XV ||| Unwanted Dinner Companion

["Do you only have this song?"]

"Aye, Jack, it's Young & Beautiful by Lana Del Rey. An anthem!" I side glared him while dressing up on my pair of midnight blue silk bra and panties, a cotton pair of black pant that hugs the curve of my hips and legs, so long that even with my fluffy slippers of black serpent the border touches the ground, plus a long-sleeved turtle-neck will black shirt that it's also tight on my torso and marks how thin my waist is, my black gloves, and my hair styled in two root braids.

I had put the magical bracelet on when I arrived on the empty dorm, so, I just added my ring over the glove, the serpent earrings, my necklace over the turtle neck, and another two diamond rings on my left hand. Lastly, I passed my roses perfume, a skin cream on my face, and the red lipstick on my lips.

["Why are you avoiding the mirror? You haven't looked at any one since you've come in here!"] I was waiting for that.

"I'm ugly, Jack. I have no desire in looking in the mirror. Especially not when you've see how my body looks underneath. I prefer to keep my memory of the reflex I saw of me when I was 7 years old, back when I was still a seemingly better looking kid," I left the bathroom, going to the room.

["Ugly? Are you insane?"]

I scoffed bitterly, "No need to try to smooth it out, Jack. I have no desire in seeing how horrifying I may look. The mirror might even break. I'll feel okay with myself as long as I don't spray my ugliness on my eyes. I don't want to see it, okay?"

He gasped, ["But you are good looking, Hel!]

"Bullshit," I stopped the song, annoyed. "Bloody hell, Jack, you don't need to lie to me, alright? You saw me. You saw my body. You saw how disgusting I look. Yes, I accept all these bloody scars covering me entirely, but I do not want to see it. They may be a reminder that I survived all grandma dearest did to me, but it's a reminder of what I went through nonetheless."

["I never thought you had a low self-esteem,"] ugh.

Taking a deep breath, I counted to seven, "I do not have a low self-esteem and you do not need to pity me, Jack. If there's something I hate in the world is being pitied. I love myself, I just feel disgusted by the idea of seeing my body, is it so hard to understand? I know people only care about beautiful things, Cosmos warned me, that's why I'll stay covered for now. I'm not embarrassed, I'm disgusted. I don't care what they think, but I care about what I think."

["Hel…"]

"No. It's fine. Knowing that I'm covered in scars is one things, but seeing all of it, is something entirely different. I don't even want to imagine how ugly my back looks. That's why I'm glad that Abellona made a big tattoo there, which I know is good, but I have no desire in looking at it. I know I'm strong, I know I'm badass, and I love it. But I also am aware that looks weight people down. And it's something I lack. That is why I got so mad because Oliver called me beautiful, because I know he was mocking me. That's what hot people like him do!"

When I looked down, the change in my temper had caused me to unknowingly use my telekinesis, probably because my body got used to using it all the time. Taking a deep breath, I calmed down and put my feet on the ground.

"But none of this is important, Jack. I have a greater mission in here. Mom's and Naël's spirits told me that I'll play a part in taking grandma dearest down and killing her. I'll focus on getting the best grades and gathering the strongest kids in here, without building any link, to help me on it. As well as to find the Aether user. I'll make grandma pay for all those two thousand years of torture. For locking me up but making my mind stay consciousness. For breaking me…" my voice broke and I felt my eyes burning.

["I'm sorry, kid."]

Annoyed, I let out a scream of anger, a scream that I was holding deep in my heart. "Fuck. I hate this. I can't break again. I need to be strong. To swallow it all. I promise mom's spirit that I would get revenge for all grandma did to me and to her. For how she was murdered," I cried angry. "She'll pay for it. She'll pay it with her life. I'll repay her ten fold for all the misery she put me through," swallowing hard, I clean any tears from my face, going to the door. "I'll kill Meredith."

But when I opened the door, I found my four roommates and a dark pink-haired girl there, with their ears on the door. And they all turned pale when their eyes met mine, but I quickly composed myself, smiling.

"With my love," I added. "I'll kill her with my love!"

["Pink haired girl is a dark witch. Strong one."] Thanks.

"Pretend you didn't listen to anything I said if you aren't looking to have problems with me," I said dryly, still with a smile on. "Whatever you think you heard, you heard it wrong." I turned to the new girl, "Witch, nice to meet you!" Then I turned around and left the dorm.

"What the fuck?" They mumbled to each other on my back and I prayed that they stayed shut. That they didn't listen my words for too long.

I shouldn't have spoke so carelessly like that, not when I have four roommates with me now. It was a dumb move. I'll never do it again, or it might fuck things up. Better yet, I'll ignore them and Oliver's group full heartedly. Not even a word.

It's too risky.

["What if one of them have the Aether magic?"]

Sigh, "I pray that the Crone is with me, and that's not the case!"

Following the map of the Castle someone had left on my bed, I went to the place where they have their meals, taking advantage that it's 20 minutes earlier, as they definitely do not want me there as their new dinner companion. I don't want to be near them either.

But the second I arrived, it was like they all thought about eating first not to meet me in here, because they were all there already. "I'm so lucky," I mumbled bitterly, ignoring them with all my might and walking towards the place where the food was.

["Those are all witches,"] he pointed at the girls serving the food.

"I know," I whispered under my breath. Then I walked to where the silver trays were, and I picked the one in the middle just because. "Good night," I told the witches who were all staring at me with curiosity.

After cataloguing them as dirty blonde, auburn haired, black haired, and dark brown, I walked to the auburn haired who was guarding the rice, them I took a big bowl of it, using a lot of spicy sauce on it. "What's your name?" She asked as if she didn't know.

"Hel," I greeted her.

"What are you?" The blonde asked with her eyebrows raised.

"What do you think I am?" I countered, going to her and taking a plate with a big slice of roasted steak, which I also drowned in spicy sauce.

"You're nothing I've ever seen, and I've seen a lot," she countered.

A nod, "Indeed, I'm not. But that only means you are still young," I chuckled softly and she blushed. Well, it's better than be called old, no? Cosmos told me most females are sensible with their ages.

"Are you really connected with Shay Miralanthor?" The witch with black hair asked as I stopped in front of her, her honey eyes shining with excitement. "You shared her surname. She was the only one with it."

After I took the fries and carrot salad in front of her, I licked my lips, meeting her eyes, "I am more related to her than you can imagine." As I reached the last witch with brown hair and peridot green eyes, I pointed at all the types of blood in front of her. "Is there any who are animal blood?"

"These," she pointed at the ones marked with an 'S'. "Do you drink blood?" She frowned, looking at the food I put on my tray.

"I eat food, I'm not a vampire. But I can also drink blood, I do have fangs. Nevertheless, that's not my cup of tea," I pointed to Jack who was flying near me. "It's his. Wolpertingers enjoy animal blood," then I pointed to the carrot salad on my tray, "and carrots. The rest are for me." After I took the cup with the animal blood, I chose a small bottle of passion fruit juice for myself. "Thank you, very much, for the food," I bowed to them softly and turned around.

Using my telekinesis, I walked up in a invisible set of stairs to the upper side of the room, at the height of the chandelier, then I sat there with my legs crossed and put my tray in front of me, than I slowed time and used it to eat in peace. Jack also ate his carrots and drank his blood on his pace. When I was done, I fixed the flow of time and got down.

Ignoring all the gasps and stare, I put my empty tableware on the countertop at the side, where I saw the other students doing the same, then I turned around and headed straight to where I had come from. But as I'm not fucking lucky, Oliver's group decided to appear on that exact second.

["Fate ain't going to let you get this your way,"] Jack mocked me.