Chapter Text
That morning, Lied woke up racked with aches and diffuse pain. He slowly emerged from his nest of blankets and soft cushions, feeling waves of heat and pain coursing through his body, beneath his skin. He had a headache, and his throat was dry and irritated.
The apartment was quiet. He knew full well that he would be the last to leave that morning. His sister had left very early for a mission with the Border Patrol. She'd be gone for three days. That's what she'd told him, few days ago.
He was old enough to stay home alone. That's what Shakky had also told him, patting him affectionately on the head.
He understood. She had a job. She had to work. She couldn't afford to lose a bonus because him.
He wasn't a Denlette anymore. He didn’t need a babysitter neither.
Suddenly, he felt a wave of dizziness and leaned against the bedpost, his hand gripping the wood tightly. Painful surges of heat washed over him, as if his blood were boiling. His mouth was dry, and his entire body ached. He shook his head to clear the fog clouding his vision. He had likely slept poorly, or perhaps he had lain in an bad position during the night.
Yes, that must be that.
A bad position...
...Or he'd overdone his body with the training with Robin-Sensei, and he was exhausted. Yes, all that training must have really worn him out. He hadn't stopped since it started. It was intense, truly gruelling training. And maybe he badly sleep because of that?
Weird...
He checks his bag, preparing his stuff for his school day.
He drank a little, but he wasn't hungry; his stomach was in knots. Putting the plate in the fridge, he muttered, "It's okay, I'll buy something to eat at the cafeteria later." The mere thought of eating made him nauseous.
Was he sick?
He was the only Omega in the family. However, he had received a great deal of informations upon entering Babyls so that he would be well-prepared. And while he was familiar with the signs by now, he hadn't experienced so much of Heat of Stress, they hadn't started all that long ago. It was standard procedure to thoroughly brief students in this category, even though the heats were never sexuals before adulthood.
He finished getting dressed and left quickly. He was running late—something that didn't happen often. Usually, he was an early riser, especially since he had to wake up his sister, who sometimes struggled to get out of bed. But that wasn't the case today. It was him who was struggling to emerge and to left home.
He spread his wings, grimacing at the ache in his muscles and the burning sensation spreading across his back. He took flight, intent on moving as fast as possible so it would all be over quickly—so he could arrive sooner.
His throat was so dry. He coughed softly, his teeth grinding with the effort. He tried to ignore the straining of his muscles, the pain in his body, and the urge to retch.
It wasn’t normal.
It wasn’t normal.
He wasn’t just sick.
He landed further from the door than usual, his back burning. He staggered with every step. His back ached. The base of his wings felt hot and taut. The pain made him feel nauseous and dizzy. All his senses were on high alert, and his head felt heavy, overwhelmed by a flood of information, about everything he could hear, smell and see.
"Maybe I pushed myself a little too hard in training."
(But it couldn't have been training; he'd hardly done any physical activity.)
Or were his wings still growing?
It was possible in his family.
His father had large wings and a very long tail (according to what Shakky had told him).
He didn't know if wings and tails could still grow at his age.
(And Shakky was busy; he couldn't call her to ask.)
He could ask Balam-Sensei, if he had the chance. After all, not all demons had the same characteristics. And that guy knew so much.
Or he could text his sister to ask her about it.
(No. He couldn't bother her just about that. She was very busy and her mission might be dangerous; he couldn't distract her, could he?)
Letting his tail out was just as much painful.
He didn't want to spend the day without it.
But his body ached too much.
And he didn't want to suffer even more.
(He should have stayed in bed, but he didn't want to be alone.)
(It was worse to be alone)
(He HATED be alone)
(Why was he so emotional today?)
Today, the Misfits had a break from their usual routine with their Tutors due to today lessons focused on upcoming exams. They wouldn't be seeing their tutors, as the time was set aside for revision and a session reviewing the rules for the upcoming Harvest festival.
This would gave the class a chance to chat, relax a little, and ask their teachers questions about the approaching exam
Lied was delighted to have a day without training. Not that training with Robin-Sensei was unbearable. No, his teacher was nice, funny, and he enjoyed having him as his tutor. And he was progressing quickly. And he learned so many things; it was so interesting. He felt much stronger.
