Corbin slipped into the room with little fanfare, sticking closely to the edges, hugging the wall as he tried to avoid the sharp gazes of Alistair and Emyr, who were sprawled across Liliana’s floor. It did little good and Liliana watched with amusement as Emyr pinned Corbin in place with one steel colored glare from where he sat lounging between Alistair’s legs, back resting against Alistair’s chest as if her brother was little more than human shaped furniture.

Liliana dipped her fingers into Marianne’s white curls, tugging and twisting the strands gently as the princess laid across her bed, content to cuddle into Liliana’s lap, one arm strewn across her legs and tapping the rhythm to a song Liliana couldn’t quite remember on her knee. From here, Liliana could smell her delicate, floral scent tinged with something copper and sharp, like a blood stained violet.

“The others?” Liliana asked, distracting Emyr from his task of threatening Corbin with nothing more than his expression.

Corbin sighed gustily in relief, slinking to Liliana's side and without request or permission, falling onto her bed and leaning heavily into her side. Liliana noticed it meant her body was between Corbin and her brother and his lover.

“Coward,” Liliana hissed softly, tilting her head slightly to nip at Corbin’s shoulder with sharp, fanged teeth. Corbin whined softly at the rebuke but did not move, stealing a lock of Liliana’s hair to begin braiding it.

“He’s terrifying,” Corbin murmured softly.

“And I’m not?” Liliana asked equally softly. Marianne snorted in her lap and freed one hand to pinch at Corbin’s thigh, within her reach now.

“I’m being assaulted,” Corbin grumbled petulantly but settled more firmly in his place, his foot tapping in time to Marianne’s rhythm.

“They’re coming, I called them,” Alistair told her, breaking through the whispered conversation with a pointed glare at Corbin, who was very clearly avoiding his gaze.

“They have news as well?” Liliana asked warily, fingers stilling in Marianne’s hair.

“Yes,” Emyr responded instead, and Liliana closed her eyes, leaning her head back as weariness washed through her.

News for them was never good, not anymore. Not since students began being sent on assignments with incorrect information. Others had noticed it, mutters and rumors running rampant, but it seemed their group alone was trying to track and understand these instances. It was enough, at least, that class S would at least listen to her and stick to taking assignments that sent them in range of younger years who may call for help.

Perhaps no others are fully aware of the gravity of the situation because no other students have been forced to take on the responsibility, Liliana thought bitterly as her hands resume fiddling with Marianne’s hair, eliciting a happy hum from the princess.

The door to her room opened again and Liliana mused with amusement that Vereign had likely given up any hope of restricting who came and went from Liliana’s rooms. Likely even Vereign was well aware of the lack of romantic dalliances Liliana had indulged in, and had decided there was nothing worth stopping when it came to others entering her rooms. Or orders had come from higher up to permit the meetings that occurred in her rooms, for all she knew.

“Talan,” Liliana greeted the dæmon prince warmly as he closed the door behind him, looking around the room and deciding to take the only chair available, the one in front of Liliana’s desk. He straddled the back, his long limbs and tall stature that dwarfed even Alistair, even not accounting for his horns, draping across it in a show of effortless grace.

“Lili,” Koth’talan nodded at her, a small smile on his lips as the tension he always carried on his shoulders in public melted away like snow before spring’s warm breath.

What a transformation she’d witnessed in the bastard prince since their first year, seeing him blossom, surrounded by friends he gradually realized he could depend on and trust. He was still cold and unapproachable to any not within their tight-knit circle, but behind closed doors he would allow himself to smile, to laugh, in ways Liliana knew he never thought he could before.

Liliana knew him so well because, at times, it felt like she was peering into a mirror whenever she looked at Koth’talan. And she had to wonder if he felt the same.

“Who else is coming today? The usual?” Liliana asked.

“Basil and Anya are left,” Emyr informed her, and Liliana nodded, looking at Koth’talan with a raised brow.

“Jasper wanted to rest,” Koth’talan answered the unspoken question.

