AuthorSME

  The soft light of pre-dawn barely illuminated the room when a sharp knock rattled the door. Sora’s ears twitched, her tail curling around her waist as she stirred. In the beside across from her, Wendy groaned, pulling a pillow over her head. Eyia’s eyes snapped open as if the sound were a battle cry.

  “Is it Kari?” Wendy mumbled, half-asleep, her voice muffled as Nilly stretched out between her legs with a yawn before settling back in. “I swear, it isn’t even morning… The Darkness curfew… Tell her to go away.”

  Eyia was already out of bed, stretching out and bouncing on her toes as if preparing for combat. “I shall deal with the intruder. It is indeed not an appropriate time to be out of the safety dome by thirty-two minutes.”

  “No, wait! I’ve got it.”

  Sora scrambled out of bed, her voice hushed to avoid waking the whole dorm. Her bck nightgown trailed behind her as she quickly padded to the door ahead of the confused Valkyrie. Opening it a crack, she found Kari’s sharp amber eyes glowing faintly in the dim hallway.

  “It’s still dark,” Sora hissed, stepping out and pulling the door shut behind her. “What are you doing here so early?”

  “You said Saturday morning,” Kari replied ftly, her tone low but unapologetic. “This counts. You take forever looking for clothes and yapping at people, so this is the perfect time.”

  Sora sighed, mouth becoming a line and rubbing her temples. “You know…that’s actually a fair point. Fine. Just…wait downstairs at the dorm entrance for me to finish ‘yapping’ and ‘accessorizing,’ okay? I’ll be there soon.”

  Kari’s neutral gaze flicked past her, but the flick of her dark tail betrayed her. “Just put on something practical and join me… No dresses or skirts.”

  Sora’s tail swished irritably against the closed door. “I’m not stupid. Just because I like to dress up when we go to css doesn’t mean I don’t know when to dress down. Go, Kari. I’ll be there soon. Promise.”

  After a moment’s hesitation, Kari rolled her eyes, turned, and disappeared down the hallway with a beat of her tail. Sora’s ears folded back as Kari’s exasperated, extremely soft murmurs trailed behind her.

  “Why am I such a pussy… Can’t even check out a pit by myself. Dammit… Maybe Eric was right to rip my tail off. Can’t go anywhere without holding a fox’s hand.”

  Kari… Maybe I should say something.

  “Eh—ahem.”

  “Hmm?”

  Sora’s gut twisted as Kari paused. “Uh, no, nothing! Umm. Just…waking up.”

  Kari grunted and kept going.

  Shoulders slumping and tail hanging low, Sora scratched her head with a low groan. Maybe I shouldn’t acknowledge that and pretend I didn’t hear it… Mary is supposed to come here sometime next week, right? Hopefully she’ll be able to vent to her. And trying to pep her up will only make her more pissed… Yeah, Kari isn’t the type to want sympathy. The best thing I can do is be there for her until she can regain her confidence… She’s trying so hard.

  Sora reentered to find Eyia kneeling on the floor with her spear in hand, her other pressed against the wood; she’d done this check every morning. Wendy peeked out from under her pillow, yawning. Nilly, still in her small feline form, stretched zily again, cws coming out to tell Wendy not to move her legs.

  Cute.

  “The Darkness is retreating at a slower pace this day than yesterday,” Eyia remarked, rising and moving to a notepad by her bed to jot it down in her own obscure rune-like nguage. “I feel movement within. One fae girl snuck out st night three doors down. I can feel the lingering path she took from the crawling shadows.”

  “Well, that’s not creepy at all,” Sora muttered, swiping her tail over the bed to nudge Nilly. The cat barely moved, her whiskers twitching in protest.

  “Mrrroww…”

  “I hear you, Nilly,” Wendy yawned, gncing at the Valkyrie. “She made it back, right?”

  Eyia shook her head. “Intercepted by a Dryad instructor and taken away.”

