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Breakfast, with Mona
Edgy warning (the usual)
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I wonβt leave Ninth House, no matter what β those were the words which replayed through Dominicβs head. Sitting at the desk by his only window, his face faintly reflected off the smooth glass surface. He could see the eyebags beneath his eyes, his worn out expression and messy hair as he leaned on his palm. A month ago, when he first stepped foot in this academy, he had hope that heβd finally escape the life he knew. He thought, no matter what came his way, it wouldnβt nearly be as bad as living with his grandparents. Yet, his backpack sat beside his chair, filled to the top with clothes and essentials. By the wall was a suitcase, the one heβd came with to Ninth House, now holding the rest of his items while his cupboards and drawers were empty. And on his desk were scattered papers, some organized in piles and others thrown inside books, with a single notebook open in front of him. With a stroke of his pen, heβd added another line, before closing the notebook with such force that left the scattered papers flying.
If only that man hadnβt gotten in his way. Though his bruises, cuts and broken bones had long since been healed, sometimes when he took a deep breath he could still feel the piercing pain in his lungs. In the month that had passed since, Dominic had tried his best to blend into the background, correctly this time. He didnβt provoke Vincenzo, he didnβt speak to him unless necessary, and made sure to act like all his other easily disposable pawns. He was willing to do everything, even swallowing his pride if it meant escaping this hell.
By now it became no different than his usual life. Vincenzo was merely a student yet he felt like another shadow looming over him, holding him in place with shackles tied to his limbs. And those shackles acted like strings, attached to his limp body as if he were a puppet for others to control. Anywhere he went, he felt as if there was no escape. Since the sleepover heβd often wake up in cold sweat, the events replaying through his mind and the hopelessness that came with it. Heβd feel the injuries as if they were fresh, even though itβs been days, weeks and now a full month.
There was only one person he trusted in the whole academy. Lenore, the girl heβd somehow become lucky enough to know. That night she appeared like his guardian angel, guiding him to safety. If it werenβt for her, he likely wouldβve died from the bruises and the punctures in his lungs. Dominic never questioned the coincidence of her appearance back then, he didnβt dare to do it.
If he were to leave, sheβd be the only person heβd miss, and in a way she was the reason he decided to stay a bit longer despite the risks. He couldβve run the day after the initiation, he was fully healed that morning. After Lenore had taken him to a mysterious womanβs room, his injuries were almost completely remedied. Transforming from a man on deathβs doorstep, he only felt sore as if heβd returned from a long workout. From the exhaustion and the relief he felt after, Dominic immediately fell asleep, and the next morning he found himself in his room without a clue who that healer was.
That day, September 5th, Dominic decided to push aside his worries and attend classes as if nothing had happened. That afternoon he was in the garden, sitting in the grass basking in the setting sun. But his thoughts were elsewhere, constantly circling back to the initiation the day prior. Heβd been so occupied by it, that when approached by a friendly girl who seemed to show concern, he reluctantly explained his situation. Dominic hadnβt mentioned a word about Vincenzo, nor anything unknown outside of the Umbra Coven. He said, simply put, that a fight broke out and he was involved. To his surprise she was generous enough to offer to heal his soreness, and he agreed. By that point he hadnβt noticed anything suspicious about her, in fact she seemed quite naive. Desdemona, sheβd said, and Dominic believed her, because he was desperate enough for some light in this academy which was nothing but an extension of his looming shadows. Lenore, the healer, Desdemona, even Dante whoβd guided him here, they all seemed too kind. Did they have ulterior motives?
Dominic didnβt want the answer to that question. Now all that mattered was carrying out his plan, laid out in the papers scattered across his desk and floor. He leaned down, picking them back up to their place. As he looked at all the papers in his hands, the pages filled with his thoughts throughout the month, all regrets of leaving faded from his mind. It didnβt matter that there were positives to this institution, heβd rather not waste another moment here.
For that morning, Dominic would carry on as a regular student, visiting the dining hall for breakfast while stealthily avoiding Vincenzo and the coven. Afterwards, heβd attend the Scavenger Hunt, and that would be the last they ever see of him.
With a firm resolve and a steely gaze, Dominicβs shoes echoed off the marble floors of the hallways. He pushed open the door to the dining hall, quickly making his way to the least visible corner. He took a simple meal with him, since he hardly had an appetite. The collars of his dress shirt felt as if they were tightening around his neck, and the sweater above it only added to the suffocating feeling. Maybe his usual attire wasnβt the best fit for his plans that day, but Dominic couldnβt risk standing out. Seated awkwardly at the corner his table, surrounded by empty chairs, he reached for his forkβ
βNic!β a cheerful voice had cut his peaceful silence short, causing him to almost drop the fork. He knew that voice.
His head snapped up, brows furrowed at the audacity of interrupting him at such a moment. Why was it that he got noticed the most precisely when he tried to blend in the background? His eyes met the girlβs green ones, bright and full of energy. For a moment his expression softened. She was one of the people he truly couldnβt understand. Beneath that innocent smile there had to be a secret motive, there had to be something she wanted from him. No matter how cold and irritated Dominic acted in front of her, she just wouldnβt leave. Itβs as if she was genuinely under the impression that they were friends, even if they had no reason to be. They were opposites.
βCan I join you for breakfast?β sheβd asked. At that moment Dominic wasnβt sure if he had a choice. He noticed how she held her breath for his answer, adding to his confusion.
Dominic looked down at his food, mumbling hesitantly, ββ¦Sure.β Rubbing his eye with a tired expression, he continued. βWhy, though? What do you want?β