Cassie wasn't entirely sure when the hall had gotten so damn hot. Was it something to do with the lights? Did the drink she'd finished, which felt like hours ago, cause the warmth to spread across her skin? Or maybe it was down to the tightly packed swarm surrounding both her and Helena. The little cat truly had no idea. In this moment, though, she was incredibly grateful that Helena had thought ahead and put Cassie's hair up.

Beads of moisture gathered near Cassie's hairline, occasionally dripping down the sides of her face, dampening any loose strands that fell against her nape. In the back of her mind, there was a speck of shame for whatever state Helena's mother's dress would be in by the end of the night. The heat was stifling, and as lovely as the dress is, Cassie couldn't help but wish she'd worn something more similar to Yzla's dress.

Helena, it seemed, wasn't spared either. In a scarlet bandeau top and short black skirt, Cassie could see the perspiration pooling along Helena's skin, gleaming beneath the colourful lights. The Queen of Hearts had decided to leave her hair down tonight, but the little cat could see she was struggling, gathering her dark curls in one hand to pull them up and away from her neck. Helena, though, seemed undeterred by the circumstances.

Having never been to a party before, Cassie had been, understandably, wary of joining the dancing horde. Even with the alcohol loosening her worries a little—a side effect Helena had reassured was common and typically desired—the little cat was uncomfortable doing this in front of countless others. When she'd voiced this, Helena had given her a smile of reassurance, assuring her that the others were far too busy getting 'lost down the rabbit hole', as she'd put it.

"There's no rules to this, Pussycat," said Helena, shouting over the music so Cassie could hear her. "You just, well, feel it. Do what feels good to you. No one here cares."

Slightly apprehensive, Cassie's eyes wandered to the VK's around them. Some jumped and spun in time with the music, others moved their hips and waved their hands through the air, and a few others—well, those dancing with another—moulded to their partners, twisting and swaying like they shared a single mind. There was something incredibly captivating about it, to the extent that Cassie was brought back to her talk with Helena before they came here. Were these the 'laws of attraction' Helena had mentioned?

"You want me to move like that?" asked Cassie, incredulous, her eyes tracking the movements of a particular couple not too far from where she was.

They were nothing short of, well, tantalising. The male VK was tall and slim, with a dark strand of hair falling forward over his forehead, the rest tied up with a red bow. On the rare moment he did lift his face from his partner's throat, Cassie spotted a black moustache above his lip and a patch of hair on his chin. His baggy purple vest top was torn in some places, dropping low to expose a startling amount of his chest. His partner, a female VK with golden skin, had her thick black hair pulled up into a tight ponytail, the tresses coming down to her waist. A red, loose-sleeved shirt hung from her upper arms, tightening around her chest and falling just above her belly button, where Cassie spotted a dazzling gold jewel with a ruby stone.

Attractive enough on their own, the two made quite a seductive couple, especially with the way they danced. Her back was against his chest, her right arm was lifted up to hold onto the back of his neck, and the fingers of her left hand were tightly wound with his on her hip. The way they moved together was undoubtedly beautiful. Like the waves rocking against Uma's ship, they swayed and moved as one, winding and caressing with every beat.

"Ah," muttered Helena, following Cassie's line of sight. "That's Jade; she's Jafar's niece. He's Rick, Governor Ratcliffe's son."

"They look like..." Cassie's voice faded, a dreaded word dancing on the tip of her tongue. She couldn't bring herself to whisper it, not even here.

"They are," confirmed Helena, thankfully having picked up on what Cassie was about to say. "They were in some of my classes. Couldn't stand each other for the longest time, though. His daddy hates people that don't, well, look like us. He did some fucked-up shit before coming here. Anyone who isn't white is worth nothing to that guy, just thieves and 'savages'. Jade's one of the best thieves on the Isle; some say she's better than her cousin. And she loved taking shit from Rick the most."

It was a story Cassie was swiftly becoming accustomed to. She hadn't bumped into many couples on the Isle, but the tale was consistent with those she had encountered. They hated each other at first, but it eventually grew into something more. Helena and Gaston J.R. Kody and Maizie. Now, Jade and Rick. It seemed the VK's of the Isle were incapable of finding their other halves through peaceful means. It always seemed to begin with hatred.

Oh, how she had so many questions. Specifically, how in Hades did they manage to navigate from enemies to partners? After spewing abuse and hurting each other in who knew how many ways, how did they manage to shove it all to the side? She was simply dying to know.

"Don't overthink it, Cass'," said Helena, pulling Cassie's attention away from the couple. "I'll lead, okay? Just follow me."

Tugging Cassie in closer, Helena gently grasped the little cat's wrists, raising Cassie's arms until her hands clasped behind her neck. Then she lowered her hands to Cassie's waist, slowly putting pressure on the dip of Cassie's waist to move her hips from side to side. Meanwhile, Helena moved her own, mirroring the motions. Smoother, of course, since she was no stranger to this dance.

"Follow me and relax, okay?"

Cassie had no idea how much time had gone by. After her second drink, which had been offered by Hermie as a kind of apology for her father's behaviour, and Helena had given it as thorough an inspection as she could, the clock seemed to move both lazily slow and unnaturally fast. Her mind was hazy, unable to see further than the music booming through the hall. It was so hot, and Cassie's dress stuck to her like a second skin, but she couldn't find the will to escape the mass. Like Helena had given her liquid relaxation, her nerves were soothed to content, her body swaying with Helena's to the melody. If this really was what falling down the rabbit hole felt like, then she never wanted to climb back out.

Focussing on anything that wasn't directly touching her was almost impossible, but when the tips of Cassie's fingers—still lightly draped behind Helena's neck—brushed against the skin of another, her senses, though somewhat dulled, were quick to alert her.

Raising her head, Cassie's eyes zeroed in on the VK who stood far too close to her friend, her fingers flexing in preparation to catch his face if he tried anything. Helena, with her eyes closed and head tilting along with the music, seemed entirely unaware of the guy behind her.

The VK was gorgeous; there was no doubt about that. A sharp jawline and eyes so dark they were almost black, short dark hair swept back away from his face and shaved at the sides. He was far taller than both her and Helena, around the same height as Harry. To further intimidate, his black tank was tight-fitting, showing off muscles even Gaston himself would be envious of. Beginning near his shoulder and twisting around the length of his arm until it stopped at his wrist, there was an intricate tattoo of a dragon.

