SPECIFIC-ODD ANNOUNCEMENTSLINKS ARE ONLY CLICKABLE BY READERS ON CERTAIN ODDS BY COLOR. B . E . A. S . T .
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chapter 3
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SHAPE-SHIFTER'S FESTIVAL
We have come to the point of celebrating the first festival of this year; the festival of shape-shifters.
Hopefully, we can offer you shape-shifter's way of celebrating the Feast day. Please do remember that the preparation has been rushed and it'll be the first time. But please anticipate and join their festival in their journal on 4th of April. Help them if you want to. Contact their member if you wanted to help them. About that, the makers of beast are in process of writing CHAPTER 3.5 which all be about the festival of shape-shifter in the fanfic. Please anticipate it. We will post up accordingly. We might include things here and there according to the progress of everyone in the festival in alltheoddsin_s. So join.. neh? to contact Head-teachers Sae if anything @megatroll101 or any headmistress @hyerin31 @xxmonssshie09xx thank you. new!!! attentionThere has been some mishap in weebly account of shape-shifter festival. We couldn't seem to update it. We will maybe try to and open the site on this coming weekend.
For a while, enjoy the chapter. |
Junsu sprang off the couch with the quietness of a shifter. His feet barely made a sound as they landed on the bare floor of the Forest Haven’s lounge. The rustling was getting louder; his ears perked up to listen more. Slowly, he crept his way towards the open window. His best friend had requested for him to leave all the windows in the lounge open but right now, he was mentally cursing the other for having asked such a favor.
Flattening his back against the wall, he glanced sharply to his right as the thick vines that slithered up the walls of their dorms shook. Someone was making their way up. A low growl escaped his mouth as his teeth sharpened, readying himself for any incoming danger. But, as he was about to pounce at the intruder, his best friend, Hyukjae came barreling in through the window like a bullet. “Close the windows!” Hyukjae gasped from the floor. He stared at the other, eyes wide and frozen on his feet. “The fucking windows, goddammit Junsu! Close them,” the head boy growled, his pupils turning to slits. “Now!” Scrambling from his place by the wall, he skidded across the floor to slam all the windows shut one after the other. Once he was sure all of them were locked securely, Junsu walked back to his distressed friend and kneeled down beside him. “Hyukkie? Did something happen?” he asked, placing a hand on the boy’s shoulder. Hyukjae jerked away, his eyes turning bright and his claws unsheathing unexpectedly but he managed to dodge it in time. “Fuck, Hyukkie. It’s me! Dammit. What’s wrong with you?” Worry was bubbling up inside of him as he inched closer toward his best friend before grabbing the other’s face in between his palms. Laying his palms against the hot cheeks, he let them form into webs, thin layers of skin visible in between his fingers as he let his body temperature drop. Hyukjae’s skin was scorching under his touch; the heat nearly searing through his skin but he refused to back away. He held on, waiting for his friend’s temperature to return to normal. When the colors returned to Hyukjae’s skin, Junsu pulled away. Holding out a hand, he waited for the other to take it from him as he helped the other sit down on the floor. “Feeling better?” A short nod. Still weak. “Hyukkie, what happened to you?” No answer. Sighing, Junsu braced himself in a crouch before lifting up his best friend and bringing him inside Hyukjae’s bedroom. Once he laid down the still shaking male, he pulled up the blanket over the latter’s body. He waited until he was sure Hyukjae was alright before leaving. Once his breathing was calmer, Junsu adjusted the covers one last time before exiting the room. He would deal with whatever had spooked Hyukjae the next day. For now he needed to make sure all corners, every nook and cranny of the dorm was fully secured. ~*~*~ Slowly, Hyukjae pried his eyes open as soon as Junsu’s footsteps faded into the hallway outside. He let out a harsh breath. His lungs burnt as he did so. Shoving away the blanket, he wrapped his arms tighter around himself. He did not know what had happened back there. One moment, he was upset over his mothers’ decision to make him take a class he had refused for years and the next he was cornered by the blood prince. That was not all. As soon as the other took a hold of him, he felt his body grow weak. His claws retracting as if they were under some spell. Though his mind screamed in alert of the danger, his body was no longer listening to what his brain commanded. After spending so much time thinking about Donghae, the prince, he could not get the disturbing feeling out of his mind that this was the end of him. The end of his freedom. It was as if his mind was held captive by the sheer presence of Donghae; whether he was far or near. But what disturbed him more, terrified him utterly was not what the prince was able to do to his body or mind. It was something deeper. Something he did not understand. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to get the memory out of his mind. The picture of Donghae leaning in closer and closer toward him and he was immobilized, his entire being frozen. His animal had never felt so trapped in all his existence. But there he was, letting the prince do whatever he had in mind. Just before their lips touched, the ground disappeared from beneath his feet. His wrist was still held captive by Donghae but they both were no longer standing in the corridor. Whispers surrounded them; flashes of images he did not know or understand came flitting through. Echoing harshly, thudding against his eardrums and threatening to deafen him permanently. Their bodies, however, remained unmoving as if put in a full body bind. The shock in his eyes mirrored those in the prince’s orbs. Neither of them understood why this was happening. “…that child is an abomination! An aberration!” Thick fog swirled around them, as another blurry image darted past them. “- strongest to ever lived. We can’t let this happen-“ “….powers are getting stronger, out of hand…” A scream shattered through the mist. Hyukjae remembered feeling his heart leap into his mouth. Heat licked his skin. It was as if he was surrounded by an unforgiving inferno. “No! I told you to stay inside!” “- not going to let them slaughter my family like it-“ Pained sobs. The fire he felt quickly replaced by a sense of calm. A calm after calamity. The buzzing in his mind trickled down to a faint hiss. Once more, he and Donghae were falling. The thick mist swirled and they were plunging into pure darkness. Cold, cruel laughter. “….won’t have a memory of what happened. Too weak.” “You have no sense of honor.” A jolt on his feet and he returned back to the corridor where he had run into Donghae. The latter stared at him, his eyes steeled with the same shock that he felt. Jerking away, he stumbled backwards out of the other’s grip. His body shook from the impact of what had just happened. Without thinking, he ran for it. Leaving the blood prince behind as his own fear squeezed around his heart, like a trapped animal. He shook his head again. It was a wonder he managed his way back to the Forest Haven. The moment he saw his best friend, he had tried to tell the other but his tongue refused to cooperate. It brought a whole new meaning to the word tongue-tied. His mouth opened and closed but all he heard was raspy breaths. For long, he sat in his bed trying