XIII ||| Hel(l)’s Grand Entrance

["Are you the winged serpent from the legends, Hel?"]

"As far as I know, yes. I mean, that's my kind. How can you tell?"

["I'm that great!"]

Rolling my eyes, I walked through the bridge that links the ocean with the path crossing the island and going to the Castle. A Castle so huge and overwhelming that I can see from here. And before I could walk one more meters, I accidentally crossed a magical portal and ended up in front of the Castle.

"Talk about magical short cut!" I mumbled as I put Jack on the ground, but the hare used his wings to fly around the height of my shoulders. "Well, okay."

["Walking is for weakling. Are you hiding your nature?"]

"Kind of. Not hiding, as in a secret, but I'll keep to myself. When I can no longer keep it, I'll tell them," shrugging, I felt a shiver in my belly.

["You're anxious, I can smell it. Don't worry, it'll be fine, Hel!"]

Sighing, I Centuries by Fall Out Boys to play on the speaker of my phone, aiming for a grand entrance, because Cosmos always said this can make wonders. Fixing my chin up, and straightening my back, I kept a cool stoic face and opened the double doors of the Castle, which opened up to a wild hall filled with students. Filled!

["Hel, calm down. Your heart is going crazy!"] I'm anxious.

All of their gazes went directly to me, and I'm sure there's more than two hundred people in here. So, I walked inside confidently, in the elegant catwalk that Cosmos taught me how to do it. Pretending to be fine, pretending that this was the first time I'm being the center of attention of so many people. So many supernatural people.

And as I have no desire from crossing this packed hall, I used my telekinesis to fly to the other side of the wide hall, and I swear almost all of them gasped. "Are you Wilhelmina?" A powerful elder woman emanating strong magic and with a fearsome gaze asked me when I landed softly like a feather.

["Witch. Ancient dark witch!"] Oh? She must be the headmaster.

To show my respect, I bowed lightly, "Yes, that's me, Headmaster Mia-Alexandria Hallow. I would have gotten in here sooner, nevertheless, there was some affairs I need to take care of. I hope I haven't kept you waiting for too long."

"You can look at me," she spoke with delight. "Her Majesty, the Supreme Dragon Queen told me a lot about you. She said you were the most outstanding young talent she has seen, and that you deserved place in here."

Flinching was automatic, but I quickly calmed down and kept my emotions blank. But disgust was consuming me, "Her… Her Majesty was being too kind," I never thought I would say this. "I only hope to prove my worth to you, Headmaster. Thank you for accepting me in the Academy with open arms."

Her eyes shone with something I couldn't name it, "Is this animal with you, an Wolpertinger, Wilhelmina?" Aye, I hate to be called this.

["Who is this old witch calling an animal?"]

"Yes, Headmaster. He's name is Jack and he's my familiar. I was told familiar are allowed in Belladonna, so, I hope having him with me will not be a bother."

["She wouldn't dare!"]

She tilted her eyes in amusement, "Not at all. It's my first time to see a student with one of these. So, Wilhelmina, where are your baggage?"

Raising my hand, I showed her my ring, "Here."

"Your documents?"

I took them from my bag, "Here," then I handed them to her.

"Are you a dragon, child?" What?

Scoffing was like a second nature, "Bloody hell, no."

"What are you then?" She grinned mischievously.

I stayed shut for what seemed like a century, "Something else."

Curiosity bloomed in her amber eyes, "Her Majesty suggested that I handed a single dorm for you. She said you liked privacy, and wouldn't do well in a shared dorm."

My right eyebrow went up, "Seems like Her Majesty had a slip in her judgement. Doing so would be nepotism. I'll be fine in a shared dorm, Headmaster, you don't need to go out of your way for me."

The smile she gave me was feral, "Are you sure? Many would die for such an opportunity, Wilhelmina!"

"Hel. You can call me Hel, Headmaster Hallow. And yes, I am sure and I'm not the type to change my mind, neither to be tempted by such a mundane situation. You don't have to worry, I will not regret. But that is, as long as there's a dorm that will be okay with me as their roommate!"

And I thought her grin couldn't widen further, "Kawasaki Yumi, Priya Dharni, Danielle Devereaux, and Dorothy Kaeveney, could you step closer for a second?" She said it all while staring at my eyes, and I kept the eye contact unwavering even when I felt the four girls come closer.

I've heard their names before in my modern classes with Cosmos. Their last names. Kawasaki is the Seraphim Royal family of the Ministry, and so is Dharni for the Fairy Royal family, Kaeveney for the Demonic Royal family, and Devereaux for the Grand Duchy family of the Sirens. Too much power in one place, and I can feel it emanating from them.

"Headmaster Hallow," they all said together and I noticed different accents on their voices, which is comprehensible, as they came from Japan, India, Ireland, and France.

"Your dorm has one spare bed, has it not?" Oh, dear Goddess.