Ignorant to the danger, or maybe just pushing it aside since her friend was at risk, Cassie's fingers twitched out as the stranger's face swooped in towards Helena's bare throat, the edges of her nails brushing against his cheek in warning.

Then his gaze darted to hers, almost locking her in. His brow twitched upwards, somewhere between disbelief and amusement, encouraged by the slight upturn of the edges of his lips. It was a type of confidence that couldn't be feigned. Whoever he was, he was surely notorious around the Isle—enough to look at Cassie like she was inconveniencing him in some way. Like he couldn't believe someone had the nerve to prevent him from coming closer.

Cassie's nose wrinkled, agitated at his persistence. He didn't move his head away, nor did he move it closer. His eyes kept steady contact with Cassie's, as if presenting a challenge.

When the stranger brought up his hands to smooth over Helena's shoulders, Cassie moved quickly, despite the dizziness it caused her. Bringing her arms back to her sides, she twirled around Helena, deftly slipping between the slight space between Helena's back and the stranger's chest. Carefully, to avoid jostling her friend, Cassie put a slight pressure against Helena, moving her back a few inches or so. The stranger was large and seemed unwilling to move, and Cassie knew with certainty that she didn't have the strength to push him back.

"How cute," he remarked, mocking. "You think you can take me?"

A faint growl bubbled up in Cassie's throat. "I don't need to beat you. I just need to keep you away from her."

He sighed, unbothered. "What is she to you?"

Without a second thought, Cassie replied, "Everything. What is she to you?"

The stranger's eyes moved over Cassie's head to where Helena stood. It could of been a trick of the lights, but the little cat could sense some form of familiarity, even longing, at a stretch.

"Woah, Pussycat, what's—" Helena came to an abrupt pause, and Cassie felt her hands on her shoulders. "It's okay, Cass'."

Looking back over her shoulder, Cassie peered up at Helena. "You know him?" she asked.

Helena gave a slow nod. "Yeah, I know him." There was a softness to Helena's voice, with a sliver of disbelief. Whoever he was, she hadn't expected to bump into him tonight.

The stranger jerked his head in a nod of greeting. "Hey there, Princess."

"Hi, Saint."

Cassie shuffled out from between the two, eyeing them with hopefully a subtle bewilderment. The mention of the name rattled the back of Cassie's brain, and she blinked, rifling through the pages of her mind to figure out where she'd heard it before. The answer was there, like a fish on a hook, taunting her from the corner of her mind. Unfortunately, her muddled thought process was struggling to recall it.

'His name was Saint; I think his dad had some sick kind of irony in mind. Tall guy, with muscles for days. And his face? Hades, you don't find guys like that around here'.

With Starla's voice floating throughout her brain, Cassie's brows furrowed, doing her best to slot the puzzle pieces together. There was more to the story, wasn't there?

One by one, as Cassie fought harder to pick up the rest of it, the pieces came together. There was a girl he'd wanted who didn't want him back. There had been a fight—a gruesome one—and he duelled the guy she'd actually wanted.

'And she jumped in. She took a big hit to the side of the head. Scared the damn shit outta me. We thought she was a gonner for sure'.

Cassie took a step forward, raising her hand to brush aside the dampened bangs from Helena's face. A part of her hoped it wasn't true—that her friend hadn't taken a hit from one of the strongest men on the Isle just for the guy she was backing to abandon her with two children. Finding the white mark near Helena's hairline, only an inch long or so, proved otherwise.

"Cass'," muttered Helena, lightly holding on to the little cat's wrist. Her eyes widened as Cassie saw the scar, a startling understanding passing through her gaze. "Who told you?"

'There was this... kid. Like you, I guess. Started running with this gang on the Isle. The Core Four were still around then, but this group was vicious, almost as bad as them. They started taking over another part of the Isle. Anyway, this kid starts making a name for herself and catches someone's attention. She was fucking beautiful—no other way for me to say it. She was ruthless, too. The guys around here go crazy for girls like that'.

"It was you," mumbled Cassie, mostly to herself. Her eyes moved away from the scar, bouncing between Helena and Saint. "It was your story." She wasn't angry that Helena hadn't told her. There were still plenty of stories they had that they hadn't shared with each other. Cassie's annoyance was more towards herself for never having put the pieces together. Although, in her own defence, plenty had gone down after Starla had told her that story.

"All of that and he still—" Oh, Cassie was pissed—too agitated to even finish her sentence.

"Cass', it was a long time ago," said Helena, as if that would make it any better.

Cassie almost laughed at the audacity of it but managed to hold it back. There was a lot she wanted to say, specifically, how much of an absolute dick her best friend's ex was. However, she wasn't completely taken over by the drinks just yet. Throwing a fit in the middle of Dragon Hall was an embarrassment she knew she couldn't bounce back from, and worst of all, it would also impact Helena. So, for now, Cassie decided to store it in the back of her mind.

"Okay," she acquiesced. Then her judgement moved to Saint. "Still, the fuck?" Sure, according to Starla's story anyway, he'd struck Helena completely by accident. But to scar her and then have the nerve to sweep up behind her and touch her like nothing had ever happened was, well, fucked.

He chuckled, much to Cassie's annoyance. "So you're the little one stirring trouble in the circle?" His eyes scanned her from toe to head. "I was expecting someone bigger."

Cassie hummed. "Yeah? Funny. I was gonna the same about you." There was a tiny little voice screeching in the corners of her mind, warning her that insulting someone of this particular stature would only cause trouble. Apparently, all it took was a little alcohol to wrangle the reasonable little thing.

"Calm down, Pussycat," giggled Helena, tapping beneath Cassie's chin with a finger. "He's safe."

Cassie's gaze wandered to where the scar had disappeared beneath Helena's hair, almost pointedly. "You sure about that?"

Evidently, Helena wasn't taken aback by Cassie's words. The corners of Helena's lips quirked, a glimmer of amusement in her eyes. "No more drinks for you," she said playfully, lightly flicking at the tip of Cassie's nose.

"It was an accident," said Saint, drawing Cassie's attention. "It wasn't supposed to happen." Laid-back as he seemed, Cassie could recognise the remorse in his features when he looked at Helena. Was it enough to get Cassie to relent? Not particularly.

"Still did it," she remarked. Then she frowned. "I don't like you."

He shrugged. "You will."

If she were in her feline state, her tail would've fluffed up long ago. But she wasn't. So, for now, Cassie could only pout to show her displeasure.

"So, are you here on your own?" asked Helena.

