Chapter 46 : School Reinstated
The school bell rang with an almost ironic cheeriness, its chime slicing through the crisp morning air like it hadn't been weeks since a certain demon queen-in-child-form nearly exploded the training yard.
Elias stood outside the gates, clutching Rhea's hand in a way that looked casual, but wasn't. She was unusually quiet, her eyes focused on her shoes as she scuffed them against the dirt.
"You don't have to go in if you're not ready," Elias said gently.
Rhea shook her head. "I want to. I want to prove I'm... less explode-y."
He gave her a dry look. "That's a low bar, Rhea."
Her lip twitched. "I'm stepping over it. Gracefully."
Despite everything—the rumors, the guild whispers, the Bell of Purity incident—Rhea had insisted on returning. Not in a tantrum or a fit of rebellious fire, but with a quiet, determined sort of maturity that Elias wasn't used to seeing in her. She had changed. And not just because she stopped threatening to smite squirrels.
He squeezed her hand once, then let go.
"Alright. Go in there and pretend you don't know any shadow hexes. Or that you've been harboring a demon general in the woods."
"Check. Normal child behavior," Rhea mumbled, tugging her scarf up to her nose like it was a shield.
She stepped through the school gates.