Previously on HDA
"Why don't we go somewhere private?"
"Aaaaah!"
"Do you hear something?"
"Someone, help meee!"
"Holy shit!"
---
[Before the Incident]
Ring! Ring! Smack!
In a white-painted, luxurious room with a futuristic design, a teenage girl lay sprawled on her bed. Without opening her eyes, she reached out and smacked the alarm clock.
"Good morning, people! Are you ready to stretch those bodies?"
"Let's make it fit and sexy!"
"We're starting with some jumping jacks! Are you all ready?"
"So, one..."
"Dos," murmured Lyra, still half-asleep.
Suddenly, the alarm clock exploded, but even that wasn't enough to wake her. She remained blissfully asleep.
Swish!
The curtains drew back, letting sunlight flood the room. Still, Lyra didn't stir.
Something moved near the window, then made its way to her bedside. A soft, natural voice followed.
"Miss Lyra, please wake up. You have lectures today," it said.
"Mhmm... leave me alone, Dora," Lyra mumbled, still in her sleep haze.
The speaker was a doll—cute, with a chibi face and dressed in an adorable maid outfit.
"But you have school today, Miss Lyra," Dora insisted.
When Lyra didn't respond, Dora jumped onto her back, tugging off her sleeping cap. A mass of white snakes emerged, coiled and resting. They didn't frighten Dora in the slightest.
"Wake up, everyone!" Dora scolded, giving one of the snakes a gentle bop on the head.
Hissss!
The snakes hissed in discomfort, annoyed by the disturbance.
"Don't you dare hiss at me!" Dora said, her tiny face scrunched up in mock anger. It made her look even cuter, though the snakes didn't seem to share that opinion.
"Now, wake her up!" she commanded. The snakes exchanged looks, then nodded.
"Ahhh! Stop it! I'm awake, I'm awake!" Lyra shouted, jolting up as a cacophony of hissing filled her mind. The sudden movement sent Dora tumbling onto the bed.
"Dora! Why did you disturb me?" Lyra groaned, grabbing her glasses from the nightstand.
"You're running late, Miss Lyra. Also, Miss Sally won't be able to pick you up today," Dora replied matter-of-factly.
"Ugh, fine. Thanks for the heads-up," Lyra said, yawning as she got out of bed. "I'll go freshen up. You handle breakfast."
"Right away, Miss Lyra!" Dora chirped, hopping off the bed and heading toward the kitchen.
Lyra stepped into the indoor garden, opening the glass door to let the fresh scent of nature fill her lungs.
Chirp! Twit!
A small bird fluttered onto one of the trees in the garden, singing its morning song. Its melody was abruptly silenced when Lyra removed her glasses and accidentally locked eyes with it. The bird froze mid-note, petrified, as stone began to encase its tiny body.
"Argh! I still don't know how to control this stupid stare," Lyra muttered in frustration, quickly slipping her glasses back on. She raised a hand and chanted, "Reverto!"
The stone faded away, and the bird was restored to its former state. It let out a startled chirp before flying off in a panic.
"Tired of this already," Lyra grumbled, brushing her bangs aside. "I better get to my bath before I'm late."
She rushed to the bathroom, catching her reflection in the mirror.
"Now, should I shampoo my hair first?" she muttered to herself, gazing critically at the thick white strands.
Hissssss.
The snakes coiled in her hair writhed in irritation, clearly displeased.
"I know, I know—you hate it when I wash you guys," Lyra said, rolling her eyes. "But I can't have people telling me my hair smells weird. It's embarrassing!"
The snakes hissed in protest, but Lyra gently patted them.
"Now be good and turn back into hair, okay?" she coaxed.
Reluctantly, the snakes shifted, their movements slowing until they melded seamlessly into her snow-white hair, leaving no trace of their existence.
With her hair subdued, Lyra sighed and turned on the shower.
---
While the water ran, Lyra's voice echoed in her mind.
[Let me tell you a bit about myself while I freshen up. My name's Lyra Frost. As you can see, I'm not your average teenage girl. Oh, and for the record, I'm also the childhood friend of that bastard Andrea.
Yes, I'm part of the supernatural world that secretly rules behind the scenes. My mother? None other than Medusa herself. Yup, the Medusa from Greek mythology. But before you go believing every story you've heard, let me clear things up—half of that stuff is lies.
Sure, it's true that Mom was Athena's priestess and one of the most beautiful women in the world. But the part about Poseidon sleeping with her? Or Athena cursing her for that? All false. Here's what really happened:
Athena was insanely jealous of Mom's beauty. She didn't just hate it—she loathed it. She even told Poseidon to seduce my mom. But Mom, being the clever woman she was, tricked Poseidon by pretending she was Zeus's girlfriend. Poseidon, being the fool he is, actually believed her!
When Athena's plan failed, she got so angry that she cursed Mom, turning her into the Gorgon everyone knows her as today. But here's the kicker—the curse didn't weaken her. If anything, it unleashed her full beastly nature. She got so strong that she actually beat Athena in a fight.