Not today, however.
He felt truly weak.
And sick, nauseous.
The mere thought of spending the day playing, concentrating, using his mana, and doing other such things gave him a terrible headache. So, he was rather glad it was a day without tutors.
Jazz and Allocer weren't there today, despite Kalego's instructions. And after the distress in their messages a while back, their absence was just as worrying. But the teachers didn't seem concerned, so maybe it was all right.
Kalego wouldn't let anything happen to them, would he?
And the principal would intervene if there was a problem, right?
Opera would beat the shit of Furfur if needed, right?
The day began with a strategy lesson with Ipos-Sensei, followed by two hours with Orias-Sensei.
He was pleased: Astrology was his favourite class, along with Familiars Class and Botany. And he was his favourite teacher. (Sorry, Robin-Sensei, but he actually liked Orias-Sensei a little more.)
But he would have much preferred to stay home and sleep. To curl up under the covers and shut out the world. He wanted to hibernate until he felt better.
Yet, the thought of being alone at home—weak and vulnerable—was worse than being sick at school. His instincts rebelled against solitude; the mere idea of being alone made him want to cry.
The first two hours passed in a blur. He could feel his heart pounding in his ears. The pain at the base of his wings intensified. His muscles burned and spasmed from the agony; his mana seemed to boil beneath his skin. His vision blurred. His throat was parched, and his lips were cracked.
He had barely said a word since this morning.
He felt more and more nauseous.
When his classmates asked him if he was alright because it was unusual for him to be that silent, he replied with a forced smile, "I'm just tired. I didn't sleep well. So, I have a bit of a headache and cramps! Robin-Sensei's training is tough, so I'm sleeping badly on top of everything else."
It was a lie.
(Almost)
He wasn't just tired.
It was worse than that.
At the start of the astrology class, his throat was terribly sore. He reached out and placed his hand on the shoulder of Clara, who was sitting next to him. "Clarin, could you give me some water, please? My throat is dry and burning." He started to cough. His eyes were stinging. His mouth was as dry as cardboard.
He was thirsty, so thirsty.
A small bottle was placed in front of him.
"I don't usually give out snacks or drinks; Iruma-chi told me to. But water is different! And you're very pale! Are you sick?"
"I'm just tired. I stayed up all night. I couldn’t sleep."
That wasn't true. But he preferred not to tell Clara that he was feeling really unwell. He didn’t want to worry her.
Clara frowned, not fooled for a moment; her big-sister instinct saw right through the lie: "If you're sick, go to the infirmary!"
“I’ll go to the infirmary afterward, I promise. I just want to listen the astrology class! It’s my favourite subject. And my favourite teacher.”
Clara frowned but nodded. “Ok. After this class, then! Otherwise, I’ll tell Iruma-chi, and we’ll take you to the infirmary ourselves with Azz-Azz!”
Lied nodded, grabbed the small bottle, and took a few sips of water. The coolness of the water soothed his throat. But his stomach knotted, and nausea crept over him.
(No, he told himself, don’t throw up. Not during class.)
He rubbed his forehead and felt a thin film of sweat on his skin.
He had a fever.
He was definitely sick.
He couldn't be sick: the festival was approaching.
(What did the school do in these situations?)
Orias-Sensei's voice reached him muffled, as if his ears were plugged with cotton.
Perhaps he could use his power to hear better?
Without forcing it too much.
After all, using his abilities was as natural as breathing.
He concentrated, but as soon as he used his power, he felt an excruciating pain throughout his body. Breathless, he collapsed to the ground, unable to suppress a piercing scream. He was in agony. He felt an intense heat, as if his blood were boiling in his veins.
No. It was not his blood; it was his mana.
He immediately sensed a presence beside him; a hand rested gently on his forehead. He tried to open his eyes but failed at first. The heat became unbearable. His body was trembling, and the urge to vomit grew even more intense.
Barely conscious, he heard his teacher's voice calling for silence. He finally managed to open his eyes and saw the adult leaning over him. The man was typing something on his cell phone, then slipped it into his pocket.
« Lied ? » His voice was very gentle, and he seemed genuinely worried.
