Chapter 23: lived here?
The house loomed grander than Lor could've imagined, its black wrought-iron gate curling like a spell rune, creaking open with a slow, hoarse groan that whispered wealth.
The path wound up a gentle hill, flanked by twin hedges trimmed into wand shapes, their precision almost mocking Class D's chaos.
Two lamp-posts stood sentinel at the entrance, their soft glow catching the white stone facade of Nellie's home, its high glass windows and leaf-curled balconies gleaming with quiet opulence.
Lor's boots crunched on the gravel, his hazel eyes narrowing.
The lowest scorer in Class D lived here?
The door swung open before he could knock.
Nellie stood in the entryway, frozen, her small hands clenched at her sides, glasses slipping down her nose.
The cat girl costume hugged her petite frame, black velvet clinging like a second skin, its thin straps straining to hold her small chest.
A silver bell gleamed at her throat, chiming with every nervous shudder.
Sheer stockings climbed her thick thighs, stitched with faint paw-scratch patterns, ending just below the hem of her short skirt.
Perky cat ears tilted forward, woven into her tight twin braids, and a sleek black tail swayed behind her, its base too rigid.