The Academy corridors buzzed with returning students as I walked between Aria and Isabella toward Professor Malphas' class. After everything we'd experienced—confronting Cain, saying goodbye to Faith, and finally coming to terms with my complicated identity—the mundane routine of classes felt almost surreal.

  "I can't believe we're back to calculus so soon," Aria whispered, nudging me with her elbow.

  I smiled, feeling lighter than I had in months. "Honestly? I'm looking forward to it."

  Isabella gave me a curious look. "You're in an unusually good mood."

  "I am, aren't I?" I laughed softly. "I guess I've finally stopped fighting myself. Whether I was originally Liam or Lily doesn't matter anymore. I'll figure it out eventually, but for now..." I shrugged. "I'm just going to be me."

  "Well, 'you' still needs to pass mathematics," Isabella reminded me with a hint of a smile.

  "At least it's Professor Malphas instead of Vox," Aria said, her eyes brightening. "Those erotic illustrations make calculus almost bearable."

  We turned the corner to find a small crowd gathered outside the classroom. Valentina stood at the centre, regaling her followers with tales of her vacation. Her voice carried through the hall, deliberately loud enough for everyone to hear.

  "...and then the Count himself invited me to his private chambers. You should have seen the other guests' faces when he chose me over all those purebloods from House Vepar!"

  I caught Isabella rolling her eyes, but there was something almost comforting about Valentina's familiar posturing. After facing ancient vampires and dimensional magic, her petty boasting seemed almost quaint.

  "Looks like someone's recovered her confidence," I murmured.

  "Some things never change," Isabella replied, but there was no real venom in her voice.

  As we approached, Valentina spotted us. Her eyes narrowed slightly, but instead of her usual direct confrontation, she merely raised her voice a notch higher and continued her story with more elaborate gestures.

  "She's avoiding us," Aria whispered, sounding almost disappointed. "That's no fun."

  "Give her time," I said. "I'm sure she'll work up the courage to insult us properly by lunchtime."

  The classroom door swung open, and Professor Malphas emerged, his curved horns gleaming in the hallway light. "Ladies, if you're quite finished gossiping, I believe we have differential equations to discuss."

  A collective groan rose from the students, though I noticed most, including Aria and Isabella, followed him inside with more enthusiasm than they'd ever shown for Professor Vox.

  We took our usual seats near the back of the class. As I settled in, I glanced around at my classmates—other succubi in various states of attention, some already passing notes, others fixing their makeup. A few months ago, I would have felt completely out of place among them. Now, I belonged here as much as anywhere.

  "I wonder if we'll ever see Professor Vox again," Aria whispered as she pulled out her notebook.

  "Probably," Isabella replied. "Though I'm not complaining about the substitute."

  Professor Malphas began writing on the board, the chalk squeaking as he drew a series of curves that somehow managed to look suggestive despite being mathematical functions.

  "Today, ladies, we'll explore how to find the areas under these curves," he announced, his voice carrying a deliberate double entendre that made several students giggle.

  I opened my notebook and picked up my pen, feeling strangely content. The material was elementary compared to what I'd studied as an engineer, but that didn't matter. I wasn't just going through the motions anymore, pretending to be someone I wasn't while desperately searching for a way back to a life that no longer existed.

  For the first time since waking up in this body, I was simply living in the moment, surrounded by friends who knew my secrets and accepted me anyway. Whatever challenges lay ahead—academic, supernatural, or existential—I would face them as Lily Morningstar.

  I watched Isabella gather her things, a slight frown creasing her usually composed features.

  "I'm afraid I need to leave you two for a bit," she said, straightening her already immaculate uniform. "Mother has requested my assistance with some household business."

  "Anything interesting?" Aria asked, leaning forward with her chin propped on her hands.

  Isabella's lips twitched into a subtle smile. "Just some tedious diplomatic matters. Nothing worth discussing." She stood gracefully. "I'll return for Professor Morrigan's class."

  "Don't be late," I said. "You know how she gets about tardiness."

  "I wouldn't dream of it." With a small nod, Isabella glided away, her silver hair catching the light as she disappeared through the doorway.

  Aria turned to me with a dramatic sigh. "Lunch time! I'm starving after all that math."

