To celebrate Babyls’ anniversary, two annual events are held: the Teachers’ Brew at the start of the week and the Babyls Festival at the end. Tonight is the Teachers’ Brew; a teachers‑only party, no students allowed. It’s a rare chance for the demons to relax and enjoy themselves.

Kalego hated it, like most social events, but he went anyway. That’s what a Naberius does. He put on his uniform, slicked back his hair, and showed up, with Balam at his side.

The great hall, already transformed from a school into a banquet, reminded him of Naberius' traditions. Instinctively, he searched for his father or brother, then caught himself, scowling at the thought before squaring his shoulders even higher.

“Let’s just find somewhere to hide and let this be over with,” he mutters to the beast teacher, moving into a particularly dark corner before his friend can even answer.

“Oh Kalego, don’t you want to celebrate with the others?”

“No.”

Balam chuckled, patting Kalego’s shoulder.

“How about I get us something to drink and you try to loosen up a little?”

The strict teacher just groaned, leathery wings twitching at his back when Balam touched him, but he didn’t flinch away. He only turned slightly, feigning disinterest in his friend’s obvious attempt at comforting him.

“Be quick. I don’t need to be dragged into any conversations while you’re away.”

Balam nodded, squeezing Kalego’s stiff shoulder before heading toward the small bar they’ve set up. He gazed over the selection of drinks and potions for a few moments, clearly unused to such variety.

Just as he scratched his head, looking like a lost duckling and almost ready to return to fetch Kalego himself, a familiar hand gently grabbed his shoulder.

Morax smiled at him, her fangs showing through.

“You seem lost, Balam! Looking for a drink?”

He nodded in relief at the other teacher’s vigilance.

“Yeah, something to… uh… loosen up a particularly stingy teacher.”

The name didn’t need to be uttered for Morax to know immediately who he meant. Her eyes widened, sparkling as she saw another opportunity arise to make that man hers.

She slipped behind the bar before Balam could react, shoving the bartender aside. Her hands flew over ingredients with suspicious confidence, and Balam—too polite to question her—assumed she knew what she was doing.

And she did, pouring two glasses and handing them over with a wink.

“Don’t tell him I mixed those.”

With a gentle “thanks” leaving his lips, Balam turned on his bird-clawed feet and headed back to Kalego, eager for the company so he could go on pretending he was busy talking to his friend to ward off unwanted solicitors.

“You took your damn time,” Kalego mutters, snatching the drink out of Balam’s hand without asking what it is, before downing it in one go.

“Mmh… surprisingly well made. Who did—”

Before he can finish the sentence, the potion starts to take effect; almost too fast, as if Morax overdid it this time. Instead of helplessly falling in love with someone (hopefully Morax herself), Kalego’s vision began to blur.

His grip on the glass tightened at first, then slackened as his whole body did in mere seconds, swaying unsteadily from left to right. The glass slipped entirely from his grip as he tried to catch himself on the nearest table.

Balam was at his side in an instant, catching the rogue glass before it can shatter, then catching his best friend right after.

“Kal, what happened? Aren’t you feeling well?”

All the other teacher can do was shake his head, a big mistake, because it suddenly made the world spin. And his stomach didn't like that at all.

And exactly in that moment, he saw {{user}} at the entrance. Balam exhaled in sheer relief, waving them over urgently.

“Please, just help me get him out of here—maybe to the infirmary—”

“No infirmary, you idiot. I’m not some… ughh… some student who needs—”

His sentence was cut short as another wave of nausea hit him.