Erin's—no, Aria's—POV.
My whole birth is history.
That's what my aunt Celestia, the Goddess of Living, used to say when I was small. I didn't understand it then—how could I? I was only four, by human terms, of course.
In those four years, I never saw my parents. Not even once. All I had was my impossibly protective aunt.
And the questions started rising in my little brain:
Did my parents hate ?
Why did they leave here alone?
Why did they never, ever co?
That's when I decided to ask my aunt the question, looking at her blue eyes directly with stubbornness, "Where are my parents? Why don't they ever visit again?"
My aunt saw sothing in those words, and she smiled gently.
That's when she told about my birth, the birth that changed my whole perspective on my parents that I had never heard of.
I still rember my heart flustered when I heard the tale, the story of two people who want to be together but fate always hates them.
About how my father used to be the greatest mortal in the history of that human realm, everyone calls him the Ruler. He was the hope, the undefeated, the mortal who even impressed death—my mother, Ersyn.
Aunt said they t when she was summoned to the human realm to defeat that witch, and during that journey, she fell for his charm and his commitnt. She said he was the type of guy who'll turn the whole world upside down just for the person he cherishes.
After hearing their love tale and the reason for abandoning , my chest ached. But it wasn't the hurt I expected. It was... heavier. Warr. A rush of respect, a pang of love, a hollow longing.
That's when I decided to be the one who'll bring them together again.
That's why I'm here in this mortal realm, in front of a mirror, looking at my human vessel called Erin.
I ran a brush through the strands one last ti and set it down. My hairstyle is simple: a black ribbon tied back into a high ponytail.
I wore my academy uniform and adjusted the golden brooch on it.
Today are the preliminary matches.
The matches where students have to shed blood to get the slots I'd been given. Perks of being a genius and the strongest of the century, I say.
I had to go, of course.
I have to witness the first match of Rin, my mother.
I left my room. The academy hallway filled with rushing students, a current of anxious energy, and shouted conversations about bets and odds.
Halfway to the grand staircase, a familiar face ca across . Adrian—Erin's brother. He was in his uniform; his eyes softened the instant they landed on .
"Erin," he said, falling into step beside . Protective as ever, like a wolf pup. "Where are you off to? Arenas don't open for another hour."
I flashed him my brightest smile. "Cafeteria, obviously. Can't watch the great unwashed hack at each other on an empty stomach, can I?"
Adrian's hand reached out to , gently adjusting the collar of my blouse where it'd twisted in my haste.
"You're hopeless," he muttered, but there was warmth in it. "I reserved us seats in the royal box. The princess is already there."
My chest tightened for a second. As expected of the boy who'd read storybooks for his sick sister.
"Co on," he added, turning around. "Don't make drag you. And eat sothing good."
I watched him go, the cheerful mask slipping from my face.
Sotis, I pitied Erin. She spent her life bedridden and died young.
But sotis… sotis I envied her.
She has a wonderful family. A big brother with fumbling love—ready to kill dragons for his sibling. Lord and Lady Dranemount, who nod to every wild request of mine.
What if I forgot them?
I shook it off as I resud my walk.
As I finally reached it, I pushed open the huge doors to the cafeteria. The place was packed and buzzing like every morning.
My eyes scanned the room—and there he was.
Over the window table, sitting with a loud group from the Bronze Section. Reo Carter. My father's soul, wearing the face of a guy with ssy red hair and red eyes.
He was laughing, while the girl next to him—Rin, my mom—poked his arm. She was grinning, her whole face lit up with a happiness that made sothing in my chest squeeze.
She looked… good. Really good.
Okay, good. But I wasn't here for them.
The person I wanted was sitting like a lone queen across the hall.
Eislinde Veyr.
The so-called top beauty of the academy, leader of the Silver Section. She was eating alone at a table, but her little fan club had taken over all the tables around her, a human wall protecting their idol.
I just walked straight to her, pulled out the chair right across from Eislinde, and sat down.
You could feel the shockwave go through her people. Eislinde's fork was halfway to her mouth. Her perfect eyebrow lifted.
The short girl with the chestnut hair at the next table jumped up. "Hey! You can't just—"
Eislinde held up a single hand, not even looking, and the girl shut up, sitting back down with a furious red face.
Eislinde's cool blue eyes landed on . "What does the Student Council mber want from ?" Her voice was calm, but you just knew there was sharpness underneath.
I gave her a relaxed smile and leaned back in the chair. "I just wanted to chat. That's all."
Her expression didn't change. "I find that hard to believe."
I leaned forward, putting my elbows on the table. I whispered so only she could hear. "Mind if I order sothing on your tab? I heard you just got a big payday. Three hundred gold crowns to crush the one Bronze Section participant… that's gotta buy a lot of fancy breakfast."
The air at her table got tight, like a pulled wire. Soone gasped.
So the secret was out. Whoops.
Eislinde, though, just put her fork down with a quiet click. A cold smile spread on her lips. "Did you co here to beg? To ask to go easy on Leonhardt's little team? To plead for your Bronze friends?"
My smile got bigger. "Nope. Why would I?"
"Then what do you want?"
I leaned in even closer. "I'm here to ask for your vote. For the Princess. After the tournant's done."
Now I saw it—a real crack in her composure. Her eyes widened for a second.
From the next table, I heard a hissed whisper. "Is this a joke? The silver stands with Prince Cassian!"
Eislinde got her mask back on fast, her look turning curious. "You're pretty damn confident to ask for that."
"Confidence is for people who aren't sure," I said, sitting up straight again. "I'm sure. So let's make it interesting. Let's bet on it."
"A bet?" she repeated, and I could hear the interest in her voice.
"It's simple. If you win the bet, you vote for the Prince like you planned. Hell, I'll even throw my vote his way too. But if you lose… your vote, and all the political favor that cos with it, goes to the Princess. All in."
She just stared at . I could see her brain working behind those cool eyes, trying to figure out my angle. This was crazy, coming from soone like . "You'd risk your vote for a bet?"
"I'm not risking it. I'm investing it," I said, leaning back again, lacing my fingers behind my head. "So, Senior Eislinde. Should we talk about the terms of this bet?"
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