recruit." My father''s authorative voice boomed from the speakers. "I''ll give you another chance to phrase your words properly."

    I tightened my fingers into a fist in annoyance at his command, but a half-thought prevented me from biting back. Coward. You''re a coward Damien. I whispered silently in my head, hating myself for feeling so powerless.

    "I apologise sir. If it would be possible, may I know what this member can bring to my squad?" I swallowed my anger and that mess of an emotions down. Compose yourself. This isn''t the right time to screw up.

    I can feel my father''s half smile of satisfaction as he spoke. "Good." But this time, his acknowledgement did nothing to quell the rising anger in me, it only made me want to scream in frustration at my own pathetic self. What is wrong with me? I am a soldier. Soldiers have no emotions. I recited the commandments silently in my head and slowly, my mind cleared and the familiar sense of calming numbness swept upon me. Yes. This is what I am. A soldier and nothing else.

    "I figured you''ll need extra manpower to guard the gateway since there won''t be troops dispatched to guard it until a month later. The girl Bella has also proven to be capable enough to join your team. Anything else?" Sometimes I feel like punching his face just to wipe that arrogant and authoritative tone off his mouth. My father is a powerful and cruel man who does not love anyone but himself.

    Once, maybe in another life, he might have been capable of loving others. A house filled with a charming family - a doting wife and a beautiful son. But now, the caring man of his past is dead. Shadows lingered in his eyes and guns loaded with bullets hid in his drawers. He is no longer living but an empty shell of his former self. A shell that contains only wrath and revenge.

    "No. Nothing." I said as he hung up without saying goodbye.

    "Bastard." I whispered, blinking away the tears pricking my eyes. I almost hurled my phone against the wall, but then I realised it was the one I had specially custom-made and not the usual anonymous caller ID I receive for missions.

    With a muffled curse, I leaned against the backrest and stared out of my bedroom window. The view of the evergreen in the University sparkled temptingly and the beautiful city sprawled below me. A view so beautiful but void of affection. Well, Gabriella is safe for now. I''ll try to figure something out along the way. And this new member who gained my father''s attention... who is Bella?

    I rubbed my temples with my fingers. There is only one way to find out. I need to contact Bella.

 Chapter 27: Crazy Red

    - Elena -

    I crept through the forest, a bow tucked under my stolen hood and plain servant''s attire. Somewhere, distantly the horn of the hunt is blown and it echoes throughout the forest. The game has started. The sound of hooves thundered on the ground beneath me and I stepped aside quickly as riders on horses brushed past.

    Young courtesans and ladies giggled as they rode past, avidly discussing what to hunt and betting who would win the game. I paid them no heed as I pressed myself against the large tree which shifted to make room for me. Stepping over its gnarly large roots, I pulled my hood lower hoping no one would recognize me as I slipped away from the forest. Someone tapped me on my shoulder.

    I turned around and it was Keiran sitting atop his favourite white mare trotting beside me. "What are you doing?" I hissed.

    "Stay safe in the Human World." He said trying to catch my eyes through the hood. "If there''s any danger ask for help. I''ll see what I can do." I rolled my eyes. "Yes I will. Now go before someone recognizes me." I chased him away with a shooing motion. With one last farewell nod, he pushed his mare forward and they galloped off. Something tickled my shoulder and I saw that it was a leaf. The faint scent of a spring breeze floats in the air. Picking up, I read the message.

    You owe me one. Think properly about how to repay it. ~ Your beloved cousin

    I huffed and kept the spring leaf in my pocket knowing I may need it in the future before turning towards the opposite direction and heading to the gateway. I was too busy keeping my head down so that no one would recognize me when I knocked into something hard.

    "Apologies. Excuse me." I mumbled as I side-stepped him. A strong arm grabbed my elbow before I had the chance to slip away.

    "What a lovely voice. Let me see your face." Came a smooth and deep voice. Instinctively I grabbed the front of my hood and tugged it down even lower, feeling resistance as the stranger tried to push it off my head. Refusing to let go, I glared at him through my hood. I noted the callously tanned hand on my elbow, the arrogant lines and his summer blue eyes and instantly a small fear sprouted in my chest. Stories of the flirtatious nature of the Summer fae resounded in my mind.

    "I heard they kidnap ladies to their beds, changing them like clothes. It''s oh so barbaric and thrilling at the same time."

    "Yes oh my, how I wish one of them would whisk me away right now to the Summer Court."

    "Silly Jasmine, haven''t you heard? They dump the ladies that cling to them like vines. Their love is like a summer breeze, coming and going suddenly. If you can attain the princes'' affection for even a week, you''re already the subject of envy." The ladies sighed longingly and giggled coquettishly.

    "Their summer blue eyes and such deliciously smooth tanned skin." One of them described avidly.

    "And a golden crown of hair." Another giggled. "Makes me want to run my fingers through them."

    "Oh right! Which one of the three princes do you prefer the most?"

    At that time I was standing hidden behind a pillar listening as the court ladies gossiped away. I thought they were foolish and I scoffed at their infatuation. Until now. It seems I''m in a situation I can''t get out easily.

    "Oh don''t be shy. Let me take a peek. Just one will do, I promise." His supple full lips mouthed as he teased playfully.

    "Enough." My anger slipped and I stood taller. "Do you know who you''re messing with? Just breathing my name can get you killed." Suola''s grave! What have I gotten myself into? I realised I''m not supposed to expose my identity.

    "Really? Who are you then oh fair maiden?" His confidence faltered and I took the opportunity to side step him. I took all of two steps before I was stopped by his wide chest. Are all summer fae so big? This guy is persistent. "You were telling me about yourself."Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

    I looked straight into his eyes and gave him a pointed glare. "I''m just a passerby. Now let me pass."

    His brows shot upwards and he chuckled amusedly. This was not how my intended effect was supposed to be. "Ooh. Gutsy. I like my women fiery in my bed." Before I knew it, his fingers gripped my chin tightly and tilted it upwards. "Such pretty lips. Soft and teasing." He whispered with a smile on his face. "I wonder what noises you''ll make when I unravel you slowly. Makes me want to ravish you right now."

    "You dare?" I said steely. I have had enough. "Hands off."

    He gave me a cocky grin full of his own surety. "Why should I? I am the first prince of the Summer Court and no one refuses me. Not even a maid like you." I must have gone slack with surprise because he grabbed my waist and hoisted me over his shoulder before walking off to one of the caves. I pounded against his back shouting. "Let me go you barbaric caveman."

    When he ignored me, I raised my palms and opened myself to my magic. The wind in the ancient forest around us whispered in my ears. "Arrogant summer princeling... call upon us. He deserves to have his ass whipped."

    With a flick of my finger I summoned a surge of breeze between our bodies, forcing him away from me. I landed gracefully as I righted myself with the help of my magic. My hood was blown back from the gust of air and my crown of glistening blonde hair fell around my face.

    The summer prince widened his eyes as he stared at my features. "You''re a royal." Getting up from his position on the floor, he brushed his pants languidly, enjoying my attention on his arms as it brushed against his ass. "Since you like doing this the hard way. Fine by me." He licked his lips as he loosened his shoulders.

    "Finally something exciting to watch." A voice said coolly from above us.

    Our heads snapped upwards to a shadow lying on a branch above us. The crunching sound of a fruit came from above as the sweet fragrance of apples hung in the air. "Who are you to intrude on our privacy?" The summer prince asked, but he might as well be talking to the empty air. I realised that whoever this person was, he was content to watch us from above and not lift a single finger to help me.

    "Don''t mind me. Continue." A pale hand waved lazily from above.

    "Let''s continue shall we?" Summer prince said when the man on the tree posed no threat. I gritted my teeth and said nothing as the wind whipped around us.

    ***

    The gale storm I summoned died as he raised his arms in surrender. Blood trickles down the tiny dozen cuts on his face and muscular arms. His clothes are torn and bruises color his left cheek, courtesy of me. Of course, I wasn''t perfectly unharmed. I have bruises on my waist and back when he jammed me against the tree and grabbed me in place. Probably a swollen lip as well when he kissed me forcefully.

    Panting, I tried to ignore the indignant whispering of the winds. "He deserves to die... outrageous. Daring to touch our princess." They promised unspeakable violence. I will make him pay. I soothed them in my mind.

    I crouched over his fallen form and spitted into the ground beside him. "You''re worse than a beast. If I hear any of the ladies saying you''ve touched even a strand of hair on them, I will make sure that no words will ever breath out of that smooth tongue of yours." He wheezed painfully but managed a throaty laugh.

    I walked off wincing a little at the dull throbbing pain along my body. "Was the spit necessary?" Someone landed softly beside me. Glancing at him, I recognized him. He was the prodigal Autumn prince. So he was that guy watching us all along.

    "I am willing to recognize you as a worthy opponent. Let''s have a round." Close up he looks even more beautiful and regal with his striking crimson hair. He bore his eyes deep into mine, they are a striking blue. Breathtaking like the skies except there''s a hint of coldness and detachment.

    I ignored him as I continued walking. I must hurry if I want to make it for the delivery shift.

    "Hey you. Shortie. Stop ignoring me and come at me. I want to see that look in your eyes again. The one you used when you stared at the summer boy." I quickened my pace, I thought he wouldn''t chase after an insignificant maid like me. Footsteps sounded behind me and I know he''s following along. I broke off into a sprint running through the woods, grunting against the pain that jolts through my bruises with every step. He''s crazy. Are all princes this persistent?

    He may be taller and faster than me with longer strides. But I am as swift as the wind and I know the forest like the back of my hand. All my sneaking with Keiran better have paid off if I had to endure being grounded in the castle.

    The carriages and merchants are standing at the gateway ready to head out to the Human World. With the words of a spell, the soldiers set the portal to their destination as I remained tucked inside a carriage, hidden between the massive supplies and stocks. Somehow, I managed to outrun the faerie with what remaining energy I had left. A stroke of luck that the merchants are still here. Thank the goddess!

    I felt the carriage rolling forward and the tingle in the air as we crossed the portal and stepped into the other world. Tiredness rubbed against my bones like an old friend, but a wide grin spreads on my face.

    I''m coming for you, my sister.

 Chapter 28: Life with 5 Demi-Fae and the PMs Son

    - Gabriella -

    "Crap!" I shouted from Vesna''s room. Jumping up, I winced as my muscles contracted painfully. The soreness has faded slightly over the two days but it''s still there much to my annoyance.

    They told me that it takes around one week to fully recover from a burnout but I don''t see the point in staying here.

    I heard from Damien that a burnout refers to the emptying of your magical reserves.

    But that sure as hell doesn''t explains why I can''t return to Claudia''s dorm. I mean not that I''m not grateful but I still prefer to sleep at Claud''s.

    The thing is they are really nice to me. Way too nice. It makes it harder for me to refuse them. Vesna has given up her room for me so now she has to sleep on the couch in the living room. Damien refused to have her sleep there and tried to offer his room, to which she declined much to his irritation.

    So he told Raziel to offer his since he''s usually out in the late nights doing his part-time bartending, much to Vesna''s amusement.

    It''s been two days and life with my demi-fae counterparts has been relatively exciting and entertaining. Okay, maybe more entertaining than exciting.

    "What''s wrong? Gabriella?" Vesna knocked on her door before she opened, which I think must have felt weird. Who knocks on your own bedroom door? This just adds onto the pile of reasons I should leave this place.

    She saw me sitting on her bedroom floor staring at my phone and let out a breath of relief. "Shit girl. You scared the living lights out of me shouting in the morning. I thought you had a lapse of iron drain or something but damn it. It was just your text message..." She trailed off as I stared at her in horror. She looks like she had just woken up, her hair is tousled and mussed up in a bedroom kind of look. I would have snorted if not for the text message I just received from Claudia.

    "Hey what''s wrong?" She folded her arms, leaning against the door.

    "I... shit... My graded assignment is due tomorrow." I said as I read the text message again.

    From Claudia: Hey r u ok? We heard what happened from Res. He said u were with a guy from the party and staying in his dorm room.

    OMG. U NEED TO TELL ME EVERYTHING.

    Btw not that I want to interrupt whatever hot stuff is going on btwn the two of you, but just in case u forgot, Prof Kelly''s assignment is due tmr. Love, Claud.

    P.S. pls don''t forget me after your elope.

    I rubbed my temple with two fingers. In between my lucid periods I vaguely recalled Res entering and demanding to speak to me yesterday. He barged into Vesna''s room when I sat up to ask them what the commotion was about. One look at my groggy state, he swung his fist against Damien who was standing behind when he followed him to the room. He''s lucky Damien reacted in time else the consequences, I don''t want to think about it.

    Vesna''s eyebrows sketched upwards. "It''s this art thing... err artwork that I have to submit and all my materials are in Claud''s room. So...uh I should go. Like now." I explained lamely. And hopefully you guys would let me go in peace?

    She looked at me for one full minute before she sighed. "Ugh. Fine. Damien never said anything about not allowing you to go back to your friend''s place for a while. Let me clean up and then we''ll go there together to take your art stuff." I tried to hide my disappointment but she saw it anyway. "I''m sorry but you have to understand that we have to take precautions since you''re no longer a normal human girl. What if that sidhe came back?"

    I nodded to show I understood and she left after she said "I will be back."

    Ten minutes later, she enters the room freshly showered with her make-up on. Do demi-fae have special agility or something? How did she do all of that in such a short time? She dumped some jeans and a red peplum top onto my lap. "Here these are mine. You can change into them, they should be able to fit you." I stared down at my borrowed sweatshirt and track pants. Right my clothes are still at Claud''s.

    Padding into the communal toilet in the living room, I quickly took a shower and washed my face before changing. When I walked out, Jonathan was there lifting weights.

    "Morning." I say and he grunted in response. I watched in fascination as his face scrunched in concentration. His arms moved up and down rhythmically. He made it look pretty easy.

    "Hey." Vesna said softly as she walked past and pushed a duffle bag into my arms. "For your clothes and other stuff." She said by way of explanation and shot me an apologetic grin. Guess she does feel bad for earlier.

    She pulled a pair of designer cream sandals from the shoe rack and slipped them on. Staring at the rack I spotted my worned strappy heels in the middle of all the designer brands. What sort of pay do these people receive? From everything I''ve seen and the clothes I''ve borrowed, everything is branded.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    "So where''s your friend''s dorm?" Vesna asks me as she unlocks the door. "Uhm." I said as I studied the place. The rooms here are definitely much spacious and luxurious than the average student dormitories. Even the hallways are air-conditioned as I followed Vesna to an elevator made of transparent glass.

    If I were to make comparisons, the S.P.A.D. members are living in hotels while we commoners are living in hostels.

    "Let me get out of this place first." I said as the elevator pings and Vesna punches the basement floor. "Welcome to the University of Soren. We hope the accommodations are to your tastes and we wish you a pleasant stay here." The mechanic voice of the elevator says through its speakers as it descended down. Vesna rolled her eyes and muttered darkly about wanting to talk to the school about their horrible tastes in announcements. It was then I realised that this building is reserved for the rich. For people like the ministers and their children, not for someone like me.

    Suddenly, I feel out of place here. It''s funny how a building can make me feel like this. Mum may be a renowned artist, but we are not considered rich people.

    Walking out, the harsh glow of the sun shone down on us. I squinted my eyes and placed my hands to shade them. Is it me or is the weather getting hotter? I recognized the plain outline of the normal student dorm not too far away and I headed towards it.

    ***

    "Coming!" Claudia''s voice called after I pressed the doorbell for the third time. For good measure, I spammed the button which quickened her footsteps. "Yes yes. I''m coming already. Who the heck is this rude ass..." She stopped short as she opened the door. "Ohmygod. Gabriellaisthatyou?" She''s speaking so quickly that words are coming out one after another. "Come inside now. Tell Me Everything." She pulled me into her room quickly.