They had gone out together, partnered, for their latest assignment. They must have returned recently, within the last day. The worst assignments usually saw Jasper locking himself in his room for a day at the least.

Violence was not something he handled well, but he did not handle social interaction well either, so it could be either. Liliana fervently hoped the worst that happened on their assignment was that Jasper had to interact with strangers.

“Diana?” Liliana asked next, the last person they would consider letting into these mildly secret meetings disguised as study sessions to the rest of their class. Liliana doubted the rest of their class was fooled, but that was fine.

“She went with Basil, so he’s reporting for her.” Alistair responded, and Liliana hummed in acknowledgement.

Diana handled violence worse than Jasper did, and it had escaped none of their notice that she never accepted assignments where there might be cause to kill another human. Beast subjugation or aiding others were the only ones she’d ever accept. Liliana had to wonder what about her latest assignment was so bad she could not make her report with the rest of them.

Diana was dear to her, but Liliana cannot help but think the girl weak, for all she was blessed with so many natural affinities. This world had no mercy for those unwilling to spill blood, not for those with power.

Perhaps, if Diana was a normal commoner girl, destined to do little more than take over her family’s business, she could exist in a fairly safe bubble of naivety. But she was not. She had power, and that meant she would have to learn how to steel herself to the dark, rotting side of their world that demanded kill or be killed. How she’d managed to escape learning such a lesson after nearly four years in the Academy was a mystery to Liliana.

Something in her, though, almost wished Diana would hold on to that innocence for a little longer. If only to give Liliana hope that such a pure being could survive in their world. That everything need not be tainted so thoroughly by the darkness that seems to infect every inch of this world. Absently, Liliana rubbed a finger against the summoning stone that held a slumbering Serenity.

Basil and Anya entered next, together. Anya, keeping a tight hold to her bubbly personality despite the years, bounced to the group on the bed and jumped onto them, sprawling across limbs and bodies without a care, her tail wagging ferociously.

Basil glanced at Liliana, eyes catching hers for a moment before sliding away, and he took a seat on the floor against the wall close to Alistair and Emyr. Liliana ignored the soft pang in her chest at the silent dismissal and looked down at Anya.

“Beast,” Liliana teased lightly as Anya wriggled around, lying diagonally across Corbin and Liliana’s legs, head resting on Marianne’s back.

Anya growled playfully at Liliana, snapping at the hand that bopped her head with gentle rebuke as Marianne grumbled about the wolf girl’s weight. Corbin was watching the wagging tail with focused interest, hand twitching as he resisted the urge to grab it. To be fair to him, Anya’s tail was quite soft to the touch.

For a moment no one spoke, everyone just enjoying the company and Liliana released the hold she had on her more magical senses. She always seemed to hold them back from activating, rather than waiting to activate them. With her hold released, they flared, [Empathy] and [Soul Sense] breaking out as the room was washed in colors and sensations.

Love floated lazily through the room, the many different flavors of it twisted together into a beautiful, sensual rainbow that coated all of them. There was fear, and exhaustion too, hanging around all their limbs, anxiousness a sharp spiky thing radiating out of bodies. Over it all were the hazy, almost ephemeral bonds that stretched between them.

The greatest surprise of gaining [Soul Sense], that was truly no surprise at all to Liliana when she had considered it, was seeing that even without actually creating magical soul bindings, they were all bonded together. The strongest bonds were between her, Alistair, Emyr, and Marianne. The original four. The intricate web of bonds was thick, as complicated as a spider web, but stronger than steel. The bonds between the rest of them were not as reinforced, but they had been growing over time.

They were all connected, in different ways, for different reasons, but they were bound. As time went on, the bonds between them, between their hearts and souls, only grew, and Liliana had a sense, almost like a portent, that soon they would become irreversible. Unbreakable. She already knew the bonds between her, Alistair, Emyr, and Marianne had reached that point, and the others were fast approaching that point as well.