He shook his head. "Nah, with a few of the guys. You wanna come sit?" He gestured to the other side of the room with his thumb, another darkened area through one of the archways.

Helena paused, tugging her lip between her teeth. Her eyes wandered over to Cassie, almost in question. "How about it, Cass'?"

"Uh." Cassie passed a breath through her lips. More VK's? It didn't exactly feel like a good idea, especially since it'd been established that her sense of self-preservation went out the window a while ago. But Helena, for whatever reason, seemed to really want to. So, after a moment, she finally replied, "Sure."

Helena smiled and reached for Cassie, pressing her to her front as Saint led them out of the crowd and through the archway.

Similar to where the Anti-Heroes were on the other side of the room, Cassie saw multiple beat-up armchairs and couches set out in a circle, pushed back against the wall. Unlike before, however, Cassie's feet froze when they were a few feet away, something incredibly discomforting crawling along her spine. Occasionally, her feline senses would come into play to help her human side, but this time was different. They'd clearly picked up on something she wasn't entirely aware of, and they were almost begging her to turn around and go back into the dance.

"Cass', you okay?" asked Helena, resting her head on Cassie's shoulder.

Goosebumps rose along the little cat's skin, along with the little hairs around the back of her neck. Something was wrong; she just wasn't sure what it was. It was moving slowly through the warm air, twisting around Cassie like a dark kind of magic.

"Something's here," muttered Cassie, her eyes darting through the shadows on this side of the room. She could feel the weight of eyes tracking her movements, like monsters hiding away in the cracks of the room.

"Hey," urged Helena, coming around to stand in front of Cassie. "I'm here, okay? Nothing's gonna hurt you in here. I swear."

Cassie wanted to believe Helena. Really, she did. But the threat was stifling her, wrapping tighter around her neck the longer she stayed put.

Then came the laughter. It wasn't normal by any means. As far as Cassie could tell, it was male but unbearably pitched, to the point she could almost feel it stabbing her eardrums. Whoever it was, she had no doubt they were the cause of her inner cat screeching and fighting against Cassie going anywhere near the couches.

Cassie had reacted negatively to many on the Isle, but it wasn't often her feline self reacted this way. Harry, of course, rattled her the most, which was understandable given their history. And when there was something off about another VK, it would pop in now and again to warn her of the risks. But this was something else entirely, something she had never had to deal with before. It ran deeper than rational thought or the wariness of anyone she didn't know. It dug into her skin with a sharp prick, terrifying the feline trapped inside of her so badly that it was trying to break through even though the sun was down.

Cassie, though, was plagued by a life-threatening curiosity. Even with the danger clouded around her, she desperately needed to know why her senses were so badly triggered. If it went sideways, then, well, she always knew where the exit was.

In a twist of the tables, Cassie was now the one to grasp Helena's hand and lead her over to the couches, a sudden determination spreading throughout now that she knew she wasn't on her own.

That's when Cassie saw them, spreading across the longer couch and eyeing the rest of the crowd like they owned the damn place. Two dark-skinned guys sat beside each other, wrestling viciously despite the little room between them and another. One with braids along his head, the other with tight brown curls falling around his shoulders. Far too occupied with pinning the other down, it took a moment for Cassie to fully see their faces. When she did, though, she found a startling resemblance, like they were a mirror image of each other. Twins. Next to them, a young woman with the same skin tone, and waist-length braids similar to Uma's, but without the hues of blue. She didn't seem keen on joining the battle beside her, her head tilting to the side to roll her eyes at their behaviour. The slight turn of her lips, though, indicated that she wasn't as bothered by it as she wanted to seem.

Then the woman's head twitched to the side, in Cassie's direction. Swiftly, so fast that Cassie wondered for a brief moment if she'd hurt her neck, the VK's head turned, and her eyes locked with Cassie's.

The flickering lights moved through the shadows, soon roaming over those on the couch. When the lights passed over the woman, her eyes flashed a golden yellow, returning to normal the second the lights were gone.

Though her stomach twisted, Cassie couldn't find the energy to move, or maybe intrigue kept her there. The ominous energy from earlier, the one that frightened Cassie's feline, was coming from this woman.

Ignoring the boys beside her, the VK got to her feet slowly, almost cautiously. It wasn't for her own protection, though. In fact, Cassie was almost certain this VK had the ability to take her down if she felt like it. Her movements seemed wary in the way one would approach a cornered animal. It was purely to prevent Cassie from running.

"Cassie, are you okay?" asked Helena, an obvious unease in her voice.

Without bringing her eyes away from the VK, Cassie gave a slow nod. "Yeah."

Truthfully, Cassie wasn't sure if that was true. As the VK took a few steady steps forward, the little cat could feel the shiver building along her back. It wasn't normal. Never before had she felt such a visceral reaction to another VK. It was nothing short of terrifying, and yet, there was something enticing about it. Something, despite the fear, tugged her closer to the other VK.

"Hello," greeted the girl, standing only a foot or so away from Cassie. Her voice was soft, almost unnaturally so, and the little cat wondered if it was only to avoid startling her.

"Hi," breathed Cassie, like she'd been holding her breath for the last few minutes. "I'm—"

"The Cheshire Cat's daughter," said the VK, a knowing smile stretching her lips. "We've been wanting to meet you since we heard."

Cassie's brows furrowed. "Why?"

"You're like us," replied the girl, waving a hand back towards the boys on the couch, who'd stopped fighting each other at some point to watch their friend's interaction with Cassie. On the edge of their seats, they seemed well prepared to jump in should Cassie pose a threat.

"Like you?" asked Cassie, bewildered.

"Lift the fur and give them hair. A beautiful face instead of the snarls they bear. Let them know what we once felt; give them back the pain that they once dealt. A beast after sunrise, a human by night, only a kiss of true love can end their plight."

Staggered, Cassie flinched, her lips parting even though the words were caught in the back of her throat. Her father, on his worst days when he was trapped in his human state, would utter those words over and over in a manic episode. It took her some time to figure it out, since she never found the courage to ask him at the risk of sending him back into a spiral. It was his curse—well, their curse.

"How?" she managed to ask, though it came out as a whisper.

"I told you," the VK replied. "You're like us." She stepped back, and the two boys from the couch rose to stand beside her. When the lights moved back around, the glow of yellow wasn't only in the woman's eyes but in those of the boys next to her as well.