    "Jesus. You!" She glared at me and folded her arms. "While I was here worrying my ass off when I couldn''t find you at the party, you were off hanging out with some hot guy?!" I blinked and tried to cook up an excuse right at the spot. "Right, the text you sent me. The thing is- "

    "Oh my gosh. So what exactly did you do? Did you both have sex? Why was there a girl here with you anyway? Wait is she his ex or something?" Her eyes widened as she reached some sort of strange understanding and her worry was instantly replaced by anger. "Did she kick you out? That bitch. See how I will teach her a lesson." She marched towards the door and flung it wide open.

    Only to see Vesna doubled over and laughing.

    "Oh fuck me. This is the most embarrassing moment in my life." I muttered under my breath. Before Claudia decided to spew more words to damage my already ruined reputation, I clamped her mouth and dragged her back. I glared over her head at Vesna. Don''t you dare breathe a word to the rest later. It only earned me a snort as the door closes between us.

    "What was that for?" Claudia stared at me petulantly. She winced and rubbed her left arm which I dragged her by. When did I have the strength to drag someone? I''m sure that even though I''m taller than Claud by a head that doesn''t give me the strength to drag her easily.

    "Listen and don''t you interrupt me." I said irritated. "The boy that I''m hanging out with, he stays with a bunch of his friends. His dorm room is the apartment kind so they are sharing the rent together. So before you go about spouting nonsense, please listen to me first." I bet even if I told her to lower her volume, the demi-fae standing outside would have overheard anyway.

    "So... so that girl standing outside she''s part of his circle of friends?" Claudia asked me as understanding dawns her. "Yes."

    "Wait. Your boyfriend''s bunch of friends don''t consist of guys right? Else she would be the only girl- " How the heck did Damien become my boyfriend? Someone knocked on the door stopping Claudia mid-sentence. She opens the door and Vesna saunters in. I can see she''s trying to hold back her grin. Her lips are curled at the corners.

    "Hello, I''ve heard so much about you. I''m Daniel''s friend, Vesna." Claudia stares at her outstretched hand debating whether to accept it but in the end manners won and she took it. "Claudia. Who''s Daniel?"

    "Oh Daniel is the guy Gabriella is currently hanging out." Vesna says smiling towards my friend but behind her back she points a finger upwards only visible for me to see. Her one. Me zero. Oh wow.

    "His name is Daniel? Oh that''s a nice name! A lot of Daniels are hot men." Claudia says excitedly. "Tell me about him and the rest of his circle. I''ve been wanting to know about Gabriella''s boyfriend." I said nothing as Vesna launched into expaining that Daniel is a transfer student from another country. It was a cover story the S.P.A.D. has been using and the more reasons to make full use of it in such situations. What was I expecting? For them to reveal their true identities to my best friend who knew nothing?

    I bit my lip and tried to ignore the feelings of betrayal and went to pack my clothes into the duffel bag. While grabbing the art materials I needed, I felt the soft brush tip of my paint brushes and I''m suddenly seized by a strong wave of homesickness. Today is Sunday. Mum must be sitting on her favourite stool wearing her paint-splattered apron mulling over an empty canvas. I could picture her frowning as she tapped the back of her paintbrush on her chin. A speckle of yellow paint unknowingly landing on her cheek. I miss her so much.

    "Really? He did that?" Claudia squeals.

    "Yes and can you believe what your best friend said?" I heard Vesna say and I frowned. She is having way too much fun. "What? Tell me!'' Quickly tucking my paint brushes together, I slotted them into the duffle bag before grabbing my canvas stand and board. Making my way towards the two of them, I glanced meaningfully at Vesna.

    "Claudia. I need to tell you something important regarding your best friend." Vesna says as she sees me from above Claudia''s head, her tone turning serious.

    "Er yeah? What about Gabriella?" Claud was taken aback by the shift in the mood but she never suspected anything.

    "I''m sure you''ve heard of Gabriella''s condition. She needs to be in constant contact with plants?"

    Claud nodded. "She mentioned it once to me before. Something she has been experiencing since she was young."

    "Yes. It''s getting worse recently, causing her to suffer a lot. So she needs to stay with us for the moment until she recovers. We have a way to help her."

    "Oh...I see." I can hear the disappointment in Claudia''s voice even with her back faced towards me. I bit my lip harder. "I was hoping that she would come back today. I guess not. If there''s a way for her to recover, I think its best if she stays with you guys for the moment."

    "Yes. I''ll miss you Claud." I say and she turned to smile at me.

    "Don''t worry it''s not like we won''t be seeing each other. I''ll see you in class then. And remember to send me the scoop." She waggled her brows and grinned impishly. I shook my head. "There''s no scoop. But I''ll text you regularly. Take care, Claud." With that, me and Vesna left with Claudia waving goodbye.

 Chapter 29: A Meeting

    - Gabriella -

    "Why don''t you just tell her that I won''t be coming back?"

    She kept looking ahead but I know she heard me. Undeterred, I continued on. "I understand that all this top secret business needs to be kept under wraps. What with all your commandments. But I don''t get why you did that to Claud."

    "This is absurd. You had orders to keep me under surveillance. There was nothing about lying to my friends! Claud is my friend, she deserves at least a grain of truth." I opened my mouth to continue but Vesna stopped abruptly.

    I almost crashed into her because I could hardly watch my front as I grappled with the items I''m carrying.

    "I will do what it takes. Lying, thieving, killing. If it means it will keep us safe. Including that girlfriend of yours." Her tone is cold and cruel. Gone is the sassy girl who smiled and laughed at my jokes. She looks taller, more imperious and every part the third-in-command of her squad.

    Without looking back to see if I followed her, she continued walking back to our dorm. Right. Our dorm now. Guess I will have to move in eventually? Might as well just announce to all my friends that I can longer be with them.

    ***

    "Hey. You forgot this." I glanced up from the bed I was sitting on. It''s soft and large, covered in a silk coverlet and also my bed now.

    Fenrys is holding something out to me. I recognized my old phone but it looks different. I looked at him puzzledly.

    "Uhm you see, because of your awakened powers Damien had your phone modified. He incorporated some materials with fire resistance in case you lose control and made your phone explode." He shrugged as he handed me my phone.

    It looks almost the same but it felt slightly lighter. The scratches and cracks on my screen are gone. The back doesn''t feel worned from years of me gripping it.

    I never realized I forgot to bring it with me when I went over to Claud''s this morning. I glanced up to say thanks but Fenrys has already left, leaving me alone in my new room.

    Switching it on, I watch my screen flicker twice and a slightly pixelated graphics of the logo appears. Same old, same old. It seems only the outside has changed but not inside. I don''t know why but it''s reassuring.

    There are only three text messages. One from Claudia, one from my mum and another from Res. I replied to the easy ones first.

    I texted my mum saying how much I miss her and that I am doing well in the university, especially now I have many friends (including five demi-fae and the Prime Minister''s son). Of course, I didn''t tell her about them. I carefully left out the details pertaining to the word "fae", and tried to briefly tell her my life in the past few weeks.

    The insecure and judgemental girl who is afraid of opening her heart seems so long ago. The me who was hesitant about befriending others. Yet it was only three weeks ago and I still remember moving into Claud''s dorm two weeks ago.

    Claudia''s text was much easier. I texted her saying there IS NOTHING going on between me and "Daniel", as well as asked her about her progress in her dance practice.

    Staring at the inbox under Res'' name, I debated. Should I open it? Should I just ignore it?

    The scene of him barging into my room replays in my mind. I don''t know what to tell him. That I was just having an afternoon nap? That you didn''t have to punch Damien? Hey what''s up? Hi why did you punch Damien?

    This is going nowhere. Giving up, I set up my canvas stand and placed the board on it. Soon I''m mixing my colors and sitting on a chair in front of my empty page. It''s not a stool but it''s better than standing. The face of my topic appeared vividly in my mind when I closed my eyes. I already knew what I should draw for this art assignment. With the way the lingering effects of that dream is still haunting me, there is no way that I could forget it.

    I sketched the details as true to life as I remembered. The sharp canines, the matted dirty fur, its leering hungry gaze. I shuddered as I stepped back to admire it. It stares right back at me, like it would jump out of my painting. On impulse, I added more details. A room covered in shadows, a window and a girl sitting on a bed. She gazes out of her window curiously at the creature which watches her.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    With my assignment done, I stretched and released a yawn. Cracking my stiff muscles I tidied the place up. As I scrubbed the paint from my fingers and my arms, Vesna walked in. "Hey, Damien wants to talk to us."

    ***

    "I have something to announce. So we have a new addition to our team. A new S.P.A.D. member." Damien was saying as he lounged on the sofa while the rest of us stood. I''m beginning to see the hierarchy here. It seems today Raziel has another late shift and he stood there wearing his work attire. Everyone stares at Damien intently as they listen.

    "Before I move on, do any of you have questions?" Damien asked as he folded his arms.

    "Yes Vesna?" He nodded at Vesna''s raised hand.

    "Well who is this new member? Gabriella? I mean no offence but I don''t think she''s qualified yet." I looked at her but I was even more surprised by everyone''s shocked reaction. "What? She''s inexperienced and her powers just awakened. She didn''t even receive proper training yet."

    "I''m not saying I don''t like her, mind you and I think with the right training she will make a great addition to our team. But now? I doubt it will be a good time." Everyone looked stunned and no one said a single word. "Err yeah. Like what Vesna said, I''m still kinda inexperienced. So I don''t think it''s a good idea..." I trailed off as Damien shook his head. He held up a hand to stop me.

    "You don''t have to defend what she said." He frowned at Vesna who shrugged. "Gabriella is not the new member if that notion scares you so much. She is an agent promoted based on her past achievements. An undercover here."

    "What''s her name?" Jonathan asked. He caught my eye and offered me a small smile. I know he''s trying to divert the conversation but I doubt Damien will let this go that easily.

    "Bella." He said as he promptly nipped the issue at the bud. "Talking about Gabriella, let''s make things clear. Firstly, I have no intentions to recruit her unless she herself wishes to be part of the Paranormal Department. Secondly, by no means are we to disrespect her. Thirdly, my father has developed quite an interest in her powers and I hope to maintain this current proposal..." He gestured between him and me. "... for the time being. Or as long as possible."

    "Shit man. If your father ever gets a hold on the reports, we would all be screwed." Raziel said.

    I watched as they turned to look at me and contemplated. "That''s why I want to keep things the way they are. Our presence puts Gabriella under our protection, which keeps the HQ off her for the moment. But the pretense won''t last for long. They are expecting answers."

    "Why don''t we do it this way? We can fake some results and submit it to them. They won''t suspect a thing." Fenrys suggested.

    "No. If the test results don''t tally it will be obvious." Damien shook his head.

    They started arguing about the merits and risks of the plan until Jonathan interjected. "Guys wait." He looked at Fenrys brightly. "Your plan, it actually might just work."

    "What do you mean?" His brother asked him as he studied the gleam in his eyes. "Do you have a better plan?"

    "Sort of." He looks at me. "Do you guys still remember about my treatment? For iron sickness?" They nodded but I have no idea what they''re talking about. "I was going to say that when I go to the HQ for treatment the next time, I can sneak into their archives and steal some of their test files." My jaw almost dropped. I may not know their HQ, but I know stealing something in the archives is classified information.

    "Oh. That''s a good one." Qas chuckled. "I''ve always wondered what sort of information they kept locked inside those four walls. Looks like we can find out soon enough."

    "Woah guys. Wait. Isn''t anyone going to say anything about Jonathan suddenly growing balls? I mean c''mon this isn''t the usual coolheaded twin I''ve known my entire lif- Ow!" Fenrys clutched his ass which had been kneaded. "You fucking pervert!"

    "Jeez Fenrys. If Jonathan is a pervert he would have stolen your virginity when you were young. How many times has he seen you naked and ogle at your little jeepy?" Damien said amusedly and I laughed.

    "Since he was a baby." Vesna added much to Fenrys'' mortification. "Enough. Seriously, I get it already." Fenrys mutters darkly. Grinning, Jonathan pats him lightly on the back which made him glower even more.

    "You guys are hilarious." I admitted as I laughed.

    "Hey Damien, can I request something?" Vesna said as she looked at me and smiled. Damien nodded for her to go on. "We should compromise. I think Gabriella is capable of looking after herself when she''s with her friends and the fae won''t appear in the presence of mortals. So I think we can let this bodyguard thing slide."

    "That''s true. Hmm alright, I will approve for just this time. But if anything were to happen, I will be asking from you Vesna."

    She rolls her eyes and winks at my surprised look before whispering to me. "Don''t look so shocked. I was the one who requested him to arrange the next door room for us girls since we have another coming. It''s gonna be our girl''s thing."

    ***

    I tossed and turned on my new bed. I''m sweating and the room is hot and stuffy. Giving up, I padded to the adjacent room where the guys were sleeping. The girls'' room is adjoined to the guys and because we just moved in this afternoon, there was almost nothing in the fridge. Opening the fridge in the guy''s room, I spotted my midnight snack. It''s not my first choice, but in the warm recesses of the night, it will do.

    I pulled the tub of ice cream out and took a spoon from the kitchen. Even with only the moonlight filtering through the windows, I can see the dining table clearly as I propped myself onto the stool. I know the enhanced eyesight is due to the fae blood running in my veins, but I''ve heard from Vesna that it is more than that. She told me stories of how they can see around ten metres in the dark. However, there seems to be something obscuring the true extent of my capabilities.

    I can''t shake the feeling that there is more to this. I remember being able to reach a 3 m radius and there is this thing that''s lying dormant inside me. It''s always been there, a steady reassuring presence but ever since that incident with the sidhe, I''ve become more aware of it. As the ice cream melts in my mouth, I heard two people talking.

 Chapter 30: Boundaries and Trust

    Kitsune: A fox spirit that takes on a human form when they are mature enough to do so. Japanese folklore depicted them as intelligent beings, possessing abilities that increase with their age and wisdom.

    Records show that in early times, foxes and humans maintained close contact; this companionship gave rise to legends about the creatures. However, the "trickster" nature of these fae led to a nationwide hunt for their kind. Now the only recorded kitsune species alive lives in the Night Court.

    - Pg 2433 of the Royal Archives. On Japanese Folklore.

    ***

    - Vesna -

    I said to Raziel''s retreating back. "Did you get another one down there?" He stopped abruptly and swinged back to look at me. His eyes are a little wide and disorientated. With a start I realised he''s shaken.

    "Jesus Vesna. Do you keep track of all the tattoos I engrave on my body? Does it appease you if I do a strip show?"

    "Hey I was just asking. Someone called your work phone while you were taking your shift. He claimed you and him had unfinished business. When I told him you weren''t here he said you''ll always be a tool and he would remember the brand he placed on you." I bit my bottom lip. Did I say something I wasn''t supposed to? I was just worried for him that''s all.

    Raziel sighed in the darkness. It''s late past sleeping hours and he just returned from his bartending shift. He smelled like liquor, perfume and smoke. Sexy as hell but too bad he isn''t interested in that. He''s more into guys.

    In the shadows, his dark skin almost blends in making it difficult to see him except for his amethyst eyes. The same goes for me, but my eyes are green and I wonder how they must look like in the dark.

    Raziel sighed as he closed the bedroom door behind him. "Were you packing up?"