With a soft, tentative mental tug almost reminiscent of [Astral Projection] but subtly different, Liliana tugged lightly on the different bonds, sending them vibrating in a resonance that was just on the very edge of her perception. It sounded like a song, a forgotten one. Old, deep, beyond perhaps even the System itself. Around the room she knew the others felt something when she did, in the way bodies went languid and the anxiety, fear and exhaustion softened, not dissipating but weakening ever so slightly.

It was a small thing Liliana could offer her friends. A comfort she gave whenever they had these meetings. Something to take the edge off of the solemn nature of what they discussed. A reminder of why they were all here. No matter what history they shared, this room contained people who loved each other. Who would fight and die for each other.

Alliances and bonds built in our adolescence that will follow us for the rest of our lives. Fates decided inside the walls of a school. Destinies written between exams. Liliana thought with a weariness that made her feel twice her age. Had this been what it was like for their parents? Choices that would decide the course of their country, made between children in their time in the Academy? Liliana could hardly imagine her cold-hearted father as a child, let alone one who made something as emotional as friendships.

“So, who wants to go first?” Marianne spoke up when the moment of singing bonds passed. Emyr and Alistair shared a look filled with hundreds of words.

“We had a set of third years who were sent to take out a small time gang. Ended up being a major crime syndicate specializing in human trafficking. Most of the criminals were above their levels,” Alistair offered, face dark, and Liliana knew not to ask how much more blood was on his hands now. If any of those criminals survived, it won’t be for lack of trying on her brother and Emyr’s parts. She hoped they died screaming.

“Set of third years sent to subdue a pack of Blood Wolves. It was a pack of over thirty Werewolves,” Koth’talan spat out with a grimace.

Liliana winced in sympathy. Werewolves in this world shared some similarities to the ones from her world, except they did not have human forms. They were bipedal, massive lupine creatures with venomous bites that gave victims something akin to rabies from her world. They were also not beholden to the phases of the moon, though they were strongest on full moons.

Worst of all, they were only weak to silver weapons and fire spells. Jasper would’ve been miserable the entire time, and Koth’talan had likely needed to buy a new sword just for the task. A Werewolf assignment would likely have never been assigned to even their class, not without a full team on it.

It was impressive Koth’talan and Jasper managed to handle it alone, and it spoke to exactly how strong they were. Then again, in this room sat perhaps the strongest students the Academy had ever produced.

“Group of second years, mostly healers, sent to handle a Delirium plague. It was actually from a Corrupter clan residing in the underground rivers that fed the town well.” Marianne shuddered.

Liliana rubbed soothing circles on her scalp, mind sliding away to her internal encyclopedia of beasts that tried to bring up information on Corrupters. Eldritch beings that could cause mental madness simply from looking upon them. They were nightmares to deal with, and fed off the madness they caused. It was well within their power to poison water and feed off the insanity it caused in a village. In fact, they would delight in it.

“Third years, sent to handle a rogue Leshy attacking a village. It was a pack of Yowies,” Basil spoke next, drawing a knee up to his chest and hugging it to him.

Liliana closed her eyes and let out a harsh, hissing breath. That explained why Diana wasn’t here. Yowies were terrifying creatures, and naturally magic resistant. It was no minor miracle Basil and Diana had managed to handle them.

“Third years, sent to fight a single roving band of trolls. It was an entire war band. How they managed to amass so many without anyone noticing is still beyond us. Then a set of second years sent to handle a coven of Lamias. It was Gorgons, one a named Rank 3,” Liliana finished them off, raising a hand to rub at her eyes.

She heard hisses and curses from the others at her report. She and Corbin seemed to be the only ones to run into two incidents, but it did not comfort her. This was the first time all of them had had to intervene at the same time. It was ramping up, and that was concerning, to say the least. She could hear Emyr scribbling down notes, recording the data, and undoubtedly making copies for her later.

“Any losses?” Liliana asked, not opening her eyes. Her shoulder relaxed when negatives came from everyone.

“Tell them,” Corbin hissed in her ear, his warm breath contrasting with the icy chill that shot through her blood at the words.

“No,” Liliana hissed back.

