After leaving Bella's office, I don't go back to the dorms. I'm not quite ready to face the others yet, and I can't explain what just happened without sounding completely insane. So, I'm heading to the library to see if I can find out a bit more about the Demon King. Apparently, if I'm the reincarnated Demon King, as the demon general that hiding as Vice Headmaster is saying, then I should know what the Demon King did.

  The library is pretty much empty this afternoon, just a few students busy with research and the librarian at her desk, doing whatever librarians do when nobody's watching. I find the history section and start pulling books about the demon war, stacking them on a reading table in the back corner where I won't be disturbed.

  The first book is called "The Great Demon War: A Comprehensive History" and, as the title suggests, it's pretty dry. Academic writing, with footnotes everywhere, the kind of writing that makes you sleepy just looking at it. But the information is there.

  Fifty years ago, the Demon King rose to power in the demon territories and launched a campaign to conquer the human kingdoms. Three years of brutal warfare, cities burned, thousands dead on both sides – the conflict that reshaped entire continents. The demons had a ton of magical power and led armies of their own, with demon generals who could level fortresses on their own.

  Humanity was losing. Badly.

  Then the Church identified Edwin as the destined Hero – with a capital H, no less! He was prophesied to be the saviour, the whole hero package. He gathered a party of exceptional individuals: Gala the Priest who could cast miracles, Amalia the Archer with impossible accuracy, Vritty the Mage who revolutionized combat magic theory, and Isaiah the Warrior whose swordsmanship became legendary.

  Together they pushed back the demon armies, defeated the generals one by one, and finally confronted the Demon King himself in a battle that the book describes as "cataclysmic" and "reality-threatening." The Hero's party won, but at tremendous cost. The Demon King was killed, his armies were scattered, and the demon threat was considered neutralised.

  Except not all the generals died. Some of them escaped, went into hiding, and there are ongoing concerns about demon resurgence or the possible resurrection of the Demon King.

  That's why half-demons have been accepted at the Academy for five years now – it's all down to Bella. Humanity is trying to integrate demon-blooded individuals as allies rather than creating more enemies, a pragmatic response to the ongoing threat.

  I flip to another book, this one with more specific details about the final battle. It mentions casualties: Vritty the Mage was killed by one of the demon generals, along with hundreds of soldiers and support staff. The Hero Edwin himself was badly wounded and needed months to recover.

  But they won. The Demon King died. The war ended.

  And now I'm supposedly that same Demon King reincarnated, which is absolutely not true but also impossible to disprove when my stats match historical records and my aura makes demon generals prostrate themselves.

  "Fantastic," I mutter, closing the book. "Really, huh."

  I gather more information – details about the generals, descriptions of demonic power, accounts of battles that sound like apocalyptic disaster scenarios. The more I read, the more I understood why Bella was so certain. The power levels described match what I am capable of. The demonic resonance, the overwhelming presence, and the way lesser demons apparently feel compelled to submit.

  If I didn't know I was from another dimension, I'd probably think I was the reincarnated Demon King too.

  By the time I leave the library it's late evening and I'm exhausted from information overload. I head back to room 347, where Freya is reading and Maribel is getting organised with her usual meticulous manner.

  "You were gone for hours," Freya observes.

  "I was just doing some research."

  "Sounds like it was an interesting research project. How's the meeting?"

  "You better not know."

  I collapse on my bed and stare at the ceiling, trying to process everything. I'm stuck between demon restoration politics and human security concerns, between Bella who thinks I'm demon royalty and a world that would absolutely kill me if they knew what I actually am.

  And tomorrow I have to act normal during breakfast while sitting on information that could cause political catastrophe.

  This is fine. Everything's fine.

  ***

  Morning comes too early and I drag myself to breakfast feeling like I've been hit by a truck. Celine, Vivienne and Mara are already seated at the table we usually use, and I slump into the seat next to them, not looking too excited.

  "You look terrible," Mara says.

  "Thanks. Love the honesty."

  "What happened yesterday? You're not in your room."

  "Research. Speaking of which—" I keep my voice low enough that nearby tables can't hear. "Tell me about the Hero. Edwin. The one who killed the Demon King."

  They look at each other and Celine looks almost guilty. "Oh right, we never explained that history to you, did we?"

  "Apparently not."

  Vivienne pulls out her trusty notebook, flipping to a page covered in a neat historical timeline. "Hero Edwin is one of the most influential figures in recent history. He attended this Academy actually, graduated about twenty five years before the war started."

  "He went here?"

  "Top of his year in combat applications. The Church identified him as the prophesied Hero when the Demon King rose to power, and he assembled a party to fight back."

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Mara leans forward, her expression more animated than usual. "My father served under him during the final campaigns. He says Edwin is the best commander he's ever met. He's tactical genius, has incredible magical power and is fully committed to protecting humanity."

  "So he's basically untouchable when it comes to politics."

  "Even the King can't command him directly. He operates through the Church's authority, which is separate from royal power. This makes him incredibly influential and completely immune to normal political pressure."

  I process this while eating bread that tastes like ash because my anxiety is killing my appetite. "And what about the demon generals? The book said some of them got away."

  "At least three confirmed survivors," Vivienne says. "Possibly more. They've been in hiding for years, and there's ongoing concern about demon resurgence or potential Demon King resurrection."

  "Is that actually possible? Resurrection?"

  "Theoretically, yes. Demonic magic is different from human magic, and includes rituals and ways of transferring power that could possibly bring the King back to life in a new vessel. She's now reading from her notes. "That's why the Church maintains active monitoring for demonic activity and why half-demons are still viewed with suspicion despite integration efforts."