to make heads or tails of it but none came. Even as he let sleep consume him. ~*~*~ Another slow day. A recurrent of every first day of each school year. As the head student of their odd, he was responsible in getting the freshmen acquainted with the subjects they were going to learn throughout their years in B.E.A.S.T. Though most chose to stay behind after they had successfully completed their studies, they still had jobs of their own. The school merely served as a home, a sanctuary for those who did not seek freedom beyond what was needed. Jobs they kept allowed them to work far from regular offices that the mortals seemed to have a love to keep. Thanks to his older mother’s affinity and fascination for modern technology, the school never lacked such innovative devices that kept them in contact with other odds beyond the school’s boundaries. He waited until both of his helpers, Jinyoung and Junsu managed to extricate every other freshman from the lakes, bushes and trees before he hounded them into a tight circle. Freshmen shifters were usually a curious bunch but timid little fellas nonetheless. More often than none, they went into hiding knowing it was the first day of school. Looking at the pouting new students, he gave them a comforting smile. “I know how scary and uneasy it is to have to desert the haven as it has become your second home but sometimes, even the puppies and the kittens have to venture away from their mothers in order to learn things for themselves. Remember, there’s always fun in learning new things. And we all love fun ourselves. So,” Hyukjae jumped from the higher ground and landed perfectly on the ground, as if he was on all fours. He moved closer to a girl nearest to him. “I heard you’re a dominant female kitty, Yapi.” “Black panther,” she snapped, her tone affronted. But upon realizing who she was speaking to, she flushed in embarrassment and looked away. The plaits she had tied her hair in nearly slapping another freshman, Taemin in the face. Her fringe slid down one side of her face to hide the embarrassment in her eyes, yet she still managed to look stern. A dominant, definitely. Chuckling, Hyukjae waved a hand in the air. “That’s what I said. You’re a dominant black panther from your clan and hiding behind the bushes doesn’t really sound like something a dominant shifter would do. Though, that is just my opinion. Of course.” The black panther shifter, Yapi let out an indignant huff but accepted the truth of the head student’s words. She was here on behalf of her clan and yet, she was embarrassing herself instead. Realizing her mistake, she uttered, “I’m sorry. I promise it won’t happen again.” “Good girl,” Hyukjae smiled, trying to ease the strain in her expression. “And the same goes to all freshmen. Taemin, I heard you’re a distant relative of Heechul, from Tinkers, I doubt he’ll be amused to hear you clinging onto a trunk like a baby panda—" “Red panda,” Taemin corrected flatly before biting his lips nervously. “And please don’t tell Heechul hyung. He’ll disown me once he hears about it. It won’t ever happen again. I promise!” Once again, Hyukjae nodded before giving his attention to another young girl with bleached pink hair. “You’re an eagle, am I right?” A quiet nod. “Another dominant too. So, I think it won’t look good for your clan for you to stay hidden in the trees? Or to remain airborne for that matter just to skip lessons.” “Sorry,” the winged shifter, Jae apologized, bowing her head. Returning back his attention to address the rest in general, he said, “As I said, I don’t want any of you shifters going into hiding for the rest of the year. I assume, there aren’t any turtle shifters this year?” Heads turned to look at one another, but none came forward to stake any claim. They remained silent and waited for him to continue. “Excellent,” he clasped his hands together. “I don’t mean any harm to the turtle shifters, but they’re as hard as their shells when it comes to persuading them to do something. Just a reminder to you all, our head teacher, Miss Sae will be in-charge of you for the first half of the year. You’ll be taking History of Shape-shifters before moving on with Transformation i: Knowing Your Beast with Miss Tiff. She’s a lioness, so be sure to not anger her often.” He scrutinized each of their expressions before continuing once again. “Transformation subjects are usually taught one level after the other by different teachers from shape-shifters and a student who perfects each subject will be sent to the higher levels. Meaning even when you’re a freshman but you’re good enough for the higher level, then the higher levels will undoubtedly be yours. Good luck.” ~*~*~ “Headmistress Monshie will be teaching History of Vampires during the night. The day is booked for her to teach another subject. So young ones, it is a very nice day to tour around the vicinity and familiarize yourselves with the place,” Yunho spoke to the freshmen who were gathered in the dining hall of their dungeon. “So does that mean we’re free of any lessons during the day?” Joon, a young vampire asked, her hair held in a French cut bounced in her excitement. Yunho held back a chuckle. “As with most young ones, all freshmen need to be taught about themselves first before moving on to the next most important thing. For half of the year, you will be under the care of the headmistress, learning about vampire history. Later on, if she decides you all are ready for the next step, she will sign you for your second subject, The Newborn. Our head teacher, Miss Eosinred will be handling that, after which there will be other subjects for you all to master.” He looked them each in the eye, making sure they understood he meant business. “Trust me, core subjects will take a fucking long time to get done. But, you also will be taught general subjects with the other odds-“ “NOOO WAAAAAAAAY...!” ninety-five percent of the new students whined. Their protests erupted out of nowhere. Another hand rose among the protests. “But really though? Do we really have to follow the schedules?” a freshman too. A girl with straight dark hair, her fringe trimmed in a straight line covering her forehead in a neat display. “Yes, Chell. We need to follow the rules,” Yunho sighed, addressing the newbie. “Is it really necessary to attend the general subjects?” Faa, another freshman frowned. Her hair put in heavy dreadlocks made her face look fierce. “I don’t mind, but you know, we’re loners and all.” “This is exactly reason why you all should be taught together with the other odds. All of you need to polish that attitude of yours. You need control to be an admirable vampire. Core subjects serve that purpose perfectly. Understood?” Their whines went on for a few moments before they nodded their heads in defeat. The distaste was apparent on their faces at the thought of being considered immature though that did not make the reality less true. A hand rose among the crowd. Yunho took one look at the youngest member of the royal family, Myungsoo. Lazy eyes held his. “Yes?” Still lounging lazily in his seat, he made a light effort to lift up his head just enough to converse. “Does that mean we can sleep all day and do nothing then?” To say he was not surprised was a lie. Most of the freshmen were already talking about exploring the school to kill time until their night class started in the evening. But it came as no shock to him to see the royalties looked severely disinterested in such thing. “I agree with Myungsoo. I personally think that this is just a complete waste of time. Why only one subject for half a year?” Minho countered, his expression bored. Before Yunho could reply, Yuri beat