That's right—Mom, the "cursed one," literally defeated Athena, the goddess of war and strategy. But of course, the other gods weren't happy about it. Hercules, Ares, Hermes, and even crybaby Perseus all came after her. And don't get me started on Zeus. He tried to fight her, and at first, it was a tie. But then he realized that the longer Mom fought, the stronger she became. So what did he do? He ran.
Ever since then, the Greek gods have learned to stay out of Mom's way. And honestly, can you blame them?
"She's my favorite mom ever," Lyra said with a fond smile. "Though... I don't know where she is now."
Lyra paused, pushing her hair back as she sighed. "Oh, and that's right, folks—I have two moms. No dad. Weird, right? I inherited the genes of both of them. I have no idea how they did it—some blood-magic-magic-stuff thing—but voilà, here I am."
"My other mom is Amelia Frost, one of the most powerful celestial witches in existence. She's the type of person who can destroy and recreate worlds like it's nothing. Honestly, though, her life story is still kind of a mystery to me. All I know is that her parents were killed by demons in the year 95 from the creation of man. She sought revenge, got her revenge, and then teamed up with other witches to create the World Association of Witchcraft and Witches."
Lyra rolled her eyes with a grin. "Blah, blah, blah—she eventually met Medusa, fell in love, and decided, 'Hey, let's make a kid!' A bit of blood magic later, and here I am. Now Mom Amelia runs a university to fit into human society. And get this—it's named Crockwell University. Why? Because she killed a giant monster chicken to build it."
Lyra smirked, her tone almost bragging. "She used the chicken's bones for the foundation and its meat for the first Thanksgiving feast. And I'll tell you right now—that meat? Absolutely delicious."
She waved dismissively at her reflection. "Anyway, that's the end of my little history lesson. Let's get back to the story, shall we?"]
After freshening up, I was on my way to the dining room when I stopped in front of Aunty M's room. Yeah, Medusa. It's confusing to call her "Mom M," so let's stick with "Aunty M" for now.
I should sneak in and borrow—ahem—steal one of those classic glasses she keeps locked in her cabinet. (I mean, they're not doing much sitting in there, right?)
I reached for the doorknob. "Locked? Hmph, nothing my spells can't handle."
"Unlock," I muttered, and with a satisfying click, the door swung open. I made my way to the cabinet, pulling out a sleek pair of boss-lady glasses.
"Now this is what I call accessories," I grinned, admiring myself before rushing off to the dining room for breakfast.
In the dining room...
"Dora, you're done cooking?" I asked, sliding into my chair.
"Yes, and it's your favorite—fried eggs with toast," Dora said, looking rather proud of herself.
I frowned. "That's Big A's favorite."
Dora froze. "Oh my, I forgot..."
"Figures."
One minute later...
Standing in front of my Ferrari Monza, I patted the hood lovingly. "It's been a long time, baby. If it weren't for Big A insisting I take the family car with Miss Sally and her boring rules..." I sighed dramatically.
Sliding into the driver's seat, I turned the key. Vroom! Vroom!
Time to speed off recklessly to college.
At college...
My car screeched into the parking lot, and everyone scattered like startled ants. As I stepped out, a guy blocked my path, holding flowers and chocolates.
"Miss Lyra, will you be my girlfriend?" he asked, eyes wide with desperation.
"No," I said flatly, brushing past him.
"But we're meant to be together!" he exclaimed, his face drooping like a sad puppy.
"Timothy, stop disturbing me," I snapped, glaring at him.
"Miss Lyra Frost, I promise I'll be your boyfriend, then your husband, and we'll have kids—"
"SHUT UP!" I shouted, cutting him off with a swift kick to his little brother.
"AHHH!" Timothy doubled over, clutching himself in pain as I walked away.
Tch. What's wrong with that boy? Just because I saved him from some bully, he's acting like I'm his queen. Argh, this is frustrating!
In class...
I made it to my seat just before Mr. Client, our lecturer, entered.
Knock, knock.
The door creaked open, interrupting Mr. Client's lecture.
And then I saw him.
Fuck.
Why is that bastard in this town... and this university? I clenched my fists, trying to calm myself as Andrea—my childhood friend—walked in.
Later, at the party...
"Hey, babe," some guy slurred, leaning way too close to me. "Wanna drink and talk for a bit?"
"No, dickless," I replied, punching him square in the face. He stumbled back, groaning, as I walked away from the noisy party and into the quiet forest.
Shit. I should've skipped this party. No privacy, and I've lost count of how many idiots I've sent limping away tonight.
Leaning against a tree, I sighed. "Where are the others? I thought I'd see them by now... Except for Andrea, who I already spotted flexing with that transfer student. Damn it, what does she have that I don't?"
Frustration boiling over, I punched through the nearest tree.
A sharp scream cut through the silence, ringing painfully in my ears.
"Argh, who the hell is screaming?" I muttered, covering my ears as I followed the sound.
Deeper in the forest...
When I arrived, my stomach twisted at the sight—a female corpse lying lifeless on the ground.
And Andrea... standing over it with the exact same expression I had.
"Okay, that's brutal," said Luca, stepping out of the shadows with Finn at his side.