She was fine. Flora was fine.

We'd done as Stella suggested and rushed her to the hospital ASAP. After a long and complicated seven-hour ordeal, one of the doctors finally came to us in the waiting room and dismissed our fears, confirming Flora had NOT been raped. However, after running a few extra tests they discovered abnormal particles in Flora's bloodstream, scaring the shit out of us all over again. The first thing that came to our minds was drugs, as it was the next logical explanation behind Flora's "unconsciousness." Turned out she actually hadn't been unconscious at all. Nope. The doctors didn't find any illegal substance in her blood; instead, they found the remnants of a sleeping potion. Yep, a sleeping potion. We'd all been so panicked when we discovered her on that bed we hadn't even noticed she was breathing steadily, that she'd been peacefully asleep the whole time.

But that did not put our minds at ease. Sure, it was a good thing she hadn't been drugged or anything, but a sleeping potion? How did that happen? Why did that happen? It was the doctor's guess someone had laced one of Flora's drinks with one and she ingested it unsuspectingly. The mastermind then hauled her upstairs and stripped her of her clothes, probably to rape her. The doctor said it was a good thing we found Flora when we did. Otherwise, our initial fear would've become a harsh reality.

Flora had looked so ghostly, so spooked when she finally emerged from the doctors' room. Though we all had so many questions, we were all equally tired and ready to bail out of the depressing hospital, so Stella called Magix's equivalence to Uber so we'd have a way back to school (she so hadn't been in the mood for public transportations at the moment). She offered to pay for Sky's and Brandon's ride back to Red Fountain, but they both declined the offer and simply disappeared into the awakening city.

We got back to Alfea at the crack of dawn. With it being so early in the morning, the campus was practically abandoned. We technically didn't have to sneak inside since curfew was over, but if someone were to see us reentering school grounds this early it'd be safe for them to logically assume we'd been out all night. I half-expected Griselda to show up the second we stepped foot in the building, but no one was around. I found this somewhat suspicious. I mean, you'd THINK they'd have guards or some shit, but Stella told me not to worry about it. We got off scot-free and that was all that mattered, she insisted. Naturally, I wanted to see Flora to the Winx's apartment, but the other girls had promised they'd take care of her and that I needed to get back to Whytewich before anyone saw me. Besides, Tecna was waiting for them at their apartment and she was bound to unleash hell when they got back. We'd been on the phone with Tecna nearly all night while we were at the hospital, so she knew what had went down and was not pleased in the slightest. To be honest, I didn't feel like hearing the inevitable mouthful of a lecture she destined to give about how she was right about the party and how we should start listening to her more often, so I obeyed and went back to my dorm room.

Thankfully, my roommates were asleep when I got back—well, everyone except Alice. She'd been perched on the couch, where she had patiently and promptly been awaiting my return, like she'd been expecting me to arrive at the time I had. Considering she could see the future and all, she probably had. She made me sit down and recount the night's occurrences and being too tired to protest, I did. Alice listened gravely and when I was finished she once again took the blame for "letting this happen" and promised she'd start back channeling her energy toward her visions so she'd be able to use her gift of foresight to prevent things like this from happening in the future. Before I went off to bed, she also told me she left some textbooks that covered all the material I would need to memorize for my midterms on my desk. With them, she said, I'd be able to ace the midterms and pull my grades up. I was bewildered and nearly asked how she knew I needed help in my coursework when I remembered, duh. She's a precog. She probably saw my failingness in a minor vision. Cry.

I thanked her and took my ass to bed. I'd slept through practically all of Sunday; it was nearly evening when I finally got up. It wasn't until then I noticed how terrible I smelled. I had gone straight to bed without showering or even changing my clothes, so all the appalling smells of the party still clung to my skin and the fabric of my clothes.

Now, I was just emerging from the shower, the relief of cleanliness making my damp skin tingle. I was on my way to hit the books (thanks Alice!) when my phone dinged with a next text.

Musa: Are u awake?