'When we were around—hmm, I don't know—about thirteen or fourteen, Facilier closed down the school. There were rumours after that. Someone tried to kill Frollo after school ended. After that, the triplets stopped showing up to school. Frollo showed up to class with these scratches on his face, shaking and going on and on about beasts and the devil. Don't know what they did, but it scared the shit out of him.'

Cassie gaped. "Oh fuck."

It wasn't often that C.J. felt something other than disinterest in her fellow VK's. Most of the time, they were hardly worth anything to her, especially those she didn't particularly like. If something rather vicious came down on another VK, it was simply a momentary distraction in a shitshow of a life. If it didn't impact her daily lifestyle, then it wasn't anything to concern herself with. Zevon himself hadn't been a desire of hers until later. He'd made flirtatious remarks and thrown wandering glances, but they meant nothing to her. When her best friend, Yzla, began skipping out on their adventures around the Isle to join a silly little class in Dragon Hall, though, only Zevon had come to comfort her. Somewhere along the line, they'd grown closer and traded secrets no one else knew. In time, she'd come to enjoy his attention. General dislike for her fellow Islanders aside, she couldn't help but feel a sliver of sympathy for the Cheshire Cat's daughter.

After telling her big brother that Cassie was at Dragon Hall with Helena, C.J. had prepared herself for the worst. It would be understandable, of course, if he had thrown a minor tantrum. Here he was driving himself to the brink of madness, trying to figure out what the little cat meant to him, and she was off drinking and dancing the night away in Dragon Hall. Hades, even C.J. could admit it would piss her off if their roles were switched. Instead of launching the bottle across the room, or throwing his chair against Harriet's window, he'd leaned back his head and, well, laughed. As if C.J. had told him a joke and not that Cassie—who was, by pirate standard and Harry's screwed up mind, his—was having the time of her life at Dragon Hall.

It took a shared look between herself and Harriet to determine that Harry was, in fact, pissed beyond belief. It was the kind of angry that was so intense and consuming that you were only left with laughter, if only to avoid slaughtering anyone else around you. When he finally did finish, after seconds that felt like hours to his sisters, he lowered his head, his chuckles dimming into silence. Lips curled up into a sneer, the fury in his eyes was slightly startling.

"Let's go see my little kitty, eh?"

Now, C.J. was left to contemplate the consequences of telling Harry about Cassie. She honestly hadn't meant to bring about this level of trouble for the little cat. Worst of all, the students of Dragon Hall were only permitted to bring in one non-student. If Zevon took Harry down into the hall, then C.J. would have to stay outside and wait for the anarchy to end. This, obviously, didn't sit well with her. Mostly because she wouldn't be gifted the entertainment of her brother kicking off with his girl, but partly because she couldn't hope to reign him in if he took it too far.

Getting Harry into Dragon Hall also meant convincing him to at least look like he wasn't a pirate. So, after Harriet handed him a torn black vest left behind by one of her 'friends', C.J. told him that he couldn't take his trusty sword in with him and, much to Harry's irritation, he'd have to leave his hook outside. Pirates weren't permitted to join the activities in Dragon Hall, and for good reason. If he went down there with his trademark, they'd recognise him almost immediately. If he was going to confront Cassie without issue, he'd have to seem like an Inner-Islander. The sword, hat, and coat would stay with Harriet, along with any trinkets that specifically pointed to pirate territory. He wasn't leaving that hook behind for love or money, so C.J. had reassured him that she'd take very good care of it while he was inside Dragon Hall.

Getting him in wouldn't be the problem, though. Getting him to not harm Cassie and avoid being caught by the other VK's was.

"So," sighed C.J., trailing closely behind her brother. "What's ye'r plan?"

"The fuck do ye' mean? I go in, scruff her up by the back of the neck, an' drag her out," he snapped in reply, striding long and fast as he hurried to Dragon Hall.

Clasping her hands behind her back, C.J. skipped to the side. "Doesn' sound like a great plan," she remarked.

Harry grumbled, "What're ye' on about?"

"Hmm. Think 'bout what ye' said to Harriet earlier. 'The tighter ye' hold the rope, the more she's gonna fight back'. Wise words, big brother, ye' should actually use 'em."

Harry stopped suddenly, and C.J. bumped into his back. "Then what do you think I should do, eh?" he enquired, turning to look down at his little sister. "Make out it's all good an' dandy? She's got a wanderin' eye for pretty things, an' I reckon it goes for people an' all. So, what are you suggestin'?"

C.J. frowned. "If she doesn' want ye' for sure, then why do ye' want her?"

His lips parted, as if to spout off an explanation, but snapped shut a second later. It appeared she'd stumped her brother. But then he replied, "She does want me back." Turning around, he began to walk once again. "She's just bein' a dick about it."

"What's the issue, then?" She called out, chasing after Harry. "Are ye' gonna ban her from goin' to parties without ye'? Lock her away in a tower? Don' sound like a fun time for her."

Harry gave a groan-like chuckle, peering back over his shoulder. "Ye'r startin' to piss me off, kid."

Running forward to overtake her brother, C.J. turned around when she was in front of him, pushing against his stomach to stop him from moving. "Ye' gonna hurt her, Harry?" she demanded.

"I'll hurt you if ye' don' fuckin' move," he seethed.

C.J. rolled her eyes. "No, ye' won't. Harriet would fuck ye' up." She took a step back. "She's not a pet, Harry. Ye' can't hurt her for wantin' to do things without ye'. It ain't that, though, is it?" A smirk twisted her lips. "Ye' think she's gonna find someone better down there, eh?"

His expression twisted, like it tormented him just to hear it. Antagonising him with the idea of Cassie finding someone else wasn't exactly the smartest plan in the world, but C.J. had to get through to him somehow.

"Think she's gonna wind up in someone else's bed come mornin'?" continued C.J. "Someone who won' hurt her 'cause they don' get their way. Someone who don' give a shite that she ain't human for long, that'll take what they can get 'cause they like her so much."

"I don' fuckin' care 'bout her curse!" shouted Harry, kicking a stray container against the wall with a loud 'clang'. "It's shite, yeah, but I don' care. Listen close, yeah? I know her. Ye' think any of those little Isle lads can take on Cassie?" He shook his head. "Fuck off."

C.J. smiled. "Ye' know her? Then tell me, big brother, would she like gettin' dragged outta there? No, I don' think she would. Cassie likes shiny things, eh? Fine, go an' be the shiniest fucker down there; make her want ye' more than anyone else. Ye' can handle that much, at least, can't ye'?" There was almost a challenge to it. Get Cassie to admit she likes him, to finally prove she wants him and only him, without actually hurting her.