    "Obviously." I said as I plopped down on his bed. My clothes are packed into bags strewn messily on his comforter. "I was just finishing up." I was never a neat and tidy person, and I doubt I will ever be one. Raziel nodded in the dark as he sat down on his bedroom floor. Hugging his knees to his chest, he murmured. "He is a tattoo artist at the outskirts. Quite big in his field of work and when I heard of him I thought... maybe he''s the one. Maybe he knows something about celtic knotwork or ancient tattoos."

    I kept quiet as I listened to Raziel. When he''s in this state, it''s better to listen quietly because he rarely shares anything about his private life. Raziel has the hardest time adjusting to the squad because he was abandoned in the streets. Starving and abused by his employers who are illegal drug traffickers, his life has been thrown into a hell hole of slaves and prostitutes since he was barely five.

    This boy has many many scars covering him. Not physical ugly welts, but those invisible and deadly ones. The ones that leave marks on his soul and inflict the most pain if left to rot and fester silently.

    "I went up to his shop one day and asked him if he knew about fae tattoos. He grinned and told me to sit down. At first he told me about his work and the types of unusual customers he received. One day a fae came knocking on his door and asked for a tattoo to be done. He told me how he had to mix powdered iron into the ink and how once his work is completed, the tattoo will shift in his skin. So I asked for one to be done. Near my hip just below the band of my jeans so it would remain hidden."

    I nodded as I listened. Raziel always had a strange obsession with tattoos, especially celtic knotworks and ancient fae ones. Almost every month, he would have a new one done on his body. To me, it felt as if it represented his scars and I see it as his way of coping with all the terrible events that happened to him. Recently, he has been improving and the number of times he went for a tattoo has dropped significantly. He would sometimes go without one for two to three months, with ten months being the longest.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    I would rather it be tattoos than cigarettes.

    "And then? Did something happen between the both of you?" I prompted when he stayed silent with his head in between his knees. If I had an older brother, I would want Raziel to be mine. He looks so broken and I wish I could be someone of help to him, even if it''s just a little.

    He sighed quietly. "You know me... Vesna. I tend to get attached too easily. So it was expected that when I knew he swings both ways, I started to get interested. We slept in his shop for a few nights, while he worked on his tattoo for me. Like how he did it for his previous client, he mixed powdered iron into the ink and used a special tattoo gun meant for people like us. He gave me the same design as that guy and called it his "brand" on me."

    "I... I didn''t know anything then. I thought he designed it himself. Until... until one day, I saw him hooking up with another customer. In a fit of my anger, I shouted at him and said that our contract was over. And you know what he said?" He took a shuddering breath as he shut his eyes.

    I placed my hand on his tall back gently, rubbing soothing circles. He trembled as he struggled to keep his pain in check. "He... c-called me a fucking whore. He said I was nothing but a means to his career. A tool for him to brandish his accomplishments. He said... he said that when customers hear of him having... demi-fae lovers, his rep would boost tremendously. That motherfucking son of a bitch!" He shuddered as he took gasping sobs.

    "Shit Raziel. That''s some fucking messed up shit." I said because I can''t offer anything else. I am not that person close in his heart, but at least I can offer him comfort as a fellow friend. As his only one and trusted friend. Maybe one day. One day, maybe he''ll be able to let me in and accept me as someone close to a sister. That prick. Well-known tattoo artist my ass! See how his rep will boost when his business burns down in embers.

    A spoon clattered somewhere outside in the living room, snapping us out of our little cozy heart to heart. I glanced at Raziel, who is now staring at me with shock in his eyes. I made a move to get up, but he stopped me. "Forget it. It doesn''t matter anyway. Let the whole fucking world know that I''m a whore."

    ***

    - Damien -

    Curiosity burns in the back of my mind as I recalled all the members recruited under my father''s entourage. However, nothing comes to my mind. Who is this member called Bella? Why have I not heard of her or seen her name under the registry member list? Is she using an alias?

    As much as I am curious, my professionalism kicks in. Even though she was assigned to S.P.A.D. based on her promotion, I intend to test Bella''s skills before I deem her to be a part of us. That''s what the traditional way means. To pass a certain test set by the squad leader and it has been the in-thing since when the HQ just started. But nowadays, who uses such an outdated method?

    I turned left down the corridor, passing the rows of office rooms before reaching the door I wanted to find and knocked twice. Twisting open the handle to the room of the History Professor''s office, I noted the neatly polished name that hangs there - "BELLA". Neat, professional, short and sweet. The way I like things to be. With a polite smile gracing my face, I strode into the office, hoping that my expression does not betray my intent.

    The "History Professor" was reading some bulky textbook on her desk, it seems her role-playing requires her to familiarise herself with the University''s syllabus before she can teach any of her classes. A twinge of amusement and something like sympathy flits across my emotions before I could shut it out.

    "Hello Bella, I''m Damien Ytger. The assigned leader of your new squad. You have been posted to the Special Operations due to your outstanding contributions to the Paranormal Department, which I hereby congratulate you and express heartfelt gratitude for your services to our country. However, I feel that before I can accept you as a member of my squad, you will have to do it the traditional way..." The words I made myself memorize and prepare beforehand died in my mouth as Bella looked up from whatever she was reading.

    "Have to what?" She said raising her perfect brows at me, confusion marring her doll-like eyes.

    "Izzie?" I blurted before I realized my mistake. "Is that you?" Disbelief and wonder threatens to overwhelm me, as I stare right into the face I recognize from my bitter-sweet memories. This girl resembles her, a crown of ebony black curls, perfect porcelain skin and down to her azure blue eyes. She looks the same as I remembered her to be. Time is playing a cruel joke on me. The years we spent apart has only made maturity enhance her heart-breaking beauty. A sharp jab of pain slices my heart. How is this possible? Why in the world? How? Who?

    Bella went stiff at the name, her polite charm vanishing instantly. Realizing what I have done, I cursed myself. "I apologize, I misplaced you for someone I knew." Shit, I screwed up big time.

 Chapter 31: Bitter and Sweet

    - Damien -

    For a second, the girl stared up at me in shock and then her polite collected mask was back on. Smiling politely, she said "Please address me as Bella."

    "My apologies Miss Bella. It was my blunder." I said as I shook her hand politely.

    "Idiot." Someone whispered softly.

    I lasted five seconds longer before I gave up the act. "Are you really Isabelle? The girl who I grew up with?" I stared right into her eyes laying my emotions out in the open. Her eyes widened at the intensity of my gaze and her lips parted slightly in surprise. Please tell me. I  pleaded silently with my eyes.

    Maybe I heard her wrongly. Maybe that single word didn''t mean a single shit. It''s not possible for her to be here. What was I thinking?

    She turned away and retracted her hands gently from mine. "You should have known it was me."

    Frowning, she tried to blink away the moisture in her eyes. I''m unsure whether they are tears of anger or tears from happiness.  "Yes you dote. It''s me. Isabelle and Bella? Can''t you not see the connection?" My hand reaches for her automatically, a very deadly habit that I can''t get rid. But she pulls it further away from my reach. Narrowing her eyes at me, she glared at me in blatant annoyance.

    "I''m sorry. Freak, I should have known. Bella is the back of your name." I covered my eyes with my hand and ran it through my hair. Seriously Damien? You''re really a stupid idiot. Your stupidity knows no bounds. Isabelle said nothing but raised her eyebrows, obviously she heard everything that goes into this loud head of mine. I shot her a sheepish grin as I scratched the back of my head. "Sorry."

    It''s hard to get an opportunity like this. The chances of meeting one another without the public''s criticizing eyes or my father''s disapproval staring down at us. I can never be sure how many opportunities like these we can share. Maybe one day, Lady Luck will leave us alone and we will run out of time.

    I''m afraid everything will disappear once I wake from this dream. I sighed. Yep, it will be gone in 3,2,1... I shut my eyes and opened them again, but Isabelle is still there sitting in front of me. Sinking down into the seat opposite hers, I feel weary all of a sudden. This feels too good to be true.

    "It feels like we have pretty much a lot of catching up to do. Although I would rather we end this quickly." Isabelle says as she sighed irritatedly. Earlier I saw her trying to wipe at her eyes discreetly. Her mascara is a little smudged around the edges but I don''t give a damn.

    "Why the rush? Scared you''ll feel left out from my life? Or afraid you won''t be able to recognize me the next time we meet?" I asked her, raising one of my eyebrows. I''m trying to bring back any semblance of normalcy. I missed our old teasing games and my heart constricts painfully in my chest when I see her face.

    I took her hand in mine. It seems we have been pretty lax lately, or maybe I''m the only one without an ounce of control over my actions. Push me away please. I pleaded silently at her hand. Between the both of us, Isabelle has always been the more rational-thinking one and I believe she will stop me before things become disastrous. My actions have broken more than one of the commandments, but I have no intentions to stop.  I squeezed Isabelle''s hand and she didn''t make any move to pull it away. Maybe just this one time I will make an exception and break the rules.

    "Says the one who can''t even recognize me. It seems time wasn''t kind to you. Have you gone senile you old fool?" She rapidly shoves my hand away, as disdain fills her voice. Yes, that''s right. Scold some sense into me. Tell me to go away. Just say the word. But her lips were wobbling slightly before she clamped them together angrily. Knowing her for more than ten years, I can read her like an open book.

    "Izzie... I''ve been..." I said trying to get the words out of my mouth before my throat closes.

    "Bella. Call me Bella." Isabelle said as she stood up. For one disturbing moment, I thought that she''s chasing me out of her office and I squeezed my hands into tightly-formed fists. Serves you right, you jerkass.

    However, she walked over to her vintage mini-fridge and poured both of us a cup of sparkling water. I frowned but I said nothing as she returned and placed the cup in front of me gently. Letting loose a breath I have been holding unconsciously, I sighed silently. If Isabelle wants me to become her servant and help her clean her office, I will gladly do so. If she wants me to eat shit I will probably do it too. But I will not in even once of my lifetime call her Bella. As much as she pretends that she''s full of thorns, she''s one of the softest people I have ever met.

    She returns to her seat opposite mine and places her hands under her chin. "So when are you going to let me see your hands?" I stared at her a little sheepishly and opened my palms out on the table. Crescent red marks dotted my palms, they look like little evil grinning bruises. She tutted under her breath as she ran a finger caressing the sensitive skin  lightly. "Does it hurt?" She asked me as I shivered. Her eyes are so beautiful. Full and round and blue like the wide open skies. She reminds me of freedom and hope.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    "No. It doesn''t." I mumbled as she bit her finger, drawing blood. Without wincing, she squeezed her wound and caused her blood to well before rubbing them on my palm. I watched in fascination as the red welts slowly faded away after a minute. Demi-fae blood has healing properties as well as regeneration abilities. They don''t give their blood to random strangers. Especially not to other fae.

    "Thank you." I breathed, but she waved her hand dismissing it. Her wound has already closed by itself.

    Drinking from the cup of water thirstily I asked her. "What happened to your previous squad? Why did father post you to mine?"

    "My team? You really want to know about them or is this part of whatever traditional initiation procedures?" She asked me as she sketched a brow. Interpretation: Are you kidding me?

    "Yeah. I want to know." I said, worry crossing my features. What''s wrong with her squad? Did they make her mad?

    "Well... let''s just say there are other better things to talk about. Talking about them is a waste of my breath." She huffed angrily. "Okay fine let me rant. Unlike your squad my teammates were all humans. I was the only demi-fae and they never really liked me."

    "So...." She continued ignoring my raised brows. "I took external roles, because they refused to involve me in their missions. I got more solo contributions and they became jealous, accusing me of stealing all their work. So I left them." She shushed me when I opened my mouth to interrupt her. Pouting, I leaned back against the chair as I crossed my legs and watched her as she continued. "They were disbanded because I left. End of my story."

    "Izzie." I said. "If anyone tries to undermine you please tell me."

    "Are we done? Please call me Bella." She said coolly. "If you call me by that name again I will ignore you from now onwards." She crossed her arms and dismissed me with her eyes.

    I almost grinned. If she thinks I will give up that easily then she better be prepared for what''s coming for her. Casually draping an arm over my armrest, I leaned on my other elbow. "Isabelle. Have I ever told you how sexy you look as a History Professor? With the skin-hugging leggings and cute glasses. It leaves little to the imagination." I whispered.

    "Idiot! Say that again you... you... argh! Say that one more time Damien and I will make sure you won''t get to see tomorrow''s rising sun." She waves her fist at me as twin spots of color appear on her cheeks. "But I was serious!" I said staring at her innocently.

    She reached over to slap me, but I dodged easily. "So you''re not going to ignore me again aren''t you?" I caught her wrist easily and held her gaze. She glared at me but said nothing. Moving her hand closer to my lips, I stopped inches away and looked at her again. "Fine. Call me whatever you want." She huffed and I let go, satisfied.

    "Bet they regretted it." I said shaking my head. "Your ex-squad mates are a bunch of fools if they can''t recognize your abilities." Isabelle let out a snort.

    "And you ended up here, in my squad. Why?" I said, mulling over the reason behind father''s actions. Is this a test? Why did he put Isabelle here? "Maybe he doesn''t have a choice Damien." Isabelle said as she pushed the second cup of water towards me as I reached for it. Drinking plenty of water is a discipline ingrained into me. I need to stay hydrated to maintain top form and Isabelle knows I drink two cups of water everytime I take water breaks.

    He had no choice? "Not true." I denied her reasoning immediately. "Father has plenty of choices. There are many capable agents in the HQ. He''s trying to jeopardize your hard-earned achievements or he is doing this for his own entertainment." I sighed as I leaned into both my hands. He has plenty of choices and he had to choose her? Out of the many? Is he trying to torment me? Well if that is his intention then it''s working.

    "Father loves his games, doesn''t he. He just wants to spite me because I told him I didn''t want anything to do with his political seat." I said bitterly.

    "Tell me about your mission." Isabelle says, changing the topic. I gave her a grateful look. "Well let''s see, our mission this time is playing guard duty. We''re protecting the gateway from possible intruders like a dangerous kitsune."

    ***

    - Gabriella -

    "Were you trying to avoid me?" Crap. I shut my eyes and turned the other way, pretending I didn''t hear it. But he grabbed my elbow, stopping me. Sigh. Why is this happening to me? Why can''t you just leave me alone?

    "Gabriella. I know you heard me." Res said as I forced myself to look into those liquid warm brown eyes. "Hey Res. Didn''t see you around here. How are you doing?" I attempted a cheery smile and added a wave for good measure. Inside I''m cringing at myself.

    "Since we''re on that topic. I''m not fine." He lets go of me and stares at me.

    "What''s wrong? Were you worried about the incident with Damien? I think there shouldn''t be much of any problem. He''s a nice guy and I think you''re forgiven." Mentally I flinched. I wanted to ask him why he punched Damien but I came off colder than I expected. There was no point in hiding Damien''s real name. When Fenrys and Jonathan interfered their lock hold against each other, separating the both of them apart, Fenrys called Damien''s real name to ask if he was alright.

    "Sort of. That and other things." Res sighed. "Look, if he is who I think he is, I wanted to tell you that you shouldn''t hang out with him. Who knows whether he''s a douchebag? He said he wouldn''t touch you but he didn''t exactly took care of you."

    "How can you say that when you don''t even know anything?" I was a little irritated. He''s jumping to conclusions without even getting to know the circumstances. Just like how he did when he saw me lying in Damien''s dorm.

    "Maybe you''re right and I''m wrong. But one thing is clear. Whatever happened that night, he came back alright and you were in that state." He frowned as he recalled my prone form lying on the bed. That''s true. Maybe Damien was a little too impulsive. Maybe things would be different if he hadn''t rushed towards the girl.

    "But I''m not here to talk about this. Strange things are happening Gabriella, ever since that night you disappeared from the party and I''m worried for you." He says.

