[Hider=Seren][IMG]https://i.imgur.com/KRURxYv.jpg[/IMG][/hider][I]Arduous.[/I] The hike up the mountain could be summarized in one word: arduous. The trail Seren had taken led them through six hours of inclines, thornbushes, eerie silences that deafened their own footing, and roots of every kind to trip them up; and Seren had tripped a lot. All the while their siblings alternated from hovering, mocking, encouraging, and quite literally pulling Seren along. It was humiliating. Even their rallying cries and protection felt hollow with fear. Fear of what Seren had become with their new horns, and new future. The amount of times Seren wished Erika was there to reassure them that that everything was going to work out; that this school was going to help; that Seren was going to change their own future were as countless as the stars to which their sister had divined so long ago. Another reason Seren took their first step.

That too was exhausting. Not even a yard into their journey, and Seren had already managed to make a fool of themselves. All too often Seren obsessed over making sure they did their best to never be a bother, and that incident was further reinforcement of that obsession. On a good day Seren would have apologized, check to make sure the other person was okay, apologize again, and be on their after [I]again[/I] checking they hadn't harmed anyone. Seeing as this was the first day of school, it was most certainly a bad day. Thankfully, Maeve had dragged them away before Seren could contractually offer their undying servitude to the stranger for merely bumping into them. An obsession acquired in early childhood, but exhausting one none the less to be so emotionally consumed by penance.

Unfortunately, the day dragged on for a bit longer before giving Seren a reprieve. They'd gone from nearly passing out upon finally arriving one moment to having to sprint in order to not miss orientation the next. Definitely not the best impression they could've made on their first day. Luckily, two things eventually happened to go Seren's way. First, they artfully swerved between their peers left and right; rushing past upperclassmen that had aged out of needing the introductory seminar. Secondly, that upperclassman group included their older siblings, thus giving Seren respite from the twins. Seren was even more grateful when they slipped into the orientation room just a split second before the Headmistress began. If either of their siblings had been there, the two would've ruined any chance Seren had at stealth. 

Throughout her speech, Seren took it all in with intense focus. This was it. They were sitting –well actually standing against the farthest corner in the back left trying to look as small as invisibly possible– in the orientation hall of [I]The Academy[/I]. When she finished however, Seren realized her authoritative voice was the thought dam in their mind holding back the torrent of their pressured emotions. This was [I]it[/I]. They were finally here, and now that they were it was a [I]lot[/I] to grasp. They actually had to start taking steps to defeat their father. Everyday was going to a battle against him. Whether or not Seren learned from and understood their courses, would decide whether or not they even got be themself anymore, and not some . . . [B]host[/b]. A [I]shell[/I]. A [I]costume[/I]. Soulless skin wrapped around a body that belonged to a [b]demon[/b].

Overwhelmed. Seren's composure could be summarized in one word: overwhelmed. They need to breath. They needed to not be in a closed room with people around to watch them have a breakdown. So Seren excused themself from the room an umpteen amount of times. Totally lost with the singular thought: [I]'This is a lot.'[/I] Eventually Seren made their way outside. The could feel the grass part way from their steps, but Seren didn't really have the capacity to think about where they were even going. All they knew now was that they were drained. With the physical stress of the hike combined with the emotional turmoil of their arrival Seren was [I]drained[/I]. Tired. If they really tried, Seren could feel the dark aura of their father's influence simmering inside them; lulling them into deam land. What their father didn't know is that Seren had just fallen asleep underneath the tree someone already occupied. A sleeping someone; and like clockwork it only took three minutes for Seren's incubus-inherited dream magic to unconsciously awaken. When Seren opened their eyes, they were in the dream of another. A fae boy with a penchant for attitude, and –apparently– napping in trees.

[@Cherrywitch]