Offered to the Triplet Alphas

[Xanthea]

Luckily, my first lecture was an introductory session on botanical alchemy, which put me at ease since I already had some knowledge of the subject.

The professor taught us about the primary plants used in potion-making and ended the lecture by telling us to prepare for a field trip, because in our next lecture we were going to locate these plants in the wilderness.

Vish advised me to prepare well for the next class because the professor might give us an in-class assignment to identify, collect and prepare a report on those plants within a certain time-limit. The more plants we identify and collect, the more points we'd get because an assignment always meant points, lots of points.

A part of me was already excited about the next class, while another part was unsure if I'd make it to the next class, given that I was illegally hiding two kids in my pouch.

Nevertheless, Vish helped me take notes on my laptop and explained the point system more clearly. She also shared some easy and efficient strategies for completing assignments on time and earning more points.

After the first lecture, I attended two more with Vish, and things went more smoothly than I had anticipated.

"Are they okay in there?" I whispered into the fit-it-all, which I had kept wide open to ensure there was enough air supply for Zosha and the kid.

"This is the fifth time you are asking this question in the last fifteen minutes," Vish whispered. "If you keep doing that, others might get suspicious."

I glanced at her as we walked toward the cafeteria together, with Claude and Vincent trailing behind us.

All of us were in the same course and taking the same classes. Karima and Kieth were in the same course as well, but since they had earned more points by clearing exams faster, they were far ahead than the rest. That was also why their lectures differed from ours.

"So you are telling me Karima saw the authorities and aborted her plan to rescue the squirrel savior?" Claude asked Vincent.

"Apparently. An intelligent decision. We are middle working class demons. We can't afford such troubles," Vincent said in a monotonous tone.

"True. We can barely afford our tuition fees. I'm in this only because of Vish or else-"

Vish turned back and glared at Claude even before he could finish his statement.

"I never asssked for your help," she hissed and all of us stopped in our tracks.

"No, sweetheart! You're getting me wrong. I'm completely enjoying this legal hide and seek. It's fun until we get caught. I mean... well... someone helped your squirrel savior, right? Let them help. We can cheer for them, right? I know I make sense because this situation clearly doesn't." Claude let out an empty chuckle.

We were in an almost isolated corridor and we had a twenty minutes' break before our next lecture.

"Someone wants to play the hero. Let them. Why should we get involved? We don't even know her. I don't know about you guys, but my wolf can't just ignore the three shadows lurking in her aura," Vincent said darkly, glancing at me and then his eyes hovered in the air around me.

I turned behind with a jerk. All I saw was my solo shadow. But I knew what Vincent saw - the demon lords' claim on my soul, something that kept other demons away from me.

"Ever since she entered the lecture hall, my wolf has been screaming at me to stay as far away from her as possible," Vincent said.

Vincent had finally addressed the elephant in the room that the others were trying to ignore.

"I don't have a wolf, but my fae instincts tell me something similar. A glance at her overpowering aura is enough to freeze my bones. She might look like a harmless lady, but the demons she's linked with are far beyond our league. This lady's a trouble, my dear Vish. Just let her be," Claude said.

Vish clenched her fists and spoke through her gritted teeth.

"Did I consult you for advice, Claude? No, right? Then please feel free to go your way. You used the squirrel savior to save your ass when you bunked classes and had her take notes for you." Vish looked at Vincent.

"And you!? You used her when you needed an extra hand to complete your assignments faster. But now when she needs your help the most, all you can think about is saving your fucking ass. Go for it! You men are all the same, anyway!" "No baby. I am not like the other men. I love you and that is why I am here-"

"The only reason she is helping her is because it somehow heals some part of her," Vincent interrupted Claude. He didn't directly look at me, but I knew he was talking about me and Zosha. "I have read a research article about such people on EvilExpress. Abuse survivors."

Vish frowned.

"Not again..." Claude drawled. "No one wants to know about those disturbing research-"

"These survivors can develop any of the two complexes. Either the villain complex or the hero complex-" Vincent said.

"Fine, go ahead. It's not like I'll ever be not ignored in this group-" Claude rolled his eyes, crossing his arms across his chest as Vincent continued.

"The ones with the villain complex are more realistic and care about their survival. So, when they see someone in trouble, they ignore. But the ones with the hero complex have this misconception that they can save the whole world. So they try to be this superhero who saves everybody's day. I think she suffers from the hero complex and so does that squirrel savior."

