Azel knocked on the door of the First-Year Representative's house.

He had learned rune projection already and all he wanted to do was to see them and probably cuddle Isolde and Lillia… life wasn't that hard.

Erblim had been resting inside his soul ever since he left Gravegrounds, the crow deserved a long nap after everything that had happened in Lycas.

Azel exhaled softly and smiled a bit to himself.

"Finally home," he muttered. "Let's see how they've been doing."

He waited for a few seconds.

There was no answer…

"Why isn't anyone coming to answer?" he said, raising his voice slightly. "Did something happen, or is everyone just ignoring me again?"

No sound.

Normally, he'd hear Medusa shouting from somewhere, or Anya rushing down the stairs to greet him as he was her prince.

But now… there was nothing.

Frowning, Azel tried the door handle.

It turned. "Not locked?"

He pushed the door open carefully.

The moment the gap widened, a sharp whooshing sound filled the air.

Azel's instincts kicked in.

He tilted his head just in time as something sliced past his cheek. The air split with a crack as a long black tendril slammed into the wall beside him, leaving a deep mark.

"Huh?" he muttered and raised his eyes.

At the end of the hall stood Medusa but she didn't look like herself.

Her purple hair was darker, her eyes pitch black, and from her back, seven writhing tendrils sprouted and lashed across the floor.

Even though he would need to pay for these damages… He was really worried about what he was seeing.

"Meda?" Azel said slowly. "What's up with you?"

She didn't answer.

Her lips parted, but the sound that came out wasn't a word… it was a growl, like some monster trying to speak through her throat.

"Eh?"

Azel barely had time to react before she lunged. Two tendrils shot toward his chest like spears.

He caught one with his hand and dodged the other, twisting his wrist to snap the first one clean in half.

The tendril let out a hiss as it dissolved into smoke.

"Meda," he muttered, "you really don't want to do this."

She didn't stop.

Two more tendrils whipped forward, forcing Azel to leap back. He landed near the stairs, grabbed her by the neck, and slammed her down into the floor.

The ground cracked beneath them. He pinned her there, knee pressed against her lap to stop her movements.

"Meda, calm down," he said firmly.

She struggled under him and her eyes glowed brighter, her back arched immediately as the tendrils shot up again… completely ready to pierce his back.

Then, just as quickly as they'd appeared, they froze in mid-air, trembling violently before fading away completely.

The room fell silent.

"What the hell?" Azel muttered, lifting his knee off her.

He leaned down slightly to check her pulse. "You good?"

"She's fine," came a familiar voice.

He turned to see Edna standing in the doorway, her beautiful face had a smile on them.

"It's a mood swing," she said lightly, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "You know… it happened when I was pregnant too."

Azel blinked.

"Yeah… I remember that."

He still had mild trauma from it… how her mood would flip every hour and her appetite had turned demonic. "So she's doing the same thing now?"

"It started two days after you left," Edna said, walking closer. "Anytime she gets angry, she turns into that and starts patrolling your room like some kind of snake-guard. It lasts a while, then she calms down and goes back to normal."

"I see…" Azel rubbed his neck awkwardly. "Sorry for not dealing with what I started."

Edna smiled teasingly. "There's no problem, hubby. But since you're back, you should get on the bed so I can perform a full-body check."

He raised an eyebrow. "You're not a doctor."

"I can pretend to be one," she said sweetly, "I read this book and I'm sure I can do an 'examination'."

That meant she wanted to fuck…

Azel chuckled.

"Ah, right… before that, I have something for you."

He reached into his Inventory and took out a folded letter.

Edna's eyes immediately recognized the handwriting on the body…

She blinked. "Is this…?"

"From Elizabeth," Azel said, handing it over.

She tore it open eagerly, unfolding the paper with delicate fingers.

Her eyes moved quickly across the page, her expression shifting from surprise to warmth.

Azel crossed his arms, pretending not to be curious, though he was dying to know what was written in that letter.

When she finished, Edna folded the letter neatly and smiled… even more so than usual.

"Thank you for bringing this to me," she said softly. "You deserve a reward…"

Before he could respond, she leaned in and pressed a slow kiss against his neck. Her hand slid down his crotch.

"Uh—"

And then…

"No!"

The voice startled them both.

Medusa shot up from the floor like a spring, her hair disheveled but her eyes now normal.

She lunged forward and hugged Azel from behind, wrapping her arms and legs around him tightly like a snake.

"Mine! Mine! Mine!" she yelled, her voice trembling as she pressed her cheek against his back. "He's mine!"

Azel froze, looking helplessly at Edna. "Um…"

Edna blinked once, then twice. "…Okay."

Medusa growled quietly, glaring at Edna over Azel's shoulder as if daring her to try anything. Of course, she calmed down when Azel decided to pet her

Edna exhaled slowly, deciding not to challenge it.

"Where are the rest of them?" Azel asked, desperate to change the subject.

"Oh, they went out," Edna said, still smiling. "Lillia's with Isolde in my room if you want to see them."

"Right," he said, prying Medusa's arms off him gently. "I'll go check on them. Be right back."

He left the two women behind, walking down the hall.

The moment he disappeared around the corner, the silence broke.

Medusa straightened, her face shifting instantly from jealous rage to a mischievous grin.

"How was my acting?" she asked brightly.

Edna burst out laughing. "Convincing enough to win an award."

"Perfect," Medusa said proudly, fixing her hair in the reflection of a nearby mirror. "He totally fell for it. Did you see his face? He looked so shocked."

"I did." Edna gave her a thumbs-up. "That's a novel worthy performance. I believed it myself for a second but go on, you should nag him some more before he gets too comfortable."

"Right!" Medusa said. "I'll be back with him."

She turned and rushed off after Azel.

Once the sound of her footsteps faded as well, Edna sighed softly and looked down at the folded letter still in her hand.

'I'll see her soon enough… I need to get her to stop this.'

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