Chapter 14 – Books, Breaks, and Boundaries
Alice
I stood by the edge of the courtyard, watching as the children spilled out of the classroom like water from a cracked pot. There was laughter, shouting, even a few light shoves — the kind that meant "you're my friend" rather than anything cruel. For a moment, I just stood there, letting it all wash over me. The noise, the sun, the warmth. And then my eyes found him.
Jon.
My little boy — he was there among the other kids. Not hiding behind my skirt. Not flinching at loud voices. He was smiling. He was... free. More open. Or at least starting to be.
It still felt like a dream.
I remembered the day my master — no, former master — came to tell me I was free. I thought it was a cruel joke. I had resigned myself to that life: sucking cock until the day my body gave out, dooming Jon to something far worse. I'd accepted it. And then came that boy... that strange, impossible boy.
Kaelion.
So young he hadn't even grown hair under his arms — and yet, somehow, more of a man than any I'd ever met. He bought my contract. Paid every copper, silver, and gold. He told all of us — all twenty-two women — that we were free to go or stay and witness the changes. Eight of us left. Nine of us stayed. I was one of them.
He even dismissed five of the youngest girls — "underage," he called them. They were terrified of what would come next, but he promised them safety, shelter, and even better jobs. Eventually, they believed him.
He gave us a choice — and then offered something none of us expected.
Caretakers. Not servants. He gave us food. Beds. Pay. Respect. Books — gods above, so many books. In just three weeks, I'd read more than I had in my entire life. We were learning. Cooking, healing... and something called "therapy." A strange little class that we all had to attend for three months. At first, we hated it. Now? It was the hour I looked forward to most.
A tug at my sleeve snapped me out of my thoughts.
"Miss Alice, when are you finally taking us to Wonderland?" the twins asked in perfect unison, their bright eyes gleaming.
I laughed, brushing back their messy curls. "Maybe once we find a white rabbit and a hole to jump into."
It was a joke Kaelion had started after giving them a book two weeks ago. Alice in Wonderland, he called it. And yes, it was just a story — but sometimes, I liked to pretend he wrote it for me. Silly, I know. But in those pages, I felt like I was seen. That maybe I could be more than what the world had made me.
The bell rang. Time to gather the little monsters and herd them back inside. Still, I stole one last glance at Jon, a silent thank-you forming in my heart.
Thank you, Kaelion. For everything.
---
Maera
Recess. That's what they called it.
Strange word. Soft on the tongue, foreign to the ears. A little time between 11:30 and 12:15 when we all could eat, run, laugh — breathe. Something we were still getting used to.
I never had that, growing up. My breaks were stolen seconds between bruises and chores. But now…
Now I stood in the kitchen, looking out the window, watching the children play on the small playground Kaelion had built himself. His hands had shaped it, board by board.
He wasn't around at the moment. Teacher Kaelion, we all called him. With respect. With affection. I understood why.
He didn't just teach us how to read or write. He taught us how to look at ourselves. To see. These past few weeks had changed me. I'd discovered I liked cooking. Loved it, even. Not just throwing scraps together, but experimenting. Tasting. Watching faces light up when I got something right.
I think that's how I ended up becoming the cook. Not officially — no one ever declared it. But it happened. They started coming to me when it was time for meals. And I didn't mind. I liked it. It gave me purpose.
And whenever Kaelion smiled after eating something I made, it felt like a little sun rose in my chest.
I owe him more than I can put into words.
And I can't wait to see what else I'll find — out there, and in myself.
---
Saera
Okay. Yeah. I wasn't supposed to be here.
The sign on the door read Dean's Office — in bold, neat letters. Kaelion's office. Off-limits. Private.
But rules never meant much to me, especially when curiosity was louder. And besides, he wasn't here, so who'd know?
I crept inside, careful not to make a sound. The place smelled like ink, wood shavings, and something warm and earthy — like safety, somehow. Papers and books were stacked everywhere. A few sketches on the wall. Trinkets lined the shelves. It felt... lived in.
Then I saw it — his sketchbook.
Eyes wide, I approached, flipping it open. He'd drawn a human figure mid-pose, clean strokes marking balance and flow. Notes filled the margins.
"Breathe through your center."
"Redirect, don't resist."
I smiled. This was about the exercises. Every morning, Kaelion led us through movements. Breathing. Posing. Balance drills. He called it Aikido — a martial art, meant for self-defense.
People thought it was just stretching or fitness. But I had always sensed it was more. Like a secret hiding in plain sight.
I held the little drawing I'd made of him — my gift. I wanted to give it to him. Maybe he'd smile, pat my head like he did sometimes. I liked that. It made me feel... proud. Like I was seen.
I stared at the page again, then grinned.
"Let's try this again."
---
I stepped outside, behind the building, where it was quiet. I mimicked the stances from memory — letting my body move like his sketches showed. I sat. I breathed. I listened.
And then it happened.
Something shifted. A warmth bloomed in my stomach. Tingling filled my fingers. The world seemed sharper, brighter. My skin buzzed like lightning on the verge of striking.
I gasped. "What... was that?"
I looked at my hands — still the same. But not. I felt lighter. More aware. Like my body had been asleep until now and finally woke up.
My heart raced. I looked inward — and then I saw it. Not with my eyes, but felt it. A swirling black sphere, deep in my chest. My mana core. Pitch-black, pulsing faintly like a sleeping star.
I staggered backward.
Then the exhaustion hit. Like someone had yanked the ground from beneath me. My knees gave out. My chest tightened. My heartbeat thundered in my ears.
"Wha... what's happening—?"
I felt afraid — deeply, irrationally afraid. Like something inside me had snapped open.
And then everything went black.
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Here's the extra chapter, comment below your thoughts and let me know what you think comes next see you on Monday 😉 😉.