I sent her a smiley face emoji.

Musa: Get up over here ASAP. We have a situation.

Ah, monkey grapes. The fuck was the problem now? The party was over and Flora was not-raped and okay, so everything should've been good now. We should've been in the clear. My mind raced as I changed course and headed in the direction of Dragontail. What trouble could possibly be transpiring now? Could one of the girls have gotten into some shit off-campus? No. Considering how late we got back from the party I doubted Stella, Musa, Flora, and Bloom even had a thought about stepping a foot outside the dormitory and Tecna was not the type to cause a scene in public.

The door to Dragontail was already ajar by the time I got upstairs. I found the Winx in Flora's and Bloom's room, where the air was uncomfortably thick with tension. The first person my eyes landed on was Flora, who was seated in between Bloom and Stella on her bed. Her body was slouched in defeat and her usually cheerful eyes were clouded with self-pity. Her smooth face was glistening with traces of salt where her assumed-to-be tears had dried up. Bloom had a supportive armed wrapped around her and was holding her body to hers while Stella chewed on her bottom lip and nervously fiddled with her hair. Musa was sitting on the floor against the wall with her hands stuffed in her oversized sweatshirt, the hood pulled far over her face and casting shadows along her forehead. Tecna sat at Flora's desk with her handheld, looking stiff and stoic.

"What happened?" I demanded automatically, slamming the door closed. Flora burst into tears. Hearing her cry made my heart split straight down the middle. Wait.

Stella shot me a half-angry half-troubled look. "Here's a hint. Her name is ironic because it's the exact opposite of what she really is." It only took me a millisecond to figure out who she was talking about. For now, we only had four official enemies: Icy, Darcy, Stormy, and Candi (I'd probably never see Blair again, so no use in listing her name). Stella couldn't be talking about the Trix because their names basically defined their personalities (their parents had been spot-on): Icy was as frosty as her name suggested, Stormy's aggressiveness was the equivalent to the fierce rage and energy of a storm, and Darcy was the epitome of darkness as even her magic suggested. That would only leave Candi, who was anything but sweet as her name implied.

"The fuck did Candi do this time?" I growled. I froze in horror as realization dawned over me. "Does it have something to do with…?"

"Damn straight. It was that fucking bitch," spat Musa, lifting her face so I could see the unadulterated hate crackling in her eyes like unrelenting lightning. "She took pictures, Acadia. The bitch fucking took pictures!"

My mouth went Sahara desert-dry. "What?"

"She took pictures of me while I was passed out," Flora managed to choke in between wet sobs, "while I was naked. And now—" She was crying so hard she couldn't even finish.

"She's using them to blackmail her," glowered Stella icily, "if Flora doesn't do what she says, Candi will leak the photos to everyone she knows at Red Fountain."

It felt like someone had just dropped an anvil on my head. I was suddenly so dizzy, so weak. I had to sit down my ass down before my knees buckled. Apart from Flora's crying, the room was silent as the truth dawned on me and really soaked in. The horrific truth of this fucked-up situation and its devastating realities flooded my mind.

Fuck. Considering Candi was a social butterfly, she was most likely acquainted with Red Fountain's elite, most exclusive clique. If Flora's pictures were to "somehow" be leaked and those bastards got her nudes, they'd spread like a wild fire. They'd be posted all over the internet and shared among hundreds of hundreds of stupid teens and perverted adults all over Magix. And whatever was posted on the internet stayed on the internet. Forever. There'd be no possible way to erase Flora's humiliation.

Fuck, fuck, fuck. FUCK.

Suddenly, I was overwhelmed with rage. It sunk and settled in my bones, filling me with newfound energy. Furious energy I wanted to take out on someone. And I knew just the person. Without saying anything more, I rose and turned to leave.

Bloom must've realized what I was about to do because she cried out, "Acadia, no!"

"Yes. We cannot afford to do or say anything foolish," said Tecna, her eyes still pried to her handheld. "One wrong move and Flora will suffer tenfold." Flora cried harder.

