One hour ago
Lunae had given Yrix quite possibly the sternest of looks when the Arch-Flayer offered to assist Sonera after the girl failed to stand. It was right after the duel had ended, when the timid student's mask began to slip. She was showing courage and even a little bit of rage towards the most frightening person on the planet.
"Very well then." Yrix shrugged as Lunae stood in her way. "There's Tanix gel on my podium. In case someone without my level of talent ever supervises an event here."
"You'd let me help her?" Lunae squinted, shrinking at the thought of Yrix showing some kind of mercy.
"She won. You think I'll allow her to be felled by a mesely infection? Grab the gel. Make haste before I lose my patience."
Lunae's Psionic voice slipped into the Arch-Flayer's mind with a tinge of heated annoyance, causing Yrix to clench her fist for the briefest of moments. "You didn't even ask why I won't let you touch her."
"You want to prove yourself. But you can't heal her directly. Not yet, at least. Pathetic as that may be, I do acknowledge your efforts. Let us hope, for your sake, that you put that same amount of effort towards your next combat trial." Yrix growled, practically shoving Lunae backwards with her own voice.
The Arch-Flayer wasn't foolish enough to underestimate her most cowardly student. She remembered where she found her. And she could feel the poisonous aftertaste that lingered in the girl's mind. She was, after all, a relic of the Infestare.
Lunae looked up towards the first-tier row of the chalice, realizing it was almost comedically too large for her to climb on her own, not with Sonera in tow.
"There's a lift, silly." Yrix laughed.
"I see it." Lunae huffed.
If Yrix really wanted to, she could have splattered the girl right then and there using nothing but a single flick of her wrist. But she stayed her hand, allowing the insolence of her students to continue. It was pointless and, frankly, too easy for her to make them all cry like children.
Lunae used her Psionic grasp to levitate Sonera into the air, as the girl audibly whinced in pain. It wouldn't be a long trip to the lift and towards the gel. But it was still more than enough for Sonera's wounds to begin to ache.
"Hold on just a bit longer, I'll get you fixed up." Lunae smiled, her voice seeping into Sonera's mind in an attempt to calm her down.
It worked a little too well.
Sonera felt herself slump over in Lunae's embrace, her eyes fading to black as she released a guttural sigh. It was all going to plan. Lunae finally had the moment she was waiting for firmly in her grasp.
She hesitated.
It would have been so effortless. She had Sonera resting on the side of the lift, its furnished metallic walls providing the girls all the privacy they needed. And most importantly, Yrix was gone. She had given Lunae her blessing to complete a task, which was delightfully vague.
All Lunae had to do was press her head against Sonera's and link their minds. Then she could finally access all of her deepest secrets and learn once and for all how she ticked. It was a morbid ambition. But one she held nonetheless.
Ever since she encountered Sonera in that pit, she had been dying to know how her savior operated. The desire was full all tense in its purpose, devouring her from the inside. But that was the way the world spun for Lunae. Her people weren't exactly known for their restraint.
Her childhood, her family, her relationship with Three- all could be Lunae's if she were to only plug herself in. Sonera was unconscious, helpless. If she really wanted, Lunae could devour her memories and leave her empty. That would surely impress Yrix.
But she had chosen another route.
Lunae stood there, her hands silently twitching as the lift continued its smooth ascension. Her eye was throbbing, causing her eyelids to fidget and shudder. But finally, after a deep breath, she settled her mind.
"Maybe..." Lunae pondered to herself.
The girl looked down at her vest, still largely untouched by her Psionic influence. It was Yrix's intention to make it delightfully conservative, albeit still visibly feminine. Lunae would alter that.
She unbuttoned a segment of her collar, widening the amount of skin she had on display. An exposed collarbone wouldn't be enough for Sonera, but displaying cleavage was far too blunt. Lunae decided to untuck her vest from her skirt, using her power to tear at the fabric, essentially shortening its length.
"There." She smiled to herself.
She tugged on her own skirt, pulling it down a few centimeters to ensure her navel and midriff were on display. It was a subtle tactic. But she was confident it would work.
- - - - - - - -
"Sonera," Lunae leaned down and whispered, all the while ensuring her right eye was covered by her blue bangs. "Wake up."