Harry paused, but then he approached C.J., flicking her forehead as he went by. "Of course I fuckin' can."

Having lived on the Isle for as long as she had, Cassie genuinely believed she'd run out of things to be surprised by. With no magic and no way to contact anyone outside of the barrier, life was, understandably, dull. It came as no great surprise that the majority of the residents became a bit stir crazy and ended up amusing themselves at the expense of other people. Eventually, even in a place as chaotic as the Isle, things got boring. But never in her seven remaining lives had she considered something as crazy as this.

After greatly reassuring Helena, whose mind had gone on a frantic loop after Cassie's minor freeze-up and the female VK voicing the curse that tormented Cassie, the duo joined the other VK's on the couches.

The female VK, who Cassie came to find out was called Shanna, encouraged the little cat to sit beside her and her brothers, Eddy and Benny, on their couch. And Cassie, all too eager to finally have a question or two answered, joined them without hesitation. Helena, in the meantime, took a seat in an armchair next to Saint, but promised Cassie that she'd be keeping a very close eye on the triplets.

Should the little cat have taken more caution when joining the triplets? Perhaps. But she was overwhelmed. After years of dealing with the curse on her own, she'd somehow found not only one, but three others who truly understood her misery. While she wouldn't wish the pain of it on anyone, it was, well, wonderful to find others who could relate to her on some level, especially with something as intense as this.

"I'm sure there's some things you wanna know," Shanna said, swivelling to face Cassie. "I'll answer if I can."

Cassie blinked. To be honest, she had no idea where to begin. She didn't want to ask anything too personal at the risk of angering the trio, so she had to tread carefully.

"When the sun comes up, what do you three turn to?" she eventually asked, toying with the edges of her sleeves nervously.

"Our parents were hyenas before they were cursed to be humans," explained Shanna. "There's a cave system under the Isle; it's where we hide in the daytime. We're powerful enough, but it wouldn't take long for Gaston and the Ringmaster to round up the rest of the Isle to get rid of us."

Cassie's head tilted. "What's a hyena?"

"Hard to explain." Shanna shrugged. "Kind'a like these big wild beasts." She smiled then. "Your eyes do the same as ours. They glow when the lights come down."

"Is that how you knew?" asked Cassie. "You saw my eyes when I came over here?"

Shanna shook her head. "It was more than that. It was like, well, there was something in the air tugging me to you. Could be the curse. Or it could be my hyena tracking its food."

Cassie paused. Then she wondered, "You're not gonna eat me, are you?"

"No," laughed Shanna. "Not right now, anyway. Just stay out of the caves when the sun's up, and you should be good. My brothers can't control themselves when they change." With mild irritation, she cast her gaze back over her shoulder and swept her eyes over the pair.

"There she goes," droned Benny, rolling his eyes. "Like she's not the worst."

It certainly explained Cassie's apprehension from earlier. Her inner cat had been wildly agitated, insisting she turn away from them. It must have been picking up the energy of a predator in the room.

"Do you happen to know why our parent's were cursed?" enquired Cassie, with a tint of hope. She knew they couldn't possibly know the specifics of why her father had been thrown on the Isle, but maybe they could give her a better understanding.

Shanna turned back to Cassie. "It's in the curse itself," she said, baffling the little cat. "Let them know what we once felt; give them back the pain that they once dealt. We don't know what your dad did, but ours had a knack for scaring the shit out of whoever they could, usually smaller animals. They were put here for causing pain or fear to others. Your dad wasn't weird when he was human? Maybe a little bit too weird?"

Cassie gave it a moment of thought, recalling the moments she'd had with her father when he was human. There were rare occasions where his mental state wasn't too bad, and he'd pull himself together enough to take her on a short nightly walk. Most of the time, though, they'd stay huddled up in Maleficent's tower. He wouldn't really speak to her then, choosing instead to curl up in the corner of the room with a blanket draped around his shoulders. He'd tremble and whine, like something horrifying was going to climb into their den and eat him up. All he'd talk about was the stupid curse, frantically whispering the words like he himself was trying to undo it by repeating them. On those nights, Cassie would simply hide beneath the covers of her bed and pull them down over her ears, doing everything in her power to drown out her father's misery.

"The pain that they once dealt," she muttered. Then she shook her head, almost in disbelief. "The curse wasn't just to be human."

Shanna nodded, a grim expression crossing her face. "The curse was to suffer when they were humans. Whatever they did to people in Auradon, they had to feel it when they turned human. Pain, sadness, fear—all of it. My mom told me that when they were on 'trial' over in Auradon, the fairies said that animals could never understand the feelings of humans; that they didn't have the empathy to understand what they did wrong. So they turned them human, so they could finally understand the pain they'd caused."

Cassie's nose twitched, and she gently grasped at her roots. Oh, how she loathed her father for leaving her. But she couldn't ignore the slightest sympathy for him. His paranoia and refusal to leave the den after dark weren't entirely his own emotions ruling him. They'd been the feelings of others stuffed into him by the curse.

"That's fucked," she muttered, allowing her head to rest against the back of the couch. "Why haven't we gone crazy?"

Shanna grinned. "Who says we haven't?"

Something stirred in Cassie's stomach. She didn't have too much time to dwell on it, however. A second later, Helena came over from where she'd been talking to Saint, lowering herself into a squat beside Cassie.

"There's a way out of the curse!" she exclaimed.

Cassie stared back at Helena. "It's impossible," she stated firmly, crossing her arms. "And it just makes it worse. They give us an out without actually giving us an out."

Shanna chimed in, "True love's kiss? On the Isle?" She laughed.

Helena sighed. "Don't be so pessimistic," she scolded. "No one thought magic existed here, either. But look—" She gestured to both Cassie and Shanna. "—you two can turn into animals."

"It's a curse," reminded Cassie. "I wouldn't call that magic."

"Hey! Dark magic is still magic." The Queen of Hearts shrugged. "Don't say it's impossible."

While she didn't believe such a thing was capable of happening on the Isle, Cassie couldn't withhold a small smile at Helena's insistence. She was doing her best to cheer her up, and that in itself was greatly appreciated, and it brought Cassie back to the moment at hand.