"Yes, Headmaster!" They said it like in a choir again.

"Would it be a problem for you if Hel became your 5th roommate?"

"No, Headmaster," again together.

"Then, Hel, you will be with the girls. If anyone bullies you for being the new kid, you can tell me and I'll deal with them," she glared at everyone around us.

"It won't be something I can't deal with, Headmaster," I exclaimed.

Her eyes met mine again, and her smile became almost identical to the Cheshire cat's from Alice in Wonderland. "Sounds like trouble to me. I couldn't get even more excited. Seems like this year will be interesting. You can follow the girls, they will take to your dorm. As you are under protection of the Dragons, your uniform will be the golden one. Each one of the racial factions of Belladonna have a specific color that goes with their white shirt of the uniform. "

Uniform? Ugh. "Can I match the uniform with my clothes and kind of personalize it on my way?"

She tilted her head, "You mean to use corset above it and all?" A nod. "Of course, you can. But you will have to use the shirt of the Academy under it. It's a rule that no one can bind to their will."

"I'm okay with that. Is the shirt long-sleeved?"

"There are long-sleeved, short-sleeved, and sleeveless." Oh?

A nod, "I'll only use the long-sleeved anyways. Don't worry about that, Headmaster. The vestment rule isn't a rule I will break."

["Ah, I knew you had ball,"] he said mischievously.

The old witch smirked amused, "At least you won't be able to say you didn't warn me that you could possibly break other rules in the future. You are a very interesting kid, Hel. I'm looking forward to what you will be showing me," she eyed my phone. "You have a good musical taste."

She likes Hell's Comin' with Me by Poor Man's Poison? "Thank you, very much, Headmaster Hallow."

"You said you're not a dragon. I don't know what you are. But do you fly?" In more way than she can think.

Nod, "I do."

"Come to my office tomorrow morning, at 7 am. I'll have chosen your schedule by then. Breakfast in 8 am. Classes start at 9. Lunch is at 13h. Dinner is at 21h. You will be having classes from morning to night. I hope you will be up to it," that's nothing compared to my schedule with Cosmos.

"Easy peasy. I also will not be causing any problems regarding my classes. Be it by missing them, or by having low grade. You will see in my record that I've never had a low grade in my life, and I'll make sure to have taken the 1st spot of the students on my grade!" Yes, I know I shouldn't be saying this in front of the students.

But I can't help, I'm looking forward for the chaos.

"I can see where you will be causing problems," she giggled softly. SHE GIGGLED. I don't know if I'm glad or frightened, but I kept my cool and the snug on my face. "Can you hold your right wrist up for me?"

Instantly, I obeyed her, knowing what was coming next.

"Can you raise your sleeve and glove a bit? It has to be put on your skin," what? "Hel?" She asked again and I froze, staring at her. "Hel? Can you show me your wrist?"

["Are you alright?"] My tattoos aren't healed yet, there's one there.

"Can I take it with me and put it on in the dorm?" By how everyone else gasped in shock, I bet this was never asked before.

The Headmaster glared at me and I glared back at her, and when I thought she would refuse my request, she grinned and handed me the jewel, a magical bracelet made of Jade. "Of course. But do it as soon as possible, it's for your own protection." More like the other students protection from me. "Anything else?"

Oh, Abellona. "Abellona told me to tell you that she misses you and that she'll be waiting for you to see her in the bottom of the main mountain."

For the first time, I seemed to have caught her totally off guard, "A…" She swallowed. "Okay, I understand. Thank you, for passing her words to me, Hel. How old are you?"

Let's play safe. "Physically 17!"

She chuckled one more time, "Fair, fair," she said, still smiling, and seeming to be in a sudden good mood. Was it because I told her about Abellona? "See you tomorrow in my office," she exclaimed, giggling as she turned around. "Go to your dorm. Familiarize yourself with everything. This will be your home for the rest of the year."

As if the universe was collaborating with this absurd place, when the English version of Domino by Stray Kids began to play on the back pocket of my pants, out of nowhere, a group of seven hot and tall people emanating more power than most kids in the hall behind me, came right from where the Headmaster was heading and she stopped to greet them, and even got a kiss in the forehead from the guy in the center, the one who's green eyes met mine and a weird shiver spread in my insides.

["Vampires. Born. All of them. Center kid is the strongest!"]

And when my body felt like heading straight to where he was, I felt something that I definitely don't like, and forced my body to take a step back, pressing my nails on the palm of my hands. "No way," I told myself, refusing to acknowledge any of this weirdness.

["Why are you two staring at each other?"]

"Shut up, Jack!" I hissed.

"Is that the new kid sent by the Dragon Queen?" He asked Mia loud enough for everyone to hear and I clenched my jaw. "Doesn't seem like much, does she?"

"Why don't say it on my face, vampire?" I hate my mouth.