him to it. “My apologies for the younger ones, head student Yunho. But, I too have to agree that the subject holds no interest for me. History of Vampires was taught to us back in the palace since we were little biters. It holds no appeal for me.” “Then why come to the school in the first place?” Yunho replied. His calm bellied by the fire inside his orbs. “If our syllabus seems to be under your expectation and not up to your royal taste, why not stay in the palace where you will all be pampered and coddled?” He looked at the rest. “Anymore questions? Issues that need attending to?” Silence greeted his words. “This is the exact reason why we don’t need royal bloods in our school,” Victoria, another helper hissed under her breath to Yoobin, from where they stood behind Yunho. “Bloody ridiculous with their petty demands.” Noticing the sudden ice passing between the female vampires as Yuri shot her a burning glare, Yunho cleared his throat and said, “Vic, do you mind showing Donghae to his first class?” Shooting the royalties with a last disdainful look, Victoria motioned for the prince to follow her. Donghae stood up from the group of freshmen wordlessly. He was well aware of the distance they put around him. Four empty seats on either side of him, almost isolating him. They feared him, intimidated by his presence. His cousins did not make an effort to get him out of his misery; instead they found it hilarious to join the other freshmen as well. “Shall we go?” Victoria asked. Donghae nodded and they left the dining room in silence. They stepped outside the double doors and onto the stone staircase that led up to The Circle. Torches lined the cobblestone walls on either side of the stairs. Fire crackled from each torch, illuminating the confined space in an eerie glow. Sighing at the silence, he asked, “Are you still taking the class?” At that, Victoria halted in her steps. “You mean, Resistance to All Odds?” Donghae just nodded. “Well, the subject is hard but useful. It requires resolute determination. Without it, you won’t be able to get through. You’ll find it very helpful in your day-to-day dealing here when you come across the other odds.” “It’s different, but sounds interesting,” the prince smiled, thinking of mingling with the other odds. He never had the chance to do so since he was born. Being a prince did have its disadvantages. “I wouldn’t mind it at all.” Hearing that, Victoria chuckled good-naturedly. “It is also interesting to know that you’ll be failing it before you know it.” They continued up the steps again and Donghae looked at the female vampire. “You failed?” “A hella many times...” “Why?” Instead of answering, she kept on walking until they neared the exit that led out of the dorm and directly into The Circle. She groaned and her fangs retracted back into her gums as her eyes dulled into a darker shade of brown. Gone were the traces of her being a fanged companion. “You know the rule of the Circle, right?” Without answering, he did what needed to be done. His eyes became a dark gray, his teeth a perfect row of whites as his skin warmed a little together with his matching heartbeat. “It gets really annoying in here,” Victoria muttered, sighing as she took the remaining steps towards the Circle. Her disdainful growling stopped instantly as she stepped up fully on the grounds of the Circle. The bored look earlier quickly replaced by an arrogant elegance. A stand of one who knew her place and was well aware of her powers. Younger students scarpered away as soon as they were aware of her presence, not daring to provoke anything unnecessary. Everyone knew who she was. There was no denying that. Behind her, Donghae held back a scoff as he too ascended the last few steps to the Circle. Letting a genuine smile grace his lips, he let his warm gaze roam at every face there. All the while, he fixed his collar in deliberate playfulness. His attitude now baffled those who had seen his grand entrance just the day before. Even the few older vampires there gave him a quizzical once over, as if trying to decide what the hell he was up to this time. He could have laughed at their expressions but he did not. The first impression had left him an outcast and he did not need an awkward air hanging around him everytime he was in this school. Even Victoria shot him a puzzled look, but he simply lifted his hand to wave at a group of Tinkers. They halted in their steps. Fear reflected in their eyes. Their giggles muted instantly at his approach. Freshmen. Knowing this, Donghae bent down to retrieve a magician’s hat from the floor and handed it back to the now frozen girl. “I believe you dropped this.” With shaking hands, she accepted her hat and placed it back over her orange hair before taking a few steps back. “Thank you.” Her name was Uli and ever since the beginning, she had been a constant stalker of any website that spoke of the Prince of Vampires. Especially from the Kims site, www.beautyinthebeast.com. Just last night, the Kims personally covered the different possible reasons as to why the crimson prince chose to step out the castle to study in B.E.A.S.T. It was rather mysterious. Compelling, to say the least. “Oh my!” Mimicking the Tinkers’ gaze, Donghae could not help but notice the colors returning to their faces as their eyes focused in the direction of the South entrance. Their fear of him from earlier obviously had gone completely. “God, he’s beautiful.” “I could look at him forever.” “Too bad he’s not naked.” “Heard he never comes out naked. Nobody ever sees him shift. Unless if you count partially shifting, then yeah” Drowning the giggles of the Tinkers, he focused on the center of attraction that had made almost everyone turn their heads. The boy appeared oblivious to all the attention he was getting. Hyukjae stood by the entrance of the Forest Haven, his mouth opening and closing rapidly as if feverishly reciting instructions to the new shifters. The young shifters nodded their heads at every word he said and Donghae could not help but grin at the picture. It looked like a mother hen lecturing her little chicks. To Donghae it looked like that. He let his ears do the listening to what the other was actually talking about. “Just stay as far away as you can from other odds. The safest would be, for now, are the Ethereals,” Hyukjae reminded for the umpteenth time. He did not want to have the thought of putting these younglings in danger or even death in his conscience. “Okay, be good all of you. I have to go now. I have a class to go to.” Nau, a girl freshman with straight chestnut brown locks waved back. She was a wildcat shifter. “Bye Hyukjae-sshii. Thanks for the tour.” “Bye kids!” Jinyoung said cheerfully; excited that today would be his first day being a part of the senior bench. He was now a superior. “Kids…pfft…what are you?” Junsu scoffed, throwing a scornful look at the fox shifter whose smile vanished a second too soon. “Don’t start on me.” “Oh no. Don’t you two start on me,” Hyukjae interjected, stepping in between the two before another white furs get bare and a butt get clawed fight commenced. Luckily, the two decided that it was not the time for any of that. They settled for giving each other death glares. “I believe we have the same class?” Hyukjae shivered; his spine straight as a rod. Both Jinyoung and Junsu froze. Their animals flickered in their irises but none of them made a move to stop Donghae from approaching the head boy. That voice, Hyukjae knew so well. It had made a permanent residence in his mind that he was barely able to shut his eyes the previous night. “Shall we go together?” the prince repeated, coming to stand in front of