Sonera rose with a startle. It had only been a few minutes since she had blacked out. The first thing she could sense was the overwhelming scent of Lunae's hair, which wafted right onto her face. She blinked furiously before looking down at her damp wounds. They had been treated well enough by means unknown to her.
"Lunae?" Sonera muttered, her eyes widening as soon as she realized how closely the girl was looming over her.
Her head was resting on something soft and warm. It didn't take long for Sonera to realize that she was, in fact, being provided a lap pillow. Her face didn't exactly turn red in that moment, but her brief hesitation as her eyes scurried around told Lunae all she needed to know.
She was trapped.
"Are you okay?" Lunae smiled, her smooth lips curving upwards as she spoke. "That was quite the battle."
Sonera didn't respond for a moment. When she had finally come to her senses, she gave only a slight nod. It seemed to Lunae that her friend was just a little distracted.
Good.
Lunae spoke with both her mind and her lips, allowing both to overwhelm Sonera in tandem, causing the girl to shrivel up and flinch.
"I..."
Lunae placed a finger on Sonera's lips, allowing her own expression to be covered by her well-endowed bosom. All Sonera could see was the girl's reptilian eyes staring into her soul. They were beckoning for reasons unknown.
Sonera liked to think she was good at silently observing people, as she had so many times during her escapades on Mars. But what she saw within Lunae's gaze was indescribable, her black irises inundated with a cold shade of blue.
Nothing.
She saw nothing. Not a flicker of life or desire. Just a void of inescapable hunger.
"Ssssh." Lunae tilted her head, allowing her other hand to support Sonera's head from behind. "You've done enough, let's go home."
Sonera helped herself up, staying silent as per Lunae's request. On the walk home, she made sure to keep herself in the lead. There was clearly something on her mind.
Lunae smiled, content with her work. And for the first time since Yrix had taken her, she allowed herself to speak alone in her own Psionic mindscape. It was her favorite thing to do when a good plot had been hatched.
"She looked." Lunae giggled.
A second Lunae, identical to the first, responded mere inches from her face. "At what?"
"My pale stomach. So smooth and delicate. Just a couple of glances. She must like it."
"Was she afraid?"
"Of getting caught? Of course. She liked it more than our chest. It was a sheepish glance. Just a hint of lust."
"Then she's vulnerable."
"I know. We'll tame her soon enough."
___________________________
Having tended to her student's wounds, Yrix set Ivy down on the cafeteria table before rudely abandoning her. It was a blunt but transparent gesture. Ivy would have to salvage what was left of her strength and make her way to her assigned bunk lest she face Yrix's wrath.
She didn't want to go. She didn't want to risk running into Lila. Perhaps, if she were quiet enough, she could slip onto the top bunk without that girl noticing her.
God forbid Lila say something to her.
The plan worked out well enough. She was always rather adept at the art of tiptoeing around people she didn't like. It was her go-to tactic back when human servants actually worked in her manor.
"Finally," Ivy whispered, looking up at her bunk in the pitch black dark of the room.
All the girls had gone to bed, knowing full well how foolish it was to waste sleep when Yrix could throw them into another blender the next day. Rena most of all slept like a newborn, content as could be with Ivy's fate. Such observations came to Ivy rather easily, her eyes scanning the dark corners of the room with unequal efficiency.
She barely even glanced at Lila, however, who was sleeping soundly at the bottom of the bunk.
Ivy was fairly certain Sonera had noticed her; however, her glowing cat-like eyes were always alert whenever someone approached. But she was confident the Martian wouldn't make a peep about it. Neither of them was afraid of the other. And neither of them felt like conversationists at the moment. Their fight, after all, really wasn't that personal.
"Now...sleep...please." Ivy thought to herself as she clambered into bed.
It was officially three days since she had last slept, rendering the heiress completely exhausted. But who could blame her? All she ever saw when she shut her eyes was her mother's blank expression staring back at her.
This time, however, she feared something even worse. Something she could control even less than her freakish nightmares. It was the Psionic trace of the girl she loathed the most.
That stupid girl, Lila.
The moment Ivy shut her eyes, she could feel the Earthling's presence beneath her, her memories seeping into her brain. She tried to fight it. She fought against them harder than she fought against Sonera. But just like in that arena, Ivy was weak.
She dozed off to sleep, her mind enveloped by Lila's dreams.
The connection was formed.