Chapter 16: Jealousy, Claws, Flames, and Explosive Declarations

The ground shook, and it wasn't just any tremor. It was a deep, guttural vibration that seemed to come from the bowels of the Arcane School, accompanied by a nauseating smell – a putrid mixture of sulfur, decaying flesh, and something else, indefinable and ancient. The students, already nervous with the presence of the succubus Lilith and Seraphine's charged aura, exchanged panicked glances. Even the elemental constructs, already out of control, seemed to hesitate, their unstable forms flickering.

Seraphine, transformed by the Noctaria curse, dug her nails into her own palm, her bat ears twitching, her pointed nose wrinkling in a grimace, ignoring Oracio's stray flames. Her ruby eyes, normally cold and calculating, now burned with a possessive fury, fixed on Lilith. The succubus, in turn, maintained her relaxed pose, a mocking smile playing on her lips. Her violet eyes, bright as amethysts under the flickering light of the room, reflected the growing disorder with an almost perverse pleasure.

"Well, well…" Lilith began, her voice as smooth as silk, but laced with venom. "It seems the queen of darkness is losing control. Could it be that her little dog is in danger?" She cast a meaningful look at Gabriel, who shrank under the attention, his face flushing furiously.

Seraphine growled, a guttural sound that echoed through the room, silencing the frightened murmurs of the other students.

"Shut your mouth, succubus." Seraphine's voice was low and dangerous, a steel wire about to snap. "You're nothing but a cheap distraction. And my human doesn't need your protection."

Lilith laughed, a melodious sound that contrasted terribly with the chaos around them.

"Is that so?" She approached Gabriel, ignoring Seraphine's growl, and whispered in his ear, her voice laced with malice: "He seemed quite… interested… in me. Maybe he's tired of your… antiquity." The last word was uttered with calculated disdain, a direct hit on the vampire's vanity.

Seraphine shuddered, the shadows around her swirling like snakes. Her bat-like ears twitched, her snout projected and her delicate black wings pronounced themselves. The whole transformation accompanied by a strong tremor on her body. The Noctaria curse was at its peak, bat wings hissing, ears shaking.

"You dare, you… hick succubus!" Seraphine hissed. She was clenching her fists, her icy hands tightly gripping each fold of fabric. She was furious.

Lilith didn't back down. Instead, she took a step forward, invading Seraphine's personal space.

"Oh, come on, little vampire," Lilith provoked, her voice now louder, so everyone could hear. "Are you scared, darling? Afraid that a human might prefer a truly beautiful and hot creature to a… walking relic, you stinky undead."

"Watch what you say about my friend!" Greta, the orc, intervened, her voice deep and threatening. She approached, her muscles tense under her greenish skin, ready to defend Seraphine. But the vampire stopped her with a gesture.

"Don't interfere, Greta," Seraphine ordered, without taking her eyes off Lilith. "This is between me and this… thing."

"Thing?" Lilith repeated, with a cruel smile. "What limited vocabulary, darling. Maybe that's why you need a human to feel… interesting. Someone so… beneath you… that they have no choice but to… obey."

The room fell silent, except for the crackling of Oracio's flames (who was now trying, unsuccessfully, to put out a fire on his own tail).

"Enough of your insolence!" hissed Seraphine, letting out a bloodcurdling growl.

Gabriel, feeling the tension rise with each passing second, tried to intervene.

"Stop it!" he pleaded, his voice weak amidst the chaos. "You two…"

But his voice was drowned out by a scream from Seraphine. The vampire, fed up with Lilith's provocations, lost control.

"I warned you!" She snarled, her eyes glowing with an intense red fury.

With a swift movement, Seraphine lunged at Lilith. Shadow whips materialized in her hands, cracking in the air like hungry serpents.