Chapter Six: Divided Loyalties
Orion sat on the edge of his bunk in the cramped dorm room, flipping through a book, but his mind was elsewhere. The faint sounds of laughter and chatter filtered through the window, but all he could think about was the impending arrival of his younger siblings, Wicked and Isabel. His twin sister, Lyra, paced the floor, her silver-gray hair shimmering under the flickering light.
"They don't know what's coming, Orion. We need to prepare them!" she said, frustration evident in her voice.
"Prepare them? They'll be fine. They've trained with the best," he replied, his tone dismissive.
"Not everyone is ready for this place like you are. Just because you've got the looks and charm of Father doesn't mean they will fit in like you!" Lyra shot back, crossing her arms. She felt overshadowed by her brother's popularity, and jealousy bubbled just beneath the surface.
Orion, with his dreadlocks and striking resemblance to their father, had effortlessly garnered attention since their first day at the prestigious school. Lyra, with her captivating silver-gray hair and inherited beauty from their mother, had her fair share of admirers too. Yet, unlike their brother, she wasn't interested in the attention, focusing instead on her studies and her own sense of identity.
"Why don't you stop worrying so much about them and start worrying about your own life? You've got a reputation to maintain," Orion said, trying to change the subject. He leaned back against the wall, hoping to deflect her anger.
Lyra snorted. "Reputation? I don't need one built on my brother's shadow, thank you very much! And just so you know, Tijuana's daughter got kicked out of school for having relations with a professor. You should've listened to me when I said she was a succubus."
Orion shivered at the memory. "That's just a rumor. Nobody really knows why she got kicked out. When I confronted her, she wouldn't tell me what happened. She just said we need some time apart. But everything else seemed all right."
"That was your mistake, not mine," Lyra shot back, smirking at him. "You always wanted to be like Father, but maybe you should pay more attention to the girls who are genuinely interested in you."
Orion brushed off her teasing. "Whatever. We should focus on how to prepare Wicked and Isabel. They need to know who to avoid and who to befriend."
"Exactly! We need to make a plan," Lyra agreed, her competitive spirit ignited. "We can tell them about the teachers and the other kids. They should avoid anyone associated with the Dark Academy, especially since they're known for their corrupt practices."
Orion nodded. "And we should definitely warn them about the upperclassmen. Some of them are ruthless."
Dragon Knight's son had always looked up to Orion as a brother, sharing an unspoken bond forged through countless adventures in the village. He and the other boys often rallied around their older brother, admiring him while wrestling with their own identities. The Forger's daughter and Tijuana's daughter also regarded Lyra as a sister, their friendship rooted in years of growing up together in the village.
As their conversations unfolded, they planned their strategies for supporting Wicked and Isabel, navigating their own complicated emotions and allegiances.
Lyra looked at her brother. "Let's make sure they know to stick together. It's a dangerous world out there, and they'll need each other."
"Agreed," Orion replied, determination shining in his eyes. "No matter what happens, we'll protect them."
Little did they know that the challenges ahead would test not just their bonds as siblings but also their loyalty to the very village that had raised them.