him. Gulping inaudibly, he looked up to meet those melting eyes. His heart thudded in his chest. Memories from the previous night flashed through his mind. He clenched his fists together on his sides, aware of Victoria, the vampire helper shooting him a worried look. Though they did not fraternize much, most of the seniors had come to some sort of twisted understanding among themselves. “I don’t believe I invited you to join me,” he replied calmly, his mouth dry. A rich chuckle. “You need not to. I volunteered myself to escort the most beautiful being in this school. Everyone can’t seem to stop talking about you. I can say I don’t blame them.” Gasps from around them, before whispers followed. The animal in Hyukjae snarled, ready to claw at the handsome face. But this was The Circle and he was the son of the headmistresses. He would be damned if he let this vampire catch him off guard. Not wanting to talk any longer, he sidestepped the prince and headed in the direction of the classrooms when he was tugged backwards. This time, he really did snarl. “Fucking let me go,” he snapped, twisting his arm in attempt to make Donghae let go. “I tell you to let me-“ “No, can do,” the latter said in a low voice, deliberately bringing their bodies closer. He was fast. “I’ve been meaning to do this last night, but…” He trailed off as Hyukjae struggled even more. But as soon as skin met skin, Hyukjae felt his energy drain. His vision blurred and he was aware of Donghae’s breath wafting over him. He was defenseless. In the back of his mind, he could hear Junsu and Jinyoung’s panicked cries but he was drowning… “Unhand my son, Donghae.” Through the haze, he felt familiar sets of hands on either of his arms and pulling him upright. The mist cleared and he struggled to focus on his surroundings once more. His eyes landed on the figure wearing flowing midnight robe standing by the entrance that led off to the classrooms. “Headmistress,” Donghae bowed in acquiescence. Looking around her, Hyerin took one look at the scattered students and they all disappeared through the archway behind her without another word. Some gave the prince worried looks. Unlike the others, Junsu and Jinyoung along with Victoria stayed behind with Hyukjae, keeping him upright. “You’re dismissed,” she said to Donghae. She turned her attention to the female student. “Vic, escort the prince to Monshie’s class. She hates tardy people as you well know.” “Yes, headmistress,” she nodded. Giving one last bow, she all but dragged Donghae away in the same direction as the other students. As soon as they disappeared out of sight, Hyerin stepped forward and reached up to cup her son’s face. Hyukjae searched his mother’s face but she merely held him. A fresh flow of energy reverberated throughout his previously tired body. She stepped away quietly. “Take care of him,” she said solemnly to the other two. With a sweep of her dark robe, she disappeared in the direction of the South Castle. Hyukjae stood there. His health recovered but he could not shake away the feeling that there was something wrong with his mother. She was subdued, an almost impossible feat for her as she was always the half that was cheeky and filled with life. The one with mischief dancing in her eyes. “Come on, Hyukkie,” Junsu urged. “We better get going.” “Yeah, come hyung,” Jinyoung agreed. When they reached the designated classroom, Hyukjae glided into his seat in front of every other student in the class. Attending the class every first day of the school year had never been this disturbing. It used to feel like attending any other usual class that was slowly boring him out of his wits. But the thought of having the Prince of Blood- Thirsty in the class was a completely different story. There was no way Hyukjae would feel at ease after what happened the other night. No way. He let his gaze wander around the room. Really, his older mother did not even bother to make any effort to redecorate the room. It was still the same like before. The room was an arc in shape, divided into five partitions for each odd. Blood-Thirsty at the farthest left, followed by the Ethereals and Tinkers to divide Archfiends from the Ethereals, Shape-shifters then at the farthest right –so much distance from the Blood-thirsty. Yet, in front of the class, there was a portion with three rows of benches, special seats for the seniors of the class mixed together. These seniors were those students who perfected the class but either in need to attend as examples for new students or they just wanted to sit in the class. These seniors were also considered the strongest and most capable in school. If not, then, there was no need for them to be a part of the senior bench. Each general subject class had a senior bench and every student desired to sit there just for the purpose to show how powerful they were. In the school, having full control over your beast within equaled to power. And every student desired power, even if they did not want to admit it. It was just some were better at hiding it than others. Though it was practically an open secret. From the senior bench, Hyukjae groaned feeling the presence of his older mother approaching. It did not take a second for the huge door to open. Footsteps echoed as the air seemed to die down in silence. A pair of stilettos making contact with the cold alabaster floor was all they could hear. The clacking of heels as they hit the tiles one after the other. “Her entrance never changes,” Hyukjae muttered to himself as he watched his older mother walking across the room without giving attention to her students. She strode towards the windows and pulled the heavy crimson curtains shut one by one; doing the same on the other side. Everything she did, she did it with such ease and gentleness like she had all the time in world in her hands. With only one huge red candle on the side as the sole source of light in the room, Hyukjae could feel the rise of dangerous survival instinct of the younger ones. The little light the candle made within the darkness of the room was the most perfect shield to hunt and this seemed to affect the younger ones, like before. Especially those from Blood-Thirsty. Hyukjae saw the slight amusement on his mother’s lips, still feigning busy lightning the rest of the candles. When she was done, after what seemed like forever, the room was now completely lit up. She looked at the students with a feral smile gracing her lips. “Fangs in, wings in, horns in, claws in and wands down…” she ordered, looking particularly at the young ones. Hurriedly, the new students who only spent not less than ten years in the school, did as told. Blood-Thirsty pushed their fangs back into their gums. Winged Ethereals fluttered their wings before it disappeared into the arch of their backs just below the protruding shoulder blades. Archfiends hesitated but even though some did not physically have horns, by the look in their eyes, they were clearly pushing their demons within them. Shape-shifters’ claws disappeared; retracting back into human hands. Tinkers rolled their eyes before putting their wands away. This type of obedience was well expected by the headmistress, Monshie. She was one of the two headmistresses and considered a living rule of the school. It was no doubt everybody would follow her every instruction. Except for some. Everyone sitting on the senior bench did not even bother to move a muscle to do as instructed. They remained calm-looking but one person as skilled as the headmistress would know they had not abandoned their beasts as instructed. “I’m impressed,” the headmistress said sanguinely, as she paid her utmost attention to the senior