Henry woke up to the smell of ozone and a soft, constant warmth on his skin. He wasn't in his spartan dorm room. This place was... different. The room was spacious and filled with a faint, pleasant scent of strawberries. The window, a massive sheet of flawless crystal, didn't look out onto the green valley, but offered a panoramic view of the entire Aegis Academy campus, floating serenely among the clouds. The air was warm, dry, and impossibly clean.
He was at the top of the Solstice Tower, the tallest structure in the academy. His new home. His new cage.
"I see you're finally awake."
Helia's voice cut through the silence. She was sitting in an uncomfortably elegant-looking armchair, a cup of steaming tea floating beside her. She wasn't wearing her battle armor, but a simple white dress that somehow looked even more imposing.
"Where am I?" Henry asked, his voice hoarse as he sat up in the plush bed.
"You're in my quarters. Or, more accurately, your new quarters," Helia answered calmly. "Welcome to the Solstice Tower, Henry. The safest, most secure place in the entire academy." She walked closer to the window. "This tower floats in the air and has a magic shield that prevents any spells from being cast within its walls."
"Why?" Henry managed to ask.
"Because you, as I've said, are my mistake to fix," Helia said, taking a sip of her tea. "The goddess I was before... before I was reborn... acted out of a misplaced sense of compassion and created an immortal paradox. Now, that paradox is sitting in my guest bed."
Henry gasped, pointing a trembling finger at her. "So... you're..."
Helia nodded, her golden eyes holding no warmth. "I am Amaterasu. And I am responsible for you now."
Tsukuyomi materialized in the room with a dramatic flourish. "Hey sis~"
Helia sighed, not even turning around. "I could smell your particular brand of trouble from a thousand kilometers away. It's a good thing you're sealed in a sword. It matches your face."
Tsukuyomi laughed, unfazed. "H-hey, what's wrong with being trapped in a katana? I'm super cute and useful. Henry likes to use me often~"
Henry's face flushed beet red. "It's not what you're thinking!"
"I know," Helia said, her tone flat. "She enjoys making... perverted remarks."
"So what happens now?" Henry asked, his brief flare of embarrassment giving way to a tired resignation. "Are you just going to lock me up here?"
"No," Helia said, surprising him. "Locking you up would only delay the inevitable. The pressure would build until the explosion was unstoppable. No. You will continue at the academy."
A spark of hope flickered in Henry, but Helia snuffed it out with her next words.
"Joseph was right about one thing: you need to learn to live among others. You need to build a foundation of humanity to anchor your light. So, you will continue your theory classes. You will eat in the mess hall. You will participate in activities."
She stood up, her presence filling the room. "But you will not do it alone. From this moment on, I am your shadow."
Henry stared at her, confused. "What does that even mean?"
"It means," she said, walking toward him, her expression severe, "that I will be with you. At all times. I will attend your classes and sit beside you. I will walk with you through the halls. I will be at the table with you during meals. I will be here when you sleep and here when you wake."
Henry's jaw dropped. The horror of the situation began to sink in. "You... you can't be serious," he stammered.
"I am the reincarnation of a deity. I do not joke," she stated. "Every step you take, I'll be one step behind. Every word you speak, I'll hear. When you go to the restroom, I'll be outside the door. When you shower..." she paused, a faint glint of malice in her golden eyes, "...I will ensure the water pressure is adequate. The darkness inside you craves solitude to grow. You will not have a single moment of it."
Henry was speechless. The humiliation, the complete and total invasion of privacy... it was a different, more insidious kind of torture.
Hahahahaha! Tsukuyomi's laughter echoed in his mind, full of cruel joy. Oh, this is better than anything I could have planned! My sister has become your glorified babysitter! How humiliating! For both of you!
"This is your chance, Henry," Helia said, her voice softening slightly but losing none of its steel edge. "Learn to control yourself, learn to coexist with what you are, or I will be forced to take more... permanent measures. The choice, for now, is still yours."
Henry looked at the woman before him, the personification of the sun, his new jailer. He had come to the academy seeking freedom and control. Instead, he'd found a new leash, one forged from light and constant surveillance. He had no choice but to agree.
"I understand," he said, the words tasting like ash.
"Good," said Helia. "Now get dressed. Our first class together begins in an hour." And with that, she sat back down in her armchair, picked up her teacup, and watched him. Just... watched.
The first day of the rest of his life had begun. And it was already hell.