Thinking about her dad and the curse he'd been given wouldn't brighten her evening, and it wasn't even worth thinking about. All Cassie knew with certainty was that she wasn't the only one on the Isle plagued by the curse, and it brought a strange comfort. The curse itself wasn't the cause of her dad's abandonment, and the triplets couldn't give her the answer as to why he left in the first place. They had, though, done her one better. They'd come forward and reassured her that she wasn't alone and that there were others like her. It wasn't only her father who'd fucked up so monumentally that he'd cursed himself and his offspring.

Unfortunately, there was something in particular that Cassie knew she'd be suffering through later. Even while taunted by the emotions of others, the parents of the triplets stayed when they found it'd been passed down to their kids. Shanna's mother had at least been kind enough to explain to her daughter why they'd been put on the Isle and why they were cursed in the first place. The Cheshire Cat, on the other hand, had gunned it the very same night Cassie had inherited the transformation, leaving her to figure it all out on her own.

"Cass', I'll be right back," said Helena, gently patting Cassie's knee as she stood straight. "I'm gonna find the bathroom, okay?"

Cassie nodded. "Sure! I'll stay here."

Helena smiled, bopping Cassie on the nose with a finger. "Good kitty."

Weaving through the tightly packed crowd of dancers, Helena hopped on one leg for a second, reaching down to feel for the dagger she'd slipped into her knee-high boots before they'd come to the party. Satisfied when she felt it beneath the fabric, she continued through. She'd been lucky enough to have been paying attention and blessed with a pretty great tolerance for alcohol. Taking someone out hadn't exactly been on her cards for tonight, but it was Cassie's first party, and nothing was going to drag her down tonight.

Not even Harry.

It had taken her a minute or two to convince herself that someone hadn't slipped something rather wicked into the bowls. In fact, she hadn't even clocked him first. Helena had just so happened to turn her head the moment Zevon walked into the room, without the pretty little pirate he'd managed to sneak in. Running a hand through his curls, the arrogance from earlier had taken a backseat to irritation, and his brows furrowed as he surveyed the rest of the room, as if he were searching for someone specific.

The young VK flinched as someone taller and stronger came up behind him, to the point where Helena worried he'd gotten himself into a speck of trouble again. Only on closer inspection did she realise who was causing Zevon's displeasure. Without the hat, coat, and hook, it was easy to mistake him for someone other than who he really was.

"I'm gonna kill that kid," mumbled Helena, furious. Sure, there had been a slim chance C.J. would run back to her big brother to tell on Cassie, but the queen hadn't anticipated he'd be this fucking quick about it.

Rushing through the mass, Helena shoved at Zevon the second he was in arms reach. Pushing him back into Harry, she steered the two back towards the staircase.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" she yelled over the music, ignoring the pained 'oof' that escaped Zevon.

Indifferent to the wriggling VK between them, Harry leaned down. "What the fuck do ye' think I'm doin'?"

"Stay away from her, Hook, or I swear—"

He was quick to end her tirade before it even began. "Or ye'll what, eh?"

Zevon grimaced. "Woah! Before you start, lemme just," Shifting out from between the duo, he pressed a hand to his chest. "Wasn't my fault!"

Helena scowled. "Not your fault?! You brought her here!"

"Eh!" Harry tapped Helena's cheek, not enough to cause her pain but enough to bring her attention back to him. "C.J. didn' do anythin' wrong!" He smiled, one that meant nothing but trouble. "But you did, didn' ye'?"

Helena, in retaliation, brought her hand against his cheek, with a little more weight than he'd just used. "I didn't do anything," she spat. "I asked her if she wanted to be here, and she said yes." Taking a step back, purely to attempt to ease the hostility brewing between them, she sighed. "You can't stand there and tell me that she doesn't deserve just one night like this. She's been through a lot, she needed a break."

Harry laughed. "Ye're not stupid, Queenie, so don' act like it." Erasing the space between them, he stood chest-to-chest with Helena, lowering his face until there was only an inch of a gap. "She didn' only come here to get a break, did she?"

Helena swallowed and shoved him back. "I told you not to get that close to me." Pushing her hair back over her shoulders, she took a moment to soothe herself and also prepare for whatever reaction she was about to get. "Maybe she came here to figure some stuff out," she admitted, albeit with some hesitation.

"What's to figure out?" he argued.

"If she wants you, or if she only wants you 'cause you're the first guy to show an interest." Helena held her breath, tensing as soon as the words escaped her mouth.

He took a second and then replied, "I'm not though, am I? Ye'r little witch proved as much."

Helena groaned. "Cassie has a type, but she doesn't like that type. 'Crazy, attractive, and won't stop trying to control her' type. If you keep trying to pin her down, she's going to run."

"She's one of ours," he said. "One of the pirates. I don' have to worry about her runnin'!"

Helena almost punched him. "Because you took away every other option!" she yelled, hoping to drill it into his messed-up mind. "You made her choose Uma! You can't do that shit with this." She shook her head, almost baffled by the entire thing. "Cassie has to want to choose you."

He snickered, irritated beyond belief. "So what? I let her run aroun' with some little runt until she figures it out?"

"No! But I'm saying you can't kill everyone who shows interest."

He cocked his head, one side of his mouth curling up. "I can try."

Helena tongued the inside of her cheek. "Cassie needs to figure it out in her own time. Trying to tell her how to feel is only going to make her run. You can't force her to work it out on your timeline."

Whatever it was in particular that she'd said, it sparked something in Harry's twisted mind. Helena could practically see the lights beaming out from his ears as soon as the match was lit.

Coming forward, he barged Helena's shoulder, heading for the crowd. "Watch me."

A hushed curse escaped Helena's lips as she watched him disappear behind the dancers. A shimmer of purple in the corner of her eye had her hand darting out, gripping a fistful of Zevon's shirt and preventing him from chasing after Harry.

"Get. C.J. Now," she barked, shoving him towards the stairs.

Zevon groaned, petulant. "C'mon, Queenie, you know they'll blacklist me if they find out I brought two outsiders down here," he pleaded.

Helena gestured back to the crowd with her thumb. "What do you think's gonna happen when he kills someone down here? Get his sister. Now!"

Cassie did not, in fact, 'stay there', as she'd promised Helena. The warmth of the dancing and the heat of the room soon drove her to seek out the drink table. Since it was a reasonable distance between the VK's and the exit, she assumed it'd be no trouble to take a little trip by herself. After all, Helena had explained earlier that causing trouble at the party was forbidden, and anyone who did so would be refused entry to other parties at Dragon Hall. Even if someone did find an issue with her, they wouldn't be able to do anything about it down here.

