"...Why do I hear multiple people panting in there? And why does it smell like... wait."

"Open the damn door already!"

Luna Harper pounded on my dorm room door like a debt collector who knew exactly where I was hiding.

Beside me, the bed was a complete disaster zone.

Eveline was tightly cocooned under the blanket, experiencing a full-blown spiritual meltdown. Althea looked like she was genuinely debating whether she had enough stamina left to strangle me.

And Alicia? She just stretched her pale, naked limbs lazily against my side, pulling the sheet up a fraction to cover her tits like this was just a normal Tuesday morning. Honestly, her complete lack of shame was terrifying.

"Arthur," Luna called again, her voice dripping with suspicion. "Why does it sound like a slaughterhouse in there?"

Up near the ceiling, Sol was floating in her tiny fairy form, laughing so hard she was practically glitching out of physical space.

I let out a heavy sigh.

Suddenly, Alicia leaned in, her warm breath ghosting against my ear. "Don’t open it."

I raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

The Saintess smiled wickedly. "If Luna figures out the other Saintess spent the night getting pounded in here, she’ll never shut up about it."

...Fair point.

Unfortunately, the situation was already beyond saving.

"Wait—" a second voice echoed from the hallway. Kaela.

"Oh, shit," I muttered.

Kaela’s voice suddenly spiked in volume. "WHY ARE THERE FOUR MANA SIGNATURES IN THERE?!"

Althea’s soul visibly left her body. Eveline let out a muffled, pathetic whimper from beneath the covers, practically curling into a ball.

I rubbed my face. Yeah, the secret was blown.

Alicia was trying to suppress a laugh.

"You’re enjoying this way too much," I muttered.

"I have no idea what you mean, Husband," she purred innocently. Liar.

Outside, Luna gasped loudly. "WAIT."

A heavy pause.

"...NO FUCKING WAY."

Kaela started hammering the door. "ARTHUR, YOU FILTHY BASTARD, OPEN THIS DOOR RIGHT NOW!"

"At least let us interview the survivors!" Luna yelled, completely losing it.

Althea dragged both hands down her flushed face. "I’m going to kill them."

"No you’re not," I replied calmly, swinging my legs over the side of the bed. "You can barely walk."

The knight glared at me with enough embarrassment-fueled hostility to start a holy war. Which only made Alicia laugh harder. Even Eveline disappeared deeper beneath the blanket, praying for death to take her before the door opened.

I grabbed a loose black shirt from the floor and pulled it over my head, not bothering with pants. I cracked the door open just enough to block the entrance with my chest.

Immediately, Luna shoved her face into the gap. Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. "...Why do you look so damn smug?"

"Natural talent," I deadpanned.

Kaela popped up beside her, her wolf ears twitching. The beastgirl instantly took a deep sniff of the air leaking out of the room. She recoiled dramatically.

"What the fuck?!" Kaela gagged. "I smell sin!"

"Pretty sure that’s just you."

Kaela ignored me, trying to peek around my broad shoulders. I shifted to block the gap, but Luna was sharp. She caught a glimpse of tangled platinum and silver hair amongst the ruined sheets.

Luna froze. She slowly blinked, looking up at me in absolute disbelief. "...No fucking way."

I considered denying it. Then I remembered who I was dealing with. Hopeless.

Kaela caught Luna’s reaction. Her wolf ears stood straight up. Her eyes went impossibly wide. "WAIT." She pointed a trembling finger at the door. "ALL THREE?!"

A door down the hall clicked open. Another student peeked out to see what the commotion was. My future peace and quiet was collapsing in real time.

"Why are you screaming this early in the morning?" I asked flatly.

"BECAUSE YOU CONDUCTED A MILITARY CAMPAIGN IN THERE!" Kaela yelled.

Luna nearly collapsed, doubling over in laughter. I reached out, grabbed Kaela by her furry cheek, and shoved her backward before she alerted the entire floor.

"Keep your voice down," I hissed.

Too late.

Footsteps echoed down the corridor. Cedric Raven strolled into view, carrying a stack of books. He stopped, taking in the scene: Luna dying of laughter, Kaela vibrating with pure shock, and me standing half-naked in the doorway of a room that reeked of raw sex.

Cedric slowly reached up and adjusted his glasses. "...I see."

I instantly hated that tone.

Cedric gave me a solemn, respectful nod. "Congratulations on surviving, brother."

"Fuck off, Cedric."

"Understandable."

Behind me, footsteps padded softly against the floorboards. Alicia stepped into view, wearing one of my oversized dress shirts. It swallowed her figure, slipping off one shoulder to explicitly reveal the red bite marks I’d left on her collarbone.

The hallway instantly went dead silent. Even Kaela’s brain short-circuited.

Alicia calmly tucked a strand of platinum hair behind her ear and smiled politely at the group. "Good morning."

Luna made a choking sound. Cedric looked genuinely awed.

Kaela grabbed my shoulders and shook me. "YOU ABSOLUTE DEMON."

I grinned lazily. "Skill issue."

Right on cue, another voice drifted down the hall.

"...Why is everyone gathered outside your room this early?"

We all turned. Nadia Mystic stood at the far end of the corridor, hugging a few dark grimoires to her chest. Her deep violet eyes calmly scanned the chaotic scene.

Her gaze landed on Alicia in my shirt. Then on me. Then she took a subtle breath, catching the distinct, heavy scent wafting from the room.

Silence hung in the air.

Nadia tilted her head slightly. "...I see."

I suddenly disliked how fast she put the pieces together.

Unlike Luna’s hysterical laughter or Kaela’s screaming, Nadia didn’t overreact. She didn’t get flustered or embarrassed. She simply stared at me for a long, calculating second with that unreadable, predatory calmness she always carried.

Then, very faintly, the corner of her lips curved upward into a dark, knowing smirk.

"...Busy night?"

I stared back at her.

Why the hell did that quiet smirk feel infinitely more dangerous than anything Kaela was screaming about?