"You can be as selfish as you want, Vincent, but-"

"Being selfish is in a demon's nature, Vish," Vincent said. "You belong to the serpent tribe who live close to mortals, so your nature doesn't align with mine. But that doesn't make you any better or worse than me. The decision to save the squirrel was of the savior, and the decision to kill that squirrel was of his mother's. And according to our law, the decision of the mother is more lawful and better for the squirrel. Killing him would be the kindest thing to do. He won't survive this world, anyway. That's my conclusion."

He walked past me.

"He's got a point, Vish-" Claude said, stretching his wings, but when Vish glared at him, he instantly switched sides. "He's totally wrong! What kind of bullshit is that?"

I heard Vincent take a few steps away from us when I said.

"I respect your choice, Vincent." I turned to face him.

The books levitating around him stopped hovering as he shot me a glance over his shoulder.

"I know I am neck-deep in trouble and if I get caught, I'll lose everything..." I don't know why I said that with a smile and I don't know why Asher's face flashed in my mind. "Everything..." I said in a soft whisper.

A flood of memories surged through my mind-Ezra's, followed by Raven's, Nesryn's, and their family's.

"But... if I don't get caught..." I paused, feeling the goosebumps charge through my body as I continued with a deep breath. "Then three lives, including mine, will get another chance. Saving lives. Isn't that the reason we're all here?" I stepped forward, standing beside him.

"I don't know about heroes, Vincent, but healers save lives every day," I said and walked ahead towards the cafeteria.

"How are you so calm?" Lana asked me. "Many would have been triggered or even offended by what he said."

"That's his opinion, Lana. He knows nothing about me and I know nothing about him. There's nothing to be offended about," I said. "Plus, I know I am alone in this. I wasn't expecting someone's help, anyway." "You're so cool! Just like a lone wolf from the legends," Lana said, her eyes twinkling as she gazed at me.

I smiled, shaking my head.

I used to be a lone wolf, but I no longer feel as lonely as I used to.

Lana might not have realized it, but she hadn't once questioned my decision. So, I was certainly not alone in this.

***

I sat in the extreme corner of the cafeteria to avoid unwanted attention.

Lana disappeared somewhere while I ordered my lunch. I was about to go look for her once I had fed Zosha and the kid.

I put the fit-it-all on my lap and was about to whisper to Boredbones when I almost jumped at Lana's voice.

"Get me up! My wings hurt! Can't fly!" Lana whined, trying to climb onto the chair.

I held her arms and helped her sit on the chair.

"I stole extra food for your squirrel squad," she said, handing me two loaves of bread.

"Thank you, Lana. You are so thoughtful." I patted her head.

She frowned, blushing hard, but then looked away with a scoff.

00000

I chuckled.

"But you shouldn't steal food next time, ok? I already took an extra portion in my order," I said, and she pouted, tilting her head. "Here. I got some flower salad and nectar juice for you."

"How do you know nectar juice is my favorite? You're a witch!" Lana exclaimed.

"Well... I searched what food fairies like and flower salads popped up. Meanwhile, nectar juice was a lucky guess. But I am glad you love it..."

"Mind if I join you?" Vish asked.

"O-of course," I said.

I didn't expect it, so I was taken aback for a while when Claude and Vincent sat around the table, obscuring me from the rest of the cafeteria.

I looked at Vish for some explanation, but she just shrugged.

"I thought you didn't like her. Didn't agree with her heroic ways. Why sit with her when you could get your ass kicked for being involved with her? Go away, villains. We don't need you, cowards!" Lana said in a blunt, obnoxious tone that reminded me of Raven's.

"What is wrong with this child? Why is she so mean?" Claude scowled at her.

"Because you're a dumbass, you loser," Lana scoffed.

"Lana!" I looked at her and shook my head.

"But-"

"You're an exceptionally brilliant child, princess. Ahead of your age. But there are things you'll understand when you reach a certain level of maturity. How would it make you feel if someone talked to you the way you talked to Claude right now?"Content property of NôvelDra/ma.Org.

Lana frowned, tensing up her shoulders as she stared at Claude.

She took her time, her shoulders dropping as she answered in a softer tone. "Bad... I guess."

"Right. I understand you were only trying to stand up for me, but that was hurtful, so what should you do now?" I asked.

"Have my vines grow to the size of an adult and then make it kick his ass!" Lana said and both Vincent and Vish cracked up. "What did you say? You little brat!" Claude glared at Lana.

Suppressing my laughter, I just looked at Lana calmly.

"No. I was just kidding. I'm sorry," she said, happily slurping nectar juice through the straw.

"It's fine. That kid's got humor. Like her already. By the way, you can feed the other two. My wings are blocking the cameras," Claude said.