Standing beside the table, Cassie waited patiently for the VK in front of her to finish pouring his own drink.

Truthfully, she hadn't expected to enjoy herself tonight. When Helena first mentioned it, Cassie had been overwhelmingly nervous, mainly at the fact that she'd be meeting other VK's. As it happened, her fears had been for nothing. Everyone she'd met so far had been quite pleasant and welcoming, despite the occasional pressing on her father and her issues with Mad Maddy. The drinks had easily tamed down her apprehension, and dancing with Helena had been oddly freeing. Meeting the triplets had been, well, entirely unexpected, but still great. She wasn't the only one trapped in the curse, and it lifted a peculiar weight from her shoulders to find it out. So, she was extremely grateful that Helena had brought her here tonight.

"Blue or green?"

Cassie jolted, tearing her eyes away from the crowd to look at the boy in front of her. "Huh?"

A smile tugged at his lips, and he repeated, "Blue or green?"

"Oh," she mumbled. "Green."

The stranger nodded, and began filling up a cup for her. In the meantime, Cassie took in his appearance.

Fluffy black hair parted down the middle, somewhat ruffled, and dark brown eyes. His fading yellow shirt was ripped at the sides, partially tucked into some stained brown jeans. Cassie was partly relieved to find nothing she recognised, but also wary of the very same fact. Most of the VK's seemed to care very little for their parent's grudges towards others on the Isle, but that couldn't be said for all. All Cassie could truly do was hope to Hades that his parent didn't have a problem with hers.

"Clayton," he said, handing Cassie her drink.

She cocked her head. "Huh?"

"My 'original'," he clarified, amused. "That's what you were trying to figure out, right?"

"Ah." Cassie bowed her head, but only for a second. "Yeah, kind'a," she admitted, somewhat sheepish.

He chuckled, exposing an indent in both cheeks. "Who's yours?"

Cassie's eyes flickered upwards, indicating her 'ears'. "It's not obvious?"

"Maybe I'm just nice enough to hear it from you first," he said, pressing the rim of the cup to his lips.

"The Cheshire Cat," she said, her nose wrinkling a second later. Strangely enough, she hadn't ever needed to explain it before, and her father's true name was foreign on her tongue.

"You've been the latest hot topic for a while, Pussycat."

Cassie couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Yeah, I've been hearing that all night."

He moved away from the table to circle Cassie, standing beside her. "They say it's your first party too."

"Damn," she huffed. "News travels fast in here."

"Everyone knows everyone here," he said, resting his side against the archway. "We don't get a lot of new VK's."

Cassie sighed. "How do you think I feel? I'm meeting everyone for the first time." Playfully, she joked, "You wanna trade lives with me?"

He clucked his tongue. "Afraid I can't do that. But I can talk you through it, if that'll help?"

The little cat smiled. "I'm Cassie."

"Clay," he returned, with a tilt of his cup. His eyes flickered behind her to the dancers, merely observing, until Cassie saw his eyes narrow. "Friend of yours?"

Cassie, assuming he meant Helena, who was likely agitated with the little cat for leaving the couches, gave a shrug. "Probably."

"Cass'!"

Peering behind Clay, Cassie found Helena storming towards her, a furious expression overtaking her face.

"Look, I know," whined Cassie. "But I just wanted a drink!"

Helena brushed her fingers through her hair. "No, I'm not mad about that." Then she frowned. "No, I am! I said no more drinks for you," scolded Helena, taking the cup from Cassie's hands to put it back down on the table.

Cassie pouted. "C'mon. I've only had two."

"Yeah, and you were ready to take on Saint," the queen pointed out. "I don't need you trying to fight other VK's. Especially not now." Her last words were grumbled, almost incoherent, but Cassie managed to pick them up.

"Not now?" she asked, puzzled. "Why not now?"

"Ah," muttered Clay, with a glint of understanding. "It's a tiff, then?" Still, he stared at something behind Cassie, and it urged the little cat to turn around.

When Cassie twisted to the side, about to look back and figure out what, or who, had grabbed Clay's attention, she was tugged back to face Helena.

"How about we go home, Cass'?" suggested Helena, grasping Cassie's shoulders to keep her in place. "It's been a long night, and I'm kind'a beat."

Cassie paused, and her eyes darted across Helena's face before meeting the queen's gaze. Helena could veil her emotions better than anyone, but the little cat had picked up on the slight desperation when Helena asked for her to go home. For a moment, Cassie locked eyes with Helena, waiting for her friend to cave in and express what she was truly feeling, or at least admit what the real issue was. Something was going on. And when Helena's sight swayed to whatever was behind Cassie, they both knew the little cat had caught her.

Cassie swayed, attempting to push against Helena's strength on her shoulders.

"Cassie," begged Helena, lightly shaking her head. "Don't." It wasn't a demand, more of a distressed plea. Whatever was going on behind Cassie, Helena seemed certain it wasn't something the little cat could handle.

Curiosity was a powerful thing. And, to Cassie's misfortune, it ruled over her more than others. If there was one reigning thing that pulled her around most, then it was definitely curiosity. When the little cat did manage to turn around, one thing in particular became painfully clear. Curiosity wouldn't kill the cat, but it would make damn sure the cat would wish it had.

Looking past the flashing lights and high-spirited movements had been enough of a struggle before Cassie had knocked back two drinks. Now, her vision lacked proper focus, and figuring out what had Helena begging her to flee from Dragon Hall took a second or two. Blinking rapidly as her gaze darted through the crowd, somehow hoping it would aid her sight, it stopped abruptly when she finally found them.

In truth, Cassie wasn't sure she'd have found him if he wasn't being so cruelly obvious in his determination to capture her attention. In her defence, though, she'd forgotten about him entirely sometime between drink one and drink two, and she hadn't thought in all her lives that he'd show up at Dragon Hall. Plus, in her alcohol-induced haze, he looked like every other VK in the room. Without his coat and hook, it was frighteningly easy to mistake him for someone else. In fact, she'd momentarily considered that the drinks had cursed her with a fucked-up hallucination.

First, Cassie was unaware of any sound that wasn't the infuriating ringing in her ears. In the back of her mind, she could faintly hear Helena calling her name, but it was muffled, like she'd dipped her head under water. Then, like someone had cast a spell on Dragon Hall, the movement around her slowed; the other VK's nothing more than furniture when compared to what she saw before her. Not long after that, a dull kind of pain spread throughout her chest. As if someone had punched her in the tummy, her stomach turned, and the air caught in the back of her throat. Cassie was vaguely conscious of the unbearable cold drifting along her arms, like someone had thought it funny to douse her with ocean water.