The young boy felt terribly weak. His skin burned. His vision was becoming increasingly blurred. Sounds seemed muffled. He thought he could recognize the voices of his classmates, but he could not understand what they were saying.
He was trembling all over.
He felt something (a jacket?) placed over him.
He vaguely heard another adult voice.
A voice he knew… but his thoughts were muddled.
He was then lifted up and carried away. His senses seemed heightened; he felt incredibly sensitive. He had a splitting headache, stomach cramps, and an increasingly strong urge to vomit.
He felt tears stinging his eyes and his throat tightening. His young omega instincts cried out for an adult to take care of him. Without realizing it, he started to cry. His instincts left him feeling weak, vulnerable, and fragile, and he needed to be protected and coddled.
"Breathe slowly, Lied, it'll be alright!" The voice of Orias-Sensei was gentle, so gentle. And worried.
Why was he worried?
He caught a faint whiff of a slightly sweet scent—something his teacher was particularly fond of. He felt the warmth of the adult holding him in his arms. He felt his body relax a little, as if his anxiety were being gently soothed. He buried his face against a solid shoulder, trembling slightly.
He lost all sense of time until he was set down on something soft (a bed? A nest?). At that moment, he felt even more nauseous and slumped weakly against the edge of the nest, vaguely catching sight of something (a pot?) that was quickly placed beneath him.
He threw up, tears rolling on his cheeks, as much from nausea than from pain.
"Breathe, Lied."
A hand stroked his back reassuringly. Gradually, his trembling subsided, though he still felt incredibly weak. He caught a sweet scent—clover, mingled with another, almost fruity aroma—as if the adult were trying to soothe the mild panic washing over him. The presence of this person he knew so well instinctively reassured him. He felt himself being helped to drink a little water, then laid back down.
Orias-Sensei was about to leave, wasn't he?
Lied felt fear wash over him. No. He didn't want to be left alone. He reached out to grab the astrology teacher's right arm. "N...No. Stay!" A fresh wave of dizziness swept over him. And he sank into darkness.
« A mana fever and a Heat of Stress»
Phis-Sensei watched the sleeping teenager, who was clutching Orias-Sensei’s arm. His small body was trembling; the fever had not yet broken. He gave off a heavy scent with distress. Even in his unconscious state, the young omega was instinctively called out for help with his pheromones.
The professor nodded, quickly typing something on his phone—likely to alert his colleagues. "I suspected as much..."
Phis-Sensei brushed a lock of hair away from the young student's feverish forehead. "Nothing serious. It will pass; we have everything needed to help him. He just needs rest.
-Balam-Sensei will be here soon, according to Ifrit-Sensei," said Orias, looking up from his phone.
"Perfect. He created pills specifically for this kind of situation—to soothe the pain of mana fevers while we'll wait to take proper action. With the Heat of Stress, we'll have to wait at least three days."
Orias looked down at his student, stroking his head, wondering what he would do with this little one clinging to him.
Robin was on his way. He was going to—he had to—feel guilty. He had trained Lied with too much precision; the boy’s mana had increased out of all proportion to his physical strength.
Phis-Sensei finished the IV drip. "He probably hasn't eaten anything since this morning. This will prevent him from vomiting when he'll eat. Stay with him and keep an eye on his fever.
- I don't know if anyone is home. If someone can care of him.
-Let's wait until he wakes up."
The door opened and Robin slipped inside; he must have run all the way to the infirmary. He had finished his morning classes at 11:00 a.m., so he had been able to come and see his student. He looked devastated and worried: "I made a mistake."
Orias shook his head. "It was bound to happen, given the intensive training all the Misfits have gone through. We knew that it could happen to one of them.
- I didn't have him do enough physical exercise." He sat down on the other side of the nest. "I'll help him as soon he'll get better.
-Mana fever and Heat of Stress! The next three days aren't going to be easy for him."
« Lied ? »
He opened his eyes and realized he was in the infirmary, on a soft nest. Her throat was dry, and her skin burning hot. He didn't feel well. His body was trembling and he felt vulnerable; an urge to cry tightened his throat.
He felt lonely.
So lonely.
