Author's note: this is from Seraphina's point of view

- - -

I was walking toward the common room, thinking that Zoe and Luca might be there. If not, I would search for them in their rooms.

I didn't really have anything to talk to them about, but I wanted to tell them that I'm leaving.

"…You think you are high and mighty now?", I heard a condescending female voice I recognized as Ari's. It came from the common room, and I halted my steps.

"Stop with your useless threats, Ari…", Zoe responded. "You can't intimidate me. We both know very well that if you ever go beyond spouting your poisonous nonsense, Fynn will punish you."

Ari stifled a laugh. "Do you think that Seraphina will save you? Fynn is indulging her only because he enjoys the new meat. He will get bored of her soon and once your sweet pussy turns eighteen, it will be ripe for picking. Enjoy fucking your brother until then, because once you feel a real man…"

I didn't hear the rest because my senses got clouded with rage.

Is this how a grown woman talks to a child?

I stormed into the common room and my sight zeroed on Ari.

Before I even reached her, a gust of wind lifted Ari off the ground and slammed her against the wall.

I stood in front of her while she gasped for air.

"What did you say!? I dare you to repeat!" My words echoed with the fury that created ripples in the air around me.

Ari lowered her head in submission, but I didn't care. Maybe that submission crap works on werewolves, but I am not one of them.

I craved blood. I needed her to suffer.

I grabbed Ari's neck, slammed her into the wall before lifting her off the ground completely.

Ari struggled to say something, but my head was buzzing.

What would she say, anyway?

I wouldn't believe her apology, and I heard enough.

I heard Ari say how I'm sleeping with Fynn, how Zoe is sleeping with Luca, and how some men will violate Zoe the moment she turns eighteen years old!

How can a woman be so vile? Isn't Ari a woman also? Is that what she wants to happen to Zoe?

Zoe is an innocent girl. Why were Ari's words so venomous?

Suddenly, I was not holding onto Ari. It was Ruby. A second later, it was Adele, and then Willow.

They were all in front of me. Despicable. Evil. Poisonous.

I wanted them gone.

All of them should die!

Ari's eyes rolled at the back of her head, but what got my attention were wrinkles that appeared on her face.

Was that my doing?

I released Ari who curled on the floor while panting like she ran a marathon.

I looked around. Zoe was in the room and Luca was standing at the door, both staring at me, but otherwise fine.

I noticed something odd. I was not hungry anymore, and my energy level improved.

Did my ability reverse and instead of releasing vitality I took Ari's? If that is true, Ari is lucky to be a werewolf because if she is human, she would be dead by now.

I definitely need to go to the lab and see what the hell is going on with me.

"Serina?", Zoe called.

I let out a long breath, to calm down. The last thing I want is to hurt Zoe and Luca.

Luckily, the wrinkles that appeared on Ari's face were faint so I can pretend that I have no idea what happened, but I could estimate that I drained from her at least one, maybe two hundred years.

I looked at Zoe and Luca who didn't move from their spots.

"I told you, if you work for me, you will see strange things, and keeping secrets is a mandatory requirement."

"Thank you.", Zoe responded, and I realized that she was referring to me handling Ari.

"This is not the first time she is bullying you, is it?"

Zoe shook her head.

The confirmation that Zoe (and probably Luca and Ash) were enduring bullying here, cracked my heart.

I brought them here to learn and to be safe and this… just what is this?

I clearly heard what Ari said, and only a few hours ago I heard that Bia was spreading nonsense how Zoe and Luca are sleeping together.

Who knows how much more injustice and suffering these kids went through, and I was oblivious about it?

I looked at Luca and Zoe and I saw myself from the past. I saw Sanya.

Sanya was bullied by many, but she kept quiet because she didn't want to cause trouble. A big majority wouldn't care that she was suffering, and she didn't want to burden those few who cared.

"If you want, you can come with me right now. There is no need for you to stay here, regardless if you accept to work as my assistants or not. I will wait until you pack your things."

"Don't worry about it.", Zoe assured me. "We will stay here for another two days and think about your offer. Nothing will happen to us, because we've got each other's back."

I didn't want to push it. "Alright. But if anyone gives you crap again, either retaliate or give me a call. Don't allow them to bully you. You are my kids, and no one bullies my kids. Understood?"

Zoe smiled and plunged into my arms.

I gave her a hug and glanced at Luca who was still standing at the door awkwardly.

"Do you need an invitation to join us?", I asked, and Luca approached gingerly.

We ended up in a three-person hug and I confirmed that Luca is not a hugger. We will fix that in time.

"About the wall...", I said awkwardly while looking at the wall that had cracks in spiderweb pattern with center at the spot where I slammed Ari with my wind.

"Don't worry about it.", Zoe said. "Luca and I will swear that we have no idea what happened, and no one will believe that we did it. Whatever Ari says, no one will confirm it."

I was fine with that. If Fynn allowed my kids to be bullied, he can afford to pay for the wall to be fixed.

…

"Krob!", I called the moment I entered the lab.

"Yes?" A raspy voice responded from the corner that was covered in shadows.

"You said that when father brought me here, my vitality was leaking and he used his abilities to stop it. I need details."

Krob emerged from the shadows and observed me with his pitch-black eyes. "I don't know more than what I told you. Your vitality was leaking, and he created barriers and used his ability to save you. I didn't see what kind of barriers. I had a task to prevent a soul from dissipating which leaked from the man whose heart stopped beating."

The mental image of Krob around Duke's soul was unsettling. "Did you consume any?" If he did, that might explain why Duke is not waking up.

Krob snorted. "Master said not to, and I obeyed."

"Sorry. I don't know what's got into me. While father treated me, did he take any notes? Video? Anything?"

"I believe that Master was in a rush to save two lives and he didn't have time for administrative work."

I hated his smart-ass answer, but I couldn't vent on Krob. He is my best friend, and at that moment, Krob was the only one (besides me) who knew what was going on.

I plopped on the chair and covered my face with my palms.

"Problems?", Krob asked.

"I don't know, Krob.", I admitted. "I think that today I absorbed someone's vitality."

"Why is that a problem?"

"Because I was hungry and after that… I was not."

Krob didn't think it was a big deal. "I'm hungry and after I eat a soul I am fine." He paused and let out a low hiss before saying, "Actually, I'm not fine. I am always hungry."

I made a face. "Somehow, your words don't pacify me."

"They are not meant for pacifying. I was only stating facts. If you are hungry, you eat. There is no point in overthinking it. Everyone does it. Even Master was not above his urge to eat when the hunger strikes."

I took some blood samples and did a general checkup on myself. Everything seemed fine.

There were traces of Aldus's DNA in my system, but that was there since the bracelet got embedded into my wrist.

Am I overthinking this?

I decided to keep track of my sleep, food, and energy levels. And food cravings. Just in case.

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