 Chapter 32: The Disappearings

    - Gabriella -

    See the reason why I dropped my spoon was because I just spotted a note on the ice-cream tub. It wasn''t because I overheard Vesna and Raziel talking in the middle of the night, even though it was pretty interesting to hear the privy details of Raziel''s private life. I admit it was wrong for me to eavesdrop on such a sensitive topic, but hey I didn''t know the conversation was heading there.

    So when the person I last expected to see and he is also the second person I hope not to encounter came popping by, I almost had a heart attack.

    "If I were just a normal passer-by, I would have thought you were some nut-crack sniffing trees." He said sarcastically behind.

    "What the! Fuck. Fenrys can you make some noise the next time you decide to come along?" I turned around and glared at him. I''m standing in my usual spot in the Garden of Sins, taking my much needed recharge. It turns out that this is their usual spot as well because it is more secluded from the public and only known to a privileged few who dared to venture into the wilderness of the forest linked to the park.

    "If you could pick up on my breathing you wouldn''t be that surprised you know." He says as he glared back at me. What is wrong with me today? First Res and then now angry Fenrys? Both of them are exactly two people I needed to avoid, but it seems fate has other ideas.

    "So how was my ice cream?" I flinched. It seems he isn''t keen on letting this go.

    "Look it was my bad. I swear I didn''t see your note until I closed the lid back."

    "What part of "Do not touch. Do not Eat. Property of Fenrys." do you not understand?" He jabs his finger in the air as he emphasizes the words. "It was my favourite ice cream and I had to go all the way to the shop downtown."

    "Okay. I got it. I''m sorry." I said as I sighed.

    "Sorry doesn''t cut it, Gabriella. I really liked that flavour and they only sell a limited amount every week." Fenrys sat onto the ground and placed his hands behind his head as he laid himself onto the soft grass. For once I''m glad that I am not someone in their squad because Fenrys doesn''t seem to save face in front of them. "Then what do you want me to do? Grovel and beg for your forgiveness? Buy you a new ice cream?" I said incredulously. Ugh angry Fenrys is such a petty person.

    "Pft. Grovel and beg for my forgiveness? If Damien saw that he would skin me alive. Hmm buying a new ice cream... well if you can get the same flavour from my favourite shop I will gladly accept it." But he waves his hand between the both of us, absolving whatever is it that I need to pay him back for eating his ice cream. "Forget it." I stared at him, wondering what''s wrong with his mood swings. Is it just me or is Fenrys being extremely moody nowadays?

    My phone buzzes with a text message from Claudia saying she will meet me at our cafe spot and I smiled. Because Vesna had requested Damien to let me off the hook, now I can freely go wherever I want as long as I am in the company of my friends. Whenever I''m alone, either one of the S.P.A.D. members has to be nearby to keep an eye on me.

    "Hey I''m gonna meet my friends. I''m telling you so you don''t have to follow me. See you later." I waited for him to acknowledge or say bye at least. But he said nothing and continued staring at the sky, so I left. As I stepped through the curtain of vines towards the main path in the Garden of Sins, I heard him sighing about gateways.

    ***

    "Have you submitted Prof Kelly''s assignment?" I asked Claudia as I took a bite of my food. We''re sitting at the cafe in the Garden of Sins like usual, waiting for the rest to come. Claud seems unusually quiet today and I think she''s having her monthly. "Oh right. I forgot to thank you. If you hadn''t text me, I would have forgotten all about the art assignment." I looked at her and smiled.

    "Speaking of submitting art assignments, guess who I met while I was on my way back." When she shrugged cluelessly, I filled her in. "I freaking met Res. It was so awkward. Did I tell you that he almost fought with Damien-I mean Daniel?"Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    She gave me a weak smile and pushed her food around on her plate. Claud looks paler than usual and I''ve never seen her lose interest in her food. "Hey are you okay? You look like death." I joked but inside I was genuinely worried for her. The last time I saw her in her dorm room I thought she lost some weight. Now she''s even skinnier.

    Claud looked at me and shook her head. "I''m fine. Just a mild flu." Still, I eyed her doubtfully as she pushed her food around her plate.

    The cafe door tinkled and for a moment my heart raced and my panic rose. But it was Mike, Shayla, Jason and Vin. I don''t see Res with them and I let out the breath I was holding.

    "Hey guys!" I smiled broadly. I''ve never seen them in almost a week and I missed having them around. "Hey." Jason smiles as he greets me but his smile doesn''t reach all the way. Something is terribly off. Suddenly I''m brought to a startling clarity of Mike''s tensed mouth and Shayla''s white plain shirt. Even Vin who is always on her phone isn''t staring at it fondly, but glancing around, her eyes wary.

    "What''s wrong?" I whispered as I looked around as well. Everything in Masey''s Cafe looks the same, even the same curvy waitress is on duty. The only slight difference may be that there are fewer patrons than usual?

    "Didn''t you hear? It was terrible." Shayla sighed as she plops into the seat next to mine. She is wearing minimal makeup today which is so unlike her usual self. "Hear what?" I said looking confused.

    "Someone suicided again. This time one of Res'' and Shayla''s classmates." Mike said solemnly. I was too used to his carefree and joking attitude that it was difficult for me to see him speak like this. Somehow, he made the news even graver. "His name was Wesley and the school decided to hold a wake that''s why I''m wearing this." Shayla says as she tugs at her shirt with an "ugh" expression.

    "Respect the dead Shayla. You weren''t close to Wes but Res and I were. If only I could skip my lessons to attend his wake I would have done so." Jason frowns.

    "Thing is he isn''t the first person to commit suicide" Vin ignored them and told me as she settled down beside Shayla.

    "What?" I said utterly shocked.

    "There was a rise in the cases of students committing suicide just recently. A total of two this month and now it''s three. All of them are guys who have quite decent reputations. I don''t think it''s a coincidence. There must be something behind it." Vin concluded. A feeling of uneasiness settles at the pit of my stomach. There have been several cases already? Why haven''t I heard of such news?

    "Why didn''t I hear of this before?" I frowned.

    "The school tried to cover it up from the press but as more cases of students suiciding rises, it''s impossible to cover it any longer. Parents were very angry and demanded an explanation from the university. It was quite an uproar." Jason sighed as he looked at the menu before giving up and ordering for all of them. We''ve been here too many times and the menu never changes.

    "Funny. Do they think they can hide such things from the reporters? By the way where''s Res?" I tried to sound casual but my voice sounds higher than usual. But they''re too affected by the news and they didn''t notice it.

    "Heard you had fallen sick. Are you feeling better?" Vin asked me. "Oh erm Res is still attending the wake."

    ""I''m feeling fine now. I was just down... incapacitated with some...thing." I smiled through the burning in my throat. It hurts like hell. But I don''t have a choice. As much as I wanted to say I was down with the flu, the words remain lodged in my throat. Not the first time I tried. Lying seems to be a taboo for me and it pretty much sucks in situations like this.

    They started speculating the likely causes of the students'' deaths, not suspecting anything and I winced internally for feeling guilty all at once.

    Vin was saying that it could be stress and Mike was saying that maybe it was girls, which made Jason choked on his drink. Throughout the conversation, Claudia was oddly quiet.

    "Guys. I think I will be leaving early." Claudia says as she stands up shakily. "I have a headache. Count me out."

    She looks like she will topple at any moment as she bent down to carry her tote bag and I reached out to steady her elbow. "Hey are you really okay Claud? You don''t look good." For a moment, she paused and glanced at me a little sadly. "I''m not feeling well that''s why I need to return back to my dorm." I hesitated before nodding. "Okay. Text me when you reach your dorm." I watched her go, her curly hair bobbing through the sea of students before I couldn''t see her any longer.

    "Oh, uh yeah... I think Res may not be coming later. If you want to talk to him you might have to wait for him. I can tell him to come." Shayla told me.

    Shaking my head, I rejected her offer and stood up. "Alright. I''m calling it early as well. Bye guys. It was a great catch up." Jason looks at me and waves as Shayla offers a short "bye". Vin and Mike were engrossed in a heated discussion on the suicide cases that they just waved with their hands without looking.

    As I headed back to the dorm I currently share with the S.P.A.D., I kept mulling over it, pondering about the strange deaths. The more I think about it, the more it doesn''t make any sense. Why would someone with such reputable looks, while surrounded by many friends commit suicide? He has decent grades and clearly seems to be enjoying campus life from what Vin and Mike were saying... so why would a perfectly normal person do something like that?

    The more I think about their deaths, a nagging sense of uneasiness pushes against me. Wait a minute, are these unexplained suicides related to the fae as well? Or something supernatural? One way to find out. I have to bring this up in front of Damien and his squad of demi-fae.

 Chapter 33: Mr. Beast

    - Damien -

    "Maybe it has something to do with the fae maybe not. But we can''t do anything unless we receive orders to take action." I said to her and the rest of my squad in another of my usual evening meetings.

    Gabriella looked at me in disappointment and I averted my gaze. What she said was true about the cases of students commiting suicide.

    Being here in the university isn''t just for me to take a break from the usual missions, even though technically we''re currently on one, just a different kind. Jonathan has been gathering intel lately and he had already been suspecting that these students'' deaths are unnatural.

    But without direct orders from the HQ, we cannot make any obvious moves. And I for one refuse to budge on this.

    Not now. Not when Isabelle is here. I don''t want to risk this opportunity.

    "But..." She is trying to persist in convincing me about the matter, and I applaud Gabriella for her spirit.

    "Everyone. As I told you guys before that we had an additional member. Let me introduce you guys. This is... Isabelle."

    I stepped back from the door of our dorm, where I was hiding her behind my back. I was contemplating whether to introduce her as Bella or Isabelle, but in the end my stubbornness won. There is this hopeful thinking of mine that they would get along well together and so I wanted to remove her alias.

    "Hi. Please call me Bella." Isabelle smiled as she waved at the rest of them.

    I watched as her eyes light with the delight of getting to meet my squad mates. I''ve told her many stories about them and told her about how we are a family. Nervousness churns in my stomach and I fiddled the buttons of my cream white silk shirt.

    Will she like them like how I like them as a family? Will they accept her as one of ours?

    "I''ve heard so much about you guys." She said simply. Vesna raised her brows as she studied Isabelle.

    "Oh wow. I thought she would give off a sort of more punky vibes since she takes on solo missions and all."

    "Really? Do tell what sort of vibes I give you then?" Isabelle asked her, smiling dangerously. She mirrored her raised brow. I almost laughed. Nobody messes with Isabelle Ytger.

    "Oh I don''t know... You''re more like a lone wolf, I guess? Like someone who shouldn''t be messed with and I kinda like that cold ice princess thing too." Vesna eyes her approvingly.

    "I don''t get it. If she is as good as she is, why is she assigned into our squad?" Fenrys asked, a little confused. "Don''t get me wrong. To get a promotion approved by the higher ups, you''re probably highly skilled. But, shouldn''t you be assigned as a squad leader to a squad if that was the case? Why put you here? And another thing, I don''t feel any of your magic imprint."

    Ice princess thing? "Hang on. What are you guys talking about." I looked between Vesna and Izzie puzzledly. Does that mean they didn''t like her? What the hell is going on?

    "And since we are on the topic of powers, I think it''s rude to ask such a private question. Isabelle, you don''t have to answer him if you don''t want to."

    "It''s nothing you have to be concerned about Damien. Of course you can''t feel it. My magic doesn''t work that way. It''s an innate thing and I rarely use it unless I want to. After all... I''m an empath." Isabelle huffs, staring straight back at Fenrys, who is surprised to find her not backing down.

    I''m grateful that both my 2nd and 3rd in-command seem to view this meeting importantly, but to take it upon themselves to test her abilities without my permission? This is getting a little out of hand. Glancing at Isabelle, I tried to reel in my alarm and surprise. Isabelle rarely talks about her powers, especially sharing them to others. Because it comes from her fae parents and they died when she was really young. Even though she couldn''t remember much about her parents, it is a sensitive topic.

    The powers of a fae is also an intimate part of themselves, telling others about it feels like baring themselves to them.

    Fenrys whistled appreciatively. "An empath. Wow."

    "Yes. Empaths are very rare and hard to find. We are glad to have someone special like you in our squad." Jonathan gave Isabelle an apologetic smile before whacking his brother on the back roughly.

    "Hey what the!? What did I do now?" Fenrys protested as his brother shushed him. "Hush Rys. Just keep your mouth shut for once please." Much to everyone''s amusement.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

    "Welcome to the S.P.A.D. Isabelle." Qas said as he reached over to shake her hand politely. Raziel nodded at her from his position against the wall.

    "So were you the squad leader of your previous team?" Gabriella asked her curiously. In all my excitement and nervousness, I''ve forgotten about her. She was the least person I expected to speak up. Then I remembered my previous conversation with Gabriella and how I''ve dismissed her, a wave of guilt crashed into me.

    "Hello, you must be Gabriella. No, unfortunately I wasn''t." Isabelle''s expression darkens. "If I were the squad leader I would personally recruit my members. They were such pain in the necks. Gosh. Talking about them is just a waste of my breath." She huffed and pouted. Pulling off an annoyed frown and a "woe is me!" look. Only Isabelle could pull it off without looking like her muscle spasmed.

    Some of her fans tried to imitate her signature expressions and honestly to me it felt like they looked constipated. They can never pull it off naturally.

    "Oh." Gabriella says a little disappointed. She stares at Isabelle admiringly.

    I grinned. Isabelle has that kind of effect on others. Her beauty is otherworldly and one of a kind. Fans called her Snow White.

    "Izzie- I mean Isabelle." I corrected when I saw her narrowing her eyes. "You will be staying with the girls in the adjacent dorm for the time being. I think this arrangement would be better for us in case we need to be at full strength." I''ve been hoping that we could have some rare alone time, but not so quickly. Maybe when things have settled down and when the rest are used to having Isabelle around. We can probably work something out. Secret escapades from my squad sounds rather exciting, it reminds me of old times.

    Isabelle only nodded and Vesna volunteered to show her to her room. With that, the meeting was over and they dispersed. Each heading out to do their own things. I sighed as I plopped down onto the sofa.

    The date for my father''s talk is looming ever closer and I have no intentions to change my decision. I made it clear that I wanted nothing to do with his political seat and he had flipped out on me. If our relationship has always been tense, then this topic is making it strained. I won''t be surprised if one day in a fit of rage, he would disown me and throw me out on the streets. In fact, I hoped things would turn out that way.

    It would be the best outcome.

    I will have nothing to do with his political power and his group of loyal ministers who I feel are just greedy entitled men eyeing for the spot of power.

    They don''t care for the citizens of Soren and sure as hell won''t bother to look twice at the orphaned demi-fae thrown into our world. But there is just one problem about that outcome.

    I would lose my privileges as S.P.A.D.''s leader and get replaced by the next candidate they want. Thinking about how Fenrys and the others are depending on me, I feel bad for dropping my position just like that. And there''s Gabriella. As well as Isabelle.

    Izzie would definitely be disappointed in me.

    I lay down on the sofa and stretched my feet out at the other end of the arm rest. I''m quite tall around 1.8 m and my expensive oxford shoes dangled over it easily. Swinging it slightly, I leaned against my arms folded behind my head.

    I was just being there, indulging in what ifs and what nots when suddenly my phone vibrated with a text message and I silently cursed Suola for not giving me a break. The Dark Queen has been asleep in a deep slumber for many years since the war with the Old Gods, and sometimes I feel that if she was awake, things wouldn''t be that bad. I mean I''ve heard stories of how the Dark fae are a bunch of bloodthirsty warriors, ready to die for their queen. If she was alive and ruling over things on her side, maybe there would be lesser goblins coming over to the Human World.

