Academy of Infernal Arts

We landed in a clearing about a hundred metres from the town gates, our wings folding away as we touched down. The familiar tingle of glamour magic washed over my skin as I concealed my demonic features beneath an unremarkable human facade. "Ready?" I asked. The others nodded, their own disguises se

"You ladies don't really look like adventurers." The man crossed his arms. His friends spread out behind him—three men, all wearing mismatched armour that had seen actual use. I studied him for a second. I could tell—he was weaker than me. Weaker than all of us. Which made this entire situation hila

We searched three more streets before accepting the truth. "No library," Faith said. "Doesn't look like it." I turned a full circle, scanning the buildings one more time. Residential homes, workshops, a blacksmith's forge. No sign of any public repository of knowledge. "We could check the town hall,

"So you're saying the sword has a vengeful spirit in it." I looked at Faith. "And it's talking to you." Faith's jaw tightened. "Yes. How many times do I need to repeat myself?" Her head snapped to the side. "I said be quiet." Not to us. To the sword. I blinked. "Sorry. It's just—it all sounds so cli

My wings caught the afternoon air as we rose above the canopy. The elven clothes—Isabella's spatial ring had contained far more practical options than the ceremonial nonsense from town—moved with me instead of fighting every movement. The tunic's reinforced seams held firm as my wings extended fully

The town spread through the canopy like something from a King of the Signets film. Wooden structures curved along massive branches, their architecture flowing with the natural grain of the trees rather than imposing geometric order. Delicate bridges arched between platforms, their supports carved to

Steam rose from the jacuzzi's surface in lazy spirals. I stretched my arms along the smooth stone edge, letting the hot water work at muscles I'd forgotten could be sore. Swimming for hours had consequences apparently. Faith sat across from me, her head tilted back against the rim with her eyes clos

We lay tangled together on the wide bed, limbs intertwined, breathing gradually slowing. Sweat cooled on my skin whilst Aria's tail draped across my thigh. Isabella's silver hair spilled across the pillows, catching the moonlight filtering through the window. Aria shifted, propping herself on one el

The room's balcony doors stood open, letting in the warm ocean breeze. Crystalline fixtures cast soft light across plush furniture that probably cost more than most demons spent in a year. Osweald gestured expansively at the space, pride evident in every movement. "Beautiful, isn't it?" He crossed t

Faith shifted in her seat, fingers tapping against the carved wooden cup. "So how exactly is this going to work? Do we just... walk up and introduce ourselves?" "Not quite." Aria leaned forward, scanning the room with practiced efficiency. "Since we're staying together, we need someone wealthy. Some

The walkway opened onto a pristine beach where turquoise waves lapped at pale sand. Palm-like trees with violet fronds swayed overhead, casting dancing shadows across a cluster of wooden buildings that hugged the shoreline. A painted sign announced "Blue Lagoon Resort" in flowing script. Several Mal

I set my book down and pulled the next one toward me. The pages smelled like old parchment mixed with something spicy—probably a preservation spell. "We need to narrow this down." Isabella had accumulated a stack of seven tomes, each one marked with a ribbon she'd summoned from somewhere. "We can't

I pulled the chain corset over my head. The silver links settled against my skin, cold at first, then warming. The enchantments activated immediately, tightening the garment until it hugged my curves without constricting my ribs. "Perfect!" Aria clapped her hands together. "See? It looks amazing on

Valencia produced a crystalline sheet from her robes. She laid it across the desk's surface, and the crystal flared red in twenty-three distinct locations across a topographical map of Igneus. My mother leaned over the desk, her hair falling forward past her shoulders. Her eyes tracked from point to

We passed Moira's office. The door stood closed, a brass nameplate gleaming under the crystalline light. Aria slowed her pace. "Going in or heading straight through?" I reached for the doorknob, the metal cool against my palm. "She wouldn't leave anything worth finding." The knob refused to turn. "B

The dormitory door clicked shut behind us. Isabella followed us inside, setting her bag on the floor near the wardrobe. Her wings manifested for a moment before disappearing, the gesture unconscious. "Well." Aria dropped onto her bed, the mattress dipping under her weight. "This is exciting." I move

