It was supposed to be a normal morning for Valerie. She would wake up at 5:30. Do yoga and some relaxation. Go for a 30-minute jog. Shower. Do her makeup and pick out the perfect outfit, then sit down to breakfast with her little family.
But that didn't happen. She woke up at 7 instead—almost too late for breakfast—and had to shuffle to the table with heavy bags under her eyes.
The worst part?
She had to face the person who'd made her this much of a mess. Not just one, but both of them. Cain and Fiona. Because what the hell did I see last night?
She had woken up because of how cold it was. So she went out to the kitchen to warm herself with a glass of milk—only to see Cain's bedroom door slightly ajar.
Wanting to keep the boy warm, especially after the terrifying incident he'd just gone through, Valerie walked toward the door… only to witness something she never should've.
Now, sitting at the table, she couldn't even look at the two of them directly. Confusion. Disgust. Anger. Shame. Fear. All of it swirled together—too tangled to put into words.
"Mama?"
When someone touched her shoulder, Valerie instinctively swatted it away, drawing puzzled stares from the two across the table.
"W-what?" she snapped, voice shaking.
"I've been calling your name for a while. Didn't you hear me?" Fiona was staring straight at her.
"C-calling me?" For what? To make her join in whatever twisted thing they were doing?
Fiona sighed. "It's already 7:30. Enna isn't home. We're starving."
"S-so…?"
"Well, you know what happened the last time I tried to cook."
"Just order pizza."
"Huh?"
Valerie stood up, done with pretending everything was fine. The longer she stayed here, the more her stomach turned. "Toast some bread. Fry an egg. Can't you even do that? What are you? 10?"
"What?" Fiona was gritting her teeth now, clearly irritated at the tone Valerie was using.
Then someone else spoke, calmly. "Mama Val?"
Cain's voice made Valerie turn. Looking into his face, Valerie faltered. All her emotions… they couldn't just be blamed on Fiona. Fiona had raised him too. Just like her. And yet she—
Valerie bit her lip. The memory of last night resurfaced again, revolting and raw. And even though Fiona was so easy to blame, that didn't mean Cain was innocent.
"Let's go," she muttered, walking out of the room.
She didn't know if Cain would follow—and didn't care.
The next thing she knew, she was already starting the car. The passenger door opened. Cain got in, still watching her with a confused, slightly nervous expression.
That look made her feel a little guilty. Not that she wanted to hurt him—but pretending nothing had happened? That wasn't an option either.
The drive was silent.
Eventually, Cain reached over and turned on the music player. A song from Sleepy Toddler, a grunge rock band fronted by retired B-rank Hunter Jeremy Flint—Valerie's favorite—played, breaking the awkward quiet.
"Did Mama Enna tell you about the transfer arrangements?"
"You can start Drakenshire next Monday. Today we'll handle the withdrawal process at your old school. And maybe… say goodbye, if you want."
"Of course."
Silence again.
Valerie debated whether to ask—how it had started, whether Fiona had pressured him, whether Cain had been too scared to tell or is it actually consensual.
Consensual? Valerie shook her head. He's sixteen, and she was what, 35? 40? That thought frustrates her even more, but not a single word left her mouth.
Before long, the school gates came into view.
Valerie and Cain stepped out of the car almost at the same time.
"I'll head to class to talk to my friend. That okay?"
Valerie only nodded. "Mm."
*#*
I watched Mama Val head toward the principal's office.
Her erratic mood swings, emotional outbursts, the cold looks … was she on her period?
Obviously not.
If there was one logical conclusion: Mama Val saw it.
What happened between me and Fiona last night.
It's not like I left my door open on purpose. I didn't plan on exposing this secret or turning my mothers against each other.
But after days of barely speaking to Fiona, something had started growing inside me. And Theo's filthy joke about her yesterday? That only confirmed it.
A small, dark part of me even felt like Theo's fate wasn't so undeserved.
Because it's not just him. Teenage boys, lonely men, even women who found something charming about her—all of them looked at Mama Fiona with dirty thoughts. Talked about her with filthy intentions. Fed their disgusting fantasies with her image.
I… I can't allow that. Not now. Not anymore.
Mama Val and Mama Enna can stay as my mothers.
But Fiona?
I no longer see her that way.
I continued walking through the hallway. The school hadn't changed much. The incident wasn't that big in the public eye. It aired briefly on the news, but there were no fatalities, so it faded quickly.
Sure, some police were posted out front. A few B-rank Hunters as well. All for show, really.
Because according to what I read, once a Gate had been opened and subdued, the odds of another appearing in the same spot within two years were slim.
Snorting at the absurdity of these so-called protocols, I walked toward the stairs that led to the roof.
To meet someone I had asked to come here beforehand.
When the door opened, I saw her. Milk-brown hair messier than usual. A denim jacket, fitted to her body. Her back was turned. Her movements seemed anxious rather than awkward.
She turned at the sound of the creaking door. Her face lit up. "V-Vernier? You're… you're okay?" She approached me slowly, like I was a glass sculpture that might shatter at the slightest touch.
"Didn't you see it for yourself?" I smiled—and pulled her into a hug.
"I'm sorry for scaring you," I whispered, gently stroking her back and hair. "I'm sorry for putting you in danger."
As she wrapped her arms around me, I felt Bianca trembling. "That's not true… If anyone should apologize, it's… it's…"
But she never finished.
I could feel her tears on my back.
Of course she was crying. So sweet. So pitiful. So nauseating.
I released her and placed a hand softly on her cheek.
Tender, caring, loving—just enough pressure to get her used to the touch.
"It's not your fault. No one could have predicted that."
"But… but…"
I leaned in, cutting off her whimpering. Pressing a soft kiss to her lips.
Bianca's lips were dry. They tasted and smelled like strawberry lip gloss—not a sensation I disliked. Especially when her whole body trembled from one tiny kiss and her cheeks burned red.
"Bianca."
Her body shivered again as I whispered her name. "Listen. What we went through yesterday—it was a warning."
"A… a warning?"
"Someone might be targeting us. No, targeting me. Those monsters… they don't act randomly. They'll do anything to hurt me—and the people I care about."
Sure, that was pseudoscience, but I doubted Bianca was in the right headspace to pick apart my logic.
"I'm worried there'll be another attack. Something worse. And when that time comes… I might not be there to protect you."
"..."
"So… come with me to the Hunter School. Transfer to Drakenshire with me."
Because after what she did—blabbing all that info to others, jeopardizing me, my family, the people I loved—
I couldn't just let her go, could I?