students. Her own son, Hyukjae, who sat at the most center of the senior bench just snorted, ridiculing his older mother’s little antics. The headmistress, of course, did not take offense to her son’s actions. Just like the rest of the older students, it made her bloom with pride. Her gaze then landed on the newest addition to the senior bench, Jinyoung. The boy was the youngest to ever join the seniors and he completed the seat of twenty-one students perfectly. According to most teachers in the school, he had always been a dangerously talented little fuck. Everyone was impressed by his progress and Monshie was never the one to overlook such outstanding talent. Just last year, he finally completed the requirements and here he was sitting there just as he earned his rights to do so. Of course, head-students of each odd joined the seats the earliest; the general head-student, BoA had been one of the oldest. The head-students’ helpers had gained seats out of twenty-one. Only the other helper of Ethereals, Sungmin, refused the seat offered to him because he frankly said he could not stand being around a young demon called Kyuhyun who gained his own seat effortlessly with his best buddy, Changmin. The infamous Kims, Jaejoong and Heechul, were not just famous for being mischievous but because they were undoubtedly brilliant with their wands in hand. Only Taeyoon, Sunye, Sooyoung, Yoochun, Shindong and Kibum were at the seats without being student buddies – they would rather not. These students were the most brilliant students B.E.A.S.T had ever had, unless they were challenged down by new comers. But ever since the beginning, Monshie had never come across a seat being taken from the seniors –nobody had ever dared unless they completed what was necessary. Any challenges would more than likely turn into a blood bath. That was until now. Until this year. Until that one student came. Letting her gaze roam away from the senior bench, Monshie then spotted the said person. She made her way towards the student, coming to a stop just a few inches away from him. “Donghae,” she said quietly, speaking to the prince like every other student in the school. That seemed to shock most students; blood-thirsty the most but none voiced out their emotions – not with the headmistress and how she called the vampire prince like a nursery pupil. If Donghae was shocked, he hid it well by slightly bowing his head by half an inch to show his respect though he would not go as far as bowing lower than that. Not now, not just yet. “Tell me why you refused to do as I told.” A cool command, just as an icy breeze wrapped its chilly hand around the room. “I was taught to never disarm myself at first encounter, headmistress,” Donghae replied simply. Though out of the two, she looked less dangerous than her younger twin, there was no mistaking her for being another lethal being with undeniable powers. It would be foolish for him to push her. But it pleased the headmistress to see a display of courage. “Precisely.” She swiveled around to face her seniors who looked up at her out of habit, knowing full well now her pattern in teaching. “Save some seats. This one will be sure to jump there sooner than you think.” “Mother,” Hyukjae groaned, slapping his palm onto his forehead. This was one time when his older mother could turn a tad childish. But when he looked up to his mother, his eyes paused to the vampire at the other side of the room. Indeed, his mother was not mistaken, looking at Donghae now, he could see how conspicuous it looked for the vampire to be sitting among the other younger students. He just did not fit the mold. “You…you…you…and yes you… are dead by now. The first thing you should do is never disarm yourself unless you are a hundred percent sure you are in safe hands. Look around, students… you are surrounded by strangers. Not only that, from different odds too. Just like Donghae and the rest of seniors, they chose disobedience rather than getting themselves vulnerable. Disobedience is bad, generally but being around other odds you’ve met for the first time, it can simply be your ticket to stay alive…” And the first part discussion proceeded while Hyukjae could not even concentrate on what his mother was talking about. He did not need to when he had heard the same countless of time. Not only that, the reason was the certain vampire across the room. Donghae had been staring at him the whole time. Though it made sense after what had come to pass between them in the span of less than two days. “I suggest you take your mother’s Sex Education now, princess,” Kim Heechul said in carrying whisper, from behind him. “…or Miss Kamenajin’s History of Haflings… you might get a dozen little biters from him,” Jaejoong added, chuckling at his own muse. Hyukjae was used to being targeted by the Kims. Being the son of the headmistresses made him a potential target since day one and he had not thought otherwise either. He had been made fun of by these two but he had ignored them. Now having to hear everything with the name ‘Donghae’ connected to it was rather new…and irritating at most. This was something he had not gotten used to. Probably never get used to so he just hoped it would die down soon so he could get his peace of mind back. “I bet your mooommaa wanted to get you to join Sex Ed too really bad,” Heechul continued on after several minutes of silence. “Look at how he stares at you.” “Shut up, Heechul,” Jinyoung snapped. “It’s only because Hyukkie hyung is the most pleasant view out of everything in this room. You, however, are the most sickening one.” Disarmed by the sudden display of courage, it then heightened Heechul’s amusement. “Oh, the little fox can talk.” “Don’t make me,” Jinyoung retorted flatly. He would no longer back down, not when he had proven himself as worthy as the rest of the seniors. By now, Heechul seemed a little bit agitated seeing the fox had actually gained some backbone. With a smirk, he stressed his words dangerously, “Don’t be too comfortable with that seat of yours, little fox. You might be sitting on fire and the next time before you knew it, you’ll be screaming back to the Arctic.” Jaejoong waited a beat before sending in the winning strike. “Or screaming trying to push a dozen winged demon babies out of you.” Hissing, Jinyoung opened his mouth to retort and ready to tear the two apart. “You know fucking nothing.” “Try me,” Heechul arched his brow with a smirk to match. “Kim Heechul, how dare you disturb my class?” the headmistress was looking straight at the troublemaker. “You never break your tradition, do you?” “Right, detention on the first day,” Heechul rolled his eyes. “Fine, Jaejoong joined in too.” “Now, wait a minute—” “Shut up. You joined in too,” the older Kim snorted. “You and your prophecy of Hyukjae having-“ “You started it,” Jaejoong just snorted unbelievingly at his best buddy. This was what exactly happened when Kim Heechul got as bored as hundreds of deaths combined. “My Hyukjae will mother a dozen biters with this prince?” the headmistress quirked a brow at Jaejoong. “Is that a Tinker’s prophecy, Jaejoong?” Gritting his teeth, the younger Kim replied, “Don’t take it seriously, headmistress.” The headmistress rubbed the side of her head as her free hand pointed at the door, “Out, detention…” Jaejoong and Heechul instantly stood up, but neither looked troubled. “Class dismissed.” Instantly, the class erupted with both glee and confusion. The class finished earlier than expected and with a very interesting finale too. Sure what they heard from the Kims would travel and spread throughout the campus in just a day. And everyone knew, especially the headmistress, that