    Maybe, just maybe, my workload would lighten a teensy bit if she is still sitting on the throne and I don''t have to worry about faerie kidnappings, mysterious suicides and answer to that many anonymous IDs.

    With a sigh, I switched on my phone screen and stared at another anonymous ID. This time my screen doesn''t even show the person''s contact number. Frowning, I open the inbox and read the contents.

    "To whoever it may concern, I am reaching out to the S.P.A.D. for a certain favour. Please meet me at The Royal L¨¨ tomorrow. 12 am. I have news concerning the Fae World and highly classified information.

    - Yours Truly, Mr Beast."

    I scratched the side of my nose puzzledly and decided to hit the search engine. The place the person wants to meet us is a high class bar in town, known for its highly secured VIP rooms and variety of out-of-world drinks.

    "Out-of-world", the term strikes me oddly.

    This place is definitely for the rich and those who have too much money to splurge on. The bouncers and security levels are no joke especially since the rooms are prepared for important people like ministers to have meetings. I wouldn''t even be surprised if my father actually uses the place for his private meetings.

    Even as the Prime Minster''s son, I''ve never heard of this place and I''m surprised that whoever this Mr. Beast is, he seems to know a lot about such dealings. Maybe an expert in the field.

    I eyed the message suspiciously. How does he know my number?

    There is only one way that this person could get a hold of my private phone number. Either he was an acquaintance of my father, that or my father has recently found a lead to that case and the person of contact is this man. It seems there is only a way to find out. I typed back the words and in seconds my message was sent.

    The reply came in several minutes later.

    "Who am I, you say? A being who cares about the state of the Human World as well as the future of my population. As your father''s son, I''m sure you understand my stance."

    He''s online and waiting for my reply.

    "Why are you seeking the S.P.A.D. members?" I typed back. It doesn''t make sense. If he was my father''s acquaintance he would reach out to him directly. Yet he had specifically asked for a squad, not me.

    The person said nothing. Nor did he type a reply. I waited for a while longer but his status changed to offline. Frustrated, I sighed. The reasons why I hated anonymous IDs, especially if my father used one to contact me. If he thinks it''s cool or cute, I can say for certainty it is not. Not cool at all.

    To hell with this. I will think about it when the time comes.

    Maybe it is time for me to check on Isabelle. See how she''s doing and settling in her new quarters.

    Running my hand through my short hair, I sat up and opened the adjacent door of our apartment.

 Chapter 34: Trouble In Paradise

    - Gabriella -

    "So is this the room you guys have been living in?" She eyed the place. Whatever she saw didn''t seem to meet her expectations and she sighed. "Well, it''s better than I thought. But I do feel that more furniture could be placed here. Oh and a mirror here."

    "We are staying, not living." Vesna corrected as she rolled her eyes before placing her hand on her hip.

    "Yeah. Whatever." Isabelle flounces with her hand without looking and heads to the remaining empty bedroom meant for her. Opening the toilet door, she glanced inside it. "The toilet seems okay."

    Then she moved on to the wardrobe and threw its doors open wide. With a dismayed cry, she plops down onto the bed and narrows her eyes. "How am I going to fit all my clothes into this... this puny thing? Even if I were to pack in all my shoes it wouldn''t even fit!" She pouted.

    Isabelle is really perfect. Even the way she pouts makes her look adorable instead of average people who look like they are sulking.

    I watched in amusement as Vesna rolled her eyes and leaned against the wall of her bedroom. "What do you think? That this is in the minister''s courtyard? Obviously everything will be scaled down."

    "Oh stop telling me that. This is a crisis!" Isabelle continues in distraught.

    "Gods, woman. Please don''t tell me you called your entire fashion wardrobe down here!?" Vesna stared at her in horror and disbelief.

    Isabelle bit her lower lip as she stared at her. "Well, maybe a little? Like half?"

    "Wait. I''m confused as hell. How do you even know the size of her fashion wardrobe if we just met each other?" I trailed off as I glanced between the two of them suspiciously.

    With a huff, Vesna brushed back a curl of her hair which was stuck to her cheek. "Isabelle Ytger? Haven''t you heard of her? She''s the daughter of the prime minister and a social butterfly in the media. If it wasn''t for how Damien had called her Izzie I wouldn''t have suspected."

    I stared at the petite girl in surprise. Isabelle Ytger. Of course, I''ve heard of her.

    A famous influencer in the net and most of all she''s Damien''s adopted sister. There''s a lot of talk about the two of them on the tabloids. Photos of them show that they have a very close relationship. It wasn''t until in recent years, she announced she had to focus on the work her father assigned her and both of them kind of drifted apart. There were lesser photos of them laughing or hanging out together in parties and bars.

    No one knew what sort of work the PM had assigned Isabelle, but everyone could see that she''s making herself scarce. Nowadays, Isabelle Ytger only appears in certain parties and social events.

    I studied her ebony wavy hair, porcelain skin and enchanting azure eyes. She definitely strikes me as someone who''s very popular on the net. Like a celebrity.

    "Really? Must we go there? What about you Vee? Don''t think I can''t recognize you." Isabelle stares at Vesna like a queen sitting in her throne rather than a bed.

    "Vee?! Who? Where?" I screamed enthusiastically as Vesna flinched beside me.

    "For Suola''s sake. Does hearing my name deserve such a crazy reaction?" Vesna rubbed her ears and glared at me. I noted that they are slightly pointed and more angular than normal human ears. I''ve never really noticed but there are certain slight physical dissimilarities between demi-fae and humans.

    "Wait. You Are Vee? YOU? The pop singer that topped the charts last month?" I gaped at her.

    Vesna looks at me like I''ve grown horns on my head. "What? You really think so?"

    "Well, I... sometimes I feel that your voices are similar but I''ve never heard you sing before so I''m not really sure. Maybe not. No, I don''t think so. You look nothing like her."

    She nodded at every word I said and made exaggerated agreeing noises. "Arghhh. You really are her! Oh my god I can''t believe it!" I jumped up and down, before grasping her arm tightly. "Shit. Can you sing? Just one verse of your song?"

    "As much as I would love to hear her sing, we still have the problem of my wardrobe disaster at hand. Sorry to interrupt whatever fangirl moment there." Isabelle huffs before she glares at the wardrobe again.

    "Honestly, I think the wardrobe is pretty big." I offered as Vesna pried my hands off her, finger by finger.

    "No. You don''t understand Gabriella. Divas like Isabelle Ytger have an entire house full of clothes and she would still declare that it''s not enough. This. Is. Based. On. My. Own. Experience." She finished as Isabelle opened her mouth but huffed instead. "What? I never said I wasn''t a diva. As a famous singer and actress, I need to upgrade my fashion statement too."You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    Isabelle only rolled her eyes.

    Suddenly, someone knocked on Isabelle''s bedroom door and all three of us turned at the same time to the boy standing a little awkwardly at the door.

    "Right. Let''s go." Vesna pushed me out of the room before I could even protest. "Goodnight your icy royalness. It was good to finally meet you." She directed her words at Isabelle before walking out.

    "Bye Isabelle. Night!" I called back before Damien gently closed the door.

    I gave one last glance at his retreating shadow as I walked back to my bedroom. My mind is thinking back to the conversation we had. Frankly, I expected more from the leader of S.P.A.D., and his refusal to look into the suicide cases made me so disappointed that I was quite mad.

    Why can''t he put in a little more effort to look into it? I''m not asking him to solve it all on his own. He could just discreetly find out the cause of their deaths. I mean what can the HQ do? Stare and breathe down his neck all day?

    I know I might be stepping out of line to tell him how he should run things in his squad. But humans are dying and he isn''t even lifting a finger when he has the very capabilities to do so. Is this because humans aren''t as good as demi-fae? I stared at my phone screen as I scrolled down my inbox, realising I haven''t opened Res'' messages.

    I know I can''t ignore them forever. Clicking it before I change my mind, I read the messages he sent.

    "Hey Gabriella are you okay? Where r u?"

    "Gabriella, strange things r happening since the night u disappeared without saying anything. R u ok? Did that boy do something to you?"

    "Hey. Something happened to one of my classmates. I think you will hear it from Shayla and Jason. Won''t be coming 4 usual meetups."

    I rubbed my temples in quiet frustration. It has recently become a constant habit of mine. So when he said something strange he was referring to the number of suicide cases rising unprecentedly. Why didn''t he explain it to me that day?

    I hesitated with my fingers hovering over my keyboard, but I know I need to say something.

    "Hey, I heard about your friend. I''m really sorry for your loss. How you doin?"

    I hit send before I could think twice. Immediately, my phone started buzzing. Res'' reply came in less than a minute.

    "I''m great. Is it someone who''s worried about me?"

    I can feel him smiling through his message. He still has the mood to joke? Or is he trying to cover it with humor? I decided to play along.

    "Oh, since you''re fine, I''ll save my concern for someone else." Press send.

    My phone buzzed with Res'' reply. He must be free now since he''s replying so quickly. I was hoping he wasn''t free so I didn''t have to face him.

    "Ouch. Please spare me some of your concern. Btw r u free now?"

    "Yeah, I guess I am."

    I glanced at the clock. Yep, still some time before bedtime. Not like I''ve been sleeping well these days. Ever since that incident, I have flashes of recurring nightmares.

    "I have something I want to talk to you about. Meet you at the usual place in 15 mins."

    I scrambled off my bed and grabbed a hoodie to protect me from the night''s chill and also to cover my messy hair. Why is Res asking to meet me? Is it something to do with his friend''s death? Or is it something important?

    A million questions crowded my mind as I took the familiar route to the cafe. I reached the place just before 15 minutes and I saw Res standing at the counter. "Hey." I said.

    "Hey, you want anything? Tea? I''ll help you order." Res asked me.

    "Yeah tea with a little sugar and cream," I said as I sat down on a table not too near to the counter but near enough that''s convenient. The cafe is empty except for the girl at the counter who''s taking the last shift. She left to give us some privacy after Res took our drinks from the counter.

    "So you wanted to talk?" I asked Res as he placed our drinks on the table.

    "They said that you had fallen sick, but I didn''t buy any of it. What really happened that night at the welcome party?" Res looked at me, forcing me to face him.

    I winced internally. Seems like Damien''s cover story wasn''t convincing enough. I took a sip from my drink, trying to think about how I should answer him. The tea is a little too scalding and I put it down immediately. Attempt one failed.

    "I understand if you kept it from the others, especially since one of your new dorm mates is the prince." Res paused slightly as he spoke the words "new dorm mates". "But since I already knew his identity, I don''t understand why you''re trying to avoid me. Please tell me the truth Gabriella."

    This time I couldn''t help it, I winced.

    "Well this..." and "Uhm..." were what came out of my fumbling lips. "Wait. Why did you hit Damien?" I blurted before I could take back my words.

    Res looked at me in mock horror. Before composing his features. "Uhm... right... " He frowned slightly as he stared down at his hands. I took another sip of my tea while waiting for him to think of a coherent reply. Attempt two here I go. It''s how I like it to be, not too sweet and not too milky, with just the right bitterness. But damn it, it is still pretty hot. Res spoke up after I just finished my second sip.

    "Do you remember in the welcome party Mike made a comment of me coming because I liked a girl?"

    I thought back to that fateful night where everything had started. It felt like ages ago. "I seem to remember something along the lines." I shrugged.

    I remember it clearly, I even remembered my outburst.

    "Well..." Res stared at me intently for a heartbeat before he ran a hand through his silky jet black hair. "You really don''t know, do you?" He sighed.

    "Know what? What am I supposed to know?" I asked him in frustration.

    "Well, I hit that arrogant prick because you matter to me. Alright? I care about you because I like you." Res spoke quickly as he stared at my face gauging my reaction.

    I sat there stunned. Whatever I was expecting Res to say, it wasn''t even remotely close to this.

    Res likes me? Since when? I mean I feel nervous around him and I was really happy to hear that Res cares about me, but all these are just irrational feelings. Idiot get a grip.

    "Since when?" I blurted aloud the first question that came to my mind. Crap that wasn''t supposed to come out.

    "Since some time ago. And I think you do too, just that you haven''t figured it out."

 Chapter 35: The Broken Doll

    - Gabriella -

    "Hey." I said as I sat down on my seat next to Claudia in art class.

    "No matter what happens you have to request that boy to bring you there."

    The woman''s strange voice echoed in my mind. "The boy"... I knew exactly who she was referring to. There wasn''t anyone else who could hand out permissions for me to join a S.P.A.D. mission. If things came to that, maybe I would at least try to convince Damien to let me follow them.

    Yesterday, after Res'' confession, I thought I would feel something. Shouldn''t I be glad that he has feelings for me?

    But somehow I just can''t bring myself to say yes. There was something stopping me and I don''t even understand why. Something that made me lose sleep thinking about how I ended in S.P.A.D. and what is my connection to the Faerie World, before I lose consciousness to strange dreams.

    "Are you feeling better now?" I asked as I studied her. Claudia looks well, in fact better than ever. Her face is slightly rosy, her eyes bright and she was seated with a straight posture. But she kept her eyes focused to the front without giving any inclinations of acknowledging me. Not the least bothered, I continued on. "You know yesterday I had another dream. This time it was all dark and blurry but there was this woman''s voice."

    Claudia blinked once before turning to me with a blank expression. "Oh you were talking to me?"

    "Obviously. Who else am I talking to? Do you still remember you left early last week when we met with Shayla and the rest? You said you were unwell. I texted you but you never replied."

    Claudia stared at me with an empty look and for one moment something like irritation flashed across her eyes. "Did I? I must have forgotten then." She said flatly. I sat there staring at her with my mouth slightly opened, until I realize I hadn''t spoke for a whole minute. By the time I''ve recovered, Claudia had already turned to look to the front as the professor continues with the lesson. I''ve never seen her paying that much attention in class before. Her eyes tracked the professor''s movements as she explained about art pieces of ancient myths.

    "Was this because of me or because of Res?" I wonder if she knew Res confessed to me. Though I doubt Res would tell anyone.

    "Res?" She echoed blankly, her eyes were fixed upon the professor. There was a strange intensity in her gaze, like a mix of fascination and disgust. She seems to have dry lips because I caught her licking her lips occasionally.

    "You know Res, tall, dark hair? The cute science guy you had a crush?" I frowned. Did Claudia catch a mild amnesia or something?

    Whatever I said must have interested her greatly that her eyes immediately zeroed to mine. "Is he a male? Does he taste delicious?" Her nostrils flared and she scanned the air beside me as if expecting Res to materialize. Her pupils dilate with anticipation.

    I closed my mouth with an audible snap as I fought to control my last semblance of normalcy. Not Claudia too. Not her.

    "He definitely belongs to the specimen called male. Hey Claud, you okay? Did you knock your head or something?" I bit my lip and scrutinised her to see if I could discern what''s wrong. The Claudia I know is funny, loyal and sweet. But the girl sitting beside me, isn''t the Claudia I know at all.

    Realising my rising suspicion, Claudia turned to the front and pretends to listen to the class. The lesson passed with the her ignoring me. The change in Claudia was too sudden and it was starting to grate on my nerves in a bad way. Right when the class ended, Claudia left without bothering to say goodbye.

    ***

    "Who are you?" I said to the empty darkness that yawned in front of me. I found myself back in the very same dream I had yesterday night.

    "Who am I?" The woman''s lyrical voice laughed. "I am a Queen! A queen who has been chained to this place that is nowhere." My feet brushed against soft and dewy grass as I stepped closer to the source of her voice. This time I could barely make out the silhouette of a platform in the darkness.