"Yeah, but we have to do something," I insisted stubbornly, "Candi knows we care about Flora so she can—will hold those pictures over our head, too."

Now it was Musa's turn to cry. "This is all my fault," she sobbed into her hands, "I never should've let Candi worm her way into my head. I never should've gone to that party. You girls only went to protect me and look what happened!"

"It's not your fault, Musa," said Stella quietly, hanging her head.

"Yes, it is! Bloom said it was a setup and I didn't listen. Candi didn't care about my feelings for Riven. She only targeted me to lure us all to the party so she and her bitch-ass friends could take advantage of one of us." It pissed me off so much that they'd go for Flora. Out of all of us, they had to choose the kindest, most harmless.

"There is nothing we can do," said Tecna blandly, finally setting her device aside to take in our faces. "That's the point. She deviously and successfully exploited our vulnerabilities to trap us in a predicament that will not end pleasantly for us however we choose to handle it."

Bloom scowled at Tecna. "I wouldn't call our friendship and concern for each other 'vulnerabilities.' Candi just found a way to use our morals against us just because she doesn't have any."

Tecna's face was still blank. "Maybe, but this is a cost of attachment and affection. Oftentimes, people have to take the fall for their friends' mistakes regardless of how meek or innocent they are. It's how the worlds work. Unity between people usually always brings misfortunate and calamity."

Tecna was obviously annoying the fuck out of Bloom. "So that's how you see friendship? As a burden, as a mistake? Is that how you see our friendship? As a risk?"

Oh shit, now Bloom was triggered. "Bloom. It's alright. Tecna's just being Tecna," said Stella.

"I'm only looking at things logically. Friendship comes with a price, a price that usually isn't worth taking—"

"She doesn't mean that," injected Musa briskly, "she's just—"

"No, I do mean it. If it wasn't for Flora's ties to Musa, Candi wouldn't be hanging her future over her head. Do you what could happen if Candi posted those pictures? Not only would Flora's reputation be damaged forever, but there's a slight possibility she could get kicked out of school. And what happens when she goes to apply for a job later on and her potential employer researches her name online? All they're going to find is an unclothed, exposed Flora. Everyone will judge her—"

Flora intervened with a daunting scream before bursting out of the room in strangled tears. "Tecna! Look at what you've done!" shouted Bloom before bolting out after the nature fairy.

Musa stayed put, burying her face in her arms and letting out her own disheartening sob. "Oh great. Thanks a lot, Tecna," said Stella snidely, standing up. "Way to make Flora feel better." She trudged out of the room next.

Tecna blinked. "What did I say?"

Hell no. I couldn't do this anymore.

I charged out of Dragontail and into the hallway. Bloom, Flora, and Stella were nowhere to be seen. Bloom and Flora were probably halfway outside by now. I made a course for downstairs on my way to the staircase one of the room doors suddenly swung open and almost hit me. I dodged by it by a small shot.

Being in the foul mood I was, I whirled around and hissed, "Hey, watch—"

I came face to face with Candi Burkett.

She gave me a sly smile. "What's wrong with you? It looks like you've seen a ghost."

I wanted to Hulk-smack this bitch. I wanted to snap off each and every one of her fake fingernails and make her eat them. I wanted to pry out her eyes. I wanted to spit in her face. I wanted to yank her hair straight out of her head. I wanted to—

I managed rein in my violent impulses. "You're going to be a ghost if you don't stay the hell out of my way," I managed to counter before prowling off.

She was gonna pay.

She would pay.


Running had always been my escape, my way of releasing stress.

I was supposed to be studying, but I didn't give two shits about my coursework. Even if I had chosen to study, it'd do be no good. I'd be too distracted to focus and retain the knowledge. So instead, I found myself jogging through the forest.

My jaw was clenched so tight and teeth grinding so hard I could probably bite through stone. My legs were on fire, not from pain but from the irate energy I was channeling into them. I was so enraged, so infuriated, filled with so much hate and anger I'd explode if I kept it contained. Running was my only way of release.