He turned his head to look at the two people leaning over him. "Orias-Sensei? Robin-Sensei?" He could hear someone bustling about in a corner of the room but didn't look to see who it was. He suddenly realized that he was clutching his teacher's arm between his own. He suddenly blushed and loosened his grip. "I’m sorry! I caused you trouble!
-Don’t be silly, Lied; it’s not your fault."
Robin handed him a mug filled with what looked like tea. The boy took the mug and raised it to his lips.
It was mild.
Sweet.
And although hot, the drink refreshed him.
His tail, which had emerged while he slept, was swaying slowly, wrapping around his waist.
"What happened?
-You have a mana fever. And it triggered a Heat of Stress.
-Oh."
Among demons, young omegas did not experience sexual heats before reaching adulthood. Before then, they had "Heats of Stress" moments of distress when the young omega desperately needed help. Lied was damn glad about that; he didn’t feel ready yet to do anything intimate, even with someone he knew. He already struggled to resist—or even stay conscious—when hit head-on by Elizaveta’s power. He felt like a mess with a simple smile from her.
There was also the fact that demons like him matured more slowly.
As for alphas, they didn’t experience true ruts until adulthood. Before that, it was more a matter of periods where they wanted to mark their pack, fight other alphas, challenge the adults, and so on. Young alphas also experienced "Heats of Stress", but these disappeared once they reached adulthood.
Omegas, on the other hand, continued to experience them throughout their lives.
Lied, a young, sick, and orphaned omega, had—given his condition—simply released distress pheromones to call for help. The absence of parents weighed on him at times; his sister was important to him, but she could not fully replace them. He felt embarrassed knowing he had called Orias-Sensei for help while in that state. Like a child calling his parents to help him.
Robin patted him on the head. "I’m sorry, Lied; I mishandled your training. Your mana increased too quickly relative to your physical strength and your body capacity.
-No. It’s not your fault. I pushed myself too hard.
-We’re going to do some physical exercises to relax your body and help your mana circulate. I spoke with my cousin; you’ll be doing the exercises with Iruma. But for now, you need to let this fever and your Heat of Stress run its course, since children shouldn't take medication to bring it down, you can just take painkillers, but not too many. Don't worry, you'll totally recover before the beginning of the festival, you'll be able to participate.”
He felt relieved.
He just needed to rest.
"Mana fever can sometimes be a real pain, making people unable to do anything. But it’s nothing to worry about. It’s just unpleasant.
-Is this tea Balam-Sensei’s medicine?
-No. It’s to regulate your pheromones. Balam-Sensei is on his way. You’ll take the medicine once you’ve finished drinking it. Then you’ll have something to eat."
He nodded and took small sips, feeling the pain in his stomach subside and the dryness in his throat ease. However, his head was spinning, and he was still trembling. His pheromones were leaking from his body, beyond his ability to hold them back or control them. He tried to do so, but the effort caused a burning sensation, and he winced.
« Don't try to do anything; the mana fever is preventing you from controlling anything. »
Suddenly, the door opened. Lied froze, his tail going still in an instant. The scent of paper, licorice, and bitter tea reached his nose.
Alpha.
I don’t like it.
Stop. It’s Balam-Sensei. I must not react like that. It’s not an enemy.
His instincts, however, paid no heed to his mind. His fangs ached. He felt his fingernails sharpening into claws.
Alpha.
Don’t like it.
Don’t like his smell.
Don’t want him here.
He wasn’t listening to the voices around him. His heart was pounding so hard that he was sure the teachers could hear it. His vision blurred as his muscles tensed. He was still holding the cup, though now with only one hand; the other was clutching the soft, warm blanket.
I don’t like this smell.
Alpha.
Alpha must GO.
He shook his head to shake off his omega instincts. A shiver ran through him. His head was aching; his senses were overwhelmed by all the scents and sounds around him.
Alpha…
…So big.
Too tall.
Danger.
Too powerful.
Too imposing.
His breathing quickened slightly. He didn’t realize it, but his pupils narrowed as his instincts took over without him being able to realize it. Suddenly, a massive hand entered his field of vision and moved toward him. A growl escaped him before he even realized it, and his own hand came down brutally.
The smell of blood.