    "What do you want?" I asked her, as I took a step forward before I was knocked into an invisible barrier. Unlike the first time, I''m able to converse freely and this time I will not let her take the reins.

    "Foolish child. Stay where you are if you don''t want to be swallowed into the abyss of the In-Between." I can feel her smiling dangerously behind her words. A pair of eyes seemed to be watching me from across the chasm between us.

    After a beat of silence, seemingly satisfied that I was not going to move, she spoke.

    "You will go forth with them. If you refuse my offer, you will bear the rest of the faerie world upon your shoulders. And I for one, do not wish to see my court forsakened in this war. You hear me, child?"

    I nodded not sure what to say.

    "Very good. Mark my words child of the Old, for only those who are deserving will receive help when they need it the most." With that, the powerful presence of that voice faded along with the sound of trickling water. The darkness of my dream world envelops me once again, tugging me back into my body.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    I rubbed my eyes and peered at the darkening sky from my open window. Ugh. I just napped for three hours straight after I got back from class. Res'' confession yesterday made me lose sleep. I kept replaying the conversation in my head yesterday as I laid on my bed thinking. With a sigh, I rolled off my bed and headed for the girls toilet.

    One thing I like about having an only-girls room, is that the toilet will always smell good like honey and lavender. I don''t have to be afraid of sharing soaps because there will be extra pieces stored neatly in the small cabinet above the tap. The communal toilet on the guy''s side smell of sandalwood... well let''s say it isn''t that bad, but the soaps are half-used lying on the rack. There won''t be conditioners or lavender soaps. I''ll have to take some from the girls toilet if I ever want to use the communual one.

    With a quick splash of water, to make sure I''m well awake before I dry myself and join the squad for dinner.

    Let''s do this Gabriella. Failure is not an option.

    ***

    "Guys. I have something important to announce." Damien said as he crossed his arms and leaned against the sofa.

    "What?" Fenrys asked, mimicking Damien as he leaned on the other couch. He sketched a brow expectantly, and Damien rolled his eyes.

    Raziel is absent. He''s covering extra shifts at his bar because they lack staff. At first I thought it would be awkward for me to face him again since I''m pretty sure he knows who just eavesdropped on his personal conversation. But since Raziel isn''t around, I don''t see the need to sit on it and worry.

    Isabelle crosses her legs before sitting on the couch Fenrys was leaning on, and Jonathan joins her. Qas, on the other hand, was too busy frowning at his phone. I peeked over his shoulder, wondering what has gotten Qas'' attention, and saw a page about abandoned pets and animal abuse. Vesna was the last to saunter in and folded her arms, waiting for the news, as sassy as her usual self.

    "So I know this is a little last minute, but I received a text from an unknown person who calls himself the Beast. He has been asking for an audience with us. The S.P.A.D., and yeah I know it sounds fishy." He said as Vesna was about to point that out. "Just hear me out before you give your inputs."

    "At first I thought this person was just an acquaintance of dad, but thing is, he''s asking for all seven of us. The S.P.A.D.''s full strength. I''m beginning to think that maybe the meeting is something else. Maybe we should all give it a try."

    "Wait." Fenrys raised his arm. Damien nodded at him to go on.

    "Raziel isn''t here and I doubt he can make it. It''s not full strength anymore."

    "Right. We could always come up with an excuse and say he''s unavailable for the moment." Damien shrugs. "Anything else before I move on?"

    "Yes. Details of the meeting?" Isabelle says as she gives a pointed stare at him.

    Damien shot her an apologetic smile. "Yeah, sorry Izzie. 12 am at the Royale Le."

    I glanced between the two of them. If it was Fenrys or Vesna, maybe even anyone of us who voiced that, I doubt Damien would smile and say it that nicely. It seems Isabelle was the only exception.

    "Erm guys..." My first time speaking up in a S.P.A.D. meeting. Immediately, all eyes fell on me. I smiled and gathered my courage. "Let me join... that is, it''s just a meeting right?"

    Damien blinked once and then again. He didn''t expect me to show interest in their missions. In the days I spent with them, I''ve never once shown a single interest in their affairs except for the time when I asked Damien about the suicide cases. And that was because I knew if I acknowledged this other part of me, that I''m not truly human, then I can no longer live a normal life. I can''t hang out with Claudia or my friends and I can''t drag Rebecca into this mess. However, there''s no running away this tike.

    Damien opened his mouth and then closed it again. Before frowning and answering with a resolute "No."

    "Why not? She can represent Raziel. The client wouldn''t know how we look exactly anyway." Isabelle spoke as she appraised me with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "C''mon Damien, it wouldn''t hurt." She folded her arms and stared at him impatiently. The rest of us held our breaths.

    "But..." Damien eyed me doubtfully. He sighed when Isabelle glared. "Alright fine. Jeez. Just don''t turn to me when things go south."

    "Are you trying to imply that I''m a liability?" I blinked trying not to appear too shocked or hurt.

    "I...I mean you''re not trained yet. If something were to happen I can''t guarantee your safety.  What if everything was a trap designed by the sly faeries?" Damien waved his hand agitatedly. "I''m not willing to bring in a wild card when we''re going in blind. I can''t afford if something happens to my team, especially Izzie."

    "Stars. Was this how you''ve been leading your team?" Isabelle stared at the boy in shock and disbelief. "Have you always used me or your team mates as an excuse for anything and everything you deem dangerous?" She paused and closed her eyes.

    "Izzie, I-"

    "Damien, when you started your first mission, you should''ve already known that danger will be our constant. When will you accept this through that stubborness? I thought you''ve changed. I thought that maybe it was worth leaving for a few years..." She swallowed as she blinked back her angry tears. "But not a single year got through! It''s time we end this between us."

    Isabelle stood up. "I can''t do this any more. You''re the leader. Stop running away and start acting like one. Life isn''t just about the both of us. Please at least do it for the rest." With that, she left the living hall.

    "Isabelle! Don''t go." Damien trailed after her, determined to stop her but the door slammed shut in front of his face.

    "Oh mother of stars. What have I done?" He stared at us in horror before his lips trembled.

    "Let''s go." Vesna says gently as she takes my hand.

    "Go where?" I asked her, still shocked by the rawness in Damien''s voice. Damien is always calm, composed, sometimes infuriatingly stubborn, but never had he cried in front of us. The S.P.A.D. leader has never shown a hint of his weaknesses even if he had any. He''s the Prince of Soren for a reason.

    "Go find Isabelle of course. He will be fine by himself ." Vesna nodded at Fenrys as she hooked an arm over mine and led me away.

    I looked back to Damien wondering what she meant and saw Fenrys and Jonathan there beside him. They are patting his shoulders. Qas hovered near them with a worried expression.

    I followed Vesna back to the girl''s room where Isabelle''s bedroom door was closed and locked. Vesna cursed when she tried to open the door. "Open the damn door before I melt the entire lock !"

    "Go away. You''re being noisy." Came Isabelle''s voice followed by a loud sniff. Vesna bit her lip as we traded glances worriedly. Isabelle doesn''t sound okay at all.

    Vesna let loose a string of words that even I think twice before using. "I will count from three and I''m kicking this door open, even if you''re naked or not. 3, 2...1 anddd...."

    The door swung open with a bang and Isabelle glared with her hands folded in annoyance. At the sight of her, I gasped. Black streaks of mascara ran down her tear-stained face, her puffy eyes were red and swollen from crying. She resembles nothing of the social butterfly on the Net but a trainwreck. Wiping her snot off her face, Isabelle huffed, but it sounded more like a sniffle to me. "What do you guys want?"

    "Wow you look like an absolute wreck." Vesna breathed those words, much to Isabelle''s frustration. The door was promptly closed at us.

 Chapter 36: Revenge Is Therapy

    - Gabriella -

    Before Isabelle could lock us out again, Vesna caught the door with her foot and opened it. We found her sitting down on her bed staring blankly at nothing, looking like a broken doll. Some part of me felt horrible. Maybe if I hadn''t asked Damien that stupid question, things wouldn''t turn out this way.

    I sat down beside her, not knowing how I should comfort her. Vesna seems to have no qualms about this unlike me. She sashayed in and tutted. "Ah I see some changes. There are more pillows and clothes thrown together. Your room is a mess like usual."

    "Oh shut up." Isabelle flung a pillow at Vesna who caught it easily.

    Vesna pinched the edge of the pillow and made a disgusted face. "Ew. What if this was the exact pillow that the both of you touched when you guys are making out?"

    "Just shut up. Did anyone tell you that you''re infuriating?" Isabelle glared at Vesna.

    "Hmm your name is now on that list." Vesna shrugged as she dropped the pillow onto the bed. "Wait was the pillow really...?" Isabelle only stared blankly at her and says nothing. "Are you serious? Omg that is so disgusting!" Vesna''s outburst shook Isabelle out of her stupor.

    Isabelle looked at Vesna in surprise before a small smile tugged her lips.

    "Wait I''m being serious here! Tell me right now!" Vesna says looking at her in horror and backing up against the wall. I couldn''t help it and started giggling which made Isabelle laugh. "Hey stop laughing both of you. Answer my question, damn it."

    Isabelle''s laughter was hoarse and slightly strained, but still it was progress. "Oh Suola. This is making my stomach hurt." Isabelle laughed so hard she fell on top of me. Watching us, Vesna gets increasingly infuriated before giving up entirely. "You know what? Laugh all you want. I don''t want to know the story behind that pillow."

    "We never did anything." Isabelle says after she composed herself. But a dry chuckle escaped her mouth.

    "Yeah right." Vesna snorted. "Who the hell knows what two hormonal teenagers do alone in the bedroom.

    "Aren''t you one of us as well?" I shot back which effectively shut her up.

    "How... how did you guys know? Were we that obvious?" Isabelle''s eyes were wide, looking at us. She looks so vulnerable that I felt compelled to tell her the truth.

    "Well I knew there was something going on between the two of you. I''ve never seen Damien so distracted until you came along." Vesna sighs as she sits on Isabelle''s other side. "You were different though. You''ve always pushed him away. I couldn''t tell if I just looked at you."

    Isabelle snorted. "I don''t know what''s wrong with that idiot''s head. No matter what I do, he keeps coming back."

    "Honestly, I never suspected a single thing till Damien started crying. That''s when I realised that the relationship between you two might be more than what meets the eye." I confessed.

    "He cried?" Isabelle let out a disbelieved huff and an eyeroll.

    "So what now?" I asked them, changing the topic. I don''t want Isabelle to think about Damien crying. "We need to go for the meeting and this... disagreement between the both of you, will it affect the mission?" The words of the faerie queen is far back in my mind now. If Isabelle isn''t going, maybe I might stay back with her after all.

    "What else? We just carry on with life." Isabelle sighs and runs a hand through her tangled black curls, attempting to comb it. She gave up after the third attempt.

    "I have an idea." Vesna announced with a determined glint in her eyes much to our amusement. "Nuh uh. Before you refuse. Listen. The Royale L¨¨ isn''t some place anyone can enter any time they like. It''s reserved for the VVIP and there are dress codes to follow. Formal attire is needed and that is how we are going to get you sorted out."

    "But..." Isabelle protests.

    "Girl, if I can''t put you out there then I won''t call myself Vee. I''m willing to gamble my singer''s reputation for this." Vesna huffed. "We will doll ourselves up and have a grand time. Girls can have some fun and boys can excuse themselves."

    Isabelle sighs. "I''m not in the mood for dressing up Ves, but I have to admit your idea sounds great. Just leave me out of it please."

    "Stay here. I will be right back." Vesna disappeared out of the door leaving me and Isabelle alone.

    "Stars. Where else can I go?" Isabelle rubs her temple before closing her eyes tiredly.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

    Minutes later Vesna appeared with an mountain of shiny silky material in her arms. Don''t ask me how she balanced all that with those petite arms. She dumped it onto the bed like they are her trophies. "Alright. Take your pick. These are all my favourites."

    "You guys pick. I''m too lazy to move." Isabelle says as she plops face down on the pillow and stays there unmoving as the bed bounces slightly.

    Vesna glared at me and I shot her a look. "What?" I said.

    "Help me. Let''s get her dolled up and show Damien that he''s messing with the wrong girl." She whispered and motioned her chin towards Isabelle''s unmoving body.

    "Okay. You take her upper torso and I take the legs." I said as I grabbed Isabelle''s ankles. No way am I going to tell Vesna that it was technically my fault that she''s in this situation. Isabelle didn''t even resist as we held her. I faintly hear her mumble about something to do with sleep and idiot. Vesna nodded as she put her hands under Isabelle''s arms. "On the count of three. 1, 2, 3!" Together we lifted her and carried her over to the dressing table, despite her shrieks.

    Once seated, Isabelle looked blankly at the mirror. "Let''s start with her face." Vesna declares as she begins to scrub away the streaks of mascara and reapplying her makeup. Isabelle held still as Vesna tended to her face, she''s too tired to argue anymore.

    "You settle her outfit." Vesna ordered me. "Choose something revealing and not too revealing at the same time. Something cute that screams revenge and regret." She began to list what sort of dress I should pick for Isabelle.

    For one second, I almost told her to go pick the dress herself since she''s being so pushy, but I swallowed it down. For Isabelle''s happiness, I am willing to find her an outfit that will make guys swoon all over her. Damien is going to regret it. I''m sorry Damien, but girl''s code over idols.

    ***

    Isabelle stood in front of the mirror in a gothic baby doll dress. The sleeves are long and the neckline covers her neck, an illusion of modesty. The dress stops in a sweetheart neckline and is made of black lace at the top that showed her skin. Black translucent lace torned at the hem, falls naturally down to cover her bare thighs. In actuality, the silk skirt is really short, barely covering her behind. If Isabelle made a spin, I''m sure the guys will have an ample view of her supple bottom. But the piece is beautiful, a vintage collection with lace.

    "Now all you have to do is smile." Vesna says as she stared into the mirror. Isabelle attempts to lift a corner of her lips but it turns out more like a sad rendition instead. "Okay never mind. Just do your thing. The ice princess thing you always throw at us."

    I shook my head and threw a piece of a scanty red lingerie at Vesna. "Vesna. What''s this doing here?"

    Vesna looked at me and glared as she gently picked it up. I noted the hint of a blush from her caramel skin tone. If her skin tone was a shade lighter, it would have been more obvious and I could tease her about it.

    "A girl''s got to have her weapons and treasures ready." Vesna says as she tucked the lacey thing under the pile of dresses, hiding it. I only covered my mouth to stifle my smile. "By the way Gabe, do you have a dress? If you need one you can always borrow from either me or Isabelle. I''m sure the ice princess wouldn''t mind." Isabelle said nothing as she returned to her perch on the bed.

    "I''ll be alright. I think you should worry about yours first. There''s only about an hour and a half until we leave and you still haven''t even done your makeup." I pointed out. "Based on what I know, it probably takes at least 30 minutes."

    Vesna stared at me in surprise. Even Isabelle looked at me with some hint of an emotion. "You''ve never used makeup before?" Vesna asked me incredulously.

    "Yeah. Now if you''ll excuse me, I need to search for my dress." I headed for the door.

    "Is there a reason why?" Vesna says stopping me. There isn''t a trace of mockery in her tone and I was really grateful. "I''m allergic to most cosmetics. That I gave up searching for one. It was pretty scary." I shrugged.

    Vesna and Isabelle gave me a look full of understanding. "Yes. We''ve both been there before. But the HQ has a special research developing cosmetic products for its agents. The products are hypoallergenic and tested friendly on fae skin." Isabelle assured. "Tell you what, let me do your makeup. Isabelle Ytger''s never-seen-before free makeup session, excusive to only a few." She sighed as she stretched. "It''s time I do something in return for the both of you."

