The next morning, the Mammys woke the trio, having to disentangle Bane from the Twins, who were once again wrapped around him more tenaciously than octopuses. The only difference was that the Twins were far more cooperative and didn't need to be hauled off the bed to get them moving.
Once the trio was washed, dressed, and groomed to their Mammys' standards, they headed downstairs for breakfast and coffee before leaving in their carriage for their last training session before the Twins' Awakening.
Upon arriving at the training grounds and sipping their remaining coffee while waiting for the Teachers, online discussions peaked again, buzzing with rumours and speculation about the Twins and Bane arriving together in the same carriage.
When the Teachers arrived, they all proceeded to the Grav Chambers inside the building. "Today it's just basic free-form drills with all three of you at the same time. Nice and relaxed for your last training before you rest for two days ahead of your Awakening."
The trio entered the Grav Chamber. Once the doors closed, the Teachers settled into their seats behind the windows. "So, any preference for music today?"
The trio exchanged glances. "Metal?" Er offered. Bane and Yi nodded.
Teacher Armorum chuckled. "Okay, Metal it is. I've set the magnifier to two hundred with accompanying interference waves. Enjoy! Gravity field activating. Ready, START!"
The trio settled into a comfortable rhythm, the thud of metal music accompanying them as they ran through their free-form drills together against imaginary enemies.
After two hours, the gravity field deactivated and the music stopped. The trio emerged from the chamber, ready for a short break, enjoying snacks and drinks Morgranna had packed for them as they chatted with the Teachers.
"So, Bane, how are you settling in?" Peritus asked.
"Great! Morgranna really knows how to cook, and her salted caramel hot chocolate and chocolate coffee are legendary!" Bane replied enthusiastically.
"The Twins aren't giving you any headaches, are they?" Armorum asked, his tone laced with concern.
"Not at all. They're being perfect gentlemen! It's just the Mammys who have headaches every morning!" Bane replied with a chuckle.
Both Teachers raised their eyebrows, unspoken questions on their faces.
"They're just behaving like typical Twin Demons in their sleep!" Bane said, unconcerned.
"So, how bad is the entanglement?" Peritus asked with a grin.
"Morgranna described it as a pile-up—with the Twins acting more like octopuses than actual octopuses would!" Bane replied, grinning.
The trio returned to the chamber to continue their training as the online student forums exploded with videos of the conversation.
Thread: Legendary Chocolate Coffee... and Demonic Sleepovers?
User001: Did you see the video from this morning? The Twins literally wrap themselves around Bane every night??
DemonLoregirl: This is peak Twin Demon content! Poor Bane—at least Morgranna packs them good food. I need that salted caramel hot chocolate recipe!
Zenon95: LOL at "more like octopuses than octopuses." Can we get a camera in the dorms? (just kidding... kinda)
FlameForged: The real MVPs are the mammys, disentangling them every day, haha. Also, the Twins must be exhausting to disentangle during the morning waking.
BloodSugarFiend: Can confirm: chocolate coffee is a game changer. Morgranna for Head Chef!
ScepterScribe: Wait, does this mean Bane is immune to Twin Demon havoc, or are they being nice just for him?
YueWatcher: Anyone notice Armorum's face when Bane said it was the Mammys with headaches, not him? Classic!
By the time the trio left the Grav Chamber for lunch, the entire Academy was buzzing, and the chatter had spilt over to the Junior Academy. Students there wondered why an Unbonded Slayer was apparently cohabitating with Unbonded Twin Demons.
They bombarded the Elementary Academy students with questions, demanding to know why the staff allowed it. In response, the Elementary students sent them links to the Chaos Twins forums so they could check for themselves and quiet down.
The trio and the Teachers ate lunch together in the cafeteria, continuing their earlier conversation.
"So, I heard that the Councils got inundated with requests for your Awakening to be livestreamed on Conclave, and you agreed?" Armorum asked.
Yi nodded. "We let Bane decide since he's already been through his Awakening and knows what should happen. He'll be in the chamber with us in case he undergoes something simultaneously."