I woke with my face pressed against Aria's shoulder, one of her legs tangled with mine. The sheets had twisted into a chaotic mess around us. My muscles ached in a way that felt satisfying, like after a particularly good workout—if that workout involved five hours of intense fucking. I lifted my hea

Aria dropped onto my bed, pressed her palms against her eyes. "It's worse than we thought." "What do you mean?" I remained standing near the door, arms crossed. Isabella moved to her usual chair by the window. "What did you find in those notes?" "My mother." Aria's hands fell to her lap. "She's alwa

I found Isabella and Aria waiting outside the Academy's main entrance. The afternoon sun cast long shadows across the obsidian courtyard. "Ready?" Isabella adjusted the collar of her jacket. "Let's go over it one more time." I leaned against the wall. "I want to make sure we're all clear." Aria's ta

The following scene contains depictions of sexual violence. If this topic is triggering for you, please consider skipping ahead to next scene. Reader discretion is advised. I wrapped my fingers around the door's edge and eased it open. The hinges moved without sound, which was somehow worse than if

The dormitory's bathing chamber had space for all three of us, and we stumbled in together, leaving Bellas and Brutus to recover on the floor. Steam rose from the heated pool built into the black marble, the water shimmering with a faint crimson glow. I slipped in first, sighing as the heat envelope

Over the next week, shadowing Nyx became our unofficial extracurricular activity, one that left us increasingly exhausted as we tried to balance it with everything else. Thursday afternoon found us stationed at various points around the library, watching as Nyx pored over texts about binding contrac

The next morning proceeded with typical Academy routine. Professor Vox droned through his lecture while I discretely reviewed the photographed journal pages. Professor Nieve's flexibility training proved more challenging than usual—my mind kept wandering to Nyx's situation rather than focusing on th

Professor Moira's office door stood slightly ajar, warm light spilling into the corridor. I knocked twice and heard her voice call for us to enter. "Miss Nightstar, Miss Nova, Miss Lilitu," Moira said, looking up from a stack of papers scattered across her mahogany desk. Her red eyes assessed us wit

The rough stone felt cold against my ear as I pressed closer to the building's exterior wall. Muffled voices drifted through the deteriorating structure, but the words remained frustratingly unclear through the thick masonry. "...from the sixth circle..." Nyx's voice carried a note of urgency that c

I stretched languidly as consciousness slowly returned, my body pleasantly sore from the previous night's activities. The morning light filtering through our dormitory windows cast everything in a warm, golden glow that made even our simple room feel luxurious. Between Aria and me, Bellas still slep

"Do you want to call it a night?" I asked gently, studying Faith's conflicted expression. "We can head back if this is too much." Faith was quiet for a long moment, her red eyes distant as she processed everything we'd discussed. Then, to my surprise, she straightened her shoulders with new determin

The familiar red glow of the Den of Debauchery's pulsing walls greeted us as we approached. Even from outside, I could hear the rhythmic bass and catch hints of that intoxicating aroma that had overwhelmed me during my first visit seven months ago. "Oh, they've changed things up a bit," Aria observe

I pulled Aria through the palace's transport gate, hellish energy washing over us as we materialized in the entrance hall. The obsidian floor gleamed under the crystalline chandeliers, their light casting dancing shadows across the black diamond pillars. "Princess Lily," Vex's perfectly modulated vo

I made my way back through the Academy corridors, my mind still processing what had just happened with Valentina. The crystalline pathways sparkled beneath my feet as I climbed the stairs toward our dormitory, grateful for the familiar routine after such an unexpectedly intense confrontation. When I

I walked through the Academy corridors, feeling oddly disconnected after two weeks away. The familiar obsidian walls and crystal-lit passages hadn't changed, but everything felt different somehow. Maybe it was me who had changed. Conversations drifted around me as I passed groups of students. A clus

The transport gate deposited us back in the palace with its usual flash of crimson light. As my vision cleared, I found myself face-to-face with both my parents standing directly in front of the gate platform, their expressions tense with barely contained worry. "Lily," Lilith breathed, rushing forw

The silence stretched until it became unbearable, thick with frustration and barely contained rage. Aria broke first, pacing in tight circles around the destroyed equipment. "Manipulative, sanctimonious, holier-than-thou feathered bastard!" She kicked at debris with each word. "Playing puppet master