    I grinned as I left to get my dove grey tulle dress.

    It was as lovely as I remembered and this time I put on the gauzy extensions, hooking it on to my waist. It falls below my knees on one side of my dress. A simple addition that is glamorous without being ostentatious. As I padded back into Isabelle''s room, I realised why Damien and the guys haven''t yet approached us. Somehow, Vesna had locked the adjacent door between our dorms to give Isabelle space.

    Vesna was already in her scarlet dress, low cut that shows her assets without revealing too much to make others feel uncomfortable. I watched as her skirts shifted to reveal her lean olive legs. The two of them looked at me as I entered and eyed my dress approvingly.

    "Sit here." Isabelle commands. She pointed to the seat before the vanity table. Trusting her, I closed my eyes as she began to powder my face. "So where did you buy your dress?"

    "Erm...a small boutique in the shopping district owned by a french lady. If I remember correctly, her name is...Stella and her shop is called Stella''s." I shrugged.

    "Cool. Imma check it out." Isabelle hums as she works on my face, and then my lips. Lastly, she did my eyes and my brows. "Okay done ~" She announced. "Next customer please."

    I opened my eyes to look at how different I look now. Isabelle has drawn a rim of black eyeliner on my eyes, making them look bigger. The glittery powder she put on my face serves to enhance my gold eyes. "Your eyes are beautiful. Stop trying to hide them." She said as she fussed with my hair.

    Vesna rolled her eyes, but grinned as she took my place when I stood up once Isabelle was done. I watched in fascination as Isabelle drew Vesna''s lips expertly and Vesna did her own eyes. They worked in tandem to speed up the entire process.

    Soon we were all making our way out of school. The walk was full of silence. Tension hangs between Damien and Isabelle, and she ignored him throughout the whole walk.

    "This way." Damien spoke. The only words uttered since we left the dorm. We followed him as he stepped into the spot I frequent at the Garden of Sins. I watched in awe as he lifted the viney curtains to the side to reveal a gap in one of the walls. I had always thought that the walls were there to prevent others from venturing too far into the forest. It seems I was far from right.

    The path leads into darkness and Damien steps forward before getting swallowed by it.

 Chapter 37: Royale LçŒ«

    - Gabriella -

    We looked at each other not knowing what to say. Isabelle shrugged. "Well."

    "What in Suola''s name... We''ve been here so many times and there has been a secret pathway all along?" Vesna muttered in disbelief.

    I was studying the wall with intrigue when Damien reappears with a torch in his hand. "What are you guys waiting for? Christmas?" I noticed his eyes flicking towards Isabelle to read her reaction, but Isabelle looked away.

    "Like what Damien said let''s move along guys." Fenrys shushed us as he followed after him with Jonathan behind his heels. Without waiting, Isabelle stepped into the shadows. Not wanting to miss out, Vesna and Qas trailed behind her. I eyed the gap in the wall warily. Anxiety roiled in my belly but there was a sense of excitement. I hesitated for several minutes, cotemplating if this was what I wanted. There''s no turning back after this. Stepping forward, I plunged into the darkness with nothing but my wild imagination and spirit.

    ***

    The place leads to an underground tunnel, covered with moss and ruins of a forgotten construction. Under the faint torchlight, I can make out the dark outlines of an abandoned construction bot, one of the outdated models before tech bots were developed.

    Something drips noisily in the background. Once in a while, a gust of lone wind blows into the place. Making soft whistling noises. From the far background, I could hear the faint bustling of traffic and blaring of horns above us. We''re close to the city''s road or we might even be under it directly.

    "Here." Vesna says as she passes me a torch. I nodded in thanks before realising that the only people who are holding torches are me and Damien.

    "This is a pepper spray. I think you might need it." Vesna slipped a small object into my hands. It is a lipstick cleverly modified into a pepper spray. "Out of everyone you''re most likely the fastest to go down in a fight. But if anyone suspicious comes too close or so much as threatens you, spray this and scream. We will come running."

    Vesna noticed my questioning stare and explained it to me quietly. "Demi-fae can see in the dark perfectly. Especially Jonathan and Fenrys, who can shapeshift. They just require a few minutes to adjust. The torches are for you and Damien."

    "Thanks." I whispered gratefully as I watched Fenrys stand from sitting on one of the stones in the rubble, while waiting for us. I slipped the pepper spray into my small dress pocket.

    "Okay. Let''s go." His eyes glowed eerily in the dark, and his voice echoed in the tunnel. From the dim light, I could only make out his silhouette. Without my torch, I couldn''t tell who is who.

    I glanced towards Jonathan, and he too, has a strange sort of gleam to his eyes. If I ever had doubts that they were not mortals, now is a clear indication that they are not. Vesna chuckled softly as she angled her palm up, lighting her hand and fingers with fire. She''s flaunting her abilities. I eyed the flames dancing in her palms, recalling what they told me. If I could set a quarter of the school''s forest on fire, I should be able to perform a small trick like that right?

    As we made our way in companionable silence in the half darkness of the tunnel, I discreetly tried to place a flame on my palm. No matter how much I concentrated, not even a spark of an ember appeared. I was so engrossed that I didn''t realise Damien had stopped walking and I tripped over a concrete slab.

    Before my face kissed the wet moss that covered the floor and whatever strange smelling fluid dripping from the ceiling, strong hands gripped my elbow. "Watch your step." Fenrys laughed. Somehow, I have a feeling that my attempts at fire making weren''t missed by those sharp gleaming eyes. With a huff through my nose, I tugged my elbow away and marched forward. Fenrys followed along silently, his eyes withholding his mirth.

    The tunnel leads directly into the heart of Soren''s city and soon we are waltzing up the swinging doors of the VVIP club.

    "Pass?" The bouncer at the red ropes asked as he studies us with his hooded eyes. Our attire passed the dress code and he grunted. The bouncer is wide-shouldered and packed with kilos of rock hard muscles. But Fenrys and Jonathan tower above him. The bouncer eyes the demi-fae twins warily.

    "I am Damien Ytger. We have an appointment with Mr. Beast, 12 am." Damien says as he stepped between them, trying to ease the tension.

    The bouncer''s eyes flicked to Damien''s and he nodded, moving aside to let us pass.

    "That was rugged." Vesna chuckled wryly as the booming of music pulses in the sickly sweet air.

    "Hey, do you have a boyfriend? Or an interested party?" Isabelle asked me. I shook my head and shrugged. My mind briefly flashing back to Res'' face and I berated my stupid brain. Right, I can''t keep running from him either.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

    "Well, that makes three of us." Vesna punched the air with a fist before placing her arms on our shoulders. "Are you ready to pick up some new toys?" The whites of her mischievous grin flashed in the dark. I shook my head in disbelief as Isabelle snorted, while we were pushed forward by the sexy queen dressed in red.

    The loud music pounds across the floor as we enter the club. My thoughts drifted over to Damien''s words and the warning behind them.

    The Royale L¨¨ is a grand place with marble flooring, posh decorations and splendid bars offering a range of high quality wine. However, everyone here is dressed in their fine clothes dancing to the beat of the music as much as they could. The atmosphere is strained. It felt as if the classy suits and dresses are caging them from expressing their bodies.

    One of the bouncers escorted us across the room and into an inconspicuous backdoor. It led us to a second room, a smaller area but filled with more people. The fae. Here, there are almost little to no humans.

    Demi-fae with glowing skins, eyes of electrifying hues, strange girls with floating wispy hair and a lot of skin. This is a place for the fae folk to hang out, drink and have fun. A hidden club within a club. They look like an exotic bunch of people twisting and moving smoothly to the beat of electronic bass. Suddenly, the notion of the Royale L¨¨ decked with top notch security levels and the numerous bouncers stationed around the room made sense to me. If the fae decides to participate in a rampage, who will be there to stop them?

    The atmosphere feels different here, even the music is wilder and free. Strange drinks are offered at sky high prices that even Damien''s eyes widened when he saw the number of zeroes. I watched in astonishment as demi-fae, part fae or whatever fae are gyrating their bodies to the music, a tangle of limbs and sweat.

    Never have I seen anything like this. Girls with long beautiful hair that floats like silk. Attractive guys looking like carbon copies of Raziel. Some of them have feline eyes that glow in time with the music. The boy standing directly in front of me looked like a rugged pirate prince, with tattoos covering his arms and chest. There were beautiful shimmering purple and blue scales peeking from underneath his dress shirt. His eyes noticed mine staring at him and he winked at me.

    "Now this is what I call a club." Vesna said in awe.

    Somewhere, from above the club, I think I saw myself standing rooted with my jaw hanging open.

    "This way please. We would appreciate it if you do not keep our treasured guest waiting." The bouncer bowed and directed us to move to the direction of the VIP rooms. He led us to an elevator to the second level which reveals another crowd of demi-fae hanging out and drinking. The music and bass can still be heard here, but not as loud as below. Down the aisle, small acloves were built in designed with low purple lighting. "All the rooms here are reserved for our VVIP guests, Mr. Beast is in room 707."

    The bouncer led us to one of the acloves which led to a door before he left us. The seven of us stared at each other as we eyed the VVIP guest room door. This is the first time a door can look intimidating as hell.

    "Do we just knock or what?" Fenrys whispered. "What if whoever jumped on us when we opened the door?"

    "Good idea." Damien whispered back equally unnerved. He rubbed his sweaty nervous palms against the lapels of his expensive suit before taking a breath. "Okay guys. This is it. We go in and then we play by ear." From the back, I watched how nicely his suit seems to fit his build. Perfectly tailored. Do all children of prime ministers own personal tailors or something? Even Isabelle doesn''t seem surprised at how good looking Damien is in a suit.

    Damien knocked before opening, and we walked in to find the back of a chair behind a simple desk facing us. Our client, Mr Beast sat as he faced the soundproof glass panels. The view of limbs and skin flashed from below, the energy from the dancing crowd palpable even from up here. But the bass can''t be heard.

    "Mr Beast? Are you him?" Damien asked as he tentatively stepped forward.

    The man wore gold-rimmed spectacles and he turned slightly upon hearing us. "Good evening, we are the S.P.A.D. whom you have requested for our presence. May I know how we address you, sir? Or do we call you Mr Beast?" Damien asked the man formally. I studied his side profile, powerful muscles fit his body concealed within his grey tuxedo. He looks to be in his mid-forties to fifties with slightly greying hair at the sides.

    One would mistake him for a human if you did not notice the pointed ears and the unearthly glow of his irisis. The man stood gracefully as if unfolding himself from the chair and his full height was revealed to us.

    I gasped in shock. There was something about his towering height or the strange irises that cover most of his pupils that gave an impression of a beast caged in human skin. Immediately, the air is drenched with a sickening taste. The cold taste of fear chokes us and all at once the air becomes too heavy to breathe. My lungs struggled as my mouth gaped open trying not to suffocate.

    My hand instinctively went to my chest to clutch at the ring hanging on my neck. My lucky charm. My other fumbled with my skirt trying to whip my secret weapon out. The pepper spray that Vesna gave me. I couldn''t scream because the air was cut off.

    In an instant, all the other members drew their weapons. Vesna''s eyes flickered dangerously as the tips of her fingers were aflamed. Fenrys is in his feline form, his face pulled back in a snarl, a low growl emanating from him. Beside him stands an equally large silver wolf, which I guessed was Jonathan''s transformed form.

    As quickly as the threat came, it disappeared. The air lifts and breathing became easier. I gulped down fresh air greedily. The man standing in front of us scratched his head. "Apologies. I am afraid I forgot that I am not dealing with the fae but halflings and humans. I have placed a damper on my magic now. It should be better."

    True enough, the suffocating heavy presence had disappeared but the air still reeks of the taste of fear. Everyone breathed in collective relief and lowered their weapons. In a flash, Fenrys and Jonathan had transformed back. We eyed each other warily, knowing this person is not someone we can trifle with.

    "Hmm interesting. That is some powerful bloodline you''ve got there. Only nobles of the night court have the power to transform at will." The man smiles faintly at Fenrys and Jonathan. But it looks more like a genuine smile than a smirk. I expected it to reveal rows of serrated teeth, but a set of very human teeth flashed.

    Funny how moments ago I thought about pulling my pepper spray out to defend myself. How does pepper spray defend me from such a creature? Screaming only serves to amuse him when all the walls are soundproof as thick as a bodyguard. We are basically trapped with no room to escape.

 Chapter 38: Trapped

    - Gabriella -

    "I''m Damien the leader of S.P.A.D." I watched as Damien stepped out and held out his hand. Every instinct is screaming for me to bolt for the door. I don''t comprehend how Damien, a fully-fledged human, isn''t running. The only thing keeping me rooted is the presence of the other members who are blocking my way to the exit.

    The tall fae stared at Damien''s outstretched arm in surprise. But moments later, Damien''s hand is engulfed by a larger one. The man smiled with a flash of his teeth, reminding me how much his actions seem to resemble that of an animal.

    "I''m known as the Dark Beast." I shivered, remembering the strong suffocating presence and the smell of my own sweat and fear. How is it that Damien is able to stand up to such a presence?

    Didn''t they say that I have fae blood in me? Why is it that I can''t even move? Am I so useless?

    "I always thought that the leader of the most elite team would be a demi-fae of a strong bloodline. It seems I was wrong. You must be Damien Ytger." The Dark Beast spoke as he studied Damien through his gold rimmed reading glasses. As they parted, the fae''s features hardened.

    "This time I have requested an audience because I have a favor to ask. Soren has been the most advanced in terms of technology and it is no surprise that your squad is ranked as the elites amongst the elites. I''ve heard of your many long-standing achievements. " The Dark Beast paused as his dark eyes perused each of our faces.

    I remained silent and looked at Damien. The S.P.A.D. leader''s face remained calm but the hand behind his back clenched. He is trying to control his surprise as he signals us with three fingers. Proceed with caution. There is no way the fae is privy to top secret government details. The only way how the Dark Beast knew, is through inside connections.

    "Led by a human with the sight, you must be a very capable man and a well-trained leader at that." The Dark Beast smiles wryly as he fixed his unfathomable gaze on Damien. His tone seems to imply more.

    Damien swallowed his saliva. The room is deadly silent, each one of us stood very still, afraid that a single move would mean the death of us.

    A slight twitch of Damien''s fingers behind his back sent us to our toes. If he gives the second flick, we are to call this off. High fae or not.

    "If circumstances permitted, I would have sent our kind however I''m afraid I have no other choice but to ask this of you. We, the fae, are currently in a precarious situation. Our war with the Decays has started and in fear of the spies planted in each of our courts, the High King has ordered all of us to evacuate and band together in a secret hideout. I''m telling you this because you are our only hope left."

    We traded glances not sure of what to make of the situation.

    "We need your help to obtain a prophecy from the Seer that lives on an island. The information obtained from traitors tell us the Decays will also be coming to take the prophecy." The Dark Beast paused to allow the information to sink in. Something tells me I don''t want to know the details of how the information came about.

    "What prophecy? Is it so important to you that you must risk secretly meeting with us?" Damien asked.

    "It is a prophecy that will show us how we can defeat our enemies." The Dark Beast answered simply, not revealing much. "It''s important because if we lose this war, it will destroy the fae realm."

    "Then why can''t you, the fae, who are clearly much more capable than us mere humans, be given this responsibility? This may be something out of our jurisdiction." Damien shrugged. The question sounded curious, however there was a hint of suspicion hidden in it.