  Celine adds more jam to her bread, focusing carefully on each step. "There's also talk that Prince Matthias might be groomed as the next Hero. He's got the magical aptitude, the noble lineage, and the Church has been watching him since childhood."

  "So if demons did try to restore their King, Matthias would be the one fighting them."

  "Exactly."

  Mara's got that analytical look on her face again. "Why the sudden interest in demon war history?"

  "I'm just trying to understand the political landscape I'm living in. Being a half-demon seems more complicated than I realised."

  "It's a real headache," Vivienne confirms. "Humanity is trying to integrate demon-blooded individuals as potential allies while simultaneously preparing for possible demon resurgence. You're caught in that tension — valuable as a show of progressive integration but also potentially suspect if demons do resurface."

  "And the demon generals," I say carefully. "How powerful were they really?"

  "Catastrophically powerful. Reports suggest each one could destroy entire cities alone. The Hero's party needed all five members to work together to defeat individual generals, and even then they suffered casualties." Vivienne flips through the pages. "Vritty the Mage, an elf from the northern territories, was killed fighting one of the generals. The battle reportedly devastated the surrounding region so thoroughly that it's still uninhabitable."

  I'm thinking about Bella, about her claiming to be one of those generals, about her mana aura that I crushed without even trying. If the generals were really that powerful and I dominated her easily...

  No. Not thinking about that. I'm not going to get bogged down in all that right now.

  "You alright?" Celine asks. "You look a bit pale."

  "Just processing. A lot of history to absorb."

  "Well, don't worry too much about it. The demon threat is mostly just theoretical at the moment. After years of peace, it seems unlikely they'll be back anytime soon."

  If only you knew, I think, remembering what Bella said about restoring demons and reclaiming glory.

  We finished breakfast and headed off for our morning classes. I've got a free period before my first elective starts; Introduction to Alchemical Theory, which I chose because my Earth knowledge of chemistry might actually be useful for once.

  The classroom is in one of the older buildings, all stone and wooden benches and equipment that looks medieval but also sophisticated. I'm one of the first to arrive, so I choose a seat near the middle where I can see everything but I won't be too visible.

  Other students filter in, mostly third and fourth years based on their robes, and I'm getting my materials together when I hear someone enter and the vibe of the room changes.

  I look up.

  Vice Headmaster Bellatrix Moonwhisper is standing at the front of the classroom, wearing teaching robes instead of her admin attire, and she's looking right at me.

  Our eyes meet.

  She smiles – a small, reverent expression that makes my stomach drop – and nods her head the slowest and most purposeful I've ever seen. It's almost like she's acknowledging royalty. It's almost as if she's confirming some kind of secret understanding between us.

  Then she closes her eyes, looking totally satisfied, like everything's going exactly as some plan I don't know about.

  "Good morning, class," she says, voice perfectly professional. "Welcome to Introduction to Alchemical Theory. I'm Professor Moonwhisper and I'll be your instructor for this term."

  No. No no no no no no no no no no no

  I slump in my seat and think very clearly: Fuck me.

  The demon general who thinks I'm the reincarnated Demon King is going to be teaching my alchemy class.

  For an entire term.

  With daily contact and opportunities to continue her campaign to recruit me into demon restoration politics.

  This is the worst possible timeline.

  Bella – aka Professor Moonwhisper – is already launching into the course introduction. She's explaining the curriculum, expectations and safety protocols for working with volatile alchemical reagents, and she's totally professional about it. There's no sign of the crying or prostration from yesterday, and she still sees me as nothing more than a student.

  The other students around me are taking notes and asking questions about the course materials, not realising that their professor is actually a demon general who's planning to overthrow the established order using their classmate as a figurehead.

  I pull out my notebook and start taking notes because what else am I going to do? Drop the class and raise questions about why I'm suddenly avoiding the Vice Headmaster?

  Professor Moonwhisper is explaining the basic ideas of alchemical transformation. She's got a calm and teachy voice, and sometimes she looks over at me with expressions that other students probably just see as her being a normal teacher, but I know are her giving me ongoing assessment.

  She's watching me.

  And I have to sit here taking notes about the stability of alchemical reagents while feeling like I'm going mad!

  The class ends after what feels like seventeen hours but is actually just ninety minutes, and students file out, discussing assignment requirements and lab safety procedures. I try to leave with them but Professor Moonwhisper calls out before I reach the door.

  "Miss Shadowmere, a moment please?"

  "Yes, professor?"

  "I wanted to welcome you personally to the class. Alchemy requires a lot of attention to detail and a good theoretical understanding, and I think you've got what it takes."

  "Thank you?"

  "And please, if you need any additional support or have questions outside regular class hours, my office is always available."

  "I'll keep that in mind."

  "I do hope you'll take advantage of the opportunity. There's so much I could teach you." The way she says it has layers of meaning that have nothing to do with alchemy. "Knowledge that might prove valuable for your future endeavors."

  "I'm just trying to pass the class."

  "Of course. Though I suspect you're capable of much more than simply passing." She smiles again, that same reverent expression from earlier. "I'm looking forward to working with you this term, Miss Shadowmere. I have a feeling it will be quite illuminating for both of us."

  I nod and make a quick exit before she can say anything else.

  This is fine. Everything's fine. I just have to survive a term of alchemy instruction from a demon general who thinks I'm her reincarnated king while also avoiding political complications and maintaining my cover story and not accidentally revealing that I'm actually from another dimension.

  Simple. Easy. It's totally doable.

  Fuck my life.

  I head to my next class and try very hard not to think about what fresh hell tomorrow will bring.