  We made our way to the cafeteria, joining the steady stream of students heading for their midday meal. The familiar scent of the Academy's food wafted toward us—a complex mixture of spices, cooked meats, and that distinctive pearly essence that flavoured many succubus dishes.

  I realized with mild surprise that the smell no longer made me wince. Five months ago, I'd been repulsed by the very idea of consuming anything containing... well, what succubi considered a delicacy. Now, while I didn't actively seek it out, the sight of the creamy sauces drizzled over various dishes barely registered as unusual.

  "What are you getting?" Aria asked as we approached the serving area.

  I scanned the options, bypassing the dishes most heavily infused with essence. "I think I'll try the squid."

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  "Ooh, good choice!" Aria's eyes lit up as she requested the same from the serving imp.

  The creature on my plate was technically dead, I supposed, but enchantments kept it writhing and squirming as if alive—a presentation style popular in Hell's cuisine. We found an empty table and settled in.

  I took a bite, feeling the tentacle wiggle against my tongue before sliding down my throat. The sensation, which would have horrified me months ago, now sent a pleasant shiver through my body.

  "This is actually really good," I said, taking another bite.

  "Told you!" Aria beamed. "The squirming makes it better, doesn't it?"

  Before I could answer, a shadow fell across our table. I looked up to find Valentina standing there, flanked by two of her usual followers. Her crimson eyes narrowed as she surveyed our meal with exaggerated disgust.

  "I see you two are enjoying the... common fare," she said, her voice dripping with disdain. "I suppose after spending your break doing whatever peasant activities you find amusing, this would seem appetizing."

  I chewed slowly, savouring another bite of the squid before responding. My good mood remained unruffled by her presence.

  "The squid is excellent today, Valentina. Would you like to try some?" I offered, gesturing to the empty seat beside me.

  Her eyes widened slightly. "As if I would—"

  "You know," I continued casually, "you're always so vocal around us. If you wanted to join us for lunch, you could just ask."

  Valentina's pale skin flushed crimson. "Join you? I wouldn't lower myself to—" She sputtered, seemingly unable to form a coherent insult. "You think I want to sit with you? You're delusional!"

  "The offer stands," I said with a smile.

  "Insufferable!" Valentina hissed, her wings briefly manifesting before she controlled herself. "You'll regret your arrogance, Nightstar!" With that, she stormed away, her followers scrambling to keep up as she shouted something about "common trash" and "beneath her dignity."

  Aria stared at me, her fork suspended halfway to her mouth. "What just happened? You didn't even get mad."

  I shrugged, spearing another tentacle. "What's the point? We've faced actual threats. Valentina's just... Valentina."

  "Yeah, but you almost sounded like you were inviting her to be friends."

  "Maybe I was." I watched Valentina's retreating form, noting the way she kept glancing back at our table. "She seems like she needs them."

  Aria shook her head in disbelief. "You're in a weird mood today."

  "I told you—I'm just done fighting." I smiled, enjoying the way the squid wriggled down my throat. "Besides, she's kind of entertaining when she gets all flustered like that."

  I watched Aria twirl a tentacle around her fork, nodding thoughtfully. "You're right, it is kind of amusing seeing her all worked up." Her expression suddenly darkened. "But don't you remember what happened with Bellas during the break? Those imps bruised him up and harassed him because of Valentina's stupid orders."

  My amusement faded instantly. The memory of finding Bellas with those bruises flooded back—the dark marks on his pale skin, his downcast eyes as he tried to minimize what had happened.

  "She intimidated those imps to get back at you for making her look bad," Aria continued, her voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "If we hadn't gone back to our dorm during the break, we might have missed it entirely."

  A cold anger settled in my stomach, replacing my earlier lightness. I'd almost forgotten about that incident with everything else that had happened. The thought of someone hurting what was mine—

  The possessiveness of that thought caught me off guard, but I didn't fight it. Bellas was ours. Our property. Our responsibility.

  "You're right," I said, my voice hardening. "That was different. Harassment and insults are one thing, but actually hurting Bellas..." I stabbed a tentacle with more force than necessary, watching it writhe on my fork. "That crossed a line."