I wanted to go find the girls but that run-in with Candi had got me way too heated. I needed to blow off some steam before I really did kill her.

So here I was on one of the running trails outside campus, trying to sprint my rage away to no avail.

It wasn't until I was at least ten minutes in I realized how much my legs were aching. I hadn't stopped for a break since I started and my body was screaming for me to pause for a minute. So I did.

I conveniently stopped along the bank of Lake Roccaluce. I wanted a decent place to sit while I rested, so I slid down the bank and took a seat on the edge.

I stared out at Lake Roccaluce. The light from the evening sun was leaking through the treetops above, reflecting off the lake and making its surface shimmer with diamond-shaped beads of light. Though the sight was marvelous, I barely acknowledged the beauty of nature. My mind was all over the place, making it difficult for my eyes to focus on the water or anything. I was aware of my surroundings, yet I wasn't aware of them at all. I was that distracted, that lost in my own thoughts and emotions.

I just...I just...

Fuck.

Why did this shit keep happening to us? Why did everyone have it in for us? Why the universe so against us? It seemed like we'd been coughing up trouble ever since the school year started. Things that shouldn't have been happening were occurring, things that would never take place in the cartoon. My friends were experiencing new pains they never would've experienced in the show. New enemies that didn't even exist in the canon were popping up and causing problems for everyone. Though a few of the past events had lined up with those in the show, the storyline had been severely altered.

And it was probably because of me.

Because I had been teleported here, everything was different. Because I had gone out of my way to try to modify everyone's predetermined fate, issues I would never wish on the girls were arising. It was because of me.

And, of course, it makes sense. I was never a part of the original show, I was never a character or whatever the fuck. I was never a part of the plan but because I was here anyway, everything had been thrown off big time.

I screwed everything up. My very existence alone had disturbed the cartoon's natural flow and the fact I had gone out of my way to alter some of the episodes had made things even worse. Because I interrupted the show's natural course of events, the overall cartoon as a whole had been changed significantly and new events, new threats, new everything were surfacing. And it was all because of me.

And you know what the worst part about all of this was? Thanks to my breaking the fourth wall and fucking up the storyline, I couldn't even prepare for the shit that was going down. Since this crap had never been written into the initial script, I couldn't even refer to an episode to predict and/or avoid a tragedy. I couldn't prepare for what was happening now or what was to come in the future.

It was my fault. If I hadn't made enemies with Candi before the start of the school year, maybe she wouldn't be targeting Flora. Maybe she'd be worrying about midterms right now instead of her jeopardized reputation/dignity.

"Why are you crying?" a soft voice asked, pulling me out of the emotional black hole I'd been lost in.

I shook back to attention and startled when I found Nereus staring at me. He was floating in the water closest to the bank, concern pooling in his sea-deep eyes. Behind him, his majestic, shimmering tail grazed the water. "I'm not crying," I snapped at the same moment I became aware of the few tears I was shedding. Man, fuck this. When was the last time I even cried? It wounded my pride that a near-stranger had to witness me in my rare time of visible weakness. "What do you want, anyway? Why are you even here? Shouldn't you be attending to your sea-prince duties or some shit?" I didn't mean to sound so mean, but I was trying to hide the raw vulnerability in my voice and developing a harsher tone was the only option.

Nereus saw through my guise. "You were crying. What's wrong?"

"It's nothing. None of your business. Now go away. I don't wanna talk." I wanted to get up and leave but my legs were like gelatin all of a sudden. Ugh, typical. Your legs always decided not to work right when you needed to make a fucking move.

Nereus didn't move either. In fact, he inched closer. "People don't cry without a reason. What is the matter? Has someone…hurt you?"

Translation: Are you being abused?

"What? No. No! I'm okay. It's just…one of my friends…Someone at school…" Ugh, I couldn't even get it out.

"Is someone hurting them?"

