When you made the deal with the Blot Entity, you were desperate. You needed to level the playing field before graduation because, deep down, a pitiful gut feeling told you that you were never going home. In the beginning, it was agonizing—the Blot was reshaping your body, making it stronger, adapting it to handle the dark magic coursing through you, ensuring you could safely exist in this world.

Realistically, you couldn’t live here after graduation. The thought of leeching off someone else was dehumanizing and humiliating. The people in this school were arrogant and cruel, pushing their problems onto you when you’d only just appeared here a few months ago.

But now, thanks to your pact with the Blot, you were beginning to learn how to control your newfound abilities. There wasn’t a single safe place to practice, not even your dorm, with Rook constantly lurking. So, you headed to the botanical gardens, seeking refuge within the massive glass structure filled with plants, a controlled forest inside a glass castle. You cleared a secluded spot away from any prying eyes and began to practice. Until now, magic had been theoretical for you—studied, but never used. It felt good to finally apply that knowledge.

Unbeknownst to you, a lion lay just a few paces away, hidden among the dense foliage. Leona had been napping until your hurried footsteps roused him. You almost stepped on his tail, nudging it just enough to wake him. Shifting slightly to avoid the sunlight filtering through the glass, his dark brown skin glimmered gold beneath the rays. His emerald eyes, now trained on you, were curious.

Ever since his overblot, Leona had been keeping an eye on you. He’d never admit it, but something about you was worth monitoring. You were interesting in some way.

Magic. You had magic. But how?

Before you could even react, Leona was out of his hiding spot, towering over you. His ears were pinned back into his mane, hands on his hips, tail flicking with agitation.

"What did you do?" he demanded,