nobody could beat Jaejoong when it came to prophecy. He had been the best at fortune-telling, everyone had to admit. Everyone just hoped this time Jaejoong was just messing around with everyone’s heads like he claimed he was. Hyukjae, on the other hand, only glanced at the other subject of the prospective rumor of the school. He expected the stare to never waver even after what had happened. Donghae was shameless, to say the least; he would do what he wanted to do without giving a fuck to what other people thought. Looking at Hyukjae obviously and in front of one of Hyukjae’s mothers too were proofs to all of that. Fearless he might be, he was also foolish. Clearly, he did not know Hyukjae’s mothers well. “We should really go,” Hyukjae muttered, eyes still fixed on Donghae but addressed his words towards Junsu and Jinyoung. Standing up, Kibum deliberately stepped in front of Hyukjae just to break the contact between the vampire prince and Hyukjae because if he had not, the latter would not be able to do it himself. “Let’s go?” “Right,” he said, surprised at how timid his voice sounded. It was a sign that the once boring school had become dangerous. Susceptible to the unknown just because Donghae stepped within its perimeters. The safety he felt was slowly disintegrating. He gritted his teeth. No, this was his haven. The sanctuary his mothers created just to keep him safe. But for now, he needed to get away. “I’m going back to the Forest Haven.” ~*~*~ “Okay, that’s it.” Monshie nearly jumped out of her skin when her younger twin slammed the book she was reading onto the huge oak table in front of her. Hyerin’s eyes flashed a dangerous bright scarlet as she stormed out of their shared office. Sighing, the older shook her head and picked up the pieces of papers and parchments that scattered the floor from the younger’s display of irritation. The door slammed shut, shaking the picture frames on the adjacent walls. “Huh. I hope Hyukkie’s ready for this,” she muttered, trying not to think of the worst. “I told him he’s pushing his luck but boy won’t listen.” At the Forest Haven, the door leading out toward the bridge that connected the entrance to the other end of the cliff where the main dorm was. Hyerin made her way across the bridge; several winged shifters fluttering out of her way even though they were well above her. As animals with their sensitive instincts, they could sense her foul mood as soon as she entered the vicinity. Usually she made an effort to conceal her emotions, but now she just was not in the mood for petty things. Walking through the leafy archway, she spotted an Arctic fox curled up on one of the branches. She halted and tugged lightly at its tail. The eyelids snapped open to reveal shocked doe eyes, but the panic was quickly gone when it realized who it was. “Jinyoung, where’s Hyukjae?” she asked, her tone flat. The fox lifted his head in the direction of the steps that led down the cliff toward the lake below. He nudged his nose, a soft growl rumbling from low in his throat. Nodding a thank you at him, Hyerin proceeded in said direction. She was already at the end of her patience, though she did tell Monshie she was going to give Hyukjae a leeway of one week before it was mandatory for him to attend her class but apparently, their son took advantage of that. Grinding her teeth, she spotted the brat by the lake as he watched Junsu splashing about in the lake in front of him. She all but glided across the ground stealthily until she came to a stop behind her son. Hyukjae felt the hairs on his nape prickle at the sudden coldness that grazed his body. “Mother?” he squeaked, that even Junsu froze in the middle of his aquatic acrobatics. “What did I say about not attending my class?” Hyerin deadpanned, their gazes locked. The ice in her tone cut through the chilly air like a naked blade. “Ummm…I thought I was giving the chance to get used to the idea?” Hyukjae said hopefully, though he knew he was running out of luck fast. Faster than a landslide. “Try again,” his mother growled. “Look, I told you I don’t want to-“ “I don’t care for your excuses,” Hyerin snapped. “I’ll get you to my class whether you like it or not. Kicking and screaming if I have to.” Hyukjae’s eyes widened as he gasped in pure shock. “You wouldn’t do that!” But he found himself wronged an hour later as he sat in class in between both Junsu and Jinyoung who was asked to accompany the difficult brat of a wolf pup to make the lesson bearable for him. His mother was merciless and she stuck to her words when she said she would get him here even if he was kicking and screaming. Which he did. He pouted. His younger mother, Hyerin did not waste her time putting a body bind on him and literally made him float his way to her class when he attempted to get away. He knew it was going to be impossible but it did not hurt to try either. Beside him, both Junsu and Jinyoung were giving him the death glares. The two should have been exempted because unlike him, they attended the lesson before and was cleared from taking it any longer. “I swear to God once we get out of here, I’m going to drown you,” Junsu hissed under his breath. “Why do you have to be such a brat anyway? It’s only sex education. Nobody’s asking you to have sex in public or anything.” “Easy for you to say,” he snapped at his best friend. “Unlike you, it’s my mother who’s teaching this class. Don’t you think that’s not going to be awkward? I’ll be lucky if I survive this class within the first minute.” “You’re such a drama queen,” Jinyoung muttered, his eyes narrowing even more that they were nothing but slits. “I survived before, so can you.” “I repeat again, she’s not your mother,” Hyukjae pointed out. “How the hell am I supposed to live this down?” When he did not get any response from either of the two, he folded his arms in front of his chest and stared at the grandfather clock that stood behind Hyerin’s desk. The windows were draped with lush, scarlet curtains matching the shade of his mother’s eye color. Bright combination of shades of red clashed within the room itself, as the furnished wood of the furniture gleamed from what little light she let in from in between the drawn heavy curtains. Soon enough, more people came pouring in. Once again, Hyukjae felt his blood go cold. He did not need to look around to see who had entered among them. Donghae, the prince brushed past him in deliberate closeness. The cold of his blood immediately sizzled with naked heat. Those eyes of pure scarlet met his as the other looked over his shoulder at his perplexed eyes. His heart thudded in his chest. Beside him, he felt Jinyoung tensing. Tearing his eyes away from the prince, he looked at the younger boy. The latter had gone rigid in his seat. Frowning, he lightly brushed the tips of his fingers across the boy’s bare wrist. That seemed to snap him out of his stupor, his eyes bright and alert. “What’s wrong with you?” he whispered in an undertone. But it was Junsu who replied, elbowing him in the ribs. He turned to give his best friend a questioning look but the other merely rolled his eyes in the direction of the entrance. His eyes immediately landed on Gongchan, the demon freshman who had managed to rattle Jinyoung since his arrival in B.E.A.S.T. He frowned. Freshmen usually were not required to join Sex Education since most of them were yet to blossom into full-grown adults or any of the general subjects for that matter. This demon, he noted, might look young but the intelligence behind those amber eyes were something no one could deny. Having managed to get under Jinyoung’s skin was an indication. The boy scanned the area as if looking for