Anubis screamed in agony. It felt as though a thousand molten needles were piercing straight into her soul. The pain lingered, relentless and searing, before finally subsiding. The fire vanished as if it had never been there.
She floated gently back to the floor and sat down, trembling. The darkness that had once engulfed the room faded. Opening her eyes, she rose slowly and stretched out her hand. A swirling red flame flickered into existence in her palm. She smiled to herself.
"The three beings that entered you are the elemental spirit triplets of the Empress of Fire, who long ago went into slumber. To think they would accept you as their new empress... hmmph," Lilith's voice echoed in her mind.
"Lilith, you're the one who gave me the power to summon them... or are you jealous?" Anubis sneered.
"Tsk! Jealous, my foot!" Lilith snapped, then immediately began snoring.
"Huh?! How is this the first immortal ancient queen...? She sleeps like a pig—ouch!" Anubis winced, rubbing her head where she had just slapped herself.
"Why did you make me hit myself?"
"How dare you insult me?! A pig?! How impudent!" Lilith fumed.
"I'm sorry, kikiki," Anubis said, bowing mockingly as she chuckled. Lilith sighed.
Getting angry with this girl was truly a waste of energy.
"Don't forget—I live in your mind. I know what you think. Be careful!" Lilith warned, then drifted back into sleep.
Anubis muffled a laugh behind her hand, then checked the wall clock. It was 2:00 a.m.
She sighed. Sleep had abandoned her. Today was her first day in school. She had never attended school in her previous life, so she was nervous. Still, she wanted to keep a low profile—at least for now.
She got up, walked to her door, and stepped outside. The house was quiet and dark, but her vision was perfect. She glanced through the window and decided to go out into the courtyard for some fresh air.
Outside, she sat on a stone bench near the glowing garden. The peaceful silence calmed her.
"Can't sleep?" a voice suddenly spoke behind her. She turned and hissed when she saw who it was.
"What are you doing here?" she asked coldly.
"Hmph. Can't I at least come to see you? You still owe me for helping you last time."
"But I never asked for your help. You butted in. How exactly did I ask you?" Anubis scoffed as Azazel came to sit beside her.
"I thought you needed help. Sloth is dangerous—wicked. She always gets what she wants when she sets her mind to it. Seeing her attempt to hurt you... I couldn't ignore it. Besides, Father wouldn't want anything to happen to you."
"Wouldn't my master be able to stop her?" Anubis asked.
"He could—if he were only up against one. But think about it... what if all seven sins turned on him? Add that to the ancient demons and enemies who want his reign to fall. Even Father has limits."
Anubis froze.
"Wait. You mean there's a full-on rebellion forming against him?"
Azazel nodded solemnly.
"Yes. And the worst part? His greatest rival is his own brother—Yama."
Anubis's eyes widened.
"His brother? Zeus never mentioned that..."
"They were born of the same father—different mothers. Yama's mother was Aurora, the Mother of All Witches. Father's mother is Lilith—the First Immortal Queen."
Anubis stiffened.
"Lilith, you say?" she asked, stunned. No wonder Lilith warned her never to mention her presence to Zeus.
"Yeah... Do you know her?"
"No, no. Please, continue."
Azazel narrowed his eyes suspiciously but went on.
"Yama was meant to be ruler of Hell, but the title was given to Father. He was the better leader. Since then, Yama has gathered witches, wizards, and ancient demons under his banner. That's why Father has so many children—he's preparing for war. Each of us has our own army. It's going to be all-out chaos soon."
By the time Azazel finished, dawn was breaking. He got up and left, and Anubis returned inside to begin her day. She showered, dressed in her uniform, and came downstairs.
Telma had already prepared breakfast. She served it quickly and rushed off to get ready herself.
By 6:30 a.m., both girls left the house and took a taxi to Prunonia Mage School. They arrived shortly after.
"Wow... it's huge!" Telma gasped, staring at the grand structure.
"Bet your parents couldn't get you in here, huh? You should be grateful to your master," Anubis said smugly. Telma lowered her head and bit her lip.
"Tsk. Let's move," Anubis muttered and led the way.
After asking around, they found the Dean's office and walked in. The man behind the desk was in his forties, with long white beard and glasses.
Anubis cleared her throat.
"You must be Anubis," the Dean said, adjusting his glasses. She nodded.
He retrieved two forms and handed them over.
"Fill these and return them."
Once done, the Dean looked over the documents.
"Anubis Zeus? That's your name?" he asked, puzzled.
"Yeah. Is there a problem?"
"Are you... the one Zeus spoke to me about?"
"Yes, sir. Why?"
"No, no problem at all!" he said quickly, smiling awkwardly.
"Please, feel at home. Let me know if you need anything."
"You said it," Anubis grinned. She and Telma walked out.
The Dean exhaled.
"I have to be careful around that kid. She's got the vibe of a killer. No way I'm crossing her."
---
Telma entered the fire elemental class, while Anubis, already a fire goddess, decided to explore something new.
"I already have fire... Maybe I'll awaken air," she thought and headed to the air ability class.
Inside, the class was nearly empty. She ignored the curious stares and sat at the back. The boys eyed her hungrily; girls glared with jealousy or admiration. Anubis welcomed it all.
"Good morning, students," the teacher said, walking in.
Anubis froze at the voice—it was Daemon.
"WHAT?! He's a teacher here?!" she thought, stunned.
Daemon felt her glare and looked to the back. Their eyes locked. He grinned.
She shivered and quickly looked away.
A boy with fiery red hair and icy blue eyes noticed the exchange. He had taken a liking to Anubis but kept it hidden. Still, seeing the interaction between her and Daemon made him frown.
"New students, please stand and introduce yourselves—name and your dream," Daemon announced.
One by one, the students stood. Some received applause, others were ignored. The red-haired boy didn't care. His head remained down—until Anubis stood.
She cleared her throat.
"My name is Anubis Zeus. I dream to become the strongest Air Mage in the world."
"Pfft... Hahaha! Strongest what? Air Mage? You haven't even awakened the ability yet! How many beds did you climb to get into this class?!" a blonde-haired boy mocked loudly.
Daemon stepped forward to stop him—but Anubis stopped him with a glare. He smirked and sat back.
The red-haired boy clenched his fists. He hated what he was hearing.
"What did you say?" Anubis asked calmly, her eyes narrowing.
"I said—"
"Uriel! Shhhh!" a smaller boy whispered, tugging his arm.
"No! I won't!" Uriel snapped.
"I said, who knows how many beds you climbed to get into this class! What can you do?!"
BANG!
A terrifying noise echoed across the room.
Everyone turned.
Anubis stood there, eyes blazing with fire. Black smoke poured from her hands. She waved them once—and Uriel's body flew backward and collapsed. He began to convulse violently.
Screams echoed. Students jumped up from their seats in terror.
"ANUBIS!" Daemon shouted.
She turned, eyes still aflame. Her body was trembling with rage.
'How dare he insult me?!'
This wasn't her past life. No one would humiliate her again. She belonged to the devil. No one would ridicule her and live.
"STOP!" Daemon shouted, stepping forward.
But she didn't stop.
He clenched his jaw.
"For Father!"
The words struck her like a bolt.
Suddenly, the fire and smoke vanished.
Uriel coughed violently, blood staining the floor. His friends rushed to him.
He looked up at Anubis with pure terror.
She turned away coldly.