Did it already end?

The first thing I noticed when I woke up was that I couldn't breathe properly. Something warm and heavy was pressing down on me, pinning me against the mattress.

Groaning, I cracked one eye open to find Ember sprawled across my chest, her scales glinting in the morning light that filtered through the curtains.

"Ember," I croaked, trying to shove her off. "You weigh a ton, and I need to breathe."

She gave an indignant chirp but eventually slinked off to the foot of the bed, curling up like she hadn't just crushed me. I sat up and grabbed my phone from the nightstand, unlocking it to check the time. My heart sank.

"Eleven a.m.?" I groaned, scrambling out of bed. "Fuck, why did no one wake me up?"

I moved on autopilot, throwing myself into the shower so quickly I barely remembered turning the water on. The spray was cool and refreshing, jolting me into full wakefulness as I lathered up and scrubbed away the remnants of sleep.

Within minutes, I was brushing my teeth, then my hair, barely pausing to dry it before pulling on a simple blouse and jeans.

My papers were still sitting neatly on the table from the night before. I stuffed them into my bag, slung it over my shoulder, and bolted out of the room.

The living room was a picture of cozy chaos when I rushed in. Rowena was sprawled across the couch in her pajamas, eating cereal straight out of the box while some overly colorful cartoon played on the TV.

The exaggerated voices of the characters grated on my nerves immediately.

"For someone who's 21," I said, eyeing her with a mix of disbelief and amusement, "watching this kind of kiddie cartoon is weird."

Rowena barely glanced at me, shoving another handful of cereal into her mouth. "And for someone who's 21, running late to one of the most important days of her life is also weird."

I rolled my eyes. "It's not important—it's just enrollment. And it's not like you're doing anything useful."

She finally looked up from the screen, smirking. "This is called relaxation. You should try it sometime."

I was in no mood for her teasing. "Can you just drive me to the school? Please?"

Rowena raised an eyebrow, clearly savoring the moment. "For someone who's 21," she said mockingly, "it's weird not to have a driver's license."

"Ha, ha, very funny," I shot back, tapping my foot impatiently. "Can you just stop being difficult for once?"

Her smirk widened, but after a dramatic sigh, she stood up and set her cereal bowl on the table. "Fine, fine. Let me grab my keys."

We were barely out of the castle gates when I realized I'd made a mistake. Rowena was driving at a speed so leisurely it felt like we were on a scenic tour of the demon realm instead of heading to an urgent deadline.

"Can you go any slower?" I asked, half-joking, half-serious.

"Relax," Rowena said, leaning back like she was in a hammock instead of behind the wheel. "It's not a race."

I clenched my fists, resisting the urge to grab the steering wheel. "It feels like it is when enrollment ends in less than two hours."

Rowena grinned, clearly enjoying my distress. "You're so high-strung. You need to learn to take it easy."

"And you need to learn to drive like someone who actually has a license!"

We bickered the rest of the way, her teasing me for my impatience and me snapping at every slow turn and overly cautious brake.

By the time we reached the school, my nerves were frayed, and I could barely wait for the car to come to a complete stop before I yanked the door open and bolted toward the enrollment hall.

The school was eerily quiet as I raced through the corridors, the sound of my footsteps echoing off the walls. My mind was running wild.

Did it already end?

Why is no one here?

Oh, great, I've probably blown my only chance.

Finally, I reached the enrollment room and pushed the door open, my heart pounding in my chest. Inside, the room was small and utilitarian, with filing cabinets lining the walls and a single desk in the center. Behind it sat a stern-looking woman, her gray hair pulled back into a bun so tight it seemed to stretch her features.

She looked up as I entered, her sharp eyes narrowing. "You're late," she said in a tone that brooked no argument.

"Uh… sorry," I stammered, feeling distinctly out of place despite being the Demon Queen's daughter. "I—uh—got everything you asked for." I fumbled with my bag, pulling out the stack of papers and placing them on her desk.

She gave me a long, appraising look before picking up the documents and flipping through them. Her movements were precise, her expression unreadable as she examined each page.

"Application form…" she murmured, checking off a box on a clipboard. "Magical lineage documentation… diploma…"

I stood there awkwardly, shifting my weight from one foot to the other as the seconds dragged on.

When she reached the vaccination record, she paused, her lips pressing into a thin line. "You're missing the Lumenlight booster."

I braced myself for a lecture, but to my surprise, she simply set the paper down and said, "It's not critical. You can get it later."

Relief washed over me. "Thank you," I said, trying to hide how much I'd been stressing over that missing shot.

She didn't acknowledge my gratitude, instead scribbling something onto her clipboard before looking back up at me. "Your paperwork is in order. Now, go to the next room. You'll be taking a practical test to assess your skills."

"A test?" I asked, my nerves spiking again.

"Yes," she said flatly, her tone suggesting she'd heard that question one too many times. "It's a cooking test. First door on your left."

With that, she returned her attention to her papers, effectively dismissing me.

I nodded, swallowing my nerves as I headed for the door. Here we go, I thought, steeling myself. Time to prove I've got what it takes.