someone. His gaze landed on Hyukjae, who had his arm around Jinyoung’s rigid form. He did not flinch at the pinning stare, instead he held it. They held each other’s gaze for a while before Gongchan broke into the littlest of smirks. It did not last long as he proceeded to sit by a more senior student. “What the hell was that?” Junsu asked, glaring holes into the back of the demon’s head. Before Hyukjae could reply, the light inside the room dimmed. Translucent blinds that let in the tiniest rays of lights rolled down from the tall windows. Fire sprang into life in the fireplace as the only entrance to the room closed with an ominous clang. Nobody was getting out of the room until the lesson was done. He watched as his mother made her way to the center front of the room. Her crimson eyes shone against the flickering light. “Welcome to Sex Education,” she began quietly. Nobody moved a muscle. “Here I will be teaching you how to control your carnal desires and urges, keeping them on a safe level. This subject may seem like a joke, something most, if not all of you think as the thing in an odd’s life that you pick up naturally. It doesn’t.” Sucking in a breath, Hyukjae listened to his mother recite the objectives of the lesson for today. She proceeded to ask some of the older students to recall what they had learned the year previously. But throughout, he could feel her eyes on him the entire time. If not, they were flitting from him to Donghae and back again. He had kept his neck straight, his focus absolute and hanging onto his mother’s every word. A tendril of uneasiness clawed at him. The feeling of being watched never left him. It was similar to what he felt during Monshie’s class earlier, but just a degree more intense. He refused to turn and look. No. Even as the gaze seemed to rove over his body as if he was in his birthday suit. Heat skittered across the surface of his skin. Junsu’s head snapped up, so did Jinyoung’s. Their eyes trained to the source of his misery as if silently telling Donghae to leave him alone. Twin growls escaped both of their throats, a feral sound that would send most packing but Hyukjae was no pup. “Junsu, can you come forward please?” Hyerin’s voice rang from the front of the class. Hearing his name, Junsu’s head snapped forward. “What?” “Do you mind coming forward to join Yoochun here?” she repeated sagely. “I would like a demonstration on how you can resist the temptation of another odd. You are after all, one of my best students. Do you mind?” The shifter hesitated a little. He liked the headmistress and would obey her words always, but right now, in doing so he would be facing his own predicament. In front of his peers. Squaring his shoulders and throwing caution to the wind, he stood up with a nod and headed to the front as instructed. He would be damned if the winged monstrosity thought he had had him this time. “Seduction is one that pricks our beasts at the most intimate level. It is important for you all to know how to keep them in check, lest it would definitely get you in a heap lot of trouble. Yoochun, Junsu, I’ll give you both two minutes to prepare yourselves and wait until I say begin. The rest, please pay attention.” Which Hyukjae did not. His mind was swirling with many thoughts that he could barely register the gasps of his fellow classmates. Wrenching his head up to look at the front of the class, he looked up just in time to see Junsu confined in the angel’s embrace, wings of glittering diamond enclosing them both. His eyes widened as he could hear his friend’s distinct cry of panic. Just as he opened his mouth to shout, another tendril of warmth attacked him. He froze and this time he could no longer resist the urge to turn and look at his perpetrator. As soon as he did, the force of the stare nearly knocked him off his seat. It was as if thousands little fiery arrows were piercing through his skin and attempting to burn him alive. Consuming him and beating him into submission. His animal growled at the thought. He was a dominant and knowing an enemy was able to make him feel any less did not sit well with him. Beast or human. Gathering up all of his will power, he returned the gaze with all his might. He refused to be seen as a weaker subject. Not even when the delicious scent that made his animal sniff earnestly was beginning to wrap him in a warm cocoon that rubbed his fur the right way. He wanted to badly let it take him but… His pride would not- “Donghae, Hyukjae.” Simple words, yet it sliced through the still air like a warrior’s blade. They broke the eye contact and Hyukjae slumped back against Jinyoung as his spine turned to jelly. Donghae’s head snapped in the direction of the headmistress. Even Yoochun and Junsu had forgotten that they were not acquaintances, let alone friends and yet they were both staring at him and Donghae like the rest of the class was doing. “Apologies, headmistress,” Donghae uttered sincerely. Cold eyes met the prince, but Hyerin gave him a curt nod. She gave a stern instruction for Yoochun and Junsu to return to their seats. Her eyes held Hyukjae’s for a brief moment, as if trying to see through him before she returned to her position by the large mahogany desk. A wave of her hands and the fires distinguished. Curtains slid open to let in piercing sun rays. “Class dismissed.” And everyone left in a hurry. ~*~*~ Hyukjae was still rigid by the time they entered the classroom where History of Halflings would commence soon enough. Unlike other general subject classes, the lesson gave a special permission for the freshmen halflings in the school to attend it with other seniors. Since the subject was about them, it would be wise and only logical to rope them in from the beginning. Beside him, Jinyoung sighed. The relief on his face was apparent. Junsu who had looked green to him in Sex Ed had regained back the color in his skin. Next to their haven or any classes taught by the shifter teachers, classes handled by the Ethereals were the most welcome for them. It gave them a sense of peace, the comfortable settling feeling in their stomachs that spoke nothing of the troubles they felt previously. Whispers came from the door and a group of freshmen bustled in, keeping themselves in a tight-knit group and forgetting for a while they were all from different odds. But being a halfling did have its own advantages. One was that it made them more tolerant of other odds seeing as they were mixed-breed. Hyukjae turned to look at them. At the front of the group were the twins. It was hard to miss them considering such occurrence was rare in the odd world. Let alone twins who were born to different odds. These two boys, however, reminded him a lot of his mothers. The fierce protectiveness of the dark-haired twin reminded him of his younger mother, Hyerin when she was around Monshie. His eyes met Hyukjae’s, wondering before leading his brother toward the bench where the older students sat. “Wow. That’s the first time we have twins,” Jinyoung blinked, his voice had returned to normal. “Not counting the headmistresses, of course,” Junsu pointed out. He frowned. “Is something wrong with the blond twin? He looks….fragile.” That was something Hyukjae had missed at first but seeing the two now, he could almost see it. Faint outlines of a pair of brilliant sky blue wings caught his attention. “He’s an angel.” “What?” Jinyoung and Junsu chorused. “The blond one, he’s an angel,” he repeated. “The brunet is a wizard.” “Oh..but angels aren’t fragile either,” the youngest of the three whispered. “Wonder what’s up with him?” The sound of a door closing caught his attention. Their hearing was indeed more acute than normal