"Oh right, thanks. Boredbones..." I whispered, and a stretched out skeletal hand popped out of the mouth of my pouch.

I placed the sandwiches and water on his palm and he dived right back in.

"How are they?" I asked.

"The boy's up. Looks terrified... and the girl's still unconscious," Boredbones whispered back.

I glanced at Lana.

"I was expecting you to blame me sooner for what I did to your precious squirrel savior," Lana said, prodding the flower salad with the spork.

I lowered my gaze.

I didn't agree with Lana's way of handling the situation, but like Zosha, her actions might have been driven by survival instincts. She had been hurt pretty badly herself. Her wings hadn't healed, and above all, Lana was still just a kid. So, I knew I had to choose my words carefully.

00000

But since I couldn't find the right words, I decided it was better not to address it from my side.

"Hey, you guys. I was looking for you everywhere," Karima said, inviting herself to the table and sitting beside Vincent. "They arrested Azum. They'll use everything from taunts to torture to get information out of him. What if he takes our names? We'll be doomed for good."

"Guess whose fault that is?" Vish muttered, giving her a side-look before silently continuing with her lunch.

"Hey, look, I was scared, alright. I just couldn't risk it all. I'm sorry. I saw the authorities, and I froze-" Karima tried explaining herself.

"I don't get it. No one cared about the squirrels before... so why now? What makes this squirrel so different? Why's he such a big deal?" Vincent asked, his voice muffled by the book levitating in front of his face. "Because this squirrel is a VIP, duh," Claude replied, adjusting his appearance in a hand mirror.

"Which means the poor kid was born into a high-class family," Karima added. "Families in the higher ranks of the pack are more worried about protecting their reputation than anything else."

"Having a weak blood as their child would not just hurt their social standing and reputation, it would raise ssserious questions on their bloodline, which is ridiculous. This is jussst sssomething natural?" Vish let out a sharp breath. "More like natural selection, I guess," Claude said. "There's no way to tell if someone's immortality genes will activate or not."

"Right! This society is haunted by age-old traditions, and even with all the medical advancement, there's no advancement in their mentalities." Vish clenched the fork in her hand, stabbing her food.

"I'm sorry. But... I still don't understand why this is such a big deal. Even if the kids can't activate their immortality genes, they can live a normal life with their families, right?" I asked hesitantly.

"A mortal wouldn't understand what it means when immortality genes don't activate in an immortal. Normal life?" Claude scoffed. "That concept is not just foreign to us. It's absurd. It's forbidden for an immortal to even think about death." "Why?" I asked.

"With a weak blood, death won't just cross our minds - we'll witness it, and eventually, we might yearn for it," Vish murmured, her words hanging heavy in the air. "And craving death... that's the darkest curse an immortal can inflict upon themselves. An endless curse."

I swallowed hard, my throat tight as the tension thickened. My heart seemed to slow, weighed down by the oppressive silence and the unease that hung heavy around the table.

"But..." I mumbled, my eyes scanning the pages of my mother's books in my mind. "There's a cure for this disease, right? Forced activation-"

I had barely finished speaking when everyone turned to me, their eyes wide with a terror that pierced straight into my soul. The air grew dense with their heavy auras, and the discomfort creeping on their faces twisted into something far more horrifying.

Vincent slowly lowered the book from in front of his face, his eyes narrowing as he studied me intently.

"Where did you hear that? How do you know about it? Do you even realize what you're saying?" His voice was low, almost a whisper, as if the words themselves were dangerous.

"That's enough! I knew this girl was trouble!" Claude got up, spreading his wings.

Vish held his hand and made him sit on the chair again.

"Don't stand up like that, stupid!" Vish hissed at him. "I am sure she doesn't know what she is saying. Xanthea, do you know what forced activation is or was?"

"Umm. I t-thought it was a procedure to... cure mortalitis," I said, skimming my eyes across the table. "Did I say something wrong?"

My heart pounded faster, a cold sweat breaking out across my skin.

"We don't talk about it!" Karima hissed.

"Most don't know about it and the ones who do never talk about it," Vish whispered, her voice barely audible. "Forced... activation. It wasn't a cure. It was the darkest event in the Infernal realm's medical history. We can't say for sure what it was - there's no solid evidence it ever happened. But in the healing field, it's a forbidden topic. A taboo. So, never bring it up again, okay?"

"Taboo?" I frowned, my chest tightening with a growing unease.

If so... then... why was something like this in my mother's book?

No, how did my mother know about it in the first place?

"If it... wasn't the cure, then what exactly was it?" I asked.