  “Yikes. Sucks to be her. And are you really meeting her this early?” The tanuki’s focus remained on Nilly, rubbing her head as the Cat Mother purred and pressed against it. Concern shadowed her features. “By the way, Nilly hasn’t been herself tely. She’s been so lethargic. She didn’t take her stable form at all yesterday.”

  “I’ve noticed.” Sora’s voice softened and she moved to give the old feline some attention. “I was going to bring it up. Maybe Eyia, Nerida, and you can figure it out today if she stabilizes?”

  Wendy nodded, brushing her fingers through the cat’s fur. “Yeah, I’ll try. And, hey… Umm. You wouldn’t mind…visiting Auntie Rose with me tomorrow, would you?”

  “Absolutely,” Sora immediately replied. “I was actually going to bring that up to you. I know you’re struggling with the whole spiritual and magical parts of the lectures. And…there her thorns are again. They’ve been more…invasive tely. Any clues?”

  Wendy muttered under her breath, her gaze darting toward Eyia as her blue eyes blinked, utterly bnk on the conversation that went right through her ears. “She has been more invasive tely. There’s a tad of worry in them.” Her eyes lingered on the warrior’s face, where faint, jagged scars glinted like obsidian threads under her skin. “You okay, Eyia?”

  The Valkyrie remained stoic, adjusting her spear as if the conversation hadn’t happened. “Of course. I am preparing myself for the inevitable combat. I pn to run defensive drills with you both ter. Be prepared.”

  “Defensive drills?” Wendy snorted, her tone teasing. “I’m basically immortal. Destroy my body and I just reform.”

  “We don’t know that yet,” Sora countered with a light gre and frown. “Just because you can release your body and become a brooch doesn’t mean your brooch can’t be broken. Null-Void is scary… What if you break and start pulling everything in to repair yourself?”

  “I know. I know,” her sister grumbled. “Jin’s battle royale that she has pnned for next week, right? Sure thing, Captain Serious.”

  Sora’s ears ft-lined. “Wait. I didn’t hear anything about a battle royale.”

  Wendy lifted an eyebrow. “We were talking about it during Se’s lecture yesterday? I guess you were too locked in. Anyway, yeah, she’s got this whole tournament thing pnned between her ‘promising’ students. I think she just wants to rub your nose in the dirt, though.”

  “I wouldn’t put it past her,” she groaned.

  A battle royale… With Jin in the contest? Yeah, no one stands a chance. Obviously, she wants it to be Eyia and her at the end. But…what if we could get Jin out on a technicality? Wendy and me? Some Null-Void shenanigans? Maybe… Something to consider tomorrow.

  Eyia’s solemn expression barely shifted. “I am not one to jest, Sisters. Jin is also going to participate.”

  Wendy’s giggle turned into a choke. “You didn’t tell me the queen dragon herself was joining the fight. Is that even fair? Shouldn’t the teachers get involved—no, scratch that,” she sighed, combing her hair over her shoulder while shaking her head. “They’re probably all too scared.”

  Sora snorted and moved to her closet to find something suitable to wear; she didn’t make it before being roped back into the conversation. “Yeah, you’re not wrong. Jian himself is terrifying. Jin’s on a whole different level. We both know why she’s entering the contest.”

  Wendy and her turned to Eyia, who blinked, totally oblivious to their thoughts.

  “Because…she wishes to do combat with her students to show them where they ck? It is a valid method of testing your understudies…” Her brow furrowed, tone faltering. “That…is the correct term, yes? Understudies? Students?”

  Sora met Wendy’s gaze with a giggle. Maybe I do like to yap, Kari! Yeah, Jin wants to join the battle royale to give Eyia an excuse to punch her in the face…and to punch Eyia in the face. Plus, it checks a billion boxes for the dragon…including probably pulling my tail.

  Coiling the appendage around to hug protectively, her attention was pulled to Wendy as her brunette sister gave her a leering gre from her bed. “Okay, I’m going back to bed. And just so you know, if you and Kari disappear and aren’t back by three, Eyia and I are going on a manhunt. This pce is sketchy. In good ways and bad… Mr. Handsome Tattoo Man.”

