When Janus and Lila left for school, they anticipated a lot of things, but nothing could have prepared them for what many could consider the best, and possibly worst, years of their lives.

It took them several months to adjust to their new lives alongside their friends and family. While those stories have their time and place, they contained a joyous and simple daily life that should have been. It would be these days that they wrote to their parents, averting any worries they might have.

No, these tales are the ones that Janus and Lila desperately hoped their parents would never hear.

It all started within the first week of school, a simple offhand comment by an upperclassman trying to haze the new students. “Have you heard of Phantasia? It’s a labyrinth underneath the school with ghosts and zombies! I heard there was a dragon too!” It was an outlandish rumor that not even the dullest of students fell for, but Janus and Lila’s experience with rumors had always manifested in the unlikeliest ways.

As the afternoon sun started to descend behind the Fourth Year building, Janus and Lila approached their older sister with a barrage of questions about the truth behind Phantasia.

“Alshaya!” Janus called out as he approached the older sibling. Despite being twins, Janus had grown several inches higher than Lila. He tugged at the blazer he had been forced to wear throughout the day, practically begging to take it off. Lila, of course, wouldn’t let him. If she had to suffer, so did he. Besides, it would look bad on the Terrowin clan if one of them were to disregard school protocol on the very first day. “Today was GREAT!” he exclaimed as he caught up to his older sister. “Now I know what you’re thinking. ‘Oh no, here’s my annoying brother,’ but hear me out. I want to follow up on a rumor. I know it’s probably nothing, but you know…Mom and Dad have been through a LOT, and I’d rather be safe than sorry.”

Things were going well for the older Terrowin child. She was to be married within months of her graduation from the finishing school. Shaya had princess lessons in the evening and normal school during the day. It had been a compromise from Simone about marrying so young. Finish school, and she could be a princess after that.

It was all she had thought about. Llanon was perfect in every way. He was gentle and quiet while she was a roaring flame, ready to go. Maintaining her lifestyle was hard work. It took everything she had to get the good grades her mother held her to and to do well in the princess lessons that Queen Jehanne had put her to. Simone was there to help where she could with them, though. Shaya had learned there was a time and place to not be outspoken. The noble courts were way different from what she had once believed.

This was the last year of both sets of schooling. Shaya was getting some precious time to herself when they showed up. She loved her siblings dearly, but she did fear what they would drag her into.

So she did the one thing she could count on to always grate their nerves. She turned her nose up to them, “I, Alshaya Terrowin, soon to be Princess Celestina, do not talk to the common rabble.” Her friends chuckled nearby. “I’m going back to my dorm to study. I am to be a princess, after all.”

She turned on her heel as she started to leave. Her eyes glaring in the twins’ direction. “Don’t make trouble for me.” It seemed like a threat she was willing to back up as she started back to her dorm.

“Wow, what a bitch,” Lila said under her breath to her brother. “Maybe all those lessons are going to her head. Now what?” The shorter twin crossed her arms. “We, honestly, should have expected that from her.”

“What indeed,” Janus mirrored, frowning. He had anticipated resistance from his elder sister, but he hadn’t expected to be shut out completely. “She seems rather serious about this, so we best not push it.” He sighed, and shook his head. Things were off to a bad start, but that hardly ever discouraged him. “How about we start with talking with you boyfriend and go from there? Maybe that cute roommate of yours too, though…” He glanced back at the dorm. “I could go see who else might be interested.” Clearly he wasn’t talking about the Phantasia rumors anymore. A stern look from Lila brought him back to reality. “Right, your crush.” He was referring to Myrri, the son of Xeik and Mia Eraphim. Much to Lewis’ disappointment, Myrri had quickly become close friends with the Terrowin twins, and even joined them in the same year, somehow ending up Janus’ roommate in the process.

“I’m sure there are other sources we can track down. Once we gather a small crew we can ask around. Teachers might even be willing if you butter them up with your overachieving.” He smirked at Lila. “So, how about you grab Myrri and I spend some quality time with you roommate?”