beings. Dressed in a sky blue robe, Miss Kamenajin, the head teacher of Ethereals glided across the floor gracefully. She smiled at her students as she passed. “Good to you have you sweetlings back in my class,” she began, sweeping a delicate hand across the room. “And I see we have some freshmen here with us today too. Welcome History of Halflings.” There was a murmur of acknowledgement before she let herself continue. “I believe, the blood prince is here with us too.” Eyes wide, Hyukjae had not realized Donghae would be with him for all the general subjects up until now. He was too preoccupied to think of anything, least not the lessons he would be subjugated to the prince’s mercy. Keeping his eyes on Miss Kamenajin, he let himself absorb all the things she said. There were other things he could be thinking about. Just behind him, sat a fresh-faced freshman; a girl whose skin spoke of Southern Asian descent. She, he noticed was definitely a fairy judging from the sparkles coming off the tips of her fingers everytime she lifted her hands. The skin of exotic light toffee clashed perfectly with the blue of the Ethereals’ robes that she wore. From the corner of his eyes, he caught the scrawl she had scribbled at the top of her notebook. Maya. She caught his eyes and flushed a dull pink before busying herself with scribbling down what Miss Kamenajin was saying in front of the class. Clearing his throat, Hyukjae returned his attention to the front of the class. “Our ancestors never believed the union between two odds or one and a human would be possible. They were too afraid of the risks it might carry to give it a chance. Even now, most odds prefer their own brethren rather than diverging wider beyond their odd circle. But, we do have them and it is not the abomination or aberration many were led to believe all this time.” She inclined her head towards each of the halfling inside the classroom. “Take a look at your peers around you. The Jo twins. Maya. They are the perfect example of the union between two different species. Better yet, we have our headmistresses. Sharply intelligent and not even the least powerful.” You might get a dozen little biters from him. Jaejoong’s voice echoed in his head without him having knowledge of how it had entered there. As if knowing what he was thinking, he felt the now familiar prickle on his nape. Donghae was watching him again from the other side of the room. Of course, there was no way the prince was able to know what he was thinking. That was impossible but the heated gaze said otherwise. Snap out of it, he scolded himself mentally. You’re a man, act like one. Not man enough that Jaejoong thought you’ll be carrying the prince’s babies in the future. Swallowing a pained groan, it was all he could do to not slam himself face first into the cold tile on the floor beneath his feet. He hated Donghae. Hated the prince with all his guts knowing that he was the cause of all his unholy thoughts. Gritting his teeth, he made a mental note to remedy that. ~*~*~ “We have a problem.” Startled, Monshie looked up from the cubic zirconia tubes that lined the wall. The crystals that filled them glittered in the dim light refracted from the blue flames of the torches, each showing the current scores of the each odd. Hyerin merely grunted at the interruption. “Something the matter, BoA?” the older twin asked. “One of the Tinkers freshmen is missing,” BoA said, her expression worried. “Yeeun’s looking for him too. We don’t know where he might’ve gone.” “Name?” “Jo Kwangmin.” Hyerin turned to gaze at the two, her eyes darkening to impossible black for a while before quickly returning back to dull scarlet. “Check the Ethereals dorm.” “What?” Monshie and BoA chorused. “He has a twin doesn’t he?” was all the reply they needed to know before comprehension dawned on them. When the general Head Student left to check her own dorm, Monshie turned to the younger who looked nonchalant as if nothing had happened. She was busy staring up at the sparkling tubes as the crystals rearranged themselves to the current standing of each odd. “I’m done,” Hyerin announced, turning to smile at her twin. “How did you manage to know that?” Monshie asked instead. “Hmmm? A lucky guess.” “I know it isn’t, twinny.” “Fine,” the younger sighed, leaning against the wall. “You know when we were little I used to sneak into your room because I said twins are supposed to stay together and never meant to separated?” A nod from the older. “I think this boy and his brother is more similar to us than we think. The first twins we have ever since we started this school.” “What’s the brother?” “Angel,” Hyerin replied. “Their father is a Tinker, wizard and mother is an angel. They’re halflings, but one trait shows more for the both of them. Kwangmin may have some of the powers of ethereals without having to make use of spells, but we don’t know yet. Youngmin, on the other hand might know how to conjure spells.” The older twin nodded in understanding. They had dealt with halflings before, but with most, the more dominant odd that showed was where they belonged. For safety purposes, they introduced the subject History of Halflings to learn more on the merging between two odds. It was uncommon before but as time passed, more and more emerged due to the wary acceptance of union of two odds. “Makes me think about our parents,” Monshie smiled sadly. Hyerin did not reply, her eyes burnt a deep scarlet. Without replying, she turned around and headed for their office. Silhouette of her dark wings covered the walls to her left as she swept away. Monshie sighed. It had been eons since then, but darkness still clouded her twin’s eyes. I wasn’t supposed to be born. Only you, Monshie. “I won’t lose you to the darkness again, Hyerin. Never.” ~*~*~ “Where have you been?” Monshie asked, raising a brow. “I thought you only went out for a walk.” She had her hands on the microphone of the PA system that they usually used when they needed to announce something to the entire school. Hidden, built-in speakers were built all around the school along with the grounds around it to make sure everyone got the message when it needed to be delivered. Like now, perhaps. Hyerin grimaced. “I did, but I had to go save three Archfiend freshmen from burning themselves to the ground,” she shook out of her coat. “Honestly, why do these kids think they can do anything just because they’re born with it?” “Do I want to know how they almost burnt themselves? Did the Tinkers-“ The younger shook her head. “Nah. They thought they can control fire just because they’re children of hell. Without proper control they can harm themselves badly.” “Well, demons aren’t exactly ones who like to take the safe way out,” Monshie said pointedly. “Who’re the three mischief-makers?” “PJ, Boo and Nitha,” Hyerin replied, coming to a stand beside the other. “I’ve sent them off to a two-hour detention.” “Not that it’s anything new coming from the little demons,” the latter chuckled. Rolling her eyes, Hyerin could not fight away the grin that threatened to make its way onto her face. The older grinned in return. Inside, she was happy the darkness she had seen in her twin’s eyes for the past few days was now gone. She was back to her usual playful self. Grabbing the piece of paper on the table, she held the microphone up high. “Attention students. The month of April is approaching soon. As you all well know, the Shape-shifters festival will be held on the fourth of April. Everyone will be welcomed to visit the Forest Haven…” ~*~*~ Prev | Next A/N: Similar to the previous chapter, please state your ODD (to those who've been sorted) when commenting. Thank you. |