  Aria nodded, her purple eyes gleaming with an intensity that matched my feelings. "Exactly. We can laugh off her pathetic attempts to insult us, but attacking our property? That's personal."

  I felt a surge of protective rage that seemed to come from somewhere deep and instinctual. It wasn't just about Bellas being hurt, though that mattered too. It was the disrespect, the challenge to our status.

  "Maybe I shouldn't be so casual with her after all," I admitted, watching as Valentina took a seat across the cafeteria, still glancing our way occasionally.

  "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer?" Aria suggested with a raised eyebrow.

  I considered this. "Something like that. But let's not let her ruin our lunch," I said, pushing away the dark thoughts about Valentina. "How was your weekend? I didn't get to ask with all the chaos of getting back to classes."

  Aria's face brightened instantly. "I went shopping in the Obsidian Market! Found this amazing charm bracelet that changes colour based on your mood." She extended her wrist, showing off a delicate chain with tiny crystalline charms. "Right now it's purple, which means I'm content."

  I leaned closer to examine it. "That's beautiful. Does it actually read your emotions or just react to your body temperature?"

  "A bit of both, I think. The vendor said something about aura resonance."

  We fell into easy conversation about magical trinkets and fashion, the tension from moments before melting away. Aria had a gift for lightening any mood, one of the many reasons I treasured her friendship.

  "That was delicious," I said, pushing my empty plate away. The last of the squid had stopped writhing minutes ago, leaving only a faint trace of spices on my tongue.

  Aria nodded in agreement, dabbing at her lips with a napkin. "We should probably head to Professor Morrigan's class. You know how she gets if anyone's late."

  "True. I still have nightmares about what she did to that imp who interrupted her lecture last time."

  We gathered our things and made our way out of the cafeteria, joining the stream of students flowing through the Academy's obsidian hallways. The ambient temperature rose as we approached the Magicraft wing, where Professor Morrigan preferred to keep her classroom warm—something about maintaining optimal conditions for mana flow.

  As we rounded the corner to the classroom, I nearly collided with a familiar figure.

  "Isabella!" Aria exclaimed. "Perfect timing."

  Isabella looked slightly flushed, her normally perfect silver hair showing the faintest signs of disarray. "I apologize for cutting it so close. Mother's meeting ran longer than expected."

  "Everything okay?" I asked, noting the subtle tension in her posture.

  "Nothing to concern ourselves with," she replied, smoothing her uniform. "Merely the usual political manoeuvring. Shall we?"

  We filed into Professor Morrigan's classroom just in time, finding three seats together near the back.

  Professor Morrigan stood at the front of the classroom, her raven-black hair cascading over her shoulders like liquid darkness. Her yellow eyes surveyed us with that penetrating gaze that always made me feel like she could see right through any fa?ade.

  "Today," she announced, her voice carrying effortlessly through the room, "we will be discussing the practical applications of sympathetic magic."

  I pulled out my notebook, ready to take notes. Despite having been at the Academy for months now, I still found myself fascinated by the differences between demonic magical theory and what humans believed about magic. The contrast was particularly stark in Professor Morrigan's Magicraft class.

  "Sympathetic magic," she continued, pacing slowly across the front of the classroom, "operates on the principle that like affects like. An object that resembles another object can be used to influence it. This is one of the oldest forms of magic, predating even the Fall."

  Her yellow eyes flashed momentarily at the mention of the Fall—that ancient event when Lucifer and his followers were cast out of Heaven. My father's rebellion. It still felt strange to think of Lucifer as my father, yet increasingly natural at the same time.

  Isabella leaned forward slightly beside me, her attention completely focused on Professor Morrigan. I knew she took her studies seriously, especially anything that might give her an edge in combat.

  "The applications are numerous," Professor Morrigan said, conjuring a small flame in her palm. "From simple fire manipulation to complex interdimensional targeting." The flame in her hand shifted, forming a miniature replica of the classroom we sat in. "With proper training, you can affect a target from great distances, even across dimensional barriers."

  That caught my attention. Cross-dimensional magic could be useful if I ever needed to return to Earth again.

  "For today's practical exercise," she said, extinguishing the flame with a flick of her wrist, "you will be creating sympathetic links between objects. The stronger the conceptual connection, the more powerful the link."