February 22nd.

  I lay on my bed, staring unblinkingly at the ceiling where shadows from the passing Fourth Building danced. Riza’s words still rang in my ears, heavy as tombstones.

  "He forgets everything." "Fifteen years." "Not the one you can build a future with."

  "So be it!" I whispered loudly into the empty room. "I don’t care."

  If I am destined to be happy for only a brief moment, then I will be. If our future burns out in a few years, it means I’ll squeeze every last drop out of the present. The warmth of his skin was worth any price.

  There was just one catch, though. Greg.

  Would he even want to let anyone into his cozy void? That was a question I didn't have an answer to.

  I returned to Room 404 and froze at the threshold.

  "Well, you’ve got to be kidding me..."

  The room was literally buried under a layer of letters. Envelopes of all colors and sizes: pink ones smelling of perfume, official ones with seals, anonymous notes. They were everywhere—on the bed, on the sofa, even on the dragonkin’s red-hot rock (apparently, the poor guy got hit by association).

  "Fame is overrated," I muttered.

  Я was too lazy to open them. Too lazy to read love confessions from people whose names I wouldn't remember in ten minutes.

  I simply snapped my fingers.

  WHOOSH.

  The entire paper mountain instantly erupted in blue flames. A second later, only a handful of weightless gray ash remained on the floor. I walked to my bed, kicked away the remnants of someone’s hopes, and collapsed onto the pillows.

  "Looks like it’s going to be a long week."

  Tomorrow is the twenty-third. The entire castle will be saturated with hormones and reeking of pheromones so badly my nose will finally lose its mind. The Academy will turn into one giant cauldron of mushy pink fluff.

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  But I had a genius Plan.

  I’ll just lock myself in. I won't leave the room. I’ll order food delivery via a mannequin (if Lianel lends me one) or just survive on my stash of candy. When this hormonal storm dies down and people start acting like humans again—that’s when I’ll come out.

  "Perfect," I said to myself, pulling the blanket up to my nose. "No dates, no confessions. Just me and my healthy sleep."

  A pity that the walls in this house have a habit of moving.

  I was lying on the bed, enjoying the silence, until the door flew open with an annoying creak.

  The Dragonkin walked in. He was unusually fidgety, rushing around the room with some box, constantly rearranging things inside it. It seemed "the woman of his destiny" (Alexia) had finally stripped him of his peace of mind.

  "Listen, Greg," he stopped, catching his breath. "What are you doing tomorrow? Any plans for the holiday?"

  I didn't even open my eyes. "I’m planning to sleep. My schedule is tight: sleep with a break for sleep, followed by a deep oblivion in the evening."

  The Dragonkin let out a strange huff but said nothing. If I had been a bit less sleepy, I would have noticed him avoiding my gaze.

  We gathered in an empty classroom. The full set: Kael, Anna, Alexia, Lianel, the Dragonkin, and Alphus.

  I felt like I was standing on the edge of a precipice. Gathering them all and confessing my plans was... agonizing.

  "You guys..." I faltered, clenching my gloves into fists. "Could you help me? I want to invite Greg out tomorrow. For real."

  Everyone froze. A silence so heavy fell over the room that I could hear a clock ticking in the other wing.

  "O-o-oh..." Alphus drawled, and there was so much amazement in his voice that I wanted to hit him. "So, your feelings for him... they're serious?"

  "I guess... yes," I squeezed out, feeling my face begin to burn.

  The group plunged into deep thought. Lianel frowned, calculating the tactical odds. Anna bit her lip.

  "I suggest a radical method," Alexia suddenly spoke up. A mischievous glint sparked in her eyes. "Pump Greg full of love-candies, pipe sleeping gas into his room, and make sure that tomorrow he thinks of nothing but Alastia. Honestly, I don't see any other way. That guy is a fortress that can only be taken by siege or trickery."

  I felt uneasy. "Alexia, that’s... a bit much. I don't want him to be with me under a spell."

  A pang of doubt hit me. It felt like my feelings were a one-way street. As if Greg were simply incapable of reciprocity.

  "Maybe you should just talk to him?" Kael suggested softly. "Open your heart, tell him everything as it is?"

  "Oh, come on, brother!" I stomped my foot. "That’s hard! And awkward! You need the right moment... the setting... not just: 'Hi, I love you'."

  "Fine," Lianel stood up resolutely. "We'll help. Но keep in mind: Greg is an unpredictable force of nature. We’ll provide the 'setting,' and the rest is up to you."

  Everyone nodded. The operation was officially launched.