  Eyia’s eyes bzed back to light. “Indeed, Sister! I have yet to meet this man of tattoos who steals your attraction. What will you be doing with the wolf and handsome man of muscles Sister Wendy speaks of?”

  Sora shot venom at Wendy’s sly off-handed gnce away. “You can’t help yourself!”

  “Quit dodging the question, Sister,” Wendy snickered, her tail wiggling under the heavy bnket she was under. “What are you going to do with the handsome man of muscles and tattoos that steals your attraction?”

  Pointing two fingers at her eyes and making an ‘I’m watching you’ gesture, Sora retreated into the closet to dodge the question. “First you twist Nerida into wild fantasies that have her turning bright as a cherry and now you’re filling Eyia’s head with junk food. What fanfiction are you writing up here? Oh, and we’ll check in on Aiden when I get back. I’m worried about him.”

  Wendy frowned, hearing her sister settling back in as Eyia released her spear and began writing notes in her book, no doubt jotting down questions to ask ter. The brunette had been a terrible influence on the educational front with the Valkyrie, teaching her all about pop-culture and ‘ships’ that were totally alien to the warrior—to her, stories couldn’t be changed because you wanted them to, because that muddied history.

  “Meh. I’m not that close to him, but sure. Firebird is on the radar. Wait…tension? Eyia! you can track him down, right?”

  “I will be an investigator of the missing persons,” Eyia decred, her tone firm once again. “Like your movies of Holmes. I shall uncover the clues with the brain juice.”

  Sora couldn’t help but smile as she pointed at Wendy from within the closet. “You keep your dirty mind away from my innocent Eyia, Sis! Wait, have you been having her write down your crazy fantasies?!”

  Wendy’s smirk deepend while settling in, her tail wagging under the covers. “She’s actually an incredible author. You won’t believe the details she can write. The hunk, the fox, and the invisibility pool…interested?”

  Mind spinning wildly with that kind of title, Sora’s eyes narrowed. “…Maybe… I’m kind of scared after hearing part of that siren story you crafted for Nerida. What kind of books were you reading since middle school?”

  “Many books… Many, many books,” Wendy snickered darkly. “Well, more of the free online stuff on the school network after janitor duties since, you know, I didn’t have WiFi at home… Some spicy stuff!”

  Eyia’s confident tone fractured again. “Spicy… How can words be spicy? Is it the vibrations on the tongue that triggers a receptive response of cells or spiritual injection of venomous aura?”

  Cracking up with Wendy, Sora used her magic to freshen up, shifting her attire to something practical for potential combat: dark leggings reinforced with light protective stitching, a fitted short-sleeved shirt, yered with a sleeveless leather jerkin, and durable boots.

  She gave her roommates a happy wave upon finishing; the sight of Eyia still jotting down notes in her bed made her smile. Kari waited at the dorm entrance in her usual gym wear, arms crossed as she leaned against the wall.

  The wolf raised a brow as she approached. “Wow. Not as long as you usually yap for. What, twenty-five minutes? Wendy shut you down?”

  “Something like that…”

  “Where’s this contact of yours?”

  “By the forest,” Sora promptly replied, her tail flicking in irritation. “I hope.”

  “You hope?” Kari repeated, her eyes creased with doubt. “And you’re sure we’re doing this during the day? Doesn’t seem like the best time to be breaking rules.”

  Sora gred at her and hissed. “Shhhh! Let me at least throw up a sound barrier. A girl got caught by a Dryad teacher st night sneaking out. And we’re already sneaking into a restricted forest. Doing it at night would be stupid. Let’s go.”

  Kari smirked, falling into step beside her as the first rays of light from the World Tree fruits above chased away the shadows. “If you say so, Princess. And if someone already got caught, then it’ll provide a smoke screen for us.”

