Chapter 73: Reunion
Sophie’s arms wrapped around Aegis’s waist like an octopus with separation anxiety.
"Sophie," Aegis hissed. "People are staring."
"So?" Sophie nuzzled deeper into Aegis’s chest. "You smell nice. Like sex."
[Kill me.]
The dining hall had gone suspiciously quiet for it being the beginning of the second semester. Three hundred students watched the Starcaller sisters like they were the morning entertainment, gawking, whispering, and whisper-gawking. Aegis tried to pry Sophie off while maintaining some dignity.
She failed at both.
Across the table, Talia’s yellow eyes burned with judgment. Her fork hovered halfway to her mouth, scrambled eggs forgotten.
"Your sister is... rather affectionate."
"Yeah, she’s—"
"I learned from the best!" Sophie chirped, finally releasing Aegis only to plop down beside her. Too close beside her. Their thighs pressed together. "Aegis taught me eeeeverything I know about physical intimacy."
Talia’s fork clattered onto her plate.
"She WHAT?"
"Not like that!" Aegis’s hands shot up. "I meant—"
"Chapter twelve of your letters," Sophie pulled out a crumpled paper. "The importance of skin-to-skin contact in establishing emotional bonds."
Liora, who’d been quietly enjoying her toast, started giggling. Actually giggling. The traitor.
"That sounds educational," she said, blue eyes sparkling with amusement.
"It really was! Though the diagrams were a bit explicit—"
"THERE WERE NO DIAGRAMS."
Sophie tilted her head.
"Then what was that drawing of two people doing that thing with their—"
Aegis grabbed a bread roll and shoved it in Sophie’s mouth.
"Eat. Food. Now."
Emily had indeed gotten a bit artistic from time to time at the hospital. That made its way here too!
Sophie munched happily, then swallowed.
"I can’t stay long anyway. My classes are in the west wing." She pouted. "Completely opposite side from yours. We’ll barely see each other."
[Thank every god that exists.]
"That’s... unfortunate," Aegis said carefully.
"Which is why—" Sophie turned, grabbed Aegis’s face, and pulled her close. Their lips were an inch apart. "I need to charge up my Aegis battery."
"Your what now?"
"You know. Physical affection storage. Like how you described in letter thirty-one about maintaining emotional—"
Aegis jerked back so hard she nearly fell off the bench.
"No kissing! We discussed this!"
"That was for strangers. You’re my sister."
"ESPECIALLY NOT THEN."
Sophie sighed dramatically. Like Aegis had just canceled her birthday.
"Fine. But I’m hugging you for at least five minutes before I go."
"One minute."
"Four."
"Two, final offer."
"Deal!" Sophie immediately latched back on. "Starting now."
Talia watched the negotiation with the expression of someone witnessing two, painfully slow-moving carriages crash. Horrifying but mildly fascinating as well.
"Is your entire family like this?"
"No," Aegis said into Sophie’s hair.
[At least, I don’t think I wrote any other incest stories. I was too afraid Nurse Jessie would find my notebook and think I’m a weirdo.]
"I’m the favorite," Sophie added proudly. "Aegis said so in letter eighteen."
[I need to burn those letters. All of them.]
A bell chimed. First morning classes would start soon.
Sophie squeezed tighter, then pulled back. She looked at Aegis with those big silver eyes that matched her own. For a second, she seemed younger. Vulnerable.
"I really did miss you," she said quietly.
Something in Aegis’s chest twisted. This wasn’t just her fanfiction character anymore. Sophie was real. Had real feelings. Real memories of a childhood Aegis had invented but never lived.
"I missed you too," Aegis said, and found she meant it.
Sophie brightened immediately.
"Good! Because I already told my roommate all about you. She’s very interested in meeting the girl who wrote such detailed instructions on—"
"GO TO CLASS."
"Going!" Sophie bounced up, grabbed her bag, and practically skipped toward the exit. She paused at the doorway. "Oh! Aegis!"
"What?"
"The twins you’re teaming with for trials? They’re in my dormitory. Total tens. Both of them." She winked. "You’re welcome!"
She disappeared before Aegis could respond.
[Twins? What twins?]
The walk back to the dormitory felt longer than usual. Scarlett threw an arm around Aegis’s shoulders, her warmth a comfort against the morning chill.
"Your sister’s something else."
"She’s a disaster."
"A hot disaster though." Scarlett grinned. "She wasn’t wrong about the ratings thing. Girl’s got good taste."
"Don’t encourage her."
Lune walked on Aegis’s other side, notebook already out. She’d filled three pages with sketches of Sophie. Each one captured a different expression. Joy. Mischief. That weird tongue thing she did when concentrating.