"Yes, just emotionally. This bully…" I took a deep breath, steadying myself. "Basically, in a nutshell, one of my friends is getting blackmailed by some bitch in class. And it's partly my fault she's even in this situation. And to make matters worse, I don't even know what to do about it. My friend's fucking trapped and it's because of me."

There was a moment of silence between us.

"How?" asked Nereus after a while.

"What?" I was kinda out of it for a second.

"How is it your fault your friend's in this position?"

"The bitch is only targeting my friends because I made enemies with her before school started. She's taking her hatred out on them as some kind of sick punishment or some shit."

Nereus's face softened sympathetically. "Then you can't possibly blame yourself."

Oh boy. Here we go with this stereotypical nice-guy bullshit.

"The bully is only terrorizing your friends because she knows you care about them. She knows hurting them is a clever way to hurt you."

See, told you so.

"Wow, way to state the obvious, prince. You don't think I know that already? I'm not dumb. Don't try to feed me that bullshit—"

"What's bullshit?" demanded a voice. Further out in the lake, Tritannus's head popped up from under the water.

Heaven help me. Considering they were twins, I guess you couldn't get one without the other. They were some sort of package.

"You are," I spat as he neared.

Nereus gave his twin a firm look. "Tritannus, please be civil. Acadia is going through something right now and she doesn't need your—"

"Don't tell me what to do," cut in Tritannus, mirroring his twin's expression. He turned to me and gave me a distasteful look. "You're that peasant who doesn't know her place."

"And you're that asshole who thinks every living thing breathes for him. Oh, wait a minute. Considering you're a triton and all that shit, do you even know what an ass is?"

Tritannus's nose flared. He looked about ready to leap out of the water and wrap his hands around my neck. "How dare you—"

Nereus butted in before an argument erupted. "Enough, Tritannus. Acadia is in a very difficult position right now. Please show some sympathy."

Tritannus snorted in disbelief. "What's wrong? Did her boyfriend break up with her?" he asked sarcastically, as if that was the sole reason a girl were ever in a "difficult position."

"No, you anus. Don't assume a guy's always behind a girl's suffering. It's a chick who giving me and my friends shit. She's blackmailing one of my friends."

"So? Just find something on her and blackmail her right back. What's that thing humans are always saying? Fight fire with fire?"

"Tritannus!" hissed Nereus. He turned to me. "Don't listen to him. That'll only cause more problems."

I was silent. Mostly because I was considering Tritannus's solution. Could that work? If I got some dirt on Candi would I be able to force her to leave Flora alone once and for all? No, considering she was a ruthless bitch, Candi would probably just come after all of us next to back us into a corner for good. No, that wouldn't be a smart idea at all.

"What can I do then?" I found myself asking aloud. "I want to help my friend but there's nothing I can do without the bitch ruining her life."

"Then don't do anything," advised Nereus.

My attention snapped to him. "What?"

"Anything you do will just make things worse for your friend. If you really want to help her, don't interfere."

"And that's supposed to accomplish what, exactly?"

"What goes around comes around. The bully will get what's coming to her in time."

Tritannus and I were staring at him like he was a fool. "Seriously? THAT'S your advice? This girl's been a bitch for probably all of her life and she's doing just great. She might not ever get what she deserves," I pointed out. "And even if she does, it could take YEARS for it to happen. What am I supposed to do until then? Let her bully and use my friend until then?"

"Just curse her and go on with your life," yawned Tritannus.

"Magic isn't the answer to everything, brother. And I'm sorry, Acadia, but that's the best thing I can tell you. If you really love your friend then don't attempt anything that could make things worse for her. And sometimes, doing nothing is doing everything."

I wanted to protest further but I knew he was right in a way. Anything I said or did to Candi could screw Flora over big time. It might just be best to stand aside and let things happen regardless of how I felt about it. I mean, doing the opposite was what got us this far in the first place so maybe instead of trying to intervene in everything I should just allow the story to play out on its own for once.