His anxiety spiked.
His instincts veered into panic.
Alpha was going to be furious.
Danger.
«Lied? »
He was still growling, baring his teeth.
Alpha…
…The alpha had backed away.
He growled louder.
« I’m sorry, Lied, I shouldn’t have done that. »The alpha backed away little by little, suppressing his scent as much as possible—though he had been doing so ever since his arrival.
Lied felt a hand in his hair and a sweet scent that gently reassured him; his muscles gradually relaxed, and his tail began to sway softly once more. He kept his eyes on the intruder alpha, yet the presence beside him dispelled the anxiety that had been gripping his throat. He swallowed and shook his head; the fog in his mind lifted, and his senses slowly sharpened.
Orias-Sensei’s voice reached him: "You shouldn’t have tried to touch him, Balam-Sensei.
-I know; I just wanted to comfort him.
-You really ought to ask for permission before doing things like that."
Lied took a sip of tea and finally came to his senses as his tail wrapped around Orias's arm, as if to ensure the adult stays close to him. He vaguely saw Balam leave. "I attacked Balam-Sensei...I'm sorry.
-Your instincts reacted to his presence; it's not your fault."
Robin handed him a glass of water along with a pill. "Here, this will help with the pain in your body.
-Why does it hurt all over?" the young boy moaned, feeling uncomfortable, feverish, and numb.
His Astrology teacher explained gently, "Mana flows throughout the body, into every nook and cranny. With a mana fever, it’s as if the mana was boiling inside you; because there’s too much of it, your mana system is swollen and inflamed."
"Oh. So that’s why it hurt so much when I was flying, and why I had that crisis when I tried to use my bloodline power?
-Yes »
Lied swallowed the pill.
Robin explained: "It will relieve the pain, but not the fever or the heat; both have to pass on their own. Once the Heat of Stress subsided, we’ll do some exercises to help your body adapt to the increase of your mana.
-It’s because my mana increased too quickly that I have this Mana Fever, isn’t it?"
The Archer nodded. "That’s right. You have too much mana right now, and you can’t use it because trying to do so causes you pain. It's as if your mana system was saturated, without any way to relieve this pressure.
- I don't feel well.
-I know. » Orias stroked his hair, and Lied seemed to melt at the touch. A purr escaped him as he felt something within him calm down. The blond teacher asked, gently "Is there anyone at home who can look after you?"
-No. My sister is away on a mission for the Border Police. She won't be back for three days."
The two teachers exchanged uneasy glances.
"But I'm fine! I can handle it!"
Orias shook his head. "No, you've got stress-induced heat and a mana fever—you absolutely cannot stay alone."
Robin seemed to be thinking to a solution. "Don't you have someone you could stay with?
-No. I don't know my neighbors very well.
-You can't be around people you barely know. You're emotionally fragile."
Lied curled in on himself, ashamed.
It was true. The thought of being alone made his heart ache, in this state he was way too emotional. He was afraid of being alone at home, with no one around.
"But my sister can't come back—this mission is really important!"
She had gone far away with her border patrol team. He didn't even know if she could be reached—or if she could even come back before the end of this mission.
"We won't be able to rely on that solution, indeed."
He groaned, and his tail curled around him. He felt shivers run through him again—waves of painful heat. His eyes stung, and his throat tightened.
"Could one of your friends take you in?
-They’re all really busy with their tutors. And it’s been a while since I heard from Jazz or Allocer."
Robin thought for a moment. "Maybe Iruma could put you up for the next three days? We could ask Sullivan-sama.
-I don't know."
The two professors exchanged a worried glance. Lied knew he wasn't acting like his usual self. He felt weak, he wanted to cry, he felt unwell, and he was terrified at the thought of being alone. He was afraid of being abandoned—left all by himself.
He didn't know why he was crying.
He didn't know where this anxiety was coming from.
He was laid back down on the bed, his small hand clutching the jacket of his astrology teacher. Robin patted his shoulder. "I'm going to get you something from the kitchens, okay?
-Mm-hmm."
He vaguely heard the two professors talking. But he drifted off to sleep and did not hear the decision the professors had made to put Lied up in the Teachers Dorm for the next three days.