    "Our wars may not concern you, but the fall of the Faerie World will bring chaos and destruction to your world. As much as you refuse to acknowledge, both our worlds are interconnected. I do not ask that you fight our wars, but at least fight for yours and your people." The Dark Beast spoke, his fathomless eyes never leaving Damien''s. "It is not I who asks this of you, but the whole of the fae folk. The Seer''s lair is protected with a spell and only certain people can enter."

    "Like us?"

    "Humans will have no difficulty entering, so do halflings."

    "Let''s say we believe what you say about the war with this group of rebels called the Decays. Let''s say we accept this mission. What then?" Damien raised a brow.

    "We will compensate you richly." The Dark Beast promised. "Of equal value to all seven of you. In the case where either one of you fails to return, we will deliver it to your family."Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    Damien contemplated in silence and we watched as he seem to struggle to make a decision. Finally, he said, "I''m sorry. I can''t make the decision myself. Please give me some time to discuss this with my team mates." With a curt nod from the fae, he turned his back to us to give us privacy.

    "He is that Dark Beast of the Night Court right?" Fenrys states quietly as we huddled together.

    "Indeed." Damien whispered.

    "Suola''s Beast? Doesn''t that mean we can''t refuse his offer?" Vesna looks towards Damien with a worried frown and mined a slash across her throat. "He would have our heads on a platter if we turn him down."

    "Maybe he would find another team." Damien whispered hopefully, but Isabelle shook her head.

    "He said we are the only hope left. If he''s seeking elites straight off the bat, I doubt this time it''s that easy. I think... we might be the only ones with remotely any chances of pulling it off." Isabelle''s words hit the mark and Damien knew we couldn''t walk away.

    Sighing, he silently prayed that it would all work out somehow. "This mission might probably be our last. I know the commandments state to only listen and follow orders, but this time, I''m going to do things differently. Does anyone wants out?"

    No one said anything as Damien braced himself for our response. "This time it''s not hide-and-seek with neighborhood goblins. We are heading into the fae realm, where danger lurks. If anyone wishes to bail out, now''s the time." Damien warned as he looked at each of us.

    "What? Are you guys throwing your lives away when you barely met each other?" Damien asked us incredulously.

    "Don''t look at me. I only follow orders." Fenrys shrugged. "Even though this time we''re practically breaking the rules."

    "Exactly. When have we ever bailed out? If this mission is as hard as you say, all the more we should stick together." Jonathan offered a smile.

    "What about the rest? Vesna? Qas? Izzie? Gabriella?" Damien stared at each of us in disbelief. He had hoped at least one of us would say no. Maybe it would have given him a reason to refuse the tall ancient fae standing in the same room.

    "Obviously I''m in. You can''t go galvinizing third-in-command of course you need me." Vesna huffed without even thinking. "Uhh I need to make sure all you guys are healed up nicely." Qas said fiddling with his jacket button.

    Isabelle said nothing, but the determined set of her chin told Damien to go fuck himself if he ever decides to leave her out. So it all boils down to me.

    I bit my lip nervously."Er well... I guess if you guys are in, I''m in?" I''m sure Raziel has the same sentiments or would have uttered something along those lines anyway.

    Damien sighed as he resigned to his fate. At least if they were to going down, their enemies won''t have it easy. Something tells him there''s a catch. It sounds too good to be true that the fae are willingly seeking them out and offering to pay compensation.

    Still, he stepped towards the tall fae who was studying the soundproof glass in a mix of curiosity and intrigue. Damien knew his appearance was a deception. To trick enemies into letting down their guard in the presence of a harmless aging man. Even the facial expressions could also be an act.

    "What sort of... technology did you humans use? How is it that something so fragile can block out the sounds of the music?"

    "Um well... we use layers, especially laminated glass and a special interlayer resin. This results in an effect called coincidence effect which gives rise to soundproof glass. Basically material engineering." Damien shrugged.

    "Material engineering." The words rolled off the fae''s tongue, as if he was trying to understand the meaning behind the seven syllabuses. "And you humans call it technology?"

    "Yes sir."

    "Interesting. Maybe it''s time we learn from your kind." The Dark Beast said deep in thought.

    Damien said nothing. He had heard stories of the abundance of natural resources in the Fae World. Inexhaustible, with swaths and stretches of woods, water and air. If they were to impart engineering principles or concepts, he shivered to think that the fae might dominate both worlds. With the amount of resources they possess, it''s only a matter of time before they put a stop on human overpopulation and our incessant mindless destruction of mother nature. And if that happens, Damien doesn''t know which side he will fight for.

    "We came to an agreement, sir." Damien says politely. This person is the legendary Suola''s Beast, the one and only Death Reaper. Or aka the Executioner. If he breathed in the wrong direction ever so slightly, all their heads would be presented on a platter for the world to see. The Dark Beast is not someone to be trifled with.

    "Indeed. Tell me more." The Dark Beast faced the mortal and stared right into his eyes. The young man met his gaze without flinching. Secretly, he admired the mortal''s courage. Usually people grovel and beg for his mercy.

    "We have agreed to accept your terms, sir."

    "Mm. That is... good to hear." The Dark Beast didn''t expect the answer. But then, if they had refused, he would use force if necessary. He wasn''t holding back when he let the unspoken threat linger in the air.

    For his court and his Queen, he will go to great lengths to attain the prophecy. Threats, blackmail or violence. Pick your poison.

    "Take this." The Dark Beast placed a pouch in Damien''s hands. "On the next full moon, when the veil between both worlds is weakest, use this to open a gateway. The portal will bring you to Seer''s Island. Time will be different once you step into the fae realm. Remember whatever you guys must do to acquire the prophecy from the seer, you must leave before sundown. The portal will only reappear once at the same location. When the sun sets, it will disappear and you will remain trapped. Understand?"

    Damien nodded. "We will send back up, but they can only protect you when you are out of the seer''s lair. To fend off the intruders and ensure your safe return."

    Damien opens the pouch to reveal a clear globe of swirling mist, magic that allows one to open the fae gate. It seems other than communicated allowance, a gateway can also be opened by a "key". We huddled around Damien to study the swirling thing. Up close it looks even more mystifying, translucent and opaque at times. I caught a glimpse of an image of a craggy landscape, but it was gone the second I blinked.

    By the time we look up, the Dark Beast is gone and the room is empty save for the seven of us staring blankly at the spot he was standing just a minute ago. His words seemed to echo in our minds. "Remember at sundown. Good luck."

 Chapter 40: Fenrys Secret

    "I gave you a chance. Why didn''t you take it?" I said to the hooded fae standing in front of me. The quietness of the morning pools around us in its stillness as the first rays of dawn broke, painting the forest in shades and hues of pink.

    The hooded fae huffed and folded her arms. "That was only a window of minutes demi-fae. How am I supposed to speak to her and tell her everything?"

    I shrugged. There''s nothing I could do anyway.

    "Were you the one who helped Gabriella in the club?"

    It was the fae''s turn to shrug. "That''s none of your business demi-fae."

    At least she had called me demi-fae and not other names which I''m sure the fae have for creatures like us. We are after all abominations. Born from the union of a human and fae. Weak by standards of the full bloods and misfits in the Human World. We belong to neither. We are just simply outcasts. My phone started buzzing with a text from the headquarters and I groaned.

    "You can''t ask me that question when you failed to take care of my sister."

    I can feel a headache coming. The number of hours I get from shuteye are getting more and more phenomenal each passing day. I wonder how the hell I''m still standing and kicking. I pulled my phone out from my jeans pocket. It''s a notice of a rogue banshee and an international warrant for her capture.

    "What''s that? Did someone follow you?" The fae exclaimed in anger. "If you betray my location to anyone I will make sure that-"

    "No one followed me. Chill princess. We''re safe here. Your location is secure. This is the only place I can meet you without the influence of iron and I''ve checked the perimeters already. There''s no one." Of course I didn''t exactly check but who the hell will wake up at the crack of dawn just to come snooping around in the Garden of Sins?

    When I had left the dorm, I made sure that the rest were still asleep.

    Glancing around, the fae heaved a sigh of relief before pulling back her hood to reveal a pair of clear blue eyes and pale blonde locks. Her beauty is unprecedented for someone of royal blood. It isn''t just her looks, but her plain clothes and an unspeakable charisma that draws others in.

    "When can I meet her then? I need to speak with her. And I mean an actual conversation."

    "Patience princess. We have another upcoming mission and Gabriella is soon undergoing training. She can''t meet you now." Damien had shared his plans to us about initiating training for Gabriella. Both magic and physical. We are going to focus more on the physical because magic comes naturally to a wielder. There''s nothing we can do to force her magic out unless there are experts somewhere in the Faerie Realm.

    Based on what we''ve seen, Gabriella''s powers do not manifest unless she''s in a sticky situation and under pressure.

    "When does this mission end?" The second high princess of the High Court asked me. Sometimes I wonder why my luck is always down in the gutters. I was just snooping around the gateway and I just had to bump into someone sneaking around. And this person just had to be a faerie princess who had the authority to give me what I wanted.

    "After the next full moon. By then you should be able to meet her."

    "That''s too late." She groaned frustratedly. "I have stayed here long enough. Four days have gone by. The Autumn Solstice may have marked the slowing of time in the Faerie Realm but, time is ticking. I''ve already spent four days in the Human Realm which means almost one week has passed already." She muttered to herself.

    "The Autumn Solstice is definitely ending. I have to get back soon. No, now." She muttered before uttering a very unladylike curse word. I raised my brows in surprise.

    "Since I can''t be there to personally tell her, then you''ll pass this to her." She said as she pulled out a letter sealed with wax and handed it to me. If I hadn''t seen the similarities there myself, I wouldn''t believe it. Both Gabriella and the princess look alike, with high fae features that I can clearly see now. No wonder there was something about Gabriella that I can''t seem to place my finger on.

    I nodded and took the letter.

    "What about our promise? If you return now, how am I going to pass through the gateway? And the information? I thought we had an agreement." I said angrily. If this woman tricked me I will have to take some drastic measures. Gabriella''s sister or not.

    "Right." She seems to be contemplating something but from her pocket she pulled out a piece of paper. "This is a list of the possible people who might be your father. After careful consideration and thought, I''ve jotted some of them down. Just a warning. There''s no guarantee that they will turn out to be your true father. This is only speculation. I''m sorry but without access to the archives I can''t confirm anything. This is all I have."Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

    I gripped the piece of paper in my fists like a lifeline and bowed. "Thank you. This is already enough."

    "At the Central Park, midnight, of the next month. Meet me at the weeping tree. I will try to make ends meet and bring you across if the war hasn''t already erupted. Remember your promise. If you allow a single harm to come to Gabriella, I will make sure this is annulled and make your life a living hell." With that she placed her hood on before leaving me to stand alone in the forest of Soren''s most prestigious university.

    ***

    - Gabriella -

    My phone rings again and I knew I couldn''t avoid him forever. Even without the meeting with the Dark Beast, I would''ve chosen to avoid Res like the plague. It has been ringing throughout my lessons and I''m making excuses along the way like "I''m in a lesson, let''s not answer that" and "who answers a call while eating?".

    But now my classes are over and I''m taking a recharge under the green foliage of our usual spot in the Garden of Sins. The sun beat down on me relentlessly and I had to hide under the cover of some bushes to avoid its glare.

    My tank top is already half drenched in my sweat.

    I sighed as I picked up my phone. "Hello?"

    "Hey could I speak with you face to face." Res'' breathless voice sounded over the speakers and I immediately regretted my decision to answer the call. "Wait Gabriella don''t hang up."

    I said nothing as I listened to Res'' heavy breathing. He seems to be catching his breath from running after something. "Listen. I know it was insensitive on my part to dump the load of my feelings on you. But what''s done is done. The past few days got me thinking... maybe I shouldn''t have unloaded and pressurized you to feel something you don''t. Or maybe it was my part being hopeful. I just wanted to say I''m ready to face whatever your reply is."

    Internally, I''m groaning and slapping myself. This is not going to be good. I''m laden with guilt. If things were different and had my powers not awakened one fateful night weeks ago, maybe I would''ve said yes.

    "Right....Where do I meet you?"

    "Um... well are you free in the evening? You can come over to my place at the guy''s dormitories. I also have something to tell you. I think I have fallen for Clau-" The call disconnected and the beep beep beep of the line left me hanging.

    "Hello? Res?" What was he going to tell me? Has Res fallen for someone else...? Isn''t that great?

    All I felt was slight relief that Res won''t be feeling as much hurt if I were to turn him down. But the happiness for him that should be there is empty. I must be a heartless monster.

    My phone went off again and I answered it immediately thinking it was Res. "Hello Briel? It''s Rebbeca." Once again I''m transported back into mum''s studio room and there she sat smiling at me. "Mum? Is that you?"

    "Yes Briel. It''s me." She sighed. "You know life is boring without you around. It''s quieter with just me and my paintings." I smiled and blinked away my tears.

    "School has been pretty great. I met a bunch of friends and now we seem to hang out everyday." I endured the burning in my throat. The first time I tried to lie, my throat burned with such an intensity that I couldn''t even breathe. Since then, I never lied.

    Vesna said that half-truths are easier because the fae can''t lie. It is a taboo for the fae to lie, like a geas or an unspoken vow. I guess half-truths kinda work since the pain is easier to deal with. Somewhere along the phone line Rebecca laughs.

    "So my baby girl has been enjoying the time of her life and forgot all about her mum."

    I winced at the statement because it was true. The things on my plate have started to accumulate until it pushed all my thoughts about Rebecca from the back of my head.

    "But Gabriella I''m glad you''re enjoying your time there, you deserve to have the chance to do so. Recently, there''s been a new customer who wishes for some of my artworks. He''s rather prestigious, an art collector. So I''m not all that bored even if I made it sound as it was. Don''t blame me, I just miss having you around." I laughed.

    "If you ever come back for the night, there''s some ice-cream in the fridge. Remember to keep the place clean if you bring your friends. I will be at the office studio for a few weeks. The new customer has some fresh ideas that has made my boss inspired and fired up the team. Guess I can finally get out of the house and do something new yay!"

    I smiled at her enthusiasm. One thing you can never take away from Rebecca is her passion for her work. "Bye mum, miss you."

    ***

    5 p.m. sounds like a good timing for an evening. I stared at the text message Res sent me. After the call cut off, he messaged me the location of his dormitory. I checked the block number and made sure it was the right one before heading into the building. The student dorms don''t have glass elevators and air-conditioners, but stairs, and Res'' room is located on the fifth floor.

    As I climbed the stairs, I thought about what I should say to make things feel less hurtful. Isabelle and Vesna had given me advice when I told them about my situation. "You should make it clear. Break it clean with him." Vesna was saying. Isabelle nodded.

    "You guys are not meant for each other. The fae blood in you will make things complicated and we still don''t know your exact origins. I know I sound contradicting, but Damien is different. There are ways to open a human''s sight but all the methods require some form of payment." Isabelle said. "The most you can do is to let him down slowly."

    I bit my lip as my mind wandered to the conversation that will take place soon. If what Res said was about him falling for someone else, then it might just make things easier.

    I knocked on his door but it was unlocked and it stood slightly open. With a frown, I pushed it. "Res? I''m here. Let''s talk about this and settle our feelings once and for all."

    Something crashed loudly and I pushed the door further, hastily stepping into his room. Books are strewn all over the place in a mess. Res'' prone figure laid on the ground with a trickle of blood running down his nose. "Res? Hey? Are you okay?" I shook his shoulders but he only let out a moan before slipping into unconsciousness. "What the hell happened? For Suola''s sake!" A slip of my tongue to mention the dark queen''s name. The squad members must have rubbed off on me.

    "Suola''s sake? I see, so you''re a demi-fae." I turned my head and saw Claudia staring at me with a strange expression on her face.