“There’s more,” Corbin spoke up, ignoring Liliana’s words. Her eyes shot open to pierce Corbin with a deadly glare. He met her eyes unflinchingly, resolute.

“Lili?” Alistair’s voice, soft and concerned, floated to her, and Liliana growled. She refused to look around, keeping her gaze on Corbin, refusing to explain. Corbin frowned at her, and something settled in his eyes.

“There was an… Incident with a paladin,” Corbin began, and Liliana freed her hand from Marianne’s hair to grip onto Corbin’s wrist tightly, trying to make him stop. He winced in pain but kept going. Stubborn bird.

“She had a message from Vita,” Corbin spoke slowly, his eyes telling Liliana either she could continue or he would, but it would be said.

Liliana felt an intense dislike fill her, and she closed her eyes, activating [Telepathy] and reaching out to everyone in the room, replaying the memory for them rather than sit through Corbin explaining the interaction. When it finished, she cut off the skill and sat in the heavy silence that descended. Then everyone seemed to speak all at once.

“Holy fuck,”

“Did she really curse out a goddess?”

“It’s Lili, of course she did,”

“I want to fight a goddess too!”

“That wasn’t exactly a fight, more a verbal smack down,”

“What the hell was that warning about?”

“Was it a prophecy?”

“Lili?” Emyr’s voice, taut and harsh, rose above the voices of the rest and Liliana could sense them all looking at her.

Liliana felt fear fill her, a panic that begged her to flee. This was getting far too close to secrets she’d guarded for years, secrets she was never prepared to have come to light. Secrets she meant to take to her grave. Liliana’s mind worked quickly, thinking of how to reveal just enough of the truth to satisfy without telling them all things they never needed to know.

“When I… almost died, when I was fourteen,” Liliana began slowly, opening her eyes and finding Alistair’s gold ones, seeing sad understanding fill them. When his mother had poisoned her. The first time Imogen had truly tried to kill her.

“I had an encounter with Vita,” Liliana got out through gritted teeth, feeling every eye in the room locked on her, gasps and hisses filling the room. While the gods had more of a direct impact in this world, it was not often they interacted with those not in their service.

“She,” Liliana grimaced, “saved my life. I suppose she has a plan of some kind for me,” not untrue, though I’m omitting that I know what that plan is. “It seems the time for whatever grand plan she has for me draws near.” Liliana finished. Disbelief, shock, amazement were all thick in the air and Liliana let it sink in.

“Well. That’s not ominous at all,” Anya broke the tension with a snort, and Liliana had to wonder if beastmen carried the same derision for gods that high ranked beasts seemed to. As if they acknowledged the gods as powerful beings, but held no respect for them.

“It doesn’t matter right now. The main concern is the fact that younger students keep being sent on suicide missions,” Liliana said firmly, with a warning glance around the room.

She would not continue discussing her interaction with Vita. Emyr gave her a warning look, and she knew she’d be talking to him later. Emyr, who kept every secret she’d ever given him, who had stood by her, who had risked his life for her so many times… He perhaps deserved more than most to know as much as Liliana was able to tell of her complicated relationship with a goddess. She could handle telling him, but not the others.

“With this additional data, I might be able to track some kind of pattern,” Emyr muttered as his eyes left her, looking down at his well-used notebook and Liliana relaxed once more when the room tentatively started to discuss possible patterns.

If they could find a pattern, they would be one step toward discovering what, or who, was behind this. At the very least, they might be able to predict incidents and stop them until they could find the culprit.

