A Rat under a Roof

I sat in Headmaster Callius's office, arms crossed, as everyone stared at me like I had just crawled out of the underworld.

To be fair, maybe I did.

The whole room was frozen after the orb-turning-pitch-black incident. Orion stood like a statue, his hand hovering near his sword. Selene had that unreadable smirk, like she was waiting for a punchline. And Callius? She just looked like she was regretting every decision that led to this moment.

Instead of answering any of my questions, they started throwing their own at me.

"Where did you get that creature?" Callius asked, her sharp gaze locked on Cyrus, who was still curled lazily around my shoulders.

I frowned, scratching under his tiny chin. "Cyrus? I didn't 'get' him. He's always been with me."

Orion's golden eyes narrowed. "Since when?"

I hesitated. They were watching me too closely, like my answer actually mattered.

"…Since I was little," I muttered, looking down. "I don't know where he came from, just that he's always been there. Looking out for me. Protecting me."

I shrugged, but the words felt heavier than I expected.

"He's like my family."

Silence.

I didn't look up. I already knew what I'd see.

The same look people always gave me when they realized Kael Voss was an orphan. Pity. Discomfort. That awkward hesitation like they didn't know what to say.

I hated that look more than anything. I don't need people feeling sorry for me.

"But, who needs family right, when you got a cute little guy like him with, it's like haveing a personal bodyguard" I shout to break silence while scratching it under his chin. 

Callius and Selene exchanged a glance. Orion shifted uncomfortably, like he wasn't sure what to do with his hands.

Finally, Callius let out a long sigh, rubbing her temples. "We'll discuss this tomorrow. For now, you need rest."

Orion grabbed my arm and pulled me up. "Let's go."

And just like that, I was dragged out of the office like a misbehaving puppy.

I stumbled as Orion hauled me down the Academy halls.

"Okay, but hear me out," I said. "If I have to live here now, I need a roommate. And since we've already bonded over you kidnapping me, I think—logically—you should be my roommate."

"No," Orion grunted.

"Pretty please" I said with my puppy eyes.

"Not in a million years" he grunted.

"Come on! It'll be fun," I insisted. "We can stay up late, swap war stories, braid each other's hair—"

Selene actually snorted behind us.

Orion groaned. "You are insufferable."

"That's the spirit, future best friend."

"No."

A few students passing by were already staring.

Most of them whispered when they saw Orion, son of Zeus, dragging some random street kid through the Academy. Others just looked at me like I was an escaped zoo animal.

I grinned and waved. "Don't mind me, just the new local legend making his grand entrance."

Orion dragged me faster.

After a long walk (and me repeatedly asking if we were there yet just to annoy Orion), we finally stopped in front of a massive wooden door.

Orion let go of my arm and sighed. "This is your room."

I blinked.

Not a cage. Not a filthy alley. Not a damp storeroom.

A room.

He opened the door, and for the first time in my life, I saw what an actual bedroom looked like.

It was huge.

The floors were polished marble, reflecting the soft glow of enchanted lanterns hanging from the ceiling. A large window overlooked the Academy, giving a perfect view of the floating bridges and towers beyond.

And in the center…

A bed.

A real, actual, soft-looking bed.

I stood there, completely frozen.

I'd slept in tents. Under bridges. On the cold ground, curled up in the dirt.

And now…

"Why do you look like the bed insulted your mother?" Orion asked.

I blinked. "It's just… big."

Orion frowned. "It's normal-sized."

"Yeah, well, compared to the floor, it's a mansion."

He didn't seem to know what to say to that.

Selene leaned against the doorframe, watching me closely. "You've never had a bed before, have you?"

I scoffed. "What? Pfft, of course I have. Tons of beds. Too many beds, honestly. Some would say I was drowning in beds."

Orion sighed. "Just go to sleep, Kael."

"Wait, so no roommate? You're really leaving me alone in this massive room with nothing but my thoughts?"

"Yes."

I gasped. "That's cruel and unusual punishment!"

Orion shut the door in my face.

I stood there for a second, staring at it.

Then, I turned to Cyrus, still curled around my shoulders. "Well, guess it's just you and me, bud."

He flicked his tail, unimpressed.

I sighed, finally stepping into the room and closing the door.

Loneliness Hits Again

The second the door shut, the silence hit me.

Like a physical weight pressing down on my chest.

I had spent my entire life being alone. I was used to it. 

But this was different.

The room was too big. Too clean. Too quiet.

For the first time in forever, I had a roof over my head, a door that locked, and a bed that didn't smell like wet dog.

And yet… I felt restless.

And yet, the loneliness came creeping back like an old wound that never really healed.

I hesitated before sitting on the bed. Ran my fingers along the blanket. Stood up again.

Too soft. Too unfamiliar.

I wasn't sure if I liked it.

I sat by the window instead, watching the Academy outside. The lanterns flickered softly in the halls, and in the distance, I could see students moving through the night, their golden uniforms shining under the moon.

I should have felt safe.

But something about the Academy felt… off.

The shadows in the corners of the room shifted slightly.

I rubbed my eyes. Maybe I was just tired.

Maybe.

I forced myself back toward the bed, laying down stiffly on the too-soft mattress.

Cyrus curled up beside me, his shadowy form blending into the darkness.

I stared at the ceiling.

I was supposed to feel better. I had a real bed. A real room. A place to belong. Who's know maybe I will make friends.

But I didn't.

The slums, for all their dangers, had always felt like home.

Here ?

It felt like a cage.

I squeezed my eyes shut, forcing myself to just sleep.

Falling Into Darkness

At first, sleep came easily.

But then.

The air turned cold.

The weight of the bed disappeared.

The silence became absolute.

I tried to move—but there was nothing to move against.

I was falling.

Not like falling asleep.

Falling.

The bed, the Academy, the world itself—vanished into nothing.

Darkness swallowed me whole.

I opened my mouth to scream—

But no sound came out.

I felt peace. Felt like I was being embrace, motherly touch. 

It was calm.

I was slowly consumed by the darkness.