I reached Faith's still form and pressed my hand against her neck, searching for a pulse. Her skin felt cold, too cold, and for a terrifying moment I thought— Her eyes snapped open. Red eyes, glowing faintly in the emergency lighting. "What happened?" Faith's voice came out hoarse, confused. She bli

"She is alive," Kyriakos said quickly, his ethereal flames flickering with what might have been sincerity. "I never intended to harm her. You might not believe this, but Agent Clarke agreed—" "Stop playing games," I snarled, cutting him off mid-sentence. My claws extended involuntarily as rage surge

"So what are we doing?" Aria asked, breaking the silence that had settled over our booth. I stared at the spot where Kyriakos's projection had been, my mind racing through possibilities. "I don't have a choice. I need to go there." Isabella leaned forward, her ice-blue eyes flashing with concern. "Y

We sprinted through the twisted corridors, our footsteps echoing off the metal walls. Behind us, that inhuman screaming grew louder, more urgent. Whatever had made that sound was definitely aware of our presence now. "There!" Isabella pointed ahead to where the transport gate chamber should be, but

The inhuman scream faded into an oppressive silence that somehow felt worse than the sound itself. Isabella was the first to speak, her voice tight with controlled fear. "We should leave this place. Now. Whatever made that sound, it doesn't seem like something I'd want to face unprepared." "Agreed,"

I stepped deeper into the laboratory, my boots clicking against the metal flooring as we began our exploration. The maze-like structure seemed to twist and turn without any logical pattern, each corridor leading to another chamber filled with equally disturbing equipment. "This feels like looking fo

We left Kyriakos's laboratory with more questions than answers, the journal's revelations weighing heavily on my mind. As we made our way through the winding passages of the Northern Caves, that persistent feeling of being watched intensified. Every shadow seemed to shift when I wasn't looking direc

The entrance to the Northern Caves looked almost abandoned compared to our last visit. A single demon guard slouched against the rocky outcropping, his eyes half-closed as he struggled to stay awake. The recent resolution of the undead migration had clearly made this posting even more tedious than b

The silence stretched between us like a taut wire ready to snap. I watched as Galahad's face went through several expressions—confusion, disbelief, then something approaching horror as the implications sank in. "Did I..." Galahad's voice came out as barely more than a whisper. "Did I hear you correc

"So what now?" Faith asked, looking between Isabella and me. "Do we just... go to Hell now?" I couldn't help but chuckle at her directness. "So what now?" Faith asked, looking between Isabella and me. "Do we just... go to Hell now?" I couldn't help but chuckle at her directness. "Not quite yet. I'll

I settled into one of the chairs in Galahad's cramped office, still processing the heightened security I'd observed throughout the facility. The contrast between today's reception and our previous visits was striking enough that I couldn't ignore it. "So what's going on with all these checks?" I ask

The next morning, we gathered outside Professor Malphas's mathematics classroom, the familiar buzz of student chatter filling the corridor. I'd spent most of the night thinking about our conversation with Sombra, and one particular concern had been nagging at me. "Aria," I said, keeping my voice low

Sombra continued chatting about inconsequential things—the weather patterns in Igneus, recent fashion trends from the upper circles, gossip Sombra continued chatting about inconsequential things—the weather patterns in Igneus, recent fashion trends from the upper circles, gossip about various Academ

The warm water of the leisure wing's bathing chamber had been exactly what we needed after our intimate encounter. As Aria and I made our way back through the palace corridors toward the transport gate, she couldn't seem to stop talking about the experience. "Even the bath is something else here," A

The attendants moved with practised grace as I settled among them, their touches confident yet respectful. The dark-haired woman immediately positioned herself behind me, her hands beginning a slow exploration of my shoulders and back, while one of the muscular men knelt beside me, his fingers trail

I took a shaky breath, wiping the last traces of tears from my cheeks. The emotional storm had passed, leaving me feeling strangely lighter, as if I'd been carrying a weight I hadn't even realized was there. "Better?" my father asked gently, his golden eyes studying my face with paternal concern. "M

My father's gaze intensified, those golden eyes seeming to pierce straight through me, examining my very soul. I felt exposed, vulnerable, as if every secret I'd ever harboured was laid bare before him. The silence stretched between us, heavy with unspoken questions and barely contained truths. Afte