Incline 3: Student Nin

"Vapooliar?" I let out with uncertainty as I took the final step off of the stairs. But I was quick to go back onto them when I saw Vapooliar's expression. Pure, hardened anger was all I could see and she was approaching us with dangerous intent.

"Where have you been?" she asked in a rather quiet tone given her current feelings. And Vadei went pale as she was the main target of her gaze.

"I-I... We..." she failed to get out before the intimidating, aura-emitting woman that towered over her.

"Quit mumbling." Vapooliar demanded as she took another step forward. The pressure that surrounded her soon forced Vadei to the ground and she was quickly over taken by terror.

"That's enough!" I declared as I moved to step in between them. But I only ended up stopping and backing away once I got near the force the others were so close to. Not that me moving backwards mattered, because Vapooliar just moved to me instead.

"Where has she been?" she asked me coldly while her presence alone kept me pinned against the nearest floor.

"We went h-home... We went back to my home..." I told her with uncontrollable shivers. And my answer made me confused because she stepped back confused. Hurt all over her face before anger came back to it.

"You promised..." she incoherently muttered just before she advanced on me again with what seemed like murderous intent.

"PROMISE WHAT!?" I could help but yell out, terrified.

"You promised that we would do that together, that I would help you! How can you have forgotten that!?" she clarifies and that only made me more confused. Was she seriously clinging onto a promise from last year!? One that was made while I was still a human!? When I could actually call her my friend!?

"W-What...? You c-can't be serious...?" I asked, completely baffled by this behaviour. She didn't want anything to do with me since I became a bug! And now she was enraged that I didn't hold onto a promise we made!?

"And you weren't serious about going home were you?" she asked, and her words made me feel colder than any of this magic of hers did.

"Vapooliar, don't..." Vadei warned.

"Unless, something happened. You went home but something went wrong. A something I could have prevented. So, what went wrong?" she asked with a stern face but cruel tone.

"I..." I couldn't get out before thoughts of my failure drove me to silent tears.

"Your home is gone, isn't it? Something you did or something you brought with you did it." she quickly deduced before she looked up at the sound of approaching steps.

"GET AWAY FROM HIM!" Liada screamed before some magic from her talisman forced Vapooliar away. Much to her shock and surprise as she was definitely skilled enough to tell Liada was nearly magicless.

"What's it to you, Ideric Beast?" Vapooliar asked through clenched teeth as I took the opportunity to return to my feet and get up the stairs. And, in a strange twist of fate, I hid behind Liada who in turn hid us behind her divine magic.

"Y-You know what I am...?" Liada asked with some bafflement as everyone else up to now had no idea what she was.

"Not formerly, no. But your answer tells me everything I need to know about your thunder-struck race!" Vapooliar nearly shouted before a shockwave of magic rushed through the house.

And those words set Liada off, "HOW ABOUT YOU SAY THAT TO MY FACE YOU MURDEROUS SLAVE OF THE SKY!?" Liada roared as she slammed against the barricade she had created.

Vapooliar snorted before turning to leave, "Don't do that again, Vadei." she then cautioned our terrified friend with a calm, quiet tone before she left. The signs of her arrival and departure scarring the path before our dorm deeply. Then, when we were certain she was gone and the magic Liada had made was waved off. I started to hobble upstairs.

"Nin?" Einervaene called out to me as the sound of my crying became the only thing anyone could hear. But I didn't want to answer her, I just wanted to be left alone. Not that I had an opportunity to be alone as the girls all raced after me and got into my room before me.

"Please, leave me alone." I begged Larishazza, Einervaene, Vadei and Liada as they all stood by my bed. But, when they refused to leave, I just cried more openly after taking off my mask. And I slid down the door until I was on the floor.

"It's not your fault..." Vadei tried to tell me as she offered up her tail to me.

"YOU KNOW THAT ISN'T TRUE! ALL OF YOU KNOW!" I roared, scaring off the weaker two but leaving the other half unmoved.

"It is not your fault, Nin." Einervaene told me as she held me on the left while Larishazza squeezed in on the right. Doing her usual thing of having fun with it by holding my head from above. And, once I had calmed down, the other two came back over. And they had me take Vadei's tail into my claw, but I would refuse it soon after.

I couldn't stop my claws from shaking, so I was scared I would hurt her...

"Just leave me be..." I begged them as I breathed with uncertain stability. Trembling quietly before I started to relax into their grips.