Er continued, "The Councils and everyone else expect that the Oath might trigger something like a second Awakening for him, and us being together in the same chamber could help."
Bane finished, "Everyone's winging it right now—expecting everything and nothing to happen and planning accordingly."
Both Teachers nodded solemnly and continued eating before Peritus asked, "Bane, are you sure the Twins haven't done anything untoward? I only ask since they're still Unawakened and, as such, unsealed, while you are." He placated as he saw the trio begin to bristle.
Bane shook his head. "They've done nothing but be themselves. Do you really think my Mammy would've let me keep living in their Dorm if anything inappropriate happened?"
Lunch finished, they returned to training. Online discussions flared up again after the video was posted on Conclave.
Thread: Slayer, Twin Demons, and That Lunch Table Talk
RuneCaster24: Did anyone see the lunch vid? The Unbonded Slayer and Twin Demons just chilling?? Never thought I'd see someone Unbonded sharing a Dorm. Academy's officially lost it.
EidolonFan13: The Junior Academy is freaking out, too. Saw a group in the hall pulling up Chaos Twins forum links—best way to shut people up.
ChaosWatcher: Can we talk about how Bane looks COMPLETELY unbothered? He's immune to Twin Demon drama. Or maybe the Twins are shockingly well-behaved?
Snackfiend: Not gonna lie, I'm here for the food drama. Chocolate coffee and salted caramel hot chocolate should be school staples. Morgranna, when's the cookbook dropping?
Darkline47: So... the Councils are going to livestream their Awakening? Wild times. Place your bets: epic moment or total chaos?
JuniorJitters: I wouldn't want to explain to every new kid why Bane is dorming with Twin Demons while Unbonded—forum links for the win.
Tzagan: Do the Teachers seem TOO chill, or is it just me? I'd be terrified. But respect for Peritus being direct about 'untoward acts'—awkward!
Watcher607: Best part was Bane saying his Mammy wouldn't let anything shady slide! If she approves, you know it's safe.
FrostHex: Someone make a Conclave livestream speculation thread. I want live reactions when their Oath triggers whatever it's going to trigger. Odds on a double Awakening?
AcademyAnon: If it weren't videoed, no one would believe any of this. The Academy's basically a reality show now.
During the trio's afternoon training, the Elementary Academy Headmasters were inundated with calls from adult Heavenly Clan members, demanding to know what was happening with Bane and the Chaos Twins.
Once they pieced everything together, the Headmasters held an emergency holo-meeting with the Nursery Elders, holo-images flickering into being.
Head Masters: "I trust you've seen the Conclave forums about Bane dorming with the Chaos Twins. The news has spread to the Junior Academy and the adult Conclave section, and we're swamped with calls and demands for answers."
Elder Soleil: "Don't worry, we'll post an explanation on all sections of Conclave so people know what's happening and why. This should address everyone's concerns."
Head Masters: "Thanks for handling this quickly, everyone's going crazy online!"
After the meeting, the Nursery Elders, together with the Councils, posted a transparent explanation of the Chaos Twins and Bane's situation. This immediately calmed everyone's concerns, as the implications became clear.
At the same time, the Councils also announced they would post a link to the Awakening livestream, so anyone interested could watch. A countdown updated in real-time, marking the hours until the Twins' Awakening.
After finishing their training and offering their customary thanks to the Teachers, the trio headed home, ready to relax for the next two days before the Twins underwent their Awakening—with Bane by their side.
When they got home, after being scanned by Morgana, Bane went to bathe first while the Twins sat on the first-floor balcony with a cup of tea, enjoying the view as they waited for their turn.
When Bane came downstairs in his robe, the Twins went upstairs. Bane curled up on the sofa with a book and a cup of tea, winding down and musing about how everyone seemed concerned about him dorming with the Twins when, in fact, nothing had happened. He shook his head and continued reading.
When the Twins came back downstairs, they ate on the balcony as they discussed what they were going to do for the next two days. Bane suggested wandering around the Academy grounds, since the Twins hadn't really explored it, and Bane had never been there before.