Worst of all, he knew exactly what he was causing. Of course he did. Cassie was only slightly skilled at masking what she felt on a good day, and these sudden discomforts were painfully new to her, consuming her entirely without giving her enough room to even try and breathe. He knew what he was doing, and to further her torment, he seemed to take great delight in it.

"Cass'! Hey!" Helena stepped forward, putting herself between Cassie and what she couldn't seem to tear her eyes from. "Look at me!" The Queen of Hearts cupped Cassie's cheeks, drawing the little cat's gaze to hers. "It's okay! It's okay."

Even with Helena trying to distract her, the images floated around Cassie's mind on repeat, trapping her in the moment. Harry, moulded to Yzla's back like he wanted to consume her entirely, his right hand placed low on her hip, his other arm coming down her shoulder to drape against her chest, keeping her close. Yzla, following the motion of his hips, stretched her arms up and behind his head, her fingers lacing together against his nape. With her eyes closed, basking in the beat of the music, she seemed completely unaware of her dance partner's malicious intent.

'What if it isn't me he wants? He's wanted to win our game for a long time. Let's say I give in, then what? He realises it wasn't me'.

'What is it? What makes you so sure you want me?'.

'You hate me that much?'.

'He says he wants me, and he's never lied to me before, but I don't believe him'.

'What if I give in and he finally gets that it was just the chase keeping him around? He leaves. I can bounce back from a stabbing, but... Hel', I don't have any tricks to stop that kind of pain from getting to me'.

'You're all riding my ass and telling me there's something there when there's not! I don't trust him, and I don't believe him'.

"I was right," whispered Cassie, her eyes misting over. Usually, she enjoyed being right. And now she could go back to pirate territory and prove them all wrong. Typically, though, it didn't make her feel so damn shitty.

Helena shook her head. "No, no, you weren't right, sweetie," she protested.

It broke Cassie out of the spell. And not necessarily for the better.

The numbness from before twisted beneath her skin, burning into a bitter outrage. Her eyes flared an intense yellow. "Look at them!" she exclaimed, waving a hand in the direction of the dance floor.

"Actually, you really should look at them," encouraged Clay, nonchalant to the duo's conundrum.

Cassie snapped, "I don't wanna!"

Grasping the little cat by the sleeve of her dress, Clay dragged Cassie in front of him. With one hand holding his drink, he dangled the other over her shoulder, pointing in Harry's direction. "Would you just fucking look!"

Reluctantly, and with a startling murderous urgency, Cassie did as asked. Helena turned to stand beside her, also looking ahead to figure out what the other VK was talking about.

"What am I supposed to be looking at?" demanded Cassie. In all honesty, it was a little hard to look for other signs when she was so occupied with Harry's hand drifting low to rest on Yzla's thigh.

"That's your fella, yeah?" asked Clay.

"No!" responded Cassie, at the same moment Helena replied 'yes'.

Clay's eyes lit up. "Oh? It's a brewing situation, then." His smile was far too devious. "He's not into Yzla."

A breath of annoyance passed through Cassie's lips. "You don't dance like that if you're not interested."

"How would you know?" he retorted, playful. "It's your first party."

Cassie frowned. "Dick."

"He's right, Pussycat," added Helena. "Sure, sometimes it can mean interest. But it's just another method of madness."

"What?" mumbled Cassie, her irritation growing the longer they decided to drag it out.

"It's a challenge, little cat," explained Clay. "He's trying to make you jealous." He drew back and scanned Cassie from head to toe. "And he did, by the looks of things."

It jolted Cassie enough to restrain some of her anger. "Huh?"

Helena winced. "He's trying to make you work on his timeline." When Cassie deadpanned, the queen clarified, "He wants you to admit you want him already."

There was a moment of quiet. Cassie spun the words around in her mind until they sparked her infuriation once more.

One night, that was all she'd wanted. One evening where she could spend time with Helena and not have to worry about Harry, her training, or even Maddy sending one of her goons to kill her again. She'd hoped that after getting shanked and being put to sleep for over a week, she'd surely earned some down time. A moment away from the ship and her worrying thoughts over Harry and what he truly desired from her. It wasn't too much to ask for. But no, he couldn't even grant her that.

"You said it's a challenge," said Cassie, looking up at Clay. "How do I win?"

Helena groaned. "Cass'."

"You find someone else to dance with. No rules, apart from the rules between dancers. Whoever makes the other one jealous enough to come to them wins."

Grabbing her drink from the table, Cassie took a hearty swig. Then she asked, "Can you dance?"

Clay grinned. "I can. Can you?"

"I will," she muttered, pushing down whatever was left of her reasoning and apprehension. "Can you run?"

His smile faltered. "Will I need to?"

"Yes," stated Helena, scratching her hairline as though exhausted by the whole thing.

Clay floundered for a second. "Yeah. I can run."

Cassie took his hand in hers and tilted her head to look at Helena. "If he wants to play with me, then who am I to refuse?"

AN;

Hi readers!

First, let me just say that I'm a writer, not a poet. And as cheesy as the curse might be, it was still put on them by people from Auradon. 😅

I really hope you guys liked this chapter. I'm sorry it wasn't more exciting, but there will be a lot of Harry/Cassie in the next chapter. I did consider a healthier way for Harry to confront Cassie, but the toxicity is too damn enticing and it's really fun to write. Also, shout out to the drunks who develop a chihuahua complex.

Reviews;

Heaven's Mistake: (Also, I think it would be totally adorable to have a scene where Cassie kisses Harry during a duel to gain the upper hand.)

- That's actually so cute! Thank you so much for leaving a review! I hope you enjoyed this chapter 😊

CallMeDella: (Wonder what the Queen did to Tremaine and vise-versa to make them hate each other)

- I didn't actually develop a huge rivalry, it's purely because they both run salons within a few houses of each other 😅

Thank you for leaving yet another amazing review! They really mean the world to me! I hope you like this chapter 😊

Guest: Hi there! Thank you for leaving a review! I'm also a silent reader, around 99% of the time anyway, so it means a lot that you left one here. 😊And yes, the timeline will eventually fall into Descendants 2 territory, so we'll be seeing all of those characters at some point in this fic.

Big thank you to all who've left a review, favourited, and followed. It means a lot that you're enjoying the story!

Thanks!