Liliana's Tables:

Status Sheet

Name

Liliana Rosengarde

Age

19

Level

236

Class

Blade Singer

Race

Human

Rank

4

Health

3,200

H-Regen

+32/1.1sec

Mana

18,050

M-Regen

+274.6/1.1sec

Stamina

22,160

S-Regen

+221.6/1.1sec

Magic Power

22,587

Magic Control

21,633

Experience: 3,748,028/5,616,900

Vitality

320

Endurance

2,216

Strength

1,318

Dexterity

2,746

Wisdom

1,805

Intelligence

1,799

Speed

3,720

Charisma

3,228

Unallocated Stat Points: 0

Affinity

Light

97%

Soul

96%

Life

88%

Wind

79%

Telekinesis

63%

Illusion

56%

Psyche

54%

Spatial

51%

Astral

48%

Dark

34%

Gravity

20%

Chaos

15%

Quintessential Skills

[Aspect Of The Beast] Lvl 182

[Radiant Revelry] Lvl 150

[Heart Of The Wilde] Lvl 89

[Aura Of The Predator] Lvl 33

Skills

[Identify] Lvl 250

[Dodge] Lvl 249

[Leap] Lvl 244

[Regeneration] Lvl 236

[Stealth] Lvl 234

[Radiant Rhythm] Lvl 230

[Dance of The Zephyr] Lvl 227

[War Maiden’s Waltz] Lvl 222

[Battle Clarity] Lvl 218

[Pierce] Lvl 215

[Mana Manipulation] Lvl 212

[Dance Of The Tiger] Lvl 210

[Dance Of The Fox] Lvl 210

[Dance of The Serpent] Lvl 210

[Persistent Casting] Lvl 209

[Wings Of Radiance] Lvl 205

[Dance Of The Ephemeral] Lvl 204

[Borrow] Lvl 203

[Wind Manipulation] Lvl 201

[Bestial Instincts] Lvl 200

[Temperance] Lvl 189

[Pathokinesis] Lvl 186

[Mental Fortification] Lvl 185

[Telepathy] Lvl 184

[Soul Sight] Lvl 166

[Light Manipulation] Lvl 150

[Position Swap] Lvl 149

[Side Step] Lvl 147

[Blink] Lvl 142

[Attraction] Lvl 138

[Repel] Lvl 133

[Enrage] Lvl 126

[Eagle Eye] Lvl 113

[Last Stand] Lvl 54

General Skills

[Polearms Mastery] Lvl 255

[Dancing] Lvl 254

[Deception] Lvl 250

[Dagger Mastery] Lvl 246

[Perception] Lvl 245

[Animal Husbandry] Lvl 240

[Pain Resistance] Lvl 239

[Alchemy] Lvl 237

[Skinning] Lvl 235

[Multi Wielding] Lvl 233

[Mounted Combat] Lvl 230

[Riding] Lvl 230

[Herbalisim] Lvl 225

[Acrobatics] Lvl 220

[Reading] Lvl 219

[Writing] Lvl 218

[Persuasion] Lvl 215

[Poison Resistance] Lvl 213

[Multitasking] Lvl 211

[Time Keeper] Lvl 210

[Mathematics] Lvl 206

[Night Vision] Lvl 202

[Wilderness Survival] Lvl 200

[Hand To Hand Combat] Lvl 195

[Mentiumancy] Lvl 193

[Recall] Lvl 190

[Fear Resistance] Lvl 184

[Resist Cold] Lvl 123

[Etiquette] Lvl 110

[Embroidery] Level 50

Spells

[Radiant Edge] Lvl 251

[Radiant Ignition] Lvl 250

[Dance of The Heaven’s Domain] Lvl 249

[Hail Of Bullets] Lvl 245

[Threads of Control] Lvl 243

[Soul Rend] Lvl 241

[Fox Fire] Lvl 237

[Boreas’ Blessing] Lvl 236

[Ballet of Bedlam] Lvl 231

[Invisibility] Lvl 230

[Galeforce] Lvl 228

[Healing Harmony] Lvl 226

[Barrier] Lvl 223

[Cleanse] Lvl 220

[Tempestuous Tango] Lvl 218

[Companion Heal] Lvl 215

[Empathy] Lvl 211

[Astral Projection] Lvl 205

[Wind Sword] Lvl 201

[Soul Shred] Lvl 200

[Glamour] Lvl 183

[Wildeheart Waltz] Lvl 172

[Light Domain] Lvl 166

[Shatter Wing] Lvl 164

[Blade Song] 76

[Blade Ballet] Lvl 65

[Bonding Contract] Lvl 55