  As they used the portals to head toward the Western Forest, Sora’s thoughts swirled with a mix of hope and anxiety. Please, please, Aelion! Don’t stand me up or fke on me. Why didn’t he show up…or maybe he was waiting for me to find him?

  I don’t even know what he expects! Aiden and Aelion… I don’t know anything about either of them really. Dammit, Sora! Way to go, being attracted to the mysterious boys. Idiot. He said it was a date but is it a real ‘date’ or was he just teasing me?

  Plus… Kari is kind of here, she internally groaned, gncing at the grumpy wolf. Is the girl supposed to find the boy in Fae culture? Ugh. Maybe I should have taken that Opposites Attract lecture from that Mistress Katie Mil instructor.

  She shook her head, focusing on the path ahead. There was no turning back now.

  * — * — *

  The forest’s edge loomed ahead, the towering trees twisting together like ancient sentinels, telling them they weren’t welcome. Kari’s fingernails scraped lightly against her gym shorts as she flexed her hand, a steady rhythm she didn’t realize she was keeping until Sora’s fidgeting drew her attention.

  The fox’s tail swayed erratically behind her, brushing against her thigh as she tugged at the hem of her shirt, adjusting it for what had to be the tenth time since they’d left the dorm.

  What’s her deal? Ever since we left, she’s smelled of sweat and anxiety… There’s some other hormone, too. Something she releases around Aiden… Is he going to show up? He damn well better not! If you told him, Sora…

  Kari’s sharp eyes flicked over the fox’s outfit. It was practical, sure—leggings that looked reinforced and a jerkin that allowed for easy movement—but it was also…tighter than it needed to be.

  Is she using illusions to make herself shimmer? It wasn’t something Sora usually did. What’s up with that over-emphasized fluff to her tail and the brighter glow in her eyes? Kari’s ears twitched at the realization. She’s dressing up for someone but doesn’t want to look like she’s overdoing it!

  Sora adjusted her leather jacket again. The vulpes was typically confident, owning her space like she belonged wherever she stood. To be fair, she literally sort of owned everything, this being her mother’s territory. Now? She looked like a bundle of fluffy nerves wrapped in shimmering foxfire. It wasn’t hard to figure out why.

  The moment they reached the forest’s edge, he was there.

  Aelion leaned casually against a tree, his silver hair catching the faint early-morning light filtering through the canopy. His posture was rexed, his tattooed arms crossed loosely over his broad chest, but there was a hidden sharpness in his gaze as it swept over them. His lips curved into a small smile, warm and unreadable.

  You can’t be serious, Sora!

  “Right on time.” His voice carried an easy confidence none of the high school boys had back in Miami. Aiden had it, though. “And don’t you both look stunning.”

  Kari stopped just short of the tree line, letting Sora take a few steps ahead. Her ears fttened as she caught the way Sora’s tail flicked—a little too energetically; she wasn’t subtle—and the way her fingers brushed against the jacket’s colr before dropping to her side.

  “Thanks for meeting us,” Sora quickly returned, her voice steady but carrying a slight edge of awkwardness as if not knowing how to continue. “I wasn’t sure if we were supposed to meet here or—uh—if Jelira would find us and bring us to you,” she ughed.

  Aelion’s smile deepened. “Jelira always knows who enters her domain. She knew exactly where you two came from and guided me here. Made sense you’d go back to familiar ground and we didn’t quite get a chance to meet again this st week. Unfortunate. Maybe next week I’ll have more luck.”

  He pushed off the tree and stepped closer, his movements smooth and deliberate. Kari caught the way Sora’s ears twitched at his proximity, the hormones in her tail, and the faint flush that crept into her cheeks.

  She’s smitten.

  Kari stayed silent, crossing her arms and observing the exchange. She wasn’t sure if she felt annoyed or just…awkward. It wasn’t like she hadn’t noticed Sora’s nervous energy earlier, but now, seeing her stumble over her words in front of Aelion made her stomach twist.