After dinner, they all settled down to watch a movie, the Twins bickering with each other and Bane playfully fanning the flames now and then, causing both Twins to gang up on him—although Bane easily subdued them.
Morgranna and Morgana just shook their heads at their antics and continued with their own tasks until it was time for the trio to head to bed.
As night set in, everyone else began to feel apprehension and anticipation about the Chaos Twins' Awakening and the chaos that was almost certain to erupt, as the countdown continued its silent descent.
The next morning, they woke up naturally—Bane first, his eyes snapping open as he briefly struggled to realise the Twins were once again entangled around him like oversized octopuses. He decided to remain where he was, basking in the warm, sturdy, and clingy embraces of the Twins. He enjoyed their overwhelming yet soothing presence, noting how closely their auras intertwined with his.
After a while, he noticed that the Twins were beginning to stir as they shifted in their lightening slumber. Yi woke up groggily, blinking dazedly as it took his brain a while to register consciousness. In comparison, Er was trying his best to dive back into deeper sleep, pressing his face into his pillow, which made Bane stifle a giggle, causing both Twins to open their eyes and look at him.
"Good morning, Yi, Er. Shall we get up?" Bane asked as the Twins, still half-asleep, looked at him in confusion.
Both Twins mumbled "good morning" before disentangling themselves from him so he could get up. As he stood, Yi smacked Er on the head, as Er had tried, yet again, to press his face into his pillow and keep sleeping.
That triggered a retaliation from Er, who pounced on Yi, starting a wrestling match that rolled all over the bed while Bane washed his face and brushed his teeth.
At that moment, Morgranna and Morgana entered the top floor, taking in the chaos that was the bed with raised eyebrows and twitching mouths. Then they decided to intervene, each grabbing a Twin, hauling them apart, and setting them on their feet on the floor.
"Care to explain?" Morgranna asked, raising a single eyebrow and looking at both Twins with crossed arms as Bane dressed behind her.
Before either Twin could respond, Bane answered, "Yi didn't agree with Er's decision to go back to sleep."
Morgranna looked at the Twins, sighed, shook her head, and ushered them to get washed and dressed, still shaking her head.
Morgana was smiling behind her hand at the Twins' antics and Morgranna's response.
Once the Twins had finished washing, brushing their teeth, and dressing, they settled down on the dressing table stools to groom their horns and brush their hair as Bane did the same. Then Morgranna and Morgana tied their hair, and they were ready for breakfast and their much-anticipated coffee.
Before they started eating, Bane took a picture of the breakfast spread and the coffee and uploaded it to Conclave with a devious grin. He then calmly began eating, unconcerned by the chaos he unleashed on Conclave.
Thread: Bane's Breakfast Flex—Chaos Ensues
DemonBeans: Did you see Bane's post this morning? The spread looked insane! And that grin… he KNEW what he was doing.
MugLife: I want to know what's actually in that coffee. Why does it look so good? Also, the food—Morgranna outdid herself again?
SnackWizard: I'm convinced Bane wakes up every day just to troll the entire Academy. Is this revenge for all the Dorm gossip?
ErAndYiStan: The Twins looked barely alive in the background. It's giving: "Help, I haven't had caffeine yet."
RumorMancer: Predicting at least three new conspiracy theories about how Bane stays so chill around the Chaos Twins and why he's always eating legendary breakfasts.
CaffeinatedChaos: Check the forums—everyone's freaking out. There's already a petition for Morgranna's menu to get shared. Also, Conclave can't handle the cuteness of demon breakfast routines.
TwinDemonWatcher: I love how he just posts and then pretends like he didn't start a riot. Classic Bane move. Peak chaos energy.
LatteLore: At this point, Bane's going to need security every breakfast. The forum meltdown is real!
The trio then spent a leisurely two days, occasionally unleashing chaos on Conclave with more pictures of their food, coffee, or hot chocolate, all courtesy of Bane and his devious grin.