Chapter 464: All My Girls are Psychic Beacons
I headed downstairs with Maki trailing behind , already regretting every decision that led to this mont. Each footstep echoed in the empty stairwell, a trono counting down to the inevitable chaos that followed this familiar around like a curse.
The common room was mostly empty when we reached the ground floor.
Too early for the breakfast crowd—the social butterflies who treated every morning like a networking opportunity.
Too late for the insomniacs who’d given up on sleep entirely and were probably face-down in their textbooks sowhere on the fourth floor.
Just , a bakeneko in borrowed athletic shorts that did absolutely nothing to hide her curves, and the kind of silence that made my skin itch with anticipation.
"Transform," I said flatly.
"But Master—" Maki’s voice took on that whining, sultry quality that ant she was about to argue. "I could just stay like this. It’s more comfortable. More... intimate."
"Cat. Now."
Maki’s pout could’ve lted steel. Her lower lip jutted out, her hazel-gold eyes going wide with theatrical betrayal. For a mont, she looked like I’d just told her the world was ending.
Then she shimred.
Darkness swirled around her form like liquid shadow, responding to her will.
The familiar blur of her transformation twisted reality for half a second, bending the light in ways that made my eyes water if I looked too directly at it.
When it cleared, a sleek black cat with two tails sat primly on the hardwood floor, her fur gleaming like polished obsidian in the morning light.
Those hazel-gold eyes stared up at
with pure, unadulterated accusation.
You’re cruel. You’re the worst master in the history of masters. I hope you know that.
"You’ll live," I said, fighting the urge to smirk.
The cat huffed—actually huffed, like an offended noblewoman at a social slight.
Then she padded toward the couch with exaggerated dignity, each paw placed with feline precision. Morning light pooled across the cushions in thick golden bands, streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked the academy’s eastern gardens.
She hopped up with effortless grace.
Circled twice, testing the surface.
Then settled into a perfect loaf position with both tails curled around her body like matching question marks.
Sunbathing.
Like she hadn’t just been naked in my room five minutes ago, trying to convince
that "morning exercise" was a vital part of our bond.
Like she wasn’t a literal supernatural murder-cat masquerading as a common housecat.
I needed to test the new abilities. The divine haul from Apollo’s banner was burning a hole in my consciousness, each new power demanding attention like unread notifications I couldn’t dismiss.
Lightning Rod humd beneath my skin with the promise of catching storms, of turning Reyna’s greatest weapon into my ammunition.
Kinetic Absorption waited patiently to turn every hit into fuel, transforming pain into power with cold chanical efficiency.
Steel Body sat coiled like a spring, ready to turn
into a walking tank for exactly ten seconds—ten seconds that could an the difference between victory and humiliation.
But most importantly, Sovereign’s Mandate pulsed with the weight of five bonds pulling at my consciousness like gravitational tides.
I could feel them.
All of them.
Natalia sowhere in the east wing, probably already awake and planning her day with ruthless efficiency. Her presence felt like cold fire—controlled, intense, completely focused.
Skylar probably still asleep with her headphones on, her consciousness a lazy, contented hum. She’d stayed up late working on gear designs again, lost in her creative process.
Emi in the kitchen, already prepping sothing that would feed an army because that’s what she did when she was nervous. Her presence was warm, bright, like standing near a fireplace.
Celeste studying in her room—always studying, always trying to prove herself worthy of sothing she’d already earned. Her consciousness felt like winter moonlight: beautiful, distant, perfect.
Akari texting soone, her presence lighter than the others, more playful. Probably coordinating gossip with Hikari, the twin hivemind already working overti this early.
The connections thrumd like guitar strings, each one resonating at a slightly different frequency.
Each one a thread connecting
to soone who’d decided I was worth the trouble.
Worth the risk.
Worth everything they’d given .
Careful, Nel whispered, her voice carrying a note of genuine concern. You’re broadcasting. They can feel you reaching out. Natalia’s already looking up from her book, wondering what you’re doing.
I pulled the feeling back imdiately, compressing it like I was closing a fist.
Made it quieter.
More controlled.
The last thing I needed was all five of them converging on the common room demanding to know why I’d just psychically poked them before breakfast.
The common room door opened, cutting through my concentration.
Celeste walked in wearing simple academy sweats and carrying a book—sothing dense and academic, probably about advanced cryokinetic theory or historical Gate classifications. Her silver-white hair was pulled back in a practical ponytail that made her look younger, more vulnerable.
No makeup.
No performance.
No ice princess mask.
Just Celeste, the girl who’d decided to trust
with pieces of herself she’d never shown anyone else.
She noticed Maki imdiately, her periwinkle eyes widening with delight.
"Oh."
Maki’s ears perked up, swiveling toward the new arrival.
Celeste approached the couch with careful steps, moving with that unconscious grace that ca from years of etiquette training. "May I?"
The cat chirped—a bright, friendly sound that was apparently universal cat language for "yes, peasant, you may worship
with pets."
Celeste sat beside Maki with a soft smile and began petting her with gentle strokes along the spine, her touch practiced and sure. "She’s beautiful," she said, her voice carrying genuine warmth. "What’s her na?"
"Maki," I said simply.
"Unusual na for a cat." Celeste scratched behind Maki’s ears with the confidence of soone who’d grown up around expensive pets. "Where did you find her?"
"She found ."
"Strays usually do around you." She glanced up, and there was sothing knowing in her expression—like she’d already figured out half the ga and was waiting for
to confirm the rest. "Are you going to tell
she’s also soul-bonded to you?"
My eye twitched despite my best efforts to remain impassive.
"She’s a familiar. Different chanics. Different kind of bond."
"But still yours."
"Yeah."
"Good." Celeste returned her attention to Maki, who was now purring so loudly it sounded like a small motorcycle engine. "At least this one can’t steal you for midnight conversations about death gardens."
Reviews
All reviews (0)