"Her facial structure is fascinating," Lune said. "Nearly identical to yours but with subtle differences in the jawline."
"Please don’t study my sister like she’s a science experiment."
"Would you prefer I study her other ways?"
Aegis stopped walking.
Scarlett stopped walking as well.
They both stared at Luna, in disbelief.
"Lune. Did you just make a sex joke?"
Lune blinked.
"I make observations." Lune continued sketching. "You interpret them as you wish."
Scarlett barked out a laugh.
"Holy shit, the artist has claws!"
---
They reached the dormitory common room. A few students lounged on worn couches, gossiping about morning drama. Conversations died when they saw Aegis.
"Is it true your sister kissed three guards?"
"I heard five."
"Someone said she challenged Princess Talia to a duel over your honor."
"That definitely didn’t happen," Aegis said.
"She did call Talia a nine out of ten though," Scarlett added helpfully.
The gossip exploded. Aegis groaned.
[This is my fuckin’ life now GODDAMMIT!]
She escaped upstairs, leaving Scarlett to fan the rumor flames. Lune followed silently, probably mentally cataloging everyone’s shocked expressions.
Their room felt like a sanctuary. Aegis collapsed face-first onto her bed. The mattress smelled like sex and Liora’s perfume from two nights ago. She should probably wash the sheets. She absolutely wasn’t going to.
"The transfer students arrive this afternoon," Lune said, settling at her easel.
"Mmph."
"You’ll need to meet your trial teammates."
"Mmmmph."
"Sophie mentioned twins."
Aegis turned her head just enough to speak.
"Whatever they are, whoever they are, they can’t be worse than my sister."
Lune mixed colors on her palette. Violet and silver, like Sophie’s eyes in certain light.
"You care about her."
[Lune why do you have to be so perceptive?]
"She’s family," Aegis mumbled into the pillow.
"Family you’ve never mentioned before. Family who claims you wrote her explicit letters about intimacy. Family who acts like you’re lovers."
Aegis sat up.
"What are you getting at?"
"Nothing." Lune added a streak of gold to her painting. "Simply observing that your past remains mysteriously vague despite your remarkable openness about present-day activities."
[Too perceptive. Way too perceptive!]
"Everyone has secrets."
"That’s certainly true." Lune switched brushes. "For instance, I know you leave at midnight a few times a week. And sometimes after your private tutoring with Professor Nazraya, you return smelling of shadow magic."
Aegis’s blood chilled.
"I don’t—"
"You do." Lune didn’t look up from her painting. "Sometimes, when you come back, your boots are covered in dust. The same dust found only near the crypts and rooftops."
[Uh...]
"Are you going to—"
"Tell someone?" Lune finally met her eyes. "Why would I do that? Your secrets make you interesting. Without them, you’d just be another horny teenager. The academy’s full of them." Lune returned to painting. "Though your skill is apparently above average if the princess can’t stay away from it."
"... I don’t do too poorly in tests either."
"That too."
They sat in comfortable silence. Lune painted. Aegis stared at the ceiling, trying not to panic about how much her roommate actually knew.
[Timeline deviation. Sophie. Mysterious twins. Lune knowing about the shadow magic while having a 500-point Scandal Shop option dedicated just to her. Yeah, this is fine. Everything’s fine.]
Thunder rumbled outside. Weird. The morning had been cloudless.
"There’s a storm coming," Lune observed.
"Yeah, it’s called environmental foreshadowing." Aegis stood, stretched. "Anyway, I should probably find out who these teammates are."
"Probably."
"Any advice?"
Lune considered.
"Perhaps don’t have sex with them immediately. Your love life just evolved. Do you realize how complicated things would get if you immediately had sex with the next set of characters who walk into this academy?"
"Probably pretty fucked."
"Very, very complicated, yes."
Aegis headed for the door.
"Where are you going?" Lune asked.
"To find out which fresh hell the universe has delivered to my doorstep."
"Try the main courtyard. Transfer students usually gather there."
"How do you—"
"Gut feeling."
Aegis blinked at her.
[She just... has a gut feeling?]
She shrugged.
[Whatever.]
Aegis paused at the door.
"Lune? Thanks for not... you know."
"I don’t know what you’re talking about." Lune added another stroke of silver. "I was asleep at midnight every single time you went up the Sky Piercer."
Aegis stared at her.
Lune looked back at her.
"Right. Sleeping."
"Deeply."
"Got it."
Aegis left before the conversation could get weirder. Behind her, she heard Lune humming. It sounded suspiciously like the song Aegis had performed during the Monthly Ranking Test.
[Well. That was bad. The twins though... No way the other transfer students will be as bad, right?]
Thunder crashed again. Closer this time.
[Right?]