  You were supposed to be helping me, not going on a date. I waited all week for this, and… No. Focus. It’s cool. Clearly, he has a lead. It just…overps in a few other areas. This isn’t why you’re here.

  Still, her sharp eyes didn’t miss the way Aelion’s gaze lingered on Sora, or the way his tone softened when he spoke to her. It was subtle, but Kari had spent enough time reading people to pick up on the undertones.

  He’s pying into her hints…or actually means them. Maybe I should pay more attention to how fae couple’s interact to get a better grasp on his hormonal release… Dammit, Sora, why are you making my brain totally shift gears?! I don’t want to be the third wheel… It happened enough back in Miami with the other girls.

  “This forest is alive in ways most don’t understand,” Aelion continued, as if he were engaging in a lecture while gncing her way for a brief moment before returning his attention to Sora. “Jelira would like to speak with you before taking you back to the pit. There’s something she wishes to share. Something she didn’t want to talk to me about.”

  “Oh?” Sora blinked, her tail fluffing slightly. “I’m special, huh? Well, I shouldn’t be surprised,” she giggled, fidgeting with her fingers behind her back. “It’s kind of a typical thing for me. So, is this about the Shadow Pit or Founder stuff?”

  Aelion’s smile turned enigmatic as he shrugged. “She’ll expin. Come on. No need to ruin the experience by dropping too many details.” He gestured for them to follow, his steps unhurried as he led them deeper into the forest.

  Does she like this mysterious, tense atmosphere type? Not exactly my kind of flirting…but I guess Sora is a fox. She should just bite him and mark her territory. It’s what I’d do to a guy. It’s not why we’re here, though! Don’t get mad. Breathe… Just breathe.

  Kari trailed behind, her ears swiveling to catch every sound. The forest pulsed with a low, thrumming energy, and the air felt thick with magic. It wasn’t the suffocating presence of the Shadow Pit she’d stood before—the familiar osciltion that pulsed within her when in front of it—but something older and heavier, like the weight of untold stories this pce had seen, pressing against her skin… The sensation of being watched.

  They reached a clearing where the trees arched together, forming a natural cathedral. In the center stood Jelira, her form shimmering with an otherworldly light. Her hair cascaded like liquid silver, and her eyes glowed with a calm, ancient wisdom. She inclined her head as they approached.

  Not impressive. Maybe my expectations were too high. Kari internally sighed, feeling like she had to walk through a mile of red tape to actually get to where she wanted to be. I guess if this guy can get the forest dy to mask our presence, then it’s worth it… Just get on with it, though. Stop flicking your tail!

  “Sora,” Jelira said, her voice carrying the melody of rustling leaves and flowing water. “There is a task I must entrust to you… One I now believe only the two of you can accomplish. Primarily you,” she stated, looking right past Sora to her.

  “Kari?” Sora shifted to the side to follow her gaze. “What…kind of task? It’s not dangerous, right?”

  Kari’s vision dulled, tail hanging low. Way to make me sound even more pathetic, Fme Ass. Do you really think I’m that weak?

  Jelira extended a hand, and Kari’s agitated thoughts faded away as vines rose out of the earth, coiling around one another. They coalesced into a sphere, shimmering light gathering at its center to create an image of the Shadow Pit, only it was far darker, writhing out in waves.

  “This Shadow Pit is unlike any other I have dealt with.” Kari’s body went utterly still, tail freezing behind her as a wolf cwed her way out. Larger than her… Larger than Eric. “I have never witnessed a creature swallowed by The Darkness escape totally untainted. The wolf’s power, her essence remains tied to the pit, and within it lies a Corrupted Seed that feeds on that strength.”

  Impossible. Impossible… It’s impossible.

  Kari’s fingernails penetrated her arms, knowing exactly who it was. Her sleek gray coat shimmered like the moon. “Where did she go?” The words slipped out before she could stop them.

  Jelira’s gaze shifted to her, serene yet unreadable. “The wolf entered my forest from a rift that I cannot expin. I do not know where she has gone, but the essence she left behind ties her to the northeastern ke. She jumped in that direction after escaping, yet could have flown all the way up to the Realm Tree.”

  Pulse quickening, Kari felt sweat gathering under her armpits. She escaped… She’s alive. Ylva… You knew. Is that why you gave me that cryptic message? Her thoughts spun wildly, images of her mother fshing through her mind. Did you know it would turn out like this?

  Did a part of her survive…or is this really her? No, of course she’d survive! Pain erupting in her chest, Sora and Aelion stepped back as her thumping heart became a drum that disturbed the forest. But how? Aiden said… Eric was right. He wasn’t just expanding his territory… He was looking for her!

  Jelira seemed unbothered by the confusion and anger slowly bubbling up within her as all the pieces started to slide into pce. The woman’s attention returned to Sora, her tone as gentle as a brook.

  “This Corrupted Seed cannot be purified or destroyed. Most of these seeds are dealt with by the staff, but this one has resisted all attempts to interact with it…and it has vast power within it. Its presence has drawn the attention of the dean herself.”

  Mia knew… Kari internally snarled, cwed nails ripping into her palm to draw blood. Mia had to know. Is that why Ylva didn’t tell me outright?

  Aelion spoke up, his tone grave. “I thought as much, considering the vibes I got from it. That’s probably why this area is restricted. The pit’s resistance has made it a pce of study and concern. The dean herself likely intends to examine it herself when her time allows.”

  Kari’s cws flexed involuntarily, her blood dripping onto the bdes of grass catching Sora’s uneasy gaze. A pit that resists everything. A seed that can’t be destroyed. That sounds like a Fenris Wolf thing… It’s using her power.

  “Kari?” Sora tentatively asked, carefully moving forward to pce a hand on her arm. “What’s wrong? Why…are you looking at me like that?”

  “Your mom knew.” Kari snarled. She bit her lip, splitting it for a moment as she tried to regain her emotions under control, dark fur cascading down her frame before returning to skin. “She knew!”

  “Knew…what?” Aelion swiftly moved forward, pcing an arm between them and attempting to guide Sora back but the vulpes directed it away. “Kari, what are you talking about? Is that shadowy wolf…your mom? Did she manage to escape? She’s here?”

  Closing her eyes and engaging a breathing technique Mary had taught her, Kari slowly got her thumping heart under control. When she opened them, her amber irises glowed.

  “No… Tiri was thrown here. My little sister survived…”

  Sora’s vision went wide. “You’re sure? I thought…your uncle ate her. If that’s true… You’re right! Why wouldn’t Mom tell me, or… That’s not right. She shouldn’t have kept that a secret,” she mumbled, bewilderment crossing her features. “Why…” Her tail flicked erratically, brushing against Kari’s as her ears fttened. “It doesn’t make sense…”

  Aelion took a step back, almost respectfully, his brow furrowed as his gaze flicked briefly to Sora. His tone softened. “Careful. The facts could be true, the interpretation twisted…”

  Kari ignored him and turned to Jelira. “Take me to the pit. If it’s a part of her memories or a rift made in space-time, then I have to know what happened to her… What she was feeling—thinking. I have to know where she went and what she was doing here.”

  Jelira directed them to her left, where mushrooms began to grow, illuminating a path. “At the end, you will find the pce you seek. I’m afraid I know nothing of the specifics, but what I do know is that you should be able to follow her trail with the corrupted seed…while carrying it out of my soil and freeing me of it.”

  Ice surged through Kari’s veins, body tingling and numb. She didn’t say another word, walking along the slow-grown shrooms. She would have ran if they were faster. Sora was swift to join her, gncing back at Aelion, who remained behind, Jelira stopping him to talk further. Kari didn’t care though, she had a direction. One she had to follow.

  Eric, damn you! Did you feed that BS to Aiden…or did he tell me Uncle Hati ate her? It makes sense. They need us for breeding machines. If she was as pure as me, or even purer, then they